Post by Lookout! Boxing on Oct 27, 2016 23:10:41 GMT -6
Blake Lively vs. Gemma Arterton (Lightweight Championship)
(Words: Front Street / Results: Lookout!)
BEFORE:
There aren't many more inspiring FCBA stories than Blake Lively's. The gorgeous blonde from Tarzana was highly-touted when she entered the FCBA in 2008, but, she proceeded to win exactly one third of her first 24 fights, including an absolutely ghastly 0-6 in 2012 that got her sent packing from JKO. Things didn't get much better the next two years, with Blake cycling through her third and fourth stables before joining Ginny's Academy and getting her career on track. Since then, she's won ten of thirteen fights, grabbed the lightweight title, and successfully defended it three times, actually managing to get her career record to .500 in the process.
Gemma Arterton's story is almost the polar opposite of the blonde's. Arterton hit the ground running, and, after 24 fights, had already won 19. And, not only has she never had a year where she didn't win a fight, she's had two where she didn't lose one. But, the one thing that's so far eluded Arterton is the lightweight title. Her one shot to this point ended in disappointment against Mary Elizabeth Winstead. And, she doesn't plan to be disappointed again. "I said last year that the lightweight division hadn't heard the last of me, and so it hasn't. I'm back. I've beaten Lively before. And, tonight, I'll beat her again."
Blake, however, thinks differently about how this evening is going to end. "Yes, she beat me. Almost six years ago. This is a different day. A different time. And a different Blake Lively."
ROUND ONE:
Blake right to the jab. The rangy blonde has shown she can hit, and, as the years have gone on, that she can stand up to punishment, but she's not trying to slug it out with the likes of Arterton, one of the division's biggest power hitters. Blake wants to use all the range her 5'10" give her, get that educated left hand on target and work everything from there. For her part, Gemma not looking to close or pressure, at least not yet. She's willing to work at range, use her own heavy left jab to locate Blake, hold her, set her up for right hands. But, Lively's reach proving a problem early. She's forcing Arterton too far away and the brunette is short on too much of what she's throwing. By the final stages of the round, Lively getting pretty comfortable popping the left and dropping right hands in. Arterton's managed to keep the first fairly close, but there's no question the champ's won it to take the 10-9 lead.
ROUND TWO:
Lesson learned for Gemma. Now, she's going to close. But, not necessarily pressure. It's about taking angles, stepping inside the length of Blake's jab, and then getting off in combination. Lively's getting backed up early, and Arterton just keeps on keeping on, waiting for Blake to find a way to stop her. Lively doesn't. She's not able to make the jab play now. She can't keep Gemma at range. Instead, Arterton's getting the looks she wants and getting heavy leather home. She's making the blonde fight off the back foot and forcing her to the defensive more and more as the round goes on. Blake's trying to circle back, use the feet to create the space she wants, but, nothing doing. Gemma's got her geometry down now, and she's taking control of things in there. The power-hitting brunette's getting hard right hands home much too often for comfort, and it's a relief to Team Lively when the bell rings, ending the second. Gems has grabbed it wide and evened the fight at 19.
ROUND THREE:
Arterton in command. Lively can not keep her off. But, again, Gemma not getting in tight. Just middle distances where she can bring her power to bear. Lively tries everything to create the distance she wants, but she can't do it. Gemma's slipping her jab, not allowing her to get her right hands on target. The brunette, meanwhile, is getting to her spots and getting hard leather on target. She's working a little body now as well, thumping the ribs and the midsection. Making Blake pay a price when the champ gets the guard high to defend against yet another heavy Arterton volley. Lively's again on the back foot, circling, trying to slow the brunette offensive down. But, it just keeps rolling and rolling right through the final thirty seconds of the round, which are Gemma's most dominant yet. By the bell, Lively's taking a pretty good shellacking. It's Arterton wide again, and the challenger now leads 29-28.
ROUND FOUR:
Arterton's offensive continues early, but Blake's now standing and firing back. If she can't get distance, she'll at least punch with. It's not ideal, but it's better than spending round after round in retreat. Champ gamely standing in front of Arterton, giving as good as she gets in flurry after flurry. Gemma all about this kind of fight. She's going body, back up to the head, but Blake won't be moved, now. She's going to hold canvas and make the brunette pay a price. Tons of heavy leather being traded, though neither fighter's getting sloppy or giving up on defense. Heads and shoulders are moved. Punches are slipped, rolled with, or blocked. But, there's so much leather flying that plenty is bound to get through, and plenty does just that. There's almost nothing in it by the time we reach the bell. Almost. Because, the champion's managed to do just enough to claim the points and even things at 38.
