Post by Lookout! Boxing on Jan 25, 2019 22:59:18 GMT -6
CLAIRE DANES VS NATALIE ALYN LIND
Results: Lookout Writing: Archer
Claire: 39 YO, 5’5 ½ (1.66 m), 93-56-6, 47 KO since 1999, Hawkeye International
Before: Two fighters at opposite ends of their FCBA careers: Claire Danes has been fighting since the earliest days of the federation, She’s a multi-time title holder and member of the Tractorpull Hall of Fame. Natale Alyn Lind has only been in the FCBA since 2017. She has compiled a respectable rookie 9-2-0 record, but nothing like the legendary “D-Train” Still, Natalie is not about to let the fabled veteran over-awe her in the pre-fight.
“Oh, I know all about Claire Danes. Hey, I grew watching her fight. I will admit I was surprised she’s still around, but these old fighters don’t scare me. Sure she could have given me trouble in her prime, but she’s almost retired. Her skills must be slipping now. I just hope she isn’t too pathetic I don’t want to get hauled in for “Elder Abuse’,” Natalie says, more amused by her own jokes than most of her listeners.
Claire Danes is seated at a table next to the podium, she gives Natalie a bored look in reaction to Natty’s monologue. She then takes her place at the podium.
“Honestly, I had thought Foxfire was an organization that had some class, but then they go and sign someone like Natalie Alyn Lind. I am not saying she has no talent, but she certainly can’t handle herself in a manner that reflects well on Foxfire. I can ignore her pitiful attempts at dissing me, but I feel I must speak up about how such bad behavior shows she has no respect for the FCBA and that is a disgrace. Doesn’t Foxfire vet its prospects? Don’t they realize what a cheap excuse for a fighter she is? For shame, Jen Garner! For shame Beth Harnois! You are dragging down the good name of Foxfire!” Claire says in a voice dripping with scorn.
Natalie Alyn Lind is getting red in the face as she listens to Claire Danes tear her down. Claire sees it too.
“Oh, look at how red she’s getting. Is that shame or anger> It should be shame because I speak the truth, but it’s more likely anger because she doesn’t like hearing the truth,” Claire mocks.
Natalie’s fists are clenched and she is on her feet. Claire eyes her coolly: “Is this the part where you slap me in the face or try to tear my clothes off? I already know you are cheap thug—there is no need to prove it.”
Natalie looks torn as to what to do next. Then, suddenly, a brunette young woman appears on the stage and stands in front of the seething Natalie.
“Beth Harnois says Claire is just trying to provoke you and don’t let her get you into a fight.”
Claire Danes interrupts: “I take it you are Bailee Madison—Natalie’s personal minder. Nice to see Beth and Jen had one good idea to keeping this creature under control.”
“I am Bailee Madison, and I am just a messenger,” the brunette says.
“Bailee, “ growls Natalie, “stand aside and let me strip her down to her granny panties.”
“Now I am offended,” Claire mocks, “I always wear sexy undies to interviews. You never know when they might pop into view. Did you even wear undies, Ms. Lind?”
“Bailee—get out of my way. I have a bytch to slap” Natalei cries, trying to push passed Bailee, who proves quite able to restrain the blonde (for the moment, anyway).
“Claire—back off!” A new player came onto the stage.
“I was wondering where you were, Beth,” Claire said. “I am glad you are here. Your punk of a fighter is about to lose control. I really think she needs a ‘time out’ or maybe just a good paddling.”
“She wouldn’t be out of control if you didn’t provoke her,” Beth Harnois said. “You;ve always been good at that.”
“One of my many talents has been to expose low class fighters and cheap tramps who have the nerve to try to insult me,” Claire replied.
“Please let me go and beat her up!” Natalie was begging.
“Oh., please do, I would just love to teach this trash a lesson in catfighting,” Claire said to Beth.
“Shut your mouth, Claire Danes!” Beth cried as she now had to go and help Bailee retrain Natalie. “Natalie, calm down. She’s just trying to distract you. Save it for the fight!”
“Indeed,” Claire added unhelpfully, “save it for the fight because you will need everything you can muster just to avoid total disaster in fighting me.”
“I think this has gone on long enough,” Beth said. “Bailee help me get her out of here.”
Natalie was then half pushed, half carried from the stage. Claire Danes watches the spectacle with smirking amusement. When Natalie and the others are gone, Claire then turns to the press and informs them:
“Sorry, the show is over. Do come back see ‘The D-Train’ run over ‘Nasty Nat’ and finally teach that girl a lesson in good manners.”
