Alesia Schumann vs. Masae – Round 1

The bell rings.

Lee: “BOX!”

The crowd cheers. The final of the program has finally started.

Alesia’s heart is racing as Masae starts to approach, almost within striking distance. She falls back to take her new defensive stance.

Ally delays the first exchange by sidestepping to her left. Masae moves well and cuts the angles. Then she looks at Alesia’s eyes to detect nervousness. She smiles with more aggressiveness and thinks: “She’s still afraid of me. Good.”

Esther: “We are underway in Tokyo! Masae is following Schumann closely and looking forward to launch the first attack of the fight.”

Alesia keeps avoiding Masae to find time and space, in order study her movement, but the Japanese keeps coming forward with eagerness to get started.

The German moves, but not as fluidly as she is expected to. She sidesteps to the right and gets away for a second. Her opponent catches up.

Masae bursts forward and releases a jab. Her arm stretches at full speed, going towards Alesia’s face. Ally has the worst reaction: she freezes. The incoming glove bangs her jaw to distort the lower part of her face. PISH!

The crowd sees the punch landing squarely and hears the sound of leather beating skin. It cheers loudly.

Esther: “Masae strikes first! A well-timed jab that shakes Schumann’s head. The Japanese is taking advantage of her opponent’s nervousness early.”

Masae gets into the groove after scoring with her jab. She bounces on her feet, moves her upper body and shuffles her hands.

Alesia is confused. The host’s movement and her own nerves prevent her from settling into this fight. As soon as she moves a hand to throw a punch, the Japanese is already out of the way. It makes her hesitant.

The German decides to do something anyway to provoke things by throwing a right hand. Masae easily avoids it with a small move to her right. That gives her many openings.

Esther: “Masae seizes control early with moves that Schumann is supposed to be making at this point if you listen to her coach. Beating her at her own game.”

Masae just avoided a right hand thrown by Alesia. A split second after that, the German starts pulling her arm back.

The woman in green is quick to capitalise on the opening she generated. She twists her upper body to let her right cross fly. It zooms straight to Ally’s chin, mouth and nose. PISH!

Alesia: “Ugh!”

Referee Lee Ochiro looks on and thinks: “Whoa, that hurts.”

Esther: “Masae has punished many other fighters with her hand speed and quick release. Her right hand is her favourite punch, and Schumann could only block it with her face. I wouldn’t recommend doing that too many times.”

The first 15 seconds of the fight have not gone well for Alesia, who is not breathing normally and is enduring Masae’s attacks.

The Japanese veteran keeps the level of aggression up. She landed a solid right cross and she follows up immediately with a heavy left hook. It licks the side of the Diva’s face.

Regina thinks: “What a shit start. I didn’t expect her to get spanked like that.”

Esther: “The right cross-left hook is Masae’s favourite combination and she just added Alesia Schumann’s name to a long list of fighters she abused with it. Can the German shake off the chip on her shoulder to fight back effectively, though?”

Three unanswered punches aren’t a good thing. Alesia knows it and she scrambles for the exit, sidestepping and getting away from Masae to find the middle of the ring.

Her Japanese opponent follows her. She stays close. A few seconds are knocked off the clock.

Alesia is thinking about an attack but her foe surprises her by dropping her hands. Her arms go down and they are loose. The Bavarian Diva is surprised and she freezes at the sight of an uncovered Masae.

Esther: “What is Masae doing? Either she is supremely confident with a plan to strike hard, or she is challenging Schumann to land a free shot. Either way, that’s nuts.”

Masae made Alesia freeze by dropping her hands down in the last frame. What is she up to?

The visitor thinks: “I have to hit her, it’s time! I’ve been passive enough.”

When her shoulder starts moving for a jab, though, Masae lifts her left, shifts weight with her upper body and smacks her with a lightning-fast jab that lands on the jaw.

