Post by Lookout! Boxing on Nov 29, 2019 22:24:53 GMT -6
Adriana Lima
vs Emily Didonato
Before: Lima on a downturn, but still the name every model wants on her resume. Emily after beating Gonzalez, Rohrbach and Ambrosio looking to cement herself as top model: "I was surprised to see how much support I've gotten from the model community once this bout was announced. Adriana's made a lot of enemies in this business - girls who are 100% committed to bringing her down, and I'd be a fool not to use that to my advantage. I'm ready for her, as ready as any opponent of hers ever has been. When we're done, she's going to wish she'd stayed on the sand where Alexis left her."
"I know what I've got in front of me," Lima admits, "and the fighter who’s beaten the girls she’s beatem has to be taken very seriously. Success like that makes a girl more confident and dangerous in the ring. I have to take that confidence away from Emily early - remind her that she's just another girl, show her that she's nothing special.”
Emily in wine-colored bikini with white dots, red gloves, hair loose down her back. Lima in black bikini with white trim, hair loose down her back
R1: Emily showing her class--stiff, straight, hard jabs banging away on the upper chest and skull of her opponent--Adriana blocking a lot of shots, but having a tougher time negotiating distance as Didonato sticks and moves early. Emily boxing to set up her right hand and she starts dialing it in on left side of Adriana's jaw this round, turning her head hard to starboard. Lima soaks up a great shot this round--walking through it to land loud against Didonato's ribcage, but brunette's getting most of what she needs
R2: Emily showing long classic lines, right hand at her cheek, left slightly lowered, ready to jab, but Adriana's not impressed. Lima pressing, hands up, bobbing side to side—she’s getting by Didonato’s educated left, introducing herself to jaw with fast, lashing lefts and rights out of a high guard. Emily backing up, startled as Adriana is able to slip in, get off banging and force the tempo with surprising ease.
R3: First minute pressure from Adriana, but Emily adjusts. She had been backing straight up, now she's pivoting to the side, turning her Brazilian, preventing Lima from getting into that lashing upstairs rhythm. Didonato using her legs, drawing out Adriana's rushes, tamping her down with the jab, slowly imposing some order and keeping her at arm’s reach. Final minute, Emily in control, banging away jabs to chest and face, setting down on whistling right crosses at the bell
R4: Adriana scoots forward, bending in to pull the right hand over top, bending right to club the left hook, backing Emily to the ropes and simply outworking her girl in the trenches. Didonato composed against the strands, gloves at her cheeks, bent forward at the waist--she's bobbing punches, trying to come up underneath with little fishhook uppercuts to the chest and chin. Nice banging two-way trade, Lima happy to take a shot in order to swing away--she's bashing brunette flank, getting the odd clout to jaw as she keeps Emily pinned to the ropes.
R5: Hardest two way fighting of the night—both girls feeling like they’ve got the other right where she wants her. Adriana having moments when she can hound Emily ropeside, rake the body with hooks, lashing right hands in on her jaw. Didonato spearing Lima with that ramrod jab, stepping to the right and rifling right hands. Heart stopping give and take for the first minute, Emily blocks a swinging right, puts counter right uppercut tidy on chin and ADRIANA GOES DOWN! Lima sinks to one knee, Didonato banks another cuffing left on the temple to punctuate the matter and earn a stern rebuke from the ref. Adriana up at 8, but legs looks buttery, for the first time tonight Emily looking good in the pocket—blocking high and immediately countering with tidy uppercuts to the chin. Didonato too strong to be backed off but she’s getting picked up, scored ion at the bell as Lima weathers the storm
R6: HARD right hands upside the jaw smash Emily’s head aside, driving her sideways to the ropes. Didonato limp, head whiplashing as she hits the strands - she's drooping forward, hands at temples, trying to lay in close and smother Lima's work. Adriana not having it - she's just REEFING to those ribs - getting her head in close, turning her hips and hooking the HELL out of Emily's torso. Didonato groaning, legs buckling but she refuses to give Lima any more satisfaction: Emily slumps into the ropes for support, digging in rather than going down. Bell to bell Adriana, and not gentle - she's breaking out the crowbar to go at Didonato's flanks, lashing away to chin left uppercuts and clocking right hands. Emily out on her feet, taking murderous punishment in a foggy drowse - Adriana pounds away bell to bell but can't get her out there. Lima sweat-shiny, chest HEAVING with effort, glaring with grudging respect. Didonato staggering, eyes swelling shut, busting up, tit-for-tat breakthroughs have left both fighters a mess through 6.
R7: Adriana slips Emily’s jab, jolts her a shooting straight left in the mouth, loops a tomahawk right hand over the top, smashing Didonato’s pretty head flat to her shoulder and SHE CRASHES TO HER BACK! Emily sprawling serene, mouthpiece popping off her teeth as head hits canvas, arms outstretched, head lolling side to side. Cornercrew slapping the apron, shrieking “GET UP!” but DIDONATO CAN’T BEAT THE COUNT! Emily out cold, scraped up off the canvas and carted away by her handlers, Adriana stalking the neutral corner all nostrils flaring, chest heaving, hands on hips: that’s a bad summer erased in a KO7!
After: "She fought me tough," a banged up, visibly drained Adriana admits in postfight. "But I'm just too much for her - I think she knows that now. She has heart, but she just doesn't have the weapons she needs to compete with me. She did a lot of talking leading up to this fight - talk about how she was going to add me to her list of accomplishments, but I turned her away hard tonight - When I came back in the 6th, I think she knew. I could see in her eyes that she was quitting a little, and that was it for Emily."