Latest chapter in the Claire Danes Retirement Story stirs up plenty of interest on social media. By the time fight is announced in the FCBA Arena, fans are on the edge of their seats with excitement and cheering wildly as Claire and Natalie enter the arena.
Claire is in dark pink shorts and sports bra with gray trim. She has dark pink boots and gloves with gray lacings. Her strawberry blonde hair is pulled back into a simple ponytail. In addition to her training crew, Claire has Kristin Kreuk along side as they walk to the ring.
Natalie is accompanied by trainer Virginia Madsen and Bailee Madison. She is in black sports bra with gold trim and gold shorts with a black stripe on the sides. She has black gloves and boots with gold laces. Her blonde hair is pulled back in a ponytail.
Ring instructions go quietly. It appears both Claire and Natalie have decided “save it for the fight” is good advice. The glove tap is barely a touch and then they are in their corners. They both job in place. Claire doing this cooly. Natalie looking nervous. Then the bell sounds.
R1: Natalie seems uncertain about what to do as Claire starts at her. Claire finding it amusing to draw Nat off balance with quick feints and bluff punches. Natalie getting drawn into a traps that end with her taking hard shots in the face or getting her stomach punched with hard, digging hooks. Natalie covering up, looking confused as she tries to figure out where Claire will strike next. Claire using quick rushes with flurries to punches to head and bod. Natalie getting lumped up and seems more confused with each passing minute. Nat does show a decent jab, but Claire able to work around it, just chipping away at both Natalie’s body and her confidence. Round ends with Natalie dripping with sweat, while Claire looks cool and collected as she books the opening round wide.
R2: Time for a urgent talk from Virginia Madsen. Not all words clear to nearby ringsiders, but looks the gist of it: “Don’t let her intimidate you. Get your leather on her, especially in the face, it’s hard to be cool when your face is getting banged up.”
Natalie quickly puts the advice into practice as the new round begins. She charges at Claire, but then swerves at the last second as Claire is unleashing her right. Claire’s right hits empty air, but Natalie her own right smashing into the side of Claire’s head. Claire knocked sideways into the ropes. Natalie on her with a frenzied storm of punches. Claire trying to clinch, but it’s hard to organize a counter move with pain exploding into your brain in overlapping waves. Claire struggling to escape along the ropes, but Natalie moving with her. Claire finally just going face in gloves as Natalie’s punching rages on until the bell. Natalie steps away panting from the effort. Claire looks woozy, but her legs never faltered. Natty wins the round, but Claire still standing as the round goes as a shutout.
R3: Natalie comes on strongly again as she works Claire to the ribcage with steady smacking punches. Natalie then dropping down to work the stomach with hooks. Claire getting tipped forward and this allows Natalie to bring some hooks rising to smack into Claire’s overhanging face. . Claire backing away so she can now bring her jab into play. Natalie having to work her way around the jab, but manages to get in a couple of quick overhand rights and lefts to sting Claire in the face. Claire retreating again with Natalie punching her to the flanks and sides of the head until time runs out. Natalie all smiles because she’s won another round wide. Claire stoic as she marches back to her corner.
R4: Natalie clearly expecting to pick up where she left off in R3, but Claire coming right at her with straight, hard punches that slap hard into Natalie forehead, nose and mouth. Natalie knocked back on her heels and Claire now brings rights and lefts to crunch Natalie’s jaw. Natalie covering up and trying to get some distance away from Claire. Claire not about to let the younger woman escape. Claire stays on Natalie and now is working over that proud rack and sinking deep hooks into Lind bellymeat. Natalie groaning, gurgling and gasping for air as they body punches strike home with devastating impact. Natalie’s legs keeping her up, but Claire then bodies her into the ropes, she has her left forearm across Natalie’s collarbone while using her right to pound belly. Referee jumps in the break this up but Natalie is greenish in the face and shivering as sweat pours down her body. Claire back at her. This time Natalie able to bar the door with a defensive screen of jabs that disrupt Claire’s attack and allows Natalie to get out to mid-ring. Time runs out on the round. Natalie looks badly shaken as she slowly returns to her stable. Claire smiling grimly as she heads for the HISC corner.
