Amanda Righetti versus Hannah Ferguson (Welterweight Title)

AMANDA RIGHETTI (Welterweight Champion) (35 y/o, 5 ft 8, W: 88, L: 28) vs HANNAH FERGUSON (26 y/o, 5 ft 10, W: 30, L: 5)


Before: Righetti vs the triumvirate: 2018 has seen a consolidation at the top of the welter division – Kate Upton, Tahnee Atkinson and Hannah Ferguson have established their elite new guard position (with Brooklyn Decker, Hilary Rhoda and Jennifer Lawrence looming large to threaten this group), while Righetti‘s led a sort of counter revolution. Across the year, the title has mostly stayed firmly in the triumvirate‘s hands: Hannah surrendered it to Tahnee who went on to dominate the year with a stunning five defenses run, until she surrendered it to Kate who subsequently surrendered it to Amanda, at a time when, perhaps, people were starting to wonder whether Righetti had already passed the pinnacle of her skills and success.

Back-to-back victories over Kate Upton in 2018 have brought Big Rigs back on the throne – with Hannah getting her first defense (partly owing to her win over Tahnee early in 2019 and Brooklyn Decker‘s upset loss to J-Law), the new guard triumvirate‘s getting a chance to snatch that title right back from the old guard‘s clutches again. Hannah‘s record – she‘s also kept an iron grip on her JMDD title for more than a year and has a chance to claim another double title hold now – is still a staggering 85 percent, and now in her fourth career year, she‘s lost just five fights to three different women in total. Ferguson‘s stunning 2017 victory over Righetti was surely one of Hannah‘s best non-JMD moments along the way and it‘s made the betting for this fight a pretty close affair at the bookies.

Interview: That 2017 fight evoked memories of the g.o.a.t., Charlize Theron‘s leggy craftsmanship in the ring, and it‘s what Hannah wants you to remember before this fight:

“Legs, legs, legs“, she announces cheekily. “Righetti‘s still used to models being second class in the FCBA. Those times are over. With my legs and reach there‘s nobody who can keep the kind of pressure on Righetti all night long the way I‘m able to do. I can side-step, dominate, dance her all woozy until I finally sweep her away in the end. I already know my sneaky power can get her chin to quit, so it‘s really just a question of outlasting and tiring her out until the time‘s right.“

Righetti listens, exuding that familiar air of cool, confident professionalism:

“I wanted Hannah for this fight from the moment Kate Upton laid in the ref‘s arms, helpless from my fists. Make no doubt: I want to make a statement. Hannah‘s another one of the girls who‘s snuck by me in the past. That was the kind of performance I just cannot accept from myself in the ring. The welter division needs to learn how to fear me again. And after I‘ve wrecked tuff Hannah‘s hopes and dreams in heartless, brutal fashion, that‘s exactly what‘s going to be the exclusive emotion around here again: fear.“








Fight night attire: For tonight, Hannah‘s wearing ultra-long, knee-high, snow-white stockings and white boots with swarovski crystals interlaced, a white bikini top and hot pants with vertical black-and-white stripes, her shiny fresh blonde hair loose, wetted down – Righetti‘s clad in black boots/red laces, a set of dark black boxing trunks cut off just below her butt plus a sports bra (one side in light red, the other in dark black), her reddish hair loose.

Fight: R1: Hannah a light-footed, elegant fighter, her lateral hops/kicks across Righetti‘s front – a breezy, pesky jab stingin‘, stickin‘ out – give redhead plenty of trouble to locate her blonde, get into a good punching position. Hannah moves fast, fading Amanda‘s strong, fetching jabs...that nimble, limber upper body bending back and forth to slap-shot into short jab counters to mouth/neck, or to beat Righetti to blastin‘ right crosses. Girls circling, turning around – aggressive stances/bobs/feints from the champ, but it‘s Ferguson‘s work controlling the action, feeding her the long jab to stay a step ahead just being tall. Mid-round, Hannah steps-right from a jab, busting a nasty left jug hook/right hand to left ear combo that puts Amanda wobbly-butt, splits mitts as Righetti‘s head boots up from the shot!