ROUND FIVE:
Fifth verse, same as the fourth. More heavy exchanges as both champion and challenger are determined to, in Blake's case, gain, and in Gemma's, regain, control of the fight. Lively's showing plenty by holding up under these circumstances against a stronger girl who's a heavier hitter. Blake's the champion for lots of reasons, and she's showing plenty of them on this night. For her part, Arterton knows the frustration of getting this far and coming out second best, and well knows that there's no guarantee of when...or if...another opportunity like this will present itself. So, neither fighter's going to give the other an inch. From here on out, anything the other girl wants, she's going to have to take. And, both are in a taking mood. Sooner or later, with all this heavy leather flying, you'd figure something would have to give. In this case, though, it's going to be later. Because blonde and brunette are still standing and firing at the bell. Again, it's close. And, again, Lively wins it. The champ is now up 48-47 at the half.
ROUND SIX:
Sooner or later, with all this heavy leather flying. Sooner or later. And, it happens sooner. In fact, it happens in fewer than 30 seconds. The champ sets up a vicious straight right hand and the challenger is GOBSMACKED! Arterton's knees give a shimmy and Blake's all in, battering her back across the ring and pinning her to the ropes. Lively just REEFING punches now, throwing everything she has at the brunette in an effort to get her out of there. Gemma taking fire from everywhere, leaning back in the ropes, rolling with, keeping the guard high, putting the body on sale cheap. But, Lively's not buying at any price. She's determined to end this now. Referee looking closely as Blake piles up the hurt into the final minute. Gemma not doing much, but she's doing just enough to keep him at bay. Last ten seconds sees a SCINTILLATING flurry from Lively, but the bell rings before the ref can react. Gemma a shambles on the way back to her corner, and Lively's pitched a shutout and extended her lead to 58-56.
ROUND SEVEN:
All looking sickeningly familiar for Gems. This is Winstead all over again. The title so close she can taste it, only to be snatched away by a tough, determined champion. And, Blake's nothing if not that. Lively's right out for the kill, backing up Gemma with hard right hands, setting everything up with that long left jab, stepping forward, grabbing canvas, getting rocked? GETTING ROCKED! Arterton keyholes a right hand counter and now the champion is hurt! And, this thing has turned on a dime! Now, Arterton's all in, hammering away at a stricken Blake, the punishment of the last round falling away with the surge of adrenaline that's come from that nasty right hand. Lively's legs rubber. She can't hold canvas at all. Soon, she's against the ropes and taking, just like the brunette was in the last stanza. And, now it's Blake's body on sale. And, Gemma is buying in bulk! She's hammering at the ribs and the abs, looking to bring that guard down. Blake won't punk. She takes the pounding, keeps the hands high, rides it out with the ref again looking closely. At the bell, it's a shutout for Gemma, and Blake's lead is now 67-66.
ROUND EIGHT:
Gemma stalking. She can taste it now. She's got Blake in trouble, and she's determined to keep her there. Arterton coming forward behind her own heavy left jab. Backing Blake up and thumping her with follow on rights. Lively on the defensive, giving ground, keeping the hands high, fighting counter, but unable to slow Gemma down. Arterton coolly efficient as usual. Upstairs and then down, using hooks to further tenderize the blonde body. She's crowding Blake, getting physical with her, taking this thing into the phone booth. Lively trying to tie up, pin Arterton's arms, anything to bog down the offensive. But, Arterton's still rolling, shoving Blake off, opening her up to more heavy shot both to the head and body. It's not quite a shutout this time, as Lively is able to get some scoring done in counter, but, it's a pretty thorough beating. At the bell, Arterton has it wide, and we're all even at 76 with two to go.
ROUND NINE:
Legs coming back for Lively. She's moving better now, working the feet, circling, creating range with the long left hand. In a nick of time, the champ is pulling it back together with the fight and her title on the line. Arterton stalking again, working past the left, getting heavy leather on target to both head and body. Lively circling back, jabbing, scoring at range to counter what Gemma's doing when she can close. It's good, two-way stuff between determined blonde and determined brunette. As the round goes on, Blake moving better and better. Beginning to gain the edge in yet another close round. BOOM! A straight right hand from Arterton lands on the button and DOWN GOES LIVELY! Blonde blown to her back by a BLISTERING right cross. Arterton to a neutral corner, waiting, watching the count. Lively rolls to her belly, pushes to hands and knees, but CAN GO NO FURTHER! The count passes her by and it's OVER! And your winner by KO9 and the NEW Unified Lightweight Champion is 'The Gravesend Gladiator', Gemma Arterton!"
AFTER:
Celebration in the Front Street corner spills into the ring. Arterton a girl who's been a top contender for awhile now and has finally gotten over the final hurdle. The fact that she's done it by beating the girl who beat stablemate Brooklyn Decker may complicate some things going forward, but those are complications for another day. Today, it's about being in this moment, and Arterton is. "I knew I'd have to come up big at some point tonight. You always do in a fight like this. I knew it would come to that, and it did. It wasn't easy to get it done. But, we got it done."
