Post by Lookout! Boxing on Aug 28, 2021 3:49:49 GMT -6
Lightweights Elizabeth Turner vs Kelsey Merritt (Result:Lookout/Words:simgrrl)
TALE OF THE TAPE
Elizabeth Turner (Chimera): 29yo, 5'10", 125#; 3-5-0
Kelsey Merritt (Odds & Ends): 24yo, 5'8", 120#; 2-1-0
Before: This fight will be a crowd pleaser if the pre-fight betting and Internet posts are any indication. Interest in the fight has been spurred by the fact that Kelsey Merritt has been recruited by Odds & Ends and brought in to replace Adriana Lima who recently announced her retirement as a fighter.
Kelsey is the first Filipina to walk the runway for Victoria's Secret and also the first Filipina to appear in the 'Sports Illustrated' Swimsuit Issue. She's reputed to be "dangerous" in the ring by our sources in the Philippines who have heard "talk" that Kelsey had several "run-ins" with other girls growing up when she was being picked on because of her "mixed race" (her Filipina mother was married to an American father of French, German, British and Irish descent).
Merritt has won her last two fights, handing Kelly Gale one of only three FCBA defeats, then giving Zendaya her only FCBA loss this year. Despite a meager record of just 3 fights, Kelsey Merritt has showed she's a dangerous woman!
Elizabeth Turner is a "Southern Beauty" from Georgia and since childhood she's enjoyed being the center of attention. A "tomboy" as a youngster, Liz was active in various sports including volleyball, track and football. She took up the violent sport of boxing - like many others - after finding success as a model. A turn into acting, allowed Liz to use her physicality in a different way and she's hoping to achieve the same kind of success others with her background (Theron, Lively, et. al.) have found in the FCBA.
Liz Turner's lost her last three fights and five of her last six but the quality of those opponents was better then the ones she faced in her earlier wins, and the venues or rules were somewhat quirky beach or JMDD fights rather than the more usual ring contests. It says something about Liz that she doesn't hesitate to take risks or go where others may fear to tread.
"She's raw," her trainer Charlize Theron admitted in an interview. "But she's willing to put in the work and she's fearless in the ring...perhaps too much so for someone as inexperienced as she is. Training these types of fighters is a balancing act," she explained. "You don't want to take away their aggression but at the same time, you want them to rein in the recklessness. She's a work in progress but she's not that far from turning the corner either."
Turner, introduced first, comes out wearing a yellow leopard print bikini with her feet bare, something she recently adopted after joining Chimera. Liz's got white gloves and her long blonde hair is in a sleek pony tail.
Merritt, forcing Turner to cool her heels in the ring for a minute, finally comes out to vault easily over the top rope into the ring. When she's helped out of her robe by her seconds, the crowd erupts enthusiastically with whistles and cheers as the lovely Filipinas figure is revealed in a black thong bikini with matching black gloves and shoes. Kelsey's long, luxurious, sensual dark hair is pulled back into a battle braid that extends down below her shoulders.
The referee calls the two fighters to center ring, and after a quick review of the rules, the two women touch gloves and rejoin the seconds in their corners.
* * * *
During Rd 1: Turner out quickly at the bell, launching a two-fisted attack to chase Kelsey back onto the ropes reeling under the steady drumbeat of Liz's body punches. The blonde hammers left hooks in under Kelsey's right elbow, then goes up top to shock the shorter brunette with hard head shots. Merritt clinching early, buying time to clear her head and collect her wits after being hurt by the early - and unexpected - onslaught of leather by the older blond.
Merritt's attempts to fight back muffled by Liz's relentless attacking; the blonde not allowing the brunette a chance to breath, let alone gather herself to fight back. Kelsey hurt again late in the round; fighting with her butt stuffed in her own corner a right uppercut from Turner buckles Kelsey's knees. Once again, the young brunette is forced to bearhug Liz and hang on to the bell. Turner, full of herself, raises her arms as she struts back to join Theron and Hendricks in the Chimera corner while Kelsey flops wetly on the stool shoved under her butt by her corner as Turner easily takes the points (wide).