Ferguson going body early to everybody‘s surprise: blonde challenger pouncing on Righetti‘s leggy swoon, stampedes big-girl to ropeside position, arms pinned, saddling up on redhead. Amanda‘s eyes wide, showing protest, her head leaning back over top rope from Hannah‘s loose strokes. Fergy on top: little shoves, palming arms away, pin-downs – she‘s a shovin‘, a-sluggin‘ the champ‘s waist/jug-line with icy-eyed ferocity, bringing big-girl JMD mentality to a welter championship first round. Pressure puts Righetti‘s butt in ropes again and again...down the stretch: Righetti pinned down, butt slumping, her face in gloves – Hannah shoves down Amanda‘s right arm in a tight little snug, jamming nasty straight right hands into tits, oomph, oomph – poor Righetti‘s bod seriously jerking back from these power shots before ref tackles in post-bell, sends fighters corner-bound.

Inside Ferguson‘s corner during break: blonde challenger rosy-cheeked, fresh-faced, hot – “Lovin‘ this,“ she says to her coach, nodding all the time. – Righetti slumping against turnbuckle, getting massages across the waist, arms, her mouth opening when she‘s breathing. “If this is what Hannah wants, give it to her,“ team says. “This needs to be your fight, your terms.“

R2: Righetti ups the tempo in attempts to nail down, exert pressure on a leggy, mobile Ferguson, crouching closer on jab-based aggression: Hannah still uses those long legs to hop out, step out, lean out, switching sides, trying to walk redhead into air – her majestic strides and leggy stamina making use of every inch of canvas ground when necessary. Amanda better prepared for Hannah‘s elusive line of counter attack: upper body shuttling, she‘s bob-steppin‘ on the spots, crouchin‘ her way forward, both hands feinting/punching off her face. Righetti‘s grit panning out: faster tempo slowly cuts off the ring, moves fight inside – the left palming blonde shoulder/right arm, Manda‘s slamming plenty of thick, hard rights to Hannah‘s ribs or jugline, getting inside Fergy‘s breadbasket in tuff fashion, stopping blonde to punish.

Ferguson‘s leggy control fading throughout second minute – these shovin‘, slammin‘ body rights have her sobbing out, shouting little protests, driving her to ropes. Ropeside, Hannah‘s lanky body keeps digging in tuff – she‘s dipping her shoulders/torso, her short, succinct lefts/rights licking back strongly from her hips against Righetti‘s guard/bod – two-way danger zone keeps action close, exciting. More brawn from Amanda down the stretch: steady club-club strokes to Hannah‘s tummy/arms, arms positioned atop/below blonde‘s shoulders, some nasty forearms to tits when the ref‘s not looking.

Righetti coming back strong from an impressive Ferguson opening round – corner wants even more of her “working that tummy, working those ribs, working those jugs!“ – Hannah‘s corner not concerned: “More precision when your back‘s on the ropes, Han. Find those gaps with your hooks, girl – counter-sock it to her!“

R3: Ferguson mobile, loping out of Righetti‘s range with back/lateral steps, hops...she‘s applying pressure in reverse gear! A stinging, wide/extended jab her weapon of choice, culling her shots with it against a crouchin‘, prowlin‘ Righetti – Amanda unable to/prevented from cutting off the ring for blonde as she wants it, just loosely stalking a controlling Fergy covering canvas. Hannah extending that long, bendy body on these long-jabs gorgeously as she‘s gaiting out back/lateral, keeping Rigs covering up in pursuit. Ferguson uses a sudden and SWOOPING deep body right to hurt Manda from these positions, then skips off, denying counter range via that still-extended jab – Righetti lowering her elbows to protect, her upper body in pendulum against blonde‘s pot shots. Mid-round: Amanda extends on short jab, leans into right cross – Hannah blocks, socking a hard right to Righetti‘s jaw, staggering redhead‘s legs, pain proving on Amanda‘s twisted face.

