Michelle Rodriguez vs Jolene Blalock (from Las Vegas, Nevada)

Vs


(Written by Girls Friday/Results by Lookout!)

(Free Agent vs Free Agent)

Intro:
The comeback bout for Michelle Rodriguez sees her take on Jolene Blalock in the fight capital of the world, Las Vegas.
Both women are former FCBA bantamweight champions but in each girls case, it was around a decade ago.
Michelle has been out the fight game 12 years and has a 6 wins with 5 by knockout and 8 losses, she has one title to her CV.
While Jolene fought earlier this year but hadn't since 2009 and her record is 26 wins with 17 by knockout, 24 losses and 2 draws.
A press conference was set up for these two icons to come face to face, the stare down was intense as this was a fight that could be classed as a dream match up but maybe late to the party.
Each shook the others hand after several moments of trying to pysche the other woman out and they sat down at their designated tables.
Michelle was asked to speak first as she was the enigma in this fight, why after so long had she decided to lace up the gloves again at 38 years old?
She would answer that question in her speech "so why now I hear you guys asking, after being away for over 12 years, this will surprise you guys but it actually related in part to Jolene"
Jolene's ears perk up as she looks at her future opponent to see where this is going.
"I saw her return earlier this year and saw her referee that New Blood Tournament at our weight and well I have to give her props and say she inspired me to return" says Michelle sincerely as Jolene gives her best poker face, so no one knows if she has taken it as a complientment or not.
"You see I left for several reasons, first and most important was my film career and I hope people agree that it has taken off in a big way for a girl who some saw as too tough for the camera" adds Michelle as she smiles.
Before she continues with "and a lot of girls and managers were afraid to have me around, I believe Jolene wasn't one of them as look at us now but I know that supposed legends didn't want a taste of Latin power, so it helped my decision."
Raising her fists up to the journalists, she finishes "but mark my words, I want to give this one last run and Jolene is going to have to give everything because this is a fight that should have happened then and now it is going to be me making up for lost time by knocking her out!"
Jolene shakes her head as she stands for her statement to the press "listen Michelle, you are right about one thing, this between us is something that should have happened a long time ago, we both train in muay Thai, we work out like demons and we were feared and should be still for being tough bytches"
Raising her own fists to Michelle, she adds "but if you think this is your chance at righting your career, then you better bring an army because I am kicking your ass bytch!"
Michelle is up and quickly security gets between the two as they try to get to each other the day before the fight.
Each girl begging the other to come get some as they try to find a way through the guards to get to each other.
Before being ushered off the stage, both promise to make up for lost time and hurt each other badly when they can get it on for real.
Fight night, out comes Michelle Rodriguez first, she is wearing a blue sports bra and mauy thai style blue shorts with a white trim, navy blue gloves and shoes to the ring and her long brunette hair is braided to finish the look.
She looks menacing as she comes down to the ring, face in a scowl as she wants to get this on quickly.
Getting into the ring to a heroes welcome as it seems many people who watched her no nonsense fights have missed her.
But now it is time for Jolene to make her entrance, she is wearing a black sports bra, black muay Thai style shorts with a white trim, black gloves and shoes, while her brunette hair is also in a ponytail.
Jolene looks utterly focused as her eyes meet Michelle's in the ring and while no words are being exchanged, their eyes are sending messages for them as this is truly a must win fight for both women.
Both are asked by the referee to come to the ring centre and both purposely walk there and the crowd quiets down as they watch intently at the stare down between these two.
Neither bats an eye as the tension in the air becomes thick.
The referee finishes his instructions and asks for a glove touch, respectfully they do touch gloves and nod at each other.
Before they jog back to their corners to get their gumshields in and do any last minute stretches, the referee signals the timekeeper to ring the bell for 10 rounds of bantamweight action.