R5: Natalie getting a lot of attention from Foxfire corner crew as well as trainer Virginia Madsen. Natalie very defensive as the new round begins. She has her gloves around her head and spits out only a few quick jabs early. Claire circling, keeping the punches coming and trying to draw Natalie off balance with feints and fancy footwork. Natalie seems to be adapting to Claire’s tricky moves by not falling for them. Claire has to come in forward, again working on Natalie’s body, but Natalie is moving evasively too. Claire having to work to get into position for good punching. Natalie watchful AND SUDDENLY NATTY STRIKES BACK!. Claire had been pulling back her right from a shot and for a moment, her chin is uncovered. Into the gap flies a Natalie Alyn Lind right. KA-POW! Claire all but does a backflip as the punch catches her totally by surprise and flings her to the canvas! HISC corner and fans are open-mouthed in shock as Claire lies sprawled on her back. Natalie trots off to the neutral corner with a big grin. Claire stirring and rolling to one side as referee starts to count. Claire struggles hard and makes it to her feet just as the ref cries: “SEVEN!” Action soon resumes, but Claire showing no taste for anything more than staying on her feet. Claire’s face is firmly in her gloves and letting Natalie go at her body. Claire makes it to the bell, but she looks uncharacteristically dazed and confused as she stumbles back to her corner. Natalie goes to her corner in triumph after putting the fabled “D-Train” on the canvas and steals what had looked to be a solid Claire Danes round.
R6: Claire spends the break slumped on her stool as the HISC crew work on her. Is she playing ‘possum, some wonder. However when Claire comes out she is sluggish and not showing anything but tight defense. Natalie is wary at first and circles around with recon punches to test just how defensive Claire will be this round. Not getting much reaction, Natalie ventures in and launches a punching flurry to Claire’s midsection working it over hard especially to the ribs and stomach. Claire showing very little in response, though she is trying to blunt or dodge any shots going to her head. Natalie does bounce a number of shots off the top of Claire’s head and these seem to keep Claire hunched up. Round ends in a shutout for Natalie Alyn Lind. Natalie looking happy, Claire again stoic, but she moves with a downcast manner to her corner.
R7: Natalie clearly eager to finish Claire Danes off in this round, She pumps her hard with stomach punches, trying get her guard to come down, but Claire’s not biting. Natalie then tries to force her punches between Claire’s protective gloves. Claire’s defenses hold so Natalie then tries to circle and find some odd angle to get in that knockout punch. Claire keeping a close eye on the younger woman and Suddenly Claire strikes like a cobra as she brings a spearing right crashing into Natalie’s face right between the eyes. Natalie’s head snaps back and Claire goes for the chin with a vicious right/left combo. DOWN GOES NATTY LIND! Natalie lands on her back, knees bent upward and arms thrown outward. Claire gives Natalie a vengeful glare and goes to neutral corner. Referee starts count. Natalie pulls herself together and manages to beat the count at “NINE!” The referee waves Claire back in but time runs out before Claire can finish the job, but she can now feel the satisfaction of stealing a round from Natalie and scoring a knockdown. Natalie looking rubbery legged getting back to her corner.
R8: Now it is the turn of the Foxfire corner crew to try to repair the damage of a knockdown. Natalie tries to look firm coming off her stool at the bell, but her legs betray her with a shakiness as Claire approaches. Claire looking confident now, She toys with Natalie for a while, Trying to make her bite on feints and tricks, but Natalie not falling for them. Claire obliged to take a more conventional approach with a strong attack on Natalie’s torso. Methodical Claire Danes beatdown to the body soon has Natalie swaying and then Claire goes to the head, She smashes her way through Natalie’s faltering defenses and snaps her head from right to left and then left to right to a relentless barrage. Natalie’s knees give way. Claire can’t resist a hook to the belly that drops Natalie to her knees. Natalie falls over onto her side and curls up in a ball of pain and shock. Claire walks to the neutral corner. Referee counts. Natalie makes a few efforts to get herself up, but her shell-shocked body will no longer obey. She is curled up and weeping as the end comes for the night:
“NINE!...TEN…YOU’RE OUT!!!!”
THE WINNER: CLAIRE DANES DEFEATS NATALIE ALYN LIND KO8!
After: Claire accepts the applause of her fans and the congratulations of Kristin Kreuk. Claire’s gloves are removed and she strolls across the ring where Natalie sits on her stool with a big white towel over her head, Bailee Madison and Autumn Reeser hover nearby as Virginia Madsen tries to comfort the beaten young woman.