Rd 2: Odds 'n' Ends handlers quickly repair the physical damage done to Merritt in the first round; the psychological, however, may take longer. At the bell, Kelsey stands with her gloves at her chest and resolutely steps out to face the blonde who "owned" her only minutes before.
Two wary fighters trade punches at distance early; Merritt trying to find openings she might have missed in the 1st round; Turner looking to exploit those she did find, but without giving Kelsey an opportunity to slow her momentum. Liz, exploiting Kelsey's vulnerability to her snapping left hook, keeps the brunette "under wraps" for half the round, rarely letting Merritt get off first; using combinations to overwhelm the Filipinas defenses with non-stop punches.
Latter half of the round, however, Merritt finds the opening she's been seeking and lands the kind of right hand that shut down Kelly Gale back in April! Turner reeling back hurt, bounces off the ropes and throws her arms around Kelsey, hugging the brunette to her bosom as Liz rubs her cheek on Merritt's neck.
Referee quick to part them, Kelsey unleashing a hurried left that lands ineffectively, glancing off Liz's shoulder before hitting her right ear. Turner again clinching to buy time as Odds 'n' Ends handlers loudly demand the ref to 'break 'em up!' Girls stuffing left and rights to each others flanks as the clock winds down to the bell, and it's Kelsey Merritt who pockets the points (close).
Rd 3: Each woman has had her moments, and now we'll see which one can build on the foundation she laid in the first two rounds. Both up and eager before the bell; both charge out and start pumping jabs as they circle mid-ring.
Kelsey again landing the left hook, but Turner unfazed by it and answers with a right of her own that visibly bothers the brunette...who nevertheless answers with a 1-2 of her own. Both fighters being more aggressive early this round, landing with regularity...and doing harm with Turner shocked to the body by a Merritt right and Kelsey stopped in her tracks briefly by a Liz left hook. Turner pot-shotting Kelsey's head at long range, while Kelsey has to struggle to get in close where she targets her attack on Turner's sleek, smooth, middle.
Closing minute of the round, Liz Turner catches Merritt flush as the Filipina leans into a right to the blonde's body. Kelsey stumbles and almost goes down, but grabs Liz by the hips and drives her shoulder into Turner's belly. Liz puts Kelsey in a front headlock and whirls her around, flinging her against the ropes. The ref hurries to intercede before any punches are thrown and separates them.
Liz Turner instantly on the attack hammering Kelsey's body, walking her back onto the ropes and setting up shop in her kitchen. Steady thump-thump-thump of Turner's gloves are the only sounds audible in the hushed arena in the final seconds. Kelsey Merritt gamely finishes the round on her feet, but it's Liz Turner who walks away with the points (wide).
Rd 4: For the second time in the fight Odds 'n' Ends corner has to prop up their fighter and for the second time, they do! The young brunette is ready to answer the bell showing only minor scuffs and bruises while Turner looks relatively untouched.
Merritt opens the action with a whistling right that Liz Turner can't fully avoid, but she manages to partially block the punch and answers with a short left to Kelsey's right cheek. They trade at close range; each landing telling blows on her rival even as she takes damage herself.
Crowd loving the back-and-forth action as first Turner, then Merritt, gains the advantage, only to lose it again. Each is hurt, but neither lessens the number, or fury of her punching. They reel around the ring throwing punches with little regard for defense, each seemingly bent on making the other yield simply by the force of her will.
In the closing seconds Kelsey Merritt gets on a roll, pushing Turner back with a flurry of lefts, then a big right that sends Liz back against the ropes. Kelsey bodies up to the big blonde, chopping away with both hands at the bell. That final flurry is enough for the judges to give Merritt the round, but only by the narrowest of margins. Neither has yet to take control of the fight.
Rd 5: Both corners upbeat in the aftermath of the 4th and the crowd's raucous reaction at the bell confirms it. For the first time, both women are still on their stools when the bell sounds for the fifth. Both rise, charge forth eager to continue to battle. Kelsey with a looping right that misses; Liz's left counter only grazes the brunette as they fall into a clinch. They whirl around punching flanks until they hit the ropes where the referee breaks them up.
