Post by Lookout! Boxing on Oct 30, 2020 21:11:44 GMT -6
Emilia Clarke vs. Alicia Vikander
BEFORE:
Pair of girls who haven't had the best of years. Vikander has been up and down the last few years, and is still looking for her first win in 2020, while Clarke has failed to impress in her inaugural year with Belle Boxers, so both are looking to get back on track tonight and neither is without confidence.
"I'm a better fighter than she is," says Alicia with a smile. "It's that simple. And, I'm about to prove it."
"The only thing SHE'S going to prove," says a hard-eyed Emilia, "Is that she's not my in LEAGUE."
ROUND ONE:
Vikander with plenty of reach, and in the opening stanza, that reach plays in a big way. Swedish beauty's strength has always been in her boxing, and it's writ large here, as she gets the long left jab on target and works everything off of that. She stops Clarke with it, holds her, and then drops hard right hands on her. Emilia's trying to slip the left, angle past it, do anything she can to stop being caught with it, but, nothing works. Instead, the Swede continues landing left after left and following on with those hard, accurate right hands. Late in the round, Clarke manages a little offense, a few flurries that score, and those flurries are the only thing preventing a shutout. As it is, when the bell rings, Vikander's grabbed it wide and taken the 10-9 edge.
ROUND TWO:
Clarke building off the late round success. She's slipping the jab now, angling forward, getting to middle distances and getting off. It's got Alicia out of sorts. Now, it's Vikander who's unable to get her offense going and the British brunette who's taking command of the situation. By mid-round, though, Alicia's adjusted. She's able to get the distance she wants in spots, and, when she can do that, she's scoring very well. Result is a good, two-way round, with Clarke piling up points when she's at middle distances and Vikander doing the same at range. And, since both fighters are getting some of what they want, there's not a ton in as the final seconds tick off the clock. When the bell rings, though, it's Clarke's early control that plays. Emilia takes the points and evens things at 19.
ROUND THREE:
Same again. Ladies working hard to dictate terms, but neither able to do it. Instead, both showcase some skills, finding ways to get what they want done and finding ways to prevent their respective opponents from doing the same. There are some nice punches landed throughout the three minutes, and there are even more punches nicely blocked or slipped or left short via some effective movement. It's very good technical stuff, and, for the second round in a row, it's good, two-way stuff with neither fighter able to really establish an advantage let alone take control of the round. In the final thirty seconds, both fighters know its close, so both up the ante and try to steal the points, leading to some sharp exchanges. No one gains any edge in that half minute, however, so, when the bell rings, it's a razor-thin margin for Vikander, who goes up 29-28.
ROUND FOUR:
Clarke finds something. All of a sudden, Emilia is able to get things going, get Alicia on the defensive, and keep her there. British beauty slipping the jab and moving inside now, not to middle distances. She's phone-boothing the Swede, working body, going upstairs, forcing her to back and cover, keeping the pressure on as Vikander tries to give ground and circle away. Emilia all OVER the taller girl as the round goes on, doubling down on the body attack, bringing down the Swede's guard, then getting her attention with hard right hands to the head. Vikander tying up, backing up, covering up, and getting touched up for most of the three minutes. She manages some counters here and there, but, when the bell rings, it's Clarke and it's wide and we're even again at 38.
ROUND FIVE:
Emilia continuing the pressure, continuing to force the issue, and it's continuing to work. She's got the Swede on the back foot again, out of rhythm, out of her comfort zone, and the Brit is determined to keep her there. So, she's back in that phone booth digging body, going upstairs with short hooks or uppies, then going body once again. Vikander again backing, covering, tying, unable to get anything goi...BOOM! Right hand, ALICIA! A short right hook from Vikander and Clarke is HURT! Emilia wobbles and is DROPPED BY A STRAIGHT RIGHT! Vikander to a neutral corner while Clarke sputters on her back. Ref counting down. Emilia rolling to her belly, crawling toward the ropes, but, before she can even reach them to begin climbing the count passes her by. It's OVER! And your winner by KO5 is Alicia Vikander!
AFTER:
Vikander nodding and smiling as the post-fight interview beings. "I told you all before this started. She's just not as good a fighter as I am. I know this year hasn't been my best, but, you all know what I can do. Just give me opportunities, and I'll show you I can beat the best!"