“Enough of this comfort trash!” announced Claire Danes. “On your feet Lind so you can get what you truly deserve.”
“Do you have do this?” Bailee asks.
“Of course, I do, I am Claire Danes and giving snotty rookies what they deserve is one of my goals as I finish out my career. Now step aside.”
Bailee reluctantly steps aside. Natalie has tottered to her feet, her bruised and swollen face is streaked with tears.
“I’m ready,” Natalie says in a shaky voice.
“We’ll see,” Claire said and pulls Natalie out, Then she gets a firm grip on her waist and escorts her around the ring. Natalie starts weeping again. Claire ignores it until they complete the circuit and they are back in the Foxfire corner.
“You feel really bad, don’t you?” Claire says to Natalie who can only numbly nod her head. :You going to give up boxing now?”
“NO!” Natalie’s voice is firm and suddenly the tears stop.
“Good because you actually have talent. You might actually have beaten me out there, but you let me get away. I came back and put you down. I won a fight you should have won. You remember that.”
“Yes, Ms. Danes,” Natalie blurts out.
“Respect. Feels good. You remember that, too, Ms. Lind. Have a good career, I will be watching,” Claire said and then gave the dumbfounded Natalie a hug before disappearing across the ring.
“Wow! Never thought I would see that!” Bailee Madison said an awed voice.
“That’s Claire Danes,” Virginia Madsen observed. “You never know quite what to expect from her. I’m going to miss her around here.”
“Me, too,” sighed Natalie Alyn Lind. “Me,too.”
Excellent battle between one of the best veterans in the FCBA and a rising talent. It was a major back and forth battle. Claire Danes reputed to have told Natalie Alyn Lind she should have won the fight, but didn’t. Natalie certainly tried to finish Claire off after that surprise knockdown I the 5th, but couldn’t seem to find a way to get it done. Then Claire came back and ended up winning the bout in the 8th. Looks like experience won the day over youth. This can’t really be considered a serious setback for young Natty, but we’ll have to see how she fares next time out. Meanwhile Claire after some struggles in 2018 has been able to get 2019 off to a winning start, How far she intends to fight into the new year is not yet known, but it looks like she will be wrapping her career up on a strong note.
Results: Lookout Writing: Archer
Claire: 39 YO, 5’5 ½ (1.66 m), 93-56-6, 47 KO since 1999, Hawkeye International
Natalie: 19 YO, 5’5 (1.65 m), 9-2-0, 9 KO since 2017, Foxfire Boxing
Before: Two fighters at opposite ends of their FCBA careers: Claire Danes has been fighting since the earliest days of the federation, She’s a multi-time title holder and member of the Tractorpull Hall of Fame. Natale Alyn Lind has only been in the FCBA since 2017. She has compiled a respectable rookie 9-2-0 record, but nothing like the legendary “D-Train” Still, Natalie is not about to let the fabled veteran over-awe her in the pre-fight.
“Oh, I know all about Claire Danes. Hey, I grew watching her fight. I will admit I was surprised she’s still around, but these old fighters don’t scare me. Sure she could have given me trouble in her prime, but she’s almost retired. Her skills must be slipping now. I just hope she isn’t too pathetic I don’t want to get hauled in for “Elder Abuse’,” Natalie says, more amused by her own jokes than most of her listeners.
Claire Danes is seated at a table next to the podium, she gives Natalie a bored look in reaction to Natty’s monologue. She then takes her place at the podium.
“Honestly, I had thought Foxfire was an organization that had some class, but then they go and sign someone like Natalie Alyn Lind. I am not saying she has no talent, but she certainly can’t handle herself in a manner that reflects well on Foxfire. I can ignore her pitiful attempts at dissing me, but I feel I must speak up about how such bad behavior shows she has no respect for the FCBA and that is a disgrace. Doesn’t Foxfire vet its prospects? Don’t they realize what a cheap excuse for a fighter she is? For shame, Jen Garner! For shame Beth Harnois! You are dragging down the good name of Foxfire!” Claire says in a voice dripping with scorn.
Natalie Alyn Lind is getting red in the face as she listens to Claire Danes tear her down. Claire sees it too.
“Oh, look at how red she’s getting. Is that shame or anger> It should be shame because I speak the truth, but it’s more likely anger because she doesn’t like hearing the truth,” Claire mocks.