And again: Righetti steps in, wants to be aggressive – Hannah with a good read and the step-out, step-in counter, a clouting left/right combination to Amanda‘s face. Righetti‘s bod rocking back and forth from clean, tuff shot, strong legs saving her as she retreats with a stagger – but her butt‘s almost inevitably ropeside from that point on! Champ‘s turn to dig in and fight from the trenches – nice shoulder-to-shoulder blasts down the stretch, with Righetti sluggin‘ them back against a rangy, lanky Hannah.
Blonde challenger in control during third heat: “Hannah‘s terms again, Amanda“, Righetti‘s corner says, brows raised. – opposite her, Ferguson‘s actually shown watching a slow motion replay of her pouncing left/right counter on the big screen, brings a huge smile to her face.

R4: Righetti still adamant to stalk, walk forward, pumping rhythmic clockwise lefties – she‘s troubled by Hannah‘s mobility, the edge of her jabs taken off by solid, leggy range management from her blonde challenger. Girls finally blasting toe-to-toe throughout some moments late in the first minute: Ferguson stands and delivers for the first time tonight, answering Amanda‘s grim jab/jab/right cross-to-ear with a snapped-off left body hook to the tits and a short, straight, fluid right-to-mouth. Righetti crouchin‘, shuttlin‘ out of the confrontation, back-pedalling – she‘s feeling Hannah! Ferguson changes stance, crouching that long, bendy body, dipping her torso, swaying side-to-side – and there‘s the smack hook to Amandaq‘s right ear, from Hannah LEAPING out of the crouch, hit and run!

Ferguson circles Righetti: hacking lefts rock Amanda‘s guard, then the blonde escapes to the right from a lunging, angry Rigs right via fast steps, still burying a tacking body hook below Amanda‘s rack when the champ turns-with a tad late. Righetti stumbling forward off the body shot hurt – and Hannah sets those hips, lathering Amanda‘s strong core/mid-section via wide, diggin‘ rib shots, explodes into dangerous uppercuts a-blastin‘ from her hips – Righetti‘s head/upper body rocking back-and-forth away from these bombs. Ferguson finally spins out of range during third minute, satisfied – there‘s her feeding the long jab again, nicely stepping in and out of Amanda‘s thudding one-two combination attempts.

Champion‘s corner: “Gotta do something about blondie‘s legs here, Manda, and soon.“ “Duh!“ is what Righetti‘s expression seems to say.

R5: Girls circle clockwise, stepping-with, jabbing out into chest for range, then both suddenly lean into blunt right hands bouncing off respective jaws – and Hannah‘s stumbling off the shot wobbly-butt! Blonde, redhead fall in together, arms clinging around opposite arms/shoulders, shiny backs glistening as strong upper bodies twist, shove for ground, walk-back. No gridlock, just lots of action standing in with each other on the spot: truncated hooks get clipped below the elbows, greedy fists cuff at chins. Girls separate, and Righetti‘s jab power‘s directed all the way to Ferguson‘s boobs, tummy, ribs – hunting right hands, haymakers whizzin‘, shock-and-awe the blonde challenger, driving her to ropes! Hannah embedding there: high, brawny guard – snapped-off counter hooks, counter straights.

Girls trade furiously: Righetti on top, Hannah slugging back – wild exchanges as Amanda attempts to heave steady heavy leather into Ferguson‘s breadbasket, ripping left/right crosses below her rackline in heartless fashion, provoking shouts of sobbing protest, while Hannah‘s catching Amanda‘s chin via solid off-the-ropes smacks, not backing off a gritty, hazarding Rigs in the process. Ferguson moves beyond range late during round: feet dragging her away, gliding on canvas, fighting on her toes against a compact Righetti‘s left – a tall jab takes Righetti‘s eyes into target, blocking rights pretty well, her own right hands jerking from hips/stomach when Amanda leans in to follow up on her jab.

Champion returns to the scorecards after close round – at half-way point, the second battle between Hannah Ferguson and Amanda Righetti‘s a tight tightrope battle. An anonymous ropeside pundit: “We‘ve already seen some pretty hard punches that could have ended lesser girls‘ nights. Expect more of that as these girls tire out. Risk management matters now. Didn‘t think Ferguson matched Righetti‘s power back in 2017, but she sure seems to do tonight.“

R6: Hannah spurting/hopping, using every inch of the ring...she sets a blistering pace for a welterweight championship bout, drifting easy-legs past a strong-legged, bobbing, covering up Amanda trying to meet her. There‘s the aggressive feint, Hannah – her left hand wagging, rushing out...Righetti moving right mitt to block, shoving a short jab for presumed counter, EATS THE SLINGSHOT RIGHT to jaw from Ferguson instead! Amanda momentarily paralyzed, her eyes void, takes a left hook brushing her mouth, too – Righetti‘s staggering forward, hurt.

