The two warriors begin round 5…

Commentator: “The crowd roars at the start of the fifth round, no doubt approving that the home fighter will continue, though we do not know for how long.  The opening few moments has Lilim in control, but she hasn’t managed to land a decisive punch yet….and now there’s a nice right hand from Virani that scores.  That one looked like it had a bit of snap on it too, unlike the punches that she landed after being knocked down by Lilim.  Is a comeback on the cards?”

Virani: I don’t have time to settle into this round.  I need to show Lilim that I’m not done, and I can only do that by making her hurt.  I’ve seen enough of Lilim to recognize some of her patterns and I see the signs of her throwing a right hand.  I get my left hand up to block it and I throw a right hand of my own, which lands solidly.  It’s not a knockout punch, but there was some snap to that one.  Come on Lilim, lets dance.

Lilim: The fifth round has started and I’m still in control of this fight. I throw a few jabs and hooks, but none of them land. Virani still has pretty good defense, but I need to keep trying. Virani is still tired and wounded from the last round. This round is my best chance at a knockout victory. I throw a right hand that collides and is stopped clean with her left glove. Before I can react Virani clocks me with her own right hand. “Pish!” I grunt as my head turns slightly. It hurts, but I can take it. Seems like she has more fight in her. That’s fine with me. I can take her. Let’s go Virani.

At ringside:

Alesia: Go Virani! That was a nice, sharp right!

Regina: That shows us the tradeoff you make when keeping the left hand a bit lower. Gotta have good head movement and timing to make up for the space given away.

Commentator: “Virani has looked better than I had expected in this round.  Her powers of recovery may be very strong…but OH, there’s a big right hand from Lilim Alterion!  Virani was in the process of throwing a punch, but Lilim beat her to it and blasted her with a good one…”

Virani: I’m settling into this round, and I think Lilim is a little surprised that I’m standing right in front of her this round.  No running, no hiding. Just fighting.  I think I see an opening, but by the time I uncork my right hand, Lilim’s already landing a straight right directly on my jaw.  Ungh.  Solid contact, solid hit.  That hurt.

Lilim: I can’t believe what’s happening right now. Virani is staying close to me. Does she want to fight me head to head? No way. I wasn’t expecting her to try this. That punch she landed was pretty hard. She really means it. I can’t help but feel happy and honored. Virani MacVicar want’s to fight me head on. I see an opening and I hit her as fast and as hard as I can. My straight right punch crashes perfectly into her jaw. I see the puff of sweat fly off her face and her braids fly about wildly. I’ll show you I’m a great fighter Virani.

At ringside:

Alesia: I think V was a bit late on this one. And her hands are low.

Regina: Yup. And as a fighter, Lilim is like the foot itch that never goes away.

Alesia: Stop it, I’ll end up scratching myself.

Commentator: “The whole crowd in this arena is standing on their feet! And oh my goodness!! Virani just knocked Lilim’s about with three hard punches! Unbelievable! The whole crowd is so loud. I have to yell into the mic just so I can hear myself!! Virani is showing no fear by standing toe to toe with one of the hardest punchers in the lightweight division! No way Lilim was expecting this!”

Virani: There’s no way I can knock Lilim out with just one punch.  She’s too tough.  But I’ve still got a bit of speed in my bruised body.  I land a good jab which smacks Lilim right on the nose.  The jab freezes her for a moment and my right hand is already in motion, slamming into Lilim’s cheek as she tries (too late) to get her hands up to block.  Then, to cap off the combination, I torque my body around and unleash a left hook that catches Lilim clean.  I just smacked Lilim around with a 3 punch combination.  Unfortunately, Lilim continues to stand in front of me.  But I’ve shown her that I can still hit hard.  It just might take me a few punches.