Natalie’s fists are clenched and she is on her feet. Claire eyes her coolly: “Is this the part where you slap me in the face or try to tear my clothes off? I already know you are cheap thug—there is no need to prove it.”
Natalie looks torn as to what to do next. Then, suddenly, a brunette young woman appears on the stage and stands in front of the seething Natalie.
“Beth Harnois says Claire is just trying to provoke you and don’t let her get you into a fight.”
Claire Danes interrupts: “I take it you are Bailee Madison—Natalie’s personal minder. Nice to see Beth and Jen had one good idea to keeping this creature under control.”
“I am Bailee Madison, and I am just a messenger,” the brunette says.
“Bailee, “ growls Natalie, “stand aside and let me strip her down to her granny panties.”
“Now I am offended,” Claire mocks, “I always wear sexy undies to interviews. You never know when they might pop into view. Did you even wear undies, Ms. Lind?”
“Bailee—get out of my way. I have a bytch to slap” Natalei cries, trying to push passed Bailee, who proves quite able to restrain the blonde (for the moment, anyway).
“Claire—back off!” A new player came onto the stage.
“I was wondering where you were, Beth,” Claire said. “I am glad you are here. Your punk of a fighter is about to lose control. I really think she needs a ‘time out’ or maybe just a good paddling.”
“She wouldn’t be out of control if you didn’t provoke her,” Beth Harnois said. “You;ve always been good at that.”
“One of my many talents has been to expose low class fighters and cheap tramps who have the nerve to try to insult me,” Claire replied.
“Please let me go and beat her up!” Natalie was begging.
“Oh., please do, I would just love to teach this trash a lesson in catfighting,” Claire said to Beth.
“Shut your mouth, Claire Danes!” Beth cried as she now had to go and help Bailee retrain Natalie. “Natalie, calm down. She’s just trying to distract you. Save it for the fight!”
“Indeed,” Claire added unhelpfully, “save it for the fight because you will need everything you can muster just to avoid total disaster in fighting me.”
“I think this has gone on long enough,” Beth said. “Bailee help me get her out of here.”
Natalie was then half pushed, half carried from the stage. Claire Danes watches the spectacle with smirking amusement. When Natalie and the others are gone, Claire then turns to the press and informs them:
“Sorry, the show is over. Do come back see ‘The D-Train’ run over ‘Nasty Nat’ and finally teach that girl a lesson in good manners.”
Latest chapter in the Claire Danes Retirement Story stirs up plenty of interest on social media. By the time fight is announced in the FCBA Arena, fans are on the edge of their seats with excitement and cheering wildly as Claire and Natalie enter the arena.
Claire is in dark pink shorts and sports bra with gray trim. She has dark pink boots and gloves with gray lacings. Her strawberry blonde hair is pulled back into a simple ponytail. In addition to her training crew, Claire has Kristin Kreuk along side as they walk to the ring.
Natalie is accompanied by trainer Virginia Madsen and Bailee Madison. She is in black sports bra with gold trim and gold shorts with a black stripe on the sides. She has black gloves and boots with gold laces. Her blonde hair is pulled back in a ponytail.
Ring instructions go quietly. It appears both Claire and Natalie have decided “save it for the fight” is good advice. The glove tap is barely a touch and then they are in their corners. They both job in place. Claire doing this cooly. Natalie looking nervous. Then the bell sounds.
R1: Natalie seems uncertain about what to do as Claire starts at her. Claire finding it amusing to draw Nat off balance with quick feints and bluff punches. Natalie getting drawn into a traps that end with her taking hard shots in the face or getting her stomach punched with hard, digging hooks. Natalie covering up, looking confused as she tries to figure out where Claire will strike next. Claire using quick rushes with flurries to punches to head and bod. Natalie getting lumped up and seems more confused with each passing minute. Nat does show a decent jab, but Claire able to work around it, just chipping away at both Natalie’s body and her confidence. Round ends with Natalie dripping with sweat, while Claire looks cool and collected as she books the opening round wide.
R2: Time for a urgent talk from Virginia Madsen. Not all words clear to nearby ringsiders, but looks the gist of it: “Don’t let her intimidate you. Get your leather on her, especially in the face, it’s hard to be cool when your face is getting banged up.”