Kelsey leaping off the ropes lands a left that surprises Turner who fires a left of her own that catches the Filipina flush! The big blonde lands a right, then another left and MERRITT IS HURT! Turner closing in to finish when Kelsey unloads an uppercut that stops Liz in her tracks! A big right hand reminiscent of the one that ended Zendaya Coleman's night back in May buckles Turner's knees and Kelsey Merritt goes all in! Kelsey wind-milling her punches, flailing away with little regard for style or form...flailing wildly with both fists pummeling the nearly defenseless blonde! As Turner drops to her knees, Merritt's fist flies over her head.
The referee rushes in to wrap up Kelsey and pull her away, leaving Turner on all fours. The count reaches SIX with Turner still unable to get off the canvas and the ref waves off the rest of the count. It goes into the books as a KO5 for the winner...Kelsey Merritt.
* * * *
After: The 24 y/o Merritt, who's supposed to replace Lima, fights the same way Adriana did, bashing her way through her opponents defenses trying to get inside to fight at close quarters. It's a risky strategy (as Lima's 43-33 career record can attest) but it can be a rewarding one as well - look at Lima's three Ice Hotel Queenships with seven overall defenses; her Mistress of the Body Saddle crown with three successful defenses, and a Unified Lightweight title with six successful defenses! If Kelsey Merritt wins half the titles Lima did, her career will likely be considered a success by most observers.
Turner, on the other hand, doesn't have the one advantage that Merritt does in evaluating her career... time! Kelsey, at 24, is 5 years younger than Liz Turner who, having just turned 29, should already be in the 'peak years' of her boxing career. Turner, Chimera assures us - has the talent, and training available - to reach the heights but what she can't do is go back in time to get the training she needs before she's thirty - the point at which most consider a woman to have reached her physical peak. There are few champions who were able to grab, and hold, a title past that age.
Look for Turner to make a giant leap in 2022 or risk her stable cutting her loose and moving on to a "younger and more desirable blonde" - it's not like there aren't hundreds thousands of them willing and eager to replace her!
TALE OF THE TAPE
Elizabeth Turner (Chimera): 29yo, 5'10", 125#; 3-5-0
Kelsey Merritt (Odds & Ends): 24yo, 5'8", 120#; 2-1-0
Before: This fight will be a crowd pleaser if the pre-fight betting and Internet posts are any indication. Interest in the fight has been spurred by the fact that Kelsey Merritt has been recruited by Odds & Ends and brought in to replace Adriana Lima who recently announced her retirement as a fighter.
Kelsey is the first Filipina to walk the runway for Victoria's Secret and also the first Filipina to appear in the 'Sports Illustrated' Swimsuit Issue. She's reputed to be "dangerous" in the ring by our sources in the Philippines who have heard "talk" that Kelsey had several "run-ins" with other girls growing up when she was being picked on because of her "mixed race" (her Filipina mother was married to an American father of French, German, British and Irish descent).
Merritt has won her last two fights, handing Kelly Gale one of only three FCBA defeats, then giving Zendaya her only FCBA loss this year. Despite a meager record of just 3 fights, Kelsey Merritt has showed she's a dangerous woman!
Elizabeth Turner is a "Southern Beauty" from Georgia and since childhood she's enjoyed being the center of attention. A "tomboy" as a youngster, Liz was active in various sports including volleyball, track and football. She took up the violent sport of boxing - like many others - after finding success as a model. A turn into acting, allowed Liz to use her physicality in a different way and she's hoping to achieve the same kind of success others with her background (Theron, Lively, et. al.) have found in the FCBA.
Liz Turner's lost her last three fights and five of her last six but the quality of those opponents was better then the ones she faced in her earlier wins, and the venues or rules were somewhat quirky beach or JMDD fights rather than the more usual ring contests. It says something about Liz that she doesn't hesitate to take risks or go where others may fear to tread.