Ferguson stays stubborn on the champ: she‘s stepping away to the right, a tall jab snapping out, landing thick, cruel right hand bombs inside Righetti‘s gut when redhead turns, follows. Righetti stunned, stupefied by gut shots, dukes at temple, moving feet a little sluggish – Hannah leans into drubbing shots from her hips, her blasting rising uppercuts clout Rigs on either ear/skullside, then blonde is swerving off to the left or right. Second minute: Hannah strutting, back arched, left outstretched, waiting – Amanda bobbin‘, crouchin‘ her way close, leans in for pawing right and HANNAH BEATS HER TO IT AGAIN! The fast right hand so explosive from Hannah‘s lap, cracks Manda‘s head starboard hard, sends her stumbling ropeside, glassy-eyed – Hannah RUSHING, wraps up a slumping champ in her arms in walk to ropes!

Ropes: Righetti laying back, dukes at temple, moves the left hand – a wide-leggeed Hannah reacts fast, slaps the right hook/left cross combo that sends the champ SPUTTERING onto all fours all jelly-legged...her knees slump, and Righetti‘s sprawled on her belly in a right angle to ropes, groaning! Hannah‘s wrested away, sent a-struttin‘ to her corner, eyes flashing in triumph up as she‘s turning to look at her prey! Righetti takes the count at 8 in creaky, wretched fashion, hopping, presenting mitts to ref – but Hannah PILES IT ON! Remainder of round all about Hannah looking for the off switch: hands low...big, limber strokes across Righetti‘s flanks, tummy, ears, crowd ooh‘ing, aah‘ing at the blasts, as Manda slides along the apron, shuddering, blasted, not holding her stances.

No off switch for Ferguson until BELL – Righetti a swaying beauty, dazed, but meets Hannah for chesty eye contact, holds it, the blonde bellowing into her face as ref tries to edge in between big girls.

Corner: “You‘re eating her alive, Hannah. Get that title RIGHT now, girl!“

R7: Hannah returns with a confident strut to mid-ring – at bell she‘s lock-stepping into motion, hands feinting at about mouth height, circling around Amanda in jabby, shifting pivots. Righetti forms a brawny guard, wanders-with blonde, looking stronger again if a bit scuffed – later during first minute, strong double jabs finally up the champ‘s tempo. Ferguson‘s forming leggy stances – step out, step in, lashing out big strokes, step out again – make Righetti move her feet: good head movement, kissing straight right hands right off the jab keep Rigs competitive. Long, lean jabs from Hannah no longer working as tidy on Amanda...Righetti slips a Hannah‘s tummy/rack right, bobbing a shot wide – HANNAH takes an abrupt (short jab, wide right hook) combination to her mouth instead! Another wide right Hannah, missing: Amanda‘s short, diggin‘ hooks towards Ferguson‘s liver, kidney regions have blonde challenger‘s face stretching in hurt, stepping away queasy-legged.

Second minute: girls stationed in full-blown blast-out, digging in ear to ear – hips/shoulders dip, punches a-strokin, a-lickin‘, torsos absorbing weight of shot. Hannah‘s head KICKS BACK from a short, jerky uppercut, starts a brawny phase for the champ: Amanda reaches under Fergy‘s arms, heaving the blonde back to open up tummy/jugs to thiiiick swats. Right hand to ribs lays back Hannah brawny against ropes – head to head, girls stay busy...Righetti‘s fists bouncing off Hannah‘s ears/temples, Hannah fitting in inside uppercuts to Amanda‘s jaw/rack, trying to stay supple, rope-based. Grinding shots to mid-section/flanks/tummy suppress Hannah‘s legs, taking the action more into shuddering toe-to-toe action, slowing things down, but amping up the power...this is what Rigs wants!