Natalie quickly puts the advice into practice as the new round begins. She charges at Claire, but then swerves at the last second as Claire is unleashing her right. Claire’s right hits empty air, but Natalie her own right smashing into the side of Claire’s head. Claire knocked sideways into the ropes. Natalie on her with a frenzied storm of punches. Claire trying to clinch, but it’s hard to organize a counter move with pain exploding into your brain in overlapping waves. Claire struggling to escape along the ropes, but Natalie moving with her. Claire finally just going face in gloves as Natalie’s punching rages on until the bell. Natalie steps away panting from the effort. Claire looks woozy, but her legs never faltered. Natty wins the round, but Claire still standing as the round goes as a shutout.
R3: Natalie comes on strongly again as she works Claire to the ribcage with steady smacking punches. Natalie then dropping down to work the stomach with hooks. Claire getting tipped forward and this allows Natalie to bring some hooks rising to smack into Claire’s overhanging face. . Claire backing away so she can now bring her jab into play. Natalie having to work her way around the jab, but manages to get in a couple of quick overhand rights and lefts to sting Claire in the face. Claire retreating again with Natalie punching her to the flanks and sides of the head until time runs out. Natalie all smiles because she’s won another round wide. Claire stoic as she marches back to her corner.
R4: Natalie clearly expecting to pick up where she left off in R3, but Claire coming right at her with straight, hard punches that slap hard into Natalie forehead, nose and mouth. Natalie knocked back on her heels and Claire now brings rights and lefts to crunch Natalie’s jaw. Natalie covering up and trying to get some distance away from Claire. Claire not about to let the younger woman escape. Claire stays on Natalie and now is working over that proud rack and sinking deep hooks into Lind bellymeat. Natalie groaning, gurgling and gasping for air as they body punches strike home with devastating impact. Natalie’s legs keeping her up, but Claire then bodies her into the ropes, she has her left forearm across Natalie’s collarbone while using her right to pound belly. Referee jumps in the break this up but Natalie is greenish in the face and shivering as sweat pours down her body. Claire back at her. This time Natalie able to bar the door with a defensive screen of jabs that disrupt Claire’s attack and allows Natalie to get out to mid-ring. Time runs out on the round. Natalie looks badly shaken as she slowly returns to her stable. Claire smiling grimly as she heads for the HISC corner.
R5: Natalie getting a lot of attention from Foxfire corner crew as well as trainer Virginia Madsen. Natalie very defensive as the new round begins. She has her gloves around her head and spits out only a few quick jabs early. Claire circling, keeping the punches coming and trying to draw Natalie off balance with feints and fancy footwork. Natalie seems to be adapting to Claire’s tricky moves by not falling for them. Claire has to come in forward, again working on Natalie’s body, but Natalie is moving evasively too. Claire having to work to get into position for good punching. Natalie watchful AND SUDDENLY NATTY STRIKES BACK!. Claire had been pulling back her right from a shot and for a moment, her chin is uncovered. Into the gap flies a Natalie Alyn Lind right. KA-POW! Claire all but does a backflip as the punch catches her totally by surprise and flings her to the canvas! HISC corner and fans are open-mouthed in shock as Claire lies sprawled on her back. Natalie trots off to the neutral corner with a big grin. Claire stirring and rolling to one side as referee starts to count. Claire struggles hard and makes it to her feet just as the ref cries: “SEVEN!” Action soon resumes, but Claire showing no taste for anything more than staying on her feet. Claire’s face is firmly in her gloves and letting Natalie go at her body. Claire makes it to the bell, but she looks uncharacteristically dazed and confused as she stumbles back to her corner. Natalie goes to her corner in triumph after putting the fabled “D-Train” on the canvas and steals what had looked to be a solid Claire Danes round.
R6: Claire spends the break slumped on her stool as the HISC crew work on her. Is she playing ‘possum, some wonder. However when Claire comes out she is sluggish and not showing anything but tight defense. Natalie is wary at first and circles around with recon punches to test just how defensive Claire will be this round. Not getting much reaction, Natalie ventures in and launches a punching flurry to Claire’s midsection working it over hard especially to the ribs and stomach. Claire showing very little in response, though she is trying to blunt or dodge any shots going to her head. Natalie does bounce a number of shots off the top of Claire’s head and these seem to keep Claire hunched up. Round ends in a shutout for Natalie Alyn Lind. Natalie looking happy, Claire again stoic, but she moves with a downcast manner to her corner.