BEFORE:
Pair of girls who haven't had the best of years. Vikander has been up and down the last few years, and is still looking for her first win in 2020, while Clarke has failed to impress in her inaugural year with Belle Boxers, so both are looking to get back on track tonight and neither is without confidence.
"I'm a better fighter than she is," says Alicia with a smile. "It's that simple. And, I'm about to prove it."
"The only thing SHE'S going to prove," says a hard-eyed Emilia, "Is that she's not my in LEAGUE."
ROUND ONE:
Vikander with plenty of reach, and in the opening stanza, that reach plays in a big way. Swedish beauty's strength has always been in her boxing, and it's writ large here, as she gets the long left jab on target and works everything off of that. She stops Clarke with it, holds her, and then drops hard right hands on her. Emilia's trying to slip the left, angle past it, do anything she can to stop being caught with it, but, nothing works. Instead, the Swede continues landing left after left and following on with those hard, accurate right hands. Late in the round, Clarke manages a little offense, a few flurries that score, and those flurries are the only thing preventing a shutout. As it is, when the bell rings, Vikander's grabbed it wide and taken the 10-9 edge.
ROUND TWO:
Clarke building off the late round success. She's slipping the jab now, angling forward, getting to middle distances and getting off. It's got Alicia out of sorts. Now, it's Vikander who's unable to get her offense going and the British brunette who's taking command of the situation. By mid-round, though, Alicia's adjusted. She's able to get the distance she wants in spots, and, when she can do that, she's scoring very well. Result is a good, two-way round, with Clarke piling up points when she's at middle distances and Vikander doing the same at range. And, since both fighters are getting some of what they want, there's not a ton in as the final seconds tick off the clock. When the bell rings, though, it's Clarke's early control that plays. Emilia takes the points and evens things at 19.
ROUND THREE:
Same again. Ladies working hard to dictate terms, but neither able to do it. Instead, both showcase some skills, finding ways to get what they want done and finding ways to prevent their respective opponents from doing the same. There are some nice punches landed throughout the three minutes, and there are even more punches nicely blocked or slipped or left short via some effective movement. It's very good technical stuff, and, for the second round in a row, it's good, two-way stuff with neither fighter able to really establish an advantage let alone take control of the round. In the final thirty seconds, both fighters know its close, so both up the ante and try to steal the points, leading to some sharp exchanges. No one gains any edge in that half minute, however, so, when the bell rings, it's a razor-thin margin for Vikander, who goes up 29-28.
ROUND FOUR:
Clarke finds something. All of a sudden, Emilia is able to get things going, get Alicia on the defensive, and keep her there. British beauty slipping the jab and moving inside now, not to middle distances. She's phone-boothing the Swede, working body, going upstairs, forcing her to back and cover, keeping the pressure on as Vikander tries to give ground and circle away. Emilia all OVER the taller girl as the round goes on, doubling down on the body attack, bringing down the Swede's guard, then getting her attention with hard right hands to the head. Vikander tying up, backing up, covering up, and getting touched up for most of the three minutes. She manages some counters here and there, but, when the bell rings, it's Clarke and it's wide and we're even again at 38.
ROUND FIVE:
Emilia continuing the pressure, continuing to force the issue, and it's continuing to work. She's got the Swede on the back foot again, out of rhythm, out of her comfort zone, and the Brit is determined to keep her there. So, she's back in that phone booth digging body, going upstairs with short hooks or uppies, then going body once again. Vikander again backing, covering, tying, unable to get anything goi...BOOM! Right hand, ALICIA! A short right hook from Vikander and Clarke is HURT! Emilia wobbles and is DROPPED BY A STRAIGHT RIGHT! Vikander to a neutral corner while Clarke sputters on her back. Ref counting down. Emilia rolling to her belly, crawling toward the ropes, but, before she can even reach them to begin climbing the count passes her by. It's OVER! And your winner by KO5 is Alicia Vikander!
AFTER:
Vikander nodding and smiling as the post-fight interview beings. "I told you all before this started. She's just not as good a fighter as I am. I know this year hasn't been my best, but, you all know what I can do. Just give me opportunities, and I'll show you I can beat the best!"