"She's raw," her trainer Charlize Theron admitted in an interview. "But she's willing to put in the work and she's fearless in the ring...perhaps too much so for someone as inexperienced as she is. Training these types of fighters is a balancing act," she explained. "You don't want to take away their aggression but at the same time, you want them to rein in the recklessness. She's a work in progress but she's not that far from turning the corner either."
Turner, introduced first, comes out wearing a yellow leopard print bikini with her feet bare, something she recently adopted after joining Chimera. Liz's got white gloves and her long blonde hair is in a sleek pony tail.
Merritt, forcing Turner to cool her heels in the ring for a minute, finally comes out to vault easily over the top rope into the ring. When she's helped out of her robe by her seconds, the crowd erupts enthusiastically with whistles and cheers as the lovely Filipinas figure is revealed in a black thong bikini with matching black gloves and shoes. Kelsey's long, luxurious, sensual dark hair is pulled back into a battle braid that extends down below her shoulders.
The referee calls the two fighters to center ring, and after a quick review of the rules, the two women touch gloves and rejoin the seconds in their corners.
* * * *
During Rd 1: Turner out quickly at the bell, launching a two-fisted attack to chase Kelsey back onto the ropes reeling under the steady drumbeat of Liz's body punches. The blonde hammers left hooks in under Kelsey's right elbow, then goes up top to shock the shorter brunette with hard head shots. Merritt clinching early, buying time to clear her head and collect her wits after being hurt by the early - and unexpected - onslaught of leather by the older blond.
Merritt's attempts to fight back muffled by Liz's relentless attacking; the blonde not allowing the brunette a chance to breath, let alone gather herself to fight back. Kelsey hurt again late in the round; fighting with her butt stuffed in her own corner a right uppercut from Turner buckles Kelsey's knees. Once again, the young brunette is forced to bearhug Liz and hang on to the bell. Turner, full of herself, raises her arms as she struts back to join Theron and Hendricks in the Chimera corner while Kelsey flops wetly on the stool shoved under her butt by her corner as Turner easily takes the points (wide).
Rd 2: Odds 'n' Ends handlers quickly repair the physical damage done to Merritt in the first round; the psychological, however, may take longer. At the bell, Kelsey stands with her gloves at her chest and resolutely steps out to face the blonde who "owned" her only minutes before.
Two wary fighters trade punches at distance early; Merritt trying to find openings she might have missed in the 1st round; Turner looking to exploit those she did find, but without giving Kelsey an opportunity to slow her momentum. Liz, exploiting Kelsey's vulnerability to her snapping left hook, keeps the brunette "under wraps" for half the round, rarely letting Merritt get off first; using combinations to overwhelm the Filipinas defenses with non-stop punches.
Latter half of the round, however, Merritt finds the opening she's been seeking and lands the kind of right hand that shut down Kelly Gale back in April! Turner reeling back hurt, bounces off the ropes and throws her arms around Kelsey, hugging the brunette to her bosom as Liz rubs her cheek on Merritt's neck.
Referee quick to part them, Kelsey unleashing a hurried left that lands ineffectively, glancing off Liz's shoulder before hitting her right ear. Turner again clinching to buy time as Odds 'n' Ends handlers loudly demand the ref to 'break 'em up!' Girls stuffing left and rights to each others flanks as the clock winds down to the bell, and it's Kelsey Merritt who pockets the points (close).
Rd 3: Each woman has had her moments, and now we'll see which one can build on the foundation she laid in the first two rounds. Both up and eager before the bell; both charge out and start pumping jabs as they circle mid-ring.
Kelsey again landing the left hook, but Turner unfazed by it and answers with a right of her own that visibly bothers the brunette...who nevertheless answers with a 1-2 of her own. Both fighters being more aggressive early this round, landing with regularity...and doing harm with Turner shocked to the body by a Merritt right and Kelsey stopped in her tracks briefly by a Liz left hook. Turner pot-shotting Kelsey's head at long range, while Kelsey has to struggle to get in close where she targets her attack on Turner's sleek, smooth, middle.