(Words: Front Street / Results: Lookout!)
BEFORE:
There aren't many more inspiring FCBA stories than Blake Lively's. The gorgeous blonde from Tarzana was highly-touted when she entered the FCBA in 2008, but, she proceeded to win exactly one third of her first 24 fights, including an absolutely ghastly 0-6 in 2012 that got her sent packing from JKO. Things didn't get much better the next two years, with Blake cycling through her third and fourth stables before joining Ginny's Academy and getting her career on track. Since then, she's won ten of thirteen fights, grabbed the lightweight title, and successfully defended it three times, actually managing to get her career record to .500 in the process.
Gemma Arterton's story is almost the polar opposite of the blonde's. Arterton hit the ground running, and, after 24 fights, had already won 19. And, not only has she never had a year where she didn't win a fight, she's had two where she didn't lose one. But, the one thing that's so far eluded Arterton is the lightweight title. Her one shot to this point ended in disappointment against Mary Elizabeth Winstead. And, she doesn't plan to be disappointed again. "I said last year that the lightweight division hadn't heard the last of me, and so it hasn't. I'm back. I've beaten Lively before. And, tonight, I'll beat her again."
Blake, however, thinks differently about how this evening is going to end. "Yes, she beat me. Almost six years ago. This is a different day. A different time. And a different Blake Lively."
ROUND ONE:
Blake right to the jab. The rangy blonde has shown she can hit, and, as the years have gone on, that she can stand up to punishment, but she's not trying to slug it out with the likes of Arterton, one of the division's biggest power hitters. Blake wants to use all the range her 5'10" give her, get that educated left hand on target and work everything from there. For her part, Gemma not looking to close or pressure, at least not yet. She's willing to work at range, use her own heavy left jab to locate Blake, hold her, set her up for right hands. But, Lively's reach proving a problem early. She's forcing Arterton too far away and the brunette is short on too much of what she's throwing. By the final stages of the round, Lively getting pretty comfortable popping the left and dropping right hands in. Arterton's managed to keep the first fairly close, but there's no question the champ's won it to take the 10-9 lead.
ROUND TWO:
Lesson learned for Gemma. Now, she's going to close. But, not necessarily pressure. It's about taking angles, stepping inside the length of Blake's jab, and then getting off in combination. Lively's getting backed up early, and Arterton just keeps on keeping on, waiting for Blake to find a way to stop her. Lively doesn't. She's not able to make the jab play now. She can't keep Gemma at range. Instead, Arterton's getting the looks she wants and getting heavy leather home. She's making the blonde fight off the back foot and forcing her to the defensive more and more as the round goes on. Blake's trying to circle back, use the feet to create the space she wants, but, nothing doing. Gemma's got her geometry down now, and she's taking control of things in there. The power-hitting brunette's getting hard right hands home much too often for comfort, and it's a relief to Team Lively when the bell rings, ending the second. Gems has grabbed it wide and evened the fight at 19.
ROUND THREE:
Arterton in command. Lively can not keep her off. But, again, Gemma not getting in tight. Just middle distances where she can bring her power to bear. Lively tries everything to create the distance she wants, but she can't do it. Gemma's slipping her jab, not allowing her to get her right hands on target. The brunette, meanwhile, is getting to her spots and getting hard leather on target. She's working a little body now as well, thumping the ribs and the midsection. Making Blake pay a price when the champ gets the guard high to defend against yet another heavy Arterton volley. Lively's again on the back foot, circling, trying to slow the brunette offensive down. But, it just keeps rolling and rolling right through the final thirty seconds of the round, which are Gemma's most dominant yet. By the bell, Lively's taking a pretty good shellacking. It's Arterton wide again, and the challenger now leads 29-28.
ROUND FOUR:
Arterton's offensive continues early, but Blake's now standing and firing back. If she can't get distance, she'll at least punch with. It's not ideal, but it's better than spending round after round in retreat. Champ gamely standing in front of Arterton, giving as good as she gets in flurry after flurry. Gemma all about this kind of fight. She's going body, back up to the head, but Blake won't be moved, now. She's going to hold canvas and make the brunette pay a price. Tons of heavy leather being traded, though neither fighter's getting sloppy or giving up on defense. Heads and shoulders are moved. Punches are slipped, rolled with, or blocked. But, there's so much leather flying that plenty is bound to get through, and plenty does just that. There's almost nothing in it by the time we reach the bell. Almost. Because, the champion's managed to do just enough to claim the points and even things at 38.