Round 1:
Out come both girls with high guards and while not as springy in their steps, still bouncing on their toes as they circle each other early.
Jolene using her boxing skills early to test out the guard of Michelle early and finding a good defence as she snaps her jab onto the gloves.
Michelle walking down her opponent with that classic Latin swagger of bobbing her head but only being interested in one direction and that is straight ahead.
Michelle lands the first real punch of the fight with a sweeping left hook to the body, Jolene grunts but fires back two hard jabs as she tries to keep some space between them.
The Texan native though won't let that happen so easily, driving forward with a double jab of her own to the gloves of Blalock, she adds another hook, this time a right to the other side of the body as it is apparent that she is looking to wear down her rival already.
Jolene just gets herself away from the ropes as Michelle was pressing her towards them and Blalock slams a straight to the side of Rodriguez's face, which she takes with gusto as she turns to continue walking Jolene down.
Michelle is scary when she is allowed to work and even with some pin point shots from Jolene, it is her younger opponent that is pressing her with good slugging punches to move her around the ring.
Jolene to her credit isn't afraid of Michelle as she dances around her but gets caught over the top late in the round with a hard right hook and it takes all her skills to once again to get her feet and escape certain doom on the ropes.
The bell rings not long after another hard exchange and while they won't touch gloves to show it, each fighter knows that the other is dangerous and they respect them for it.
But as they return to their corners, Michelle's coach seems the happier, he is still drilling their strategy into her though.
Round 2:
Jolene comes out the quicker from her corner as she looks to use her boxing skills to work around Michelle and not tempt fate with a straight on attack.
Michelle continuing to press forward but is not finding her rhythm as easier to come by as the first.
As Jolene uses the jab to measure her, stepping side to side on her toes then throwing the heavier punches when she finds an opening.
The face of Rodriguez is showing a light pink hue where the leather is smacking her but looms unfazed as she continues to stalk Jolene around the ring.
It's like a race car against a tank, Jolene moving as fast as she can around a slightly more flat footed Michelle.
Rodriguez catches her with another good left hook as she starts to time the movement of Blalock.
Now they stand and trade as Michelle forces Jolene into a firefight, the crowd are roaring their support for each girl as the roof could blow off with the sound.
Jolene is being forced back as her head snaps back to confirm her worst fears and she clinches up to protect herself.
Blood is running from her nostrils to show the power of Michelle in her fists as Jolene in desperation slams her free hand into the kidneys of her opponent to make Rodriquez groan for the first real time in the fight.
The referee pulls the girls apart and warns Jolene to keep it clean but as they are ordered to fight, she is more interested in getting on her bike and fighting on the outside again.
Slamming in double jabs, quick thrown straights, anything to keep Michelle to the outside, Jolene is working fast but her accuracy is suffering.
It is doing it's job though of keeping Michelle back as the round slows down slightly late on.
The bell rings and Jolene jogs back to her corner to have a frank discussion with her coach on what she can do.
Michelle doesn't look too fussed after her first two rounds of action in a long time as her coach tells her what to do.
Round 3:
Michelle stalking once again, Jolene on her toes once again to find space against her rival, it is the Latin fighter that is quicker this time as she seems to have picked up a gear.
Springing forwards on strong legs, she slams two beautiful hooks around the gloves of Jolene to rattle her head.
Again Jolene uses that experience to find a way to safety from an intended uppercut.
But Michelle is swiftly onto her to slam a three punch jab, straight and right hook to Jolene to cause that nose to start bleeding again and her legs to wobble slightly.
Forced to clinch, Jolene looms pissed off, most likely at herself for being so lax.
The referee is forced into action once again to pull these two apart and Jolene manages to slam a straight through the gloves of Michelle to snap her head back.
As she connects with a hook to the body, Michelle grunts but slams her own straight in reply and the fighters slug it out once again in tight.
Jolene tries to step out of it, instead she finds Michelle is on her with a vengeance and slams a clubbing right over the guard of Blalock to unbalance the legend once again.
As Michelle presses Jolene to the ropes, she stops Blalock getting herself off the ropes by throwing a hook to the side Jolene moves to and Jolene is forced to clinch once again.
The referee separates the two and Jolene once again finds space as Michelle just keeps walking forwards, not worried it seems by a counter punch to hurt her.
Instead she looks comfortable as she flicks her own jab out now and late in the round catches Jolene again to the ribs with a right hook that seems to hurt Blalock as her body seems to curl around the punch.
She takes two straight punches, before the bell saves her as Michelle raises her gloves in the air and stares it seems right into the soul of Jolene.
Blalock stands firm, even though she is breathing harder due to that body punch, she won't back down.
The referee has to remind the girls to return to their corners as they stare the other down, Michelle jogs back to her corner, while Jolene walks back to her own to show you the state each is in.
Round 4:
Jolene is visibly slower as Michelle takes the ring centre and continues to stalk her along the ropes.
The evidently hurt Jolene is using her jab as purely defence now as she tries to keep separation.
While Michelle seems not to be in a hurry as she throws her own jab early on before she adds some more heavier punches.
Jolene gets her head snapped back with a hard uppercut and another cracking shot to her body nearly puts her down.
She legs are like jelly but she manages to hang on for dear life to Michelle, who can't get her arms free till the referee does his job.
Michelle almost looks primeval will a hint of a smile behind her guard as she continues to press forward.
Blalock is just in defensive mode, hoping for a miracle it seems, sadly for her fans, none seem to be coming as Rodriguez keeps cracking her head through her guard as Jolene's guard is beginning to drop.
Again Michelle hurts Jolene with a short sharp dig just under the right jug to make her yelp in pain.
Jolene almost falls to the ropes with her guard as tight as can be as Michelle tries to race in to end this.
Looping hooks around the guard to hurt Jolene even more, desperation from Jolene sees her survive a bit longer as she basically dives on to Michelle to hang on to her.
The referee getting annoyed pulls the girls apart and warns Jolene to start fighting or he will end this.
Jolene grimly nods and goes back to flicking her jab out while retreating with every step.
Near the end of the round, she gets caught to the rips again and is knocked to the ropes.
Michelle lands two hard body shots but the bell rings just before Jolene takes a knee to frustrate Rodriguez, who stares down at her opponent.
Jolene's coach has to help her to her corner as she is hurt alright and Michelle doesn't bother to sit in her corner, waiting to rush out and pounce if needed.
Round 5:
Jolene against the wishes of her coach does make it out for the round as she steps out of her corner with her gloves up and tight to her body.
But Michelle smells blood as she charges forward, taking a weak jab, she ploughs forward to land to the body of Blalock with a hard right hook.
Then as Jolene is pressed to the ropes, she lands a left hook to the body and an uppercut splits the gloves of the hurt fighter to make her slide down the ropes to the canvas.
Her eyes are shut but they are flickering to show signs of life, as Michelle goes to a neutral corner.
The referee counts but Jolene doesn't have the strength to do anything but stay down for the count, 10 is counted and the ref signals for the bell.