Closing minute of the round, Liz Turner catches Merritt flush as the Filipina leans into a right to the blonde's body. Kelsey stumbles and almost goes down, but grabs Liz by the hips and drives her shoulder into Turner's belly. Liz puts Kelsey in a front headlock and whirls her around, flinging her against the ropes. The ref hurries to intercede before any punches are thrown and separates them.
Liz Turner instantly on the attack hammering Kelsey's body, walking her back onto the ropes and setting up shop in her kitchen. Steady thump-thump-thump of Turner's gloves are the only sounds audible in the hushed arena in the final seconds. Kelsey Merritt gamely finishes the round on her feet, but it's Liz Turner who walks away with the points (wide).
Rd 4: For the second time in the fight Odds 'n' Ends corner has to prop up their fighter and for the second time, they do! The young brunette is ready to answer the bell showing only minor scuffs and bruises while Turner looks relatively untouched.
Merritt opens the action with a whistling right that Liz Turner can't fully avoid, but she manages to partially block the punch and answers with a short left to Kelsey's right cheek. They trade at close range; each landing telling blows on her rival even as she takes damage herself.
Crowd loving the back-and-forth action as first Turner, then Merritt, gains the advantage, only to lose it again. Each is hurt, but neither lessens the number, or fury of her punching. They reel around the ring throwing punches with little regard for defense, each seemingly bent on making the other yield simply by the force of her will.
In the closing seconds Kelsey Merritt gets on a roll, pushing Turner back with a flurry of lefts, then a big right that sends Liz back against the ropes. Kelsey bodies up to the big blonde, chopping away with both hands at the bell. That final flurry is enough for the judges to give Merritt the round, but only by the narrowest of margins. Neither has yet to take control of the fight.
Rd 5: Both corners upbeat in the aftermath of the 4th and the crowd's raucous reaction at the bell confirms it. For the first time, both women are still on their stools when the bell sounds for the fifth. Both rise, charge forth eager to continue to battle. Kelsey with a looping right that misses; Liz's left counter only grazes the brunette as they fall into a clinch. They whirl around punching flanks until they hit the ropes where the referee breaks them up.
Kelsey leaping off the ropes lands a left that surprises Turner who fires a left of her own that catches the Filipina flush! The big blonde lands a right, then another left and MERRITT IS HURT! Turner closing in to finish when Kelsey unloads an uppercut that stops Liz in her tracks! A big right hand reminiscent of the one that ended Zendaya Coleman's night back in May buckles Turner's knees and Kelsey Merritt goes all in! Kelsey wind-milling her punches, flailing away with little regard for style or form...flailing wildly with both fists pummeling the nearly defenseless blonde! As Turner drops to her knees, Merritt's fist flies over her head.
The referee rushes in to wrap up Kelsey and pull her away, leaving Turner on all fours. The count reaches SIX with Turner still unable to get off the canvas and the ref waves off the rest of the count. It goes into the books as a KO5 for the winner...Kelsey Merritt.
* * * *
After: The 24 y/o Merritt, who's supposed to replace Lima, fights the same way Adriana did, bashing her way through her opponents defenses trying to get inside to fight at close quarters. It's a risky strategy (as Lima's 43-33 career record can attest) but it can be a rewarding one as well - look at Lima's three Ice Hotel Queenships with seven overall defenses; her Mistress of the Body Saddle crown with three successful defenses, and a Unified Lightweight title with six successful defenses! If Kelsey Merritt wins half the titles Lima did, her career will likely be considered a success by most observers.
Turner, on the other hand, doesn't have the one advantage that Merritt does in evaluating her career... time! Kelsey, at 24, is 5 years younger than Liz Turner who, having just turned 29, should already be in the 'peak years' of her boxing career. Turner, Chimera assures us - has the talent, and training available - to reach the heights but what she can't do is go back in time to get the training she needs before she's thirty - the point at which most consider a woman to have reached her physical peak. There are few champions who were able to grab, and hold, a title past that age.
Look for Turner to make a giant leap in 2022 or risk her stable cutting her loose and moving on to a "younger and more desirable blonde" - it's not like there aren't hundreds thousands of them willing and eager to replace her!