Down the stretch: girls line straight jabs to chest, lay into slugging right hand hooks to jaw – heads getting SWIPED, toggled. Righetti keeps punching, blonde is numbed – explosive left uppercut jolts to Hannah‘s temple, right cross chops up her left ear...HANNAH GOES DOWN! Big blonde‘s head/upper body in a dramatic swivel, as her right leg slumps away from under her, sees her slowly sinking onto her haunches, hair obscuring her face as she leans on right arm to prop up, breathing heavy. Righetti staggers off, arm raised, lips quivering: ref‘s counting her blonde challenger out! Ferguson‘s bruised and hurt: BEATS THE COUNT!

Blonde lays back in ropes, swaying while ref‘s checking her out – he rules her good to go. Couple seconds on the clock: Righetti pitches in with a wide straight jab, pancaking blonde tits, jerks the right uppercut to Hannah‘s mouth as Ferguson reaches out around Manda‘s shoulders, clinching, BELL.

Corner – dramatic work by Hannah‘s team, as blonde slumps against her stool, not entirely responsive, her eyes flickering, head sagging down. – Across the ring, Righetti‘s sketched by bruises, a nasty cut above her eyebrows swelling, but her eyes are wide awake, hungry, throwing prying looks across the ring to see her foe‘s state.

R8: Girls decelerating tempo as they pivot close, lefts pawing, rights close to face – Righetti surges forward, bobbing aggressively behind jabs off her shoulder, locating Hannah‘s chest in thumping fashion. Blonde still trying to roll these punches, step out left/right from Amanda‘s poke, but she‘s on the back pedal, suffering from lesser speed, lesser efficiency! Ferguson hoppin‘...she‘s bending and squirming on receipt, her elbows tight inside when Righetti‘s getting into her breadbasket...Amanda sneakin‘, curlin‘ her punches between the blonde‘s elbows, pik-pak, putting Fergy thru the grinder.

Thirty seconds in, Hannah‘s back hits ropes, and she‘s forced to reach out for Amanda in long-armed grasps, trying to pull her foe‘s head down – Righetti with steady bobs and shifts of her torso, punches shunting Hannah‘s arms aside to keep hands/body free, trying to keep a steady punch on the blonde. An explosive, drifting left uppercut carves to chin, sends Fergy reeling along ropeside, body slanting, steps a-stuttering – Manda‘s torso moving left/right in her pursuit, dodging Hannah‘s jabs, clinch attempts, THICK body crosses at either flank eliciting moist grunts from the blonde!

Ferguson‘s torso sitting juddery on those long legs, hands desperately grabbing out to push, shove away: Amanda‘s HUGE, gobsmacking right hand pours in above her arms, crushing to temple – Hannah‘s lean body relaxes, slackens on impact, hands sinking. She‘s stumbling backwards, trippin‘, trippin‘ and finally CRASHING TO HER BACK! Hannah‘s long-limbed body thuds, stretching out parallel to ropes in an instant, proud breasts sloshing into rest, eyelids shutting, opening, shutting again, that pretty face inert, lips murmuring words of protest...she can‘t get off her back! Righetti still quivers with seething punch hunger as she stares down at her fallen foe, then POUNDS her chest and turns away from the rubble: that‘s a powerful KO8 – and she‘s STILL the welterweight champion of the world – Amanda “Big Rigs“ Righetti!

After: Crowd standing, roaring at the slam-bang knockout finish – welter queens exchanging blasts all night long, but Righetti‘s the last woman standing. Hannah‘s set up rickety against the ropes, damp, sweaty hair obscuring her face, challenger tenderly led to corner, slumping on her stool in huge disappointment. Tonight‘s title fight no repeat of their 2017 battle, neither in outcome nor in execution.

Righetti elaborates post-fight: “We‘ve always known Hannah‘s legs would be a problem, and winning the fight was about taking those legs out of the game. But God, she‘s a much bigger puncher now, not single-punch-wise, I mean, but in terms of weight of shot and steady, penetrating power. My body shots in the seventh finally got those legs to quit, though, and that‘s where I was able to separate. Took me two years, but I finally have these models where I want them. At my feet.“