Winner: Michelle Rodriguez KO Round 5

After:
Michelle turns in the corner she is standing in to face the crowd and climb the bottom rope, before she pounds her chest with her gloves and shouts "I am back bytches!" To a loud roar from the crowd.
On the other side of the ring, medics check out Jolene and other then sore ribs, she doesn't look too bad when she is helped to her stool.
Michelle sees that Jolene is up and gets her gloves taken off, then she heads to the opposition corner.
Kneeling down in front of Jolene, the two women chat and share a smile as they discuss the fight.
They touch foreheads in a sign of respect this time as Michelle with help from Jolene's coach, helps the beaten fighter up, then raises her hand up in a show of respect.
The crowd applaud the display before Jolene is helped from the ring and an interviewer comes into the ring.
Michelle smiles to the cameras and waves to a few guys in the front row, who are later identified as her family, who came to see her return bout.
Asked about the fight, Michelle says "I loved returning in front of this wonderful crowd!" Which of course gets a loud cheer.
Before she answers the question "I dominated bell to bell I feel, which honestly disappoints me and I know it did Jolene, that girl is a legend, I don't care about Hall of fame's or records, because I have watched her at her best and she could beat any woman in this ring"
Michelle shakes her head and continues "tonight Jolene wasn't that woman but as we spoke at the end, I could see the hunger starting to grow again as her and me have one major thing in common, we hate to lose and I hope she comes back next year and finds her stride again, just happy in some respects that wasn't tonight"
Asked about her own future, she replies "I have a date in the ring with another tough name but one I think I can beat for either the end of this month or next, so Dichen Lachman; I can't wait to fight you and hopefully keep this return going"
Before she leaves, she finishes with "but of course if anyone wants to fight on PPV, I am back after all these years to fight, so bring it!"
She goes to the ring centre and bows to each side of the crowd, then leaves the ring to celebrate this historic return.