R7: Natalie clearly eager to finish Claire Danes off in this round, She pumps her hard with stomach punches, trying get her guard to come down, but Claire’s not biting. Natalie then tries to force her punches between Claire’s protective gloves. Claire’s defenses hold so Natalie then tries to circle and find some odd angle to get in that knockout punch. Claire keeping a close eye on the younger woman and Suddenly Claire strikes like a cobra as she brings a spearing right crashing into Natalie’s face right between the eyes. Natalie’s head snaps back and Claire goes for the chin with a vicious right/left combo. DOWN GOES NATTY LIND! Natalie lands on her back, knees bent upward and arms thrown outward. Claire gives Natalie a vengeful glare and goes to neutral corner. Referee starts count. Natalie pulls herself together and manages to beat the count at “NINE!” The referee waves Claire back in but time runs out before Claire can finish the job, but she can now feel the satisfaction of stealing a round from Natalie and scoring a knockdown. Natalie looking rubbery legged getting back to her corner.
R8: Now it is the turn of the Foxfire corner crew to try to repair the damage of a knockdown. Natalie tries to look firm coming off her stool at the bell, but her legs betray her with a shakiness as Claire approaches. Claire looking confident now, She toys with Natalie for a while, Trying to make her bite on feints and tricks, but Natalie not falling for them. Claire obliged to take a more conventional approach with a strong attack on Natalie’s torso. Methodical Claire Danes beatdown to the body soon has Natalie swaying and then Claire goes to the head, She smashes her way through Natalie’s faltering defenses and snaps her head from right to left and then left to right to a relentless barrage. Natalie’s knees give way. Claire can’t resist a hook to the belly that drops Natalie to her knees. Natalie falls over onto her side and curls up in a ball of pain and shock. Claire walks to the neutral corner. Referee counts. Natalie makes a few efforts to get herself up, but her shell-shocked body will no longer obey. She is curled up and weeping as the end comes for the night:
“NINE!...TEN…YOU’RE OUT!!!!”
THE WINNER: CLAIRE DANES DEFEATS NATALIE ALYN LIND KO8!
After: Claire accepts the applause of her fans and the congratulations of Kristin Kreuk. Claire’s gloves are removed and she strolls across the ring where Natalie sits on her stool with a big white towel over her head, Bailee Madison and Autumn Reeser hover nearby as Virginia Madsen tries to comfort the beaten young woman.
“Enough of this comfort trash!” announced Claire Danes. “On your feet Lind so you can get what you truly deserve.”
“Do you have do this?” Bailee asks.
“Of course, I do, I am Claire Danes and giving snotty rookies what they deserve is one of my goals as I finish out my career. Now step aside.”
Bailee reluctantly steps aside. Natalie has tottered to her feet, her bruised and swollen face is streaked with tears.
“I’m ready,” Natalie says in a shaky voice.
“We’ll see,” Claire said and pulls Natalie out, Then she gets a firm grip on her waist and escorts her around the ring. Natalie starts weeping again. Claire ignores it until they complete the circuit and they are back in the Foxfire corner.
“You feel really bad, don’t you?” Claire says to Natalie who can only numbly nod her head. :You going to give up boxing now?”
“NO!” Natalie’s voice is firm and suddenly the tears stop.
“Good because you actually have talent. You might actually have beaten me out there, but you let me get away. I came back and put you down. I won a fight you should have won. You remember that.”
“Yes, Ms. Danes,” Natalie blurts out.
“Respect. Feels good. You remember that, too, Ms. Lind. Have a good career, I will be watching,” Claire said and then gave the dumbfounded Natalie a hug before disappearing across the ring.
“Wow! Never thought I would see that!” Bailee Madison said an awed voice.
“That’s Claire Danes,” Virginia Madsen observed. “You never know quite what to expect from her. I’m going to miss her around here.”
“Me, too,” sighed Natalie Alyn Lind. “Me,too.”
Excellent battle between one of the best veterans in the FCBA and a rising talent. It was a major back and forth battle. Claire Danes reputed to have told Natalie Alyn Lind she should have won the fight, but didn’t. Natalie certainly tried to finish Claire off after that surprise knockdown I the 5th, but couldn’t seem to find a way to get it done. Then Claire came back and ended up winning the bout in the 8th. Looks like experience won the day over youth. This can’t really be considered a serious setback for young Natty, but we’ll have to see how she fares next time out. Meanwhile Claire after some struggles in 2018 has been able to get 2019 off to a winning start, How far she intends to fight into the new year is not yet known, but it looks like she will be wrapping her career up on a strong note.