Esther: “Masae is doing exactly as she said, taking Schumann to school. Rough detention. You can’t help but think there will be a moment when the German will rip her head off and hang it to the ceiling as her revenge for the humiliation.”

Alesia drops back, circles around Masae and does everything to keep her distance.

The Japanese pursues her with her jab, landing it on the chin multiple times.

Esther: “Schumann is getting bossed. The pre-match butterflies have not gone anywhere and Masae is beating her to the punch, all the time.”

Alesia thinks: “Ok, reset. Go back to the basics. Land the jab and get back into this fight. Gotta do somethinghere!”

She drops back further, plants her feet and sends a loaded left in Masae’s direction. The local fighter easily slips under it and lands her own jab under Ally’s chin.”

Regina is silent, but fuming in the blue corner.

Esther: “Masae is dominant in this round. She does what she wants with Schumann. She doesn’t have one-punch knockout power, but the accumulation of her leather can still take people down.”

Time passes in Round 1 and Alesia doesn’t find a solution to Masae’s assaults and slippery defending. The Japanese bounces, moves and keeps confusing her with quick hands.

Alesia, who is still nervous, thinks: “I’m all sweaty before the end of the first round. Great.”

Masae’s train is solidly on the rails. She keeps landing her punches while not taking significant hits.

Officials tap twice on the canvas when 10 seconds are left. Ally is discouraged and she wants a break. Now. She backs up and up, without throwing, until she finds herself in the ropes.

Masae notices and goes forward for a last attack. She launches a big right hand on Ally’s jaw.

Regina thinks: “Oh my. Ally is getting thumped and she’s quitting. If that goes on, she’ll get knocked out, cold, and she’ll never recover psychologically from a third straight KO loss. I have one minute to turn that around.”

Alesia comes back to her corner dejected. She got pummeled by Masae in Round 1. Regina sees the fear in her eyes, a bruise and a small nosebleed.

Alesia: “She’s too quick and too strong for me. She’ll knock me out!”

Regina: “SILENCE! Listen to me! You’re surrendering to her. When you’re freezing and scared shitless, you’re begging her to give you a beating! STOP BEING A COWARD! Fight the way I taught you to fight! Move your legs and upper body to make yourself hard to hit!”

Alesia: “I’ll try.”

Regina: “YOU WON’T JUST TRY! You’ll dominate Round 2 with your defense. Move, move, move and MOVE! You’ll find angles and openings. We’ve done it enough in the gym! Masae is beatable. GET THE JOB DONE!”

Alesia: “Ok!”

The pair goes silent. The coach treats her face, puts vaseline on and gives her water.

As Regina goes back behind the ropes, Ally mumbles: “Man, rough talk.”

Regina hears it and turns back to her: “MOVE! AND FIGHT!”

Esther: “That was an epic talk! The battle-tested Regina Halmich sets high standards for her fighter and she demands a win. It’s up to Schumann to do away with fear and deliver the goods.”

In the red corner, it’s all smiles. Masae sits on her stool to find a very happy coach.

Yumi: “Great job! We were going into this one for the decision, but with the beating you are giving her, I don’t think she’ll last three rounds.”

Masae: “I think so too.”

Yumi: “Alesia is the kind of fighter who melts down when you hit her near the ropes or in a corner, and she’s afraid of you. It’s important to maintain the pressure to deny her the time she needs to recover. Keep her in tight spaces and she’ll succumb.”

Masae: “I’ll cover her face with more red!”

Esther: “This pair is extremely confident, and for a good reason. It will be an uphill battle for the visiting German.”

Before Round 2 begins, we head to Esther’s desk to find out what she makes of the action.

Esther: “This first round was all Masae. She dominated a fearful Schumann, who watched her as she dished out the punishment. An easy call for a 10-9 to the Japanese. Strong words and clever advice from Regina Halmich could turn this fight into… a fight.”

Alesia Schumann
Alesia Schumann
Super Lightweight champion of the world, German champion and one of the pound for pound best. The Diva is known for her tactical strength and durability.