ROUND FIVE:
Fifth verse, same as the fourth. More heavy exchanges as both champion and challenger are determined to, in Blake's case, gain, and in Gemma's, regain, control of the fight. Lively's showing plenty by holding up under these circumstances against a stronger girl who's a heavier hitter. Blake's the champion for lots of reasons, and she's showing plenty of them on this night. For her part, Arterton knows the frustration of getting this far and coming out second best, and well knows that there's no guarantee of when...or if...another opportunity like this will present itself. So, neither fighter's going to give the other an inch. From here on out, anything the other girl wants, she's going to have to take. And, both are in a taking mood. Sooner or later, with all this heavy leather flying, you'd figure something would have to give. In this case, though, it's going to be later. Because blonde and brunette are still standing and firing at the bell. Again, it's close. And, again, Lively wins it. The champ is now up 48-47 at the half.
ROUND SIX:
Sooner or later, with all this heavy leather flying. Sooner or later. And, it happens sooner. In fact, it happens in fewer than 30 seconds. The champ sets up a vicious straight right hand and the challenger is GOBSMACKED! Arterton's knees give a shimmy and Blake's all in, battering her back across the ring and pinning her to the ropes. Lively just REEFING punches now, throwing everything she has at the brunette in an effort to get her out of there. Gemma taking fire from everywhere, leaning back in the ropes, rolling with, keeping the guard high, putting the body on sale cheap. But, Lively's not buying at any price. She's determined to end this now. Referee looking closely as Blake piles up the hurt into the final minute. Gemma not doing much, but she's doing just enough to keep him at bay. Last ten seconds sees a SCINTILLATING flurry from Lively, but the bell rings before the ref can react. Gemma a shambles on the way back to her corner, and Lively's pitched a shutout and extended her lead to 58-56.
ROUND SEVEN:
All looking sickeningly familiar for Gems. This is Winstead all over again. The title so close she can taste it, only to be snatched away by a tough, determined champion. And, Blake's nothing if not that. Lively's right out for the kill, backing up Gemma with hard right hands, setting everything up with that long left jab, stepping forward, grabbing canvas, getting rocked? GETTING ROCKED! Arterton keyholes a right hand counter and now the champion is hurt! And, this thing has turned on a dime! Now, Arterton's all in, hammering away at a stricken Blake, the punishment of the last round falling away with the surge of adrenaline that's come from that nasty right hand. Lively's legs rubber. She can't hold canvas at all. Soon, she's against the ropes and taking, just like the brunette was in the last stanza. And, now it's Blake's body on sale. And, Gemma is buying in bulk! She's hammering at the ribs and the abs, looking to bring that guard down. Blake won't punk. She takes the pounding, keeps the hands high, rides it out with the ref again looking closely. At the bell, it's a shutout for Gemma, and Blake's lead is now 67-66.
ROUND EIGHT:
Gemma stalking. She can taste it now. She's got Blake in trouble, and she's determined to keep her there. Arterton coming forward behind her own heavy left jab. Backing Blake up and thumping her with follow on rights. Lively on the defensive, giving ground, keeping the hands high, fighting counter, but unable to slow Gemma down. Arterton coolly efficient as usual. Upstairs and then down, using hooks to further tenderize the blonde body. She's crowding Blake, getting physical with her, taking this thing into the phone booth. Lively trying to tie up, pin Arterton's arms, anything to bog down the offensive. But, Arterton's still rolling, shoving Blake off, opening her up to more heavy shot both to the head and body. It's not quite a shutout this time, as Lively is able to get some scoring done in counter, but, it's a pretty thorough beating. At the bell, Arterton has it wide, and we're all even at 76 with two to go.
ROUND NINE:
Legs coming back for Lively. She's moving better now, working the feet, circling, creating range with the long left hand. In a nick of time, the champ is pulling it back together with the fight and her title on the line. Arterton stalking again, working past the left, getting heavy leather on target to both head and body. Lively circling back, jabbing, scoring at range to counter what Gemma's doing when she can close. It's good, two-way stuff between determined blonde and determined brunette. As the round goes on, Blake moving better and better. Beginning to gain the edge in yet another close round. BOOM! A straight right hand from Arterton lands on the button and DOWN GOES LIVELY! Blonde blown to her back by a BLISTERING right cross. Arterton to a neutral corner, waiting, watching the count. Lively rolls to her belly, pushes to hands and knees, but CAN GO NO FURTHER! The count passes her by and it's OVER! And your winner by KO9 and the NEW Unified Lightweight Champion is 'The Gravesend Gladiator', Gemma Arterton!"
AFTER:
Celebration in the Front Street corner spills into the ring. Arterton a girl who's been a top contender for awhile now and has finally gotten over the final hurdle. The fact that she's done it by beating the girl who beat stablemate Brooklyn Decker may complicate some things going forward, but those are complications for another day. Today, it's about being in this moment, and Arterton is. "I knew I'd have to come up big at some point tonight. You always do in a fight like this. I knew it would come to that, and it did. It wasn't easy to get it done. But, we got it done."