Lilim:I stand in front of Virani while the crowd is going wild. Before I can attack Virani hits me first with a flash of punches. Her left punches smashed directly into my nose and I hear it crack a little. “Pish!” It hurts to the point my eyes water slightly. My head then swings back and forth over my shoulder as she distorts my cheeks with a right, left hook combo. “Pish! Pish!” Spit flies from my lips and puffs of sweat fly from my brow as Virani beats my head about. I groan from the last punch and my vision fogs up a little. Damn it. Those punches hurt. Virani is hitting me harder and harder. She’s really trying to knock me out.

At ringside:

Alesia: I’ll repeat myself but Virani looks awesome when she’s in control!

Regina: Hahahaha. I’m just surprised that Lilim isn’t covering up but that may be understandable. When you take a solid one in the nose, you kind of lose track of the action.

Commentator: “The two fighters are not giving an inch to each other!  Virani tries a right hand but misses badly and Lilim crushes her with a right hand of her own! That one might run MacVicar’s modeling career.  Oh, and I bet it hurt a lot too!”

Lilim: I have to fight back. I see an opening and I swing a sharp right hand that blasts into the center of Virani’s face. “Bap!” I know that one had to have done damage, but instead of her going back she holds her ground not giving up an inch. She’s taking my punches well. It’s concerning, but I stay focused. I won’t ever back down. I can hit harder and take shots better than she can. I’ll beat her in this exchange.

Virani:  I miss wildly with a punch as Lilim sways out of the way.  Too late, I realize that she’s bringing her right hand with her.  It smacks me clean in the middle of the face.  If my face wasn’t so numb, I’m sure that would hurt like hell.  I can take these punches.  I can survive.  I won’t let Lilim win.  I also can’t make these mistakes.

At ringside:

Alesia: Oh boy. She walked straight into that short right. Reminds me of the punch that Marquez landed to knock Pacquiao out.

Regina: Different situation, but I see it. Those short-range punches are among the worst you can take when going forward.

Commentator: “The two fighters continue to trade leather in the middle of the ring.  Not once step back from either of these warriors in this round.  It’s heart pounding stuff.  Now Virani s scores with a left uppercut!  That one stung Alterion!”

Virani: This is crazy, I’m going toe-to-toe with Lilim and I haven’t been knocked senseless yet.  I even feel like there is a chance that I can land one big punch and I can send Lilim down again.  The confidence is flowing again and so are my punches as I slip inside and crack Lilim with an uppercut.  I didn’t get everything behind it, but it landed right on her chin and jerked her head up satisfyingly.  Come on, Virani.  A couple more like that and she’ll be done.

Lilim: I open up my guard to throw a body punch and Virani catches me first with an uppercut. “Pish!” I grunt as my head flings back with a puff of sweat scattering off my face. My head hurts from that one and I see my vision starting to get a little more blurry as I make eye contact with Virani. She got me good with that punch, but I’m okay. I can keep going. She won’t knock me out. I won’t lose here. I’ll hit her with another big shot that will drop her for sure. Come on Virani bring it.

At ringside:

Alesia: If this weren’t on the chin, I’d say it’s a cheeky punch.

Regina: How many beers have you had?

Alesia: Two.

Regina: Maybe a third would make you more quiet…

Commentator: “Alterion does not give an inch and she hammers Virani with a crisp 1-2 combination!  Virani may be fast, but Lilim is proving that she still has speed as well!”

Lilim: I feel tired as I keep throwing punches at Virani. She just won’t quit. It’s so unreal. I’m breathing heavily and my whole body feels like it’s on fire as sweat drips off my body. My competitive side has never been stronger. Virani fighting me so hard. It just makes me want to beat her down even more. I ready my attack and I see a small gap in her defense as she moves slightly and I move with all my speed. “Shh! Shh!” I push air out between my mouth as I land a left, right jab combination. I see Virani’s head fly about and she takes the punches like a pro. They weren’t my hardest punches, but they were definitely my fastest. I hope it was enough to weaken Virani more.

Virani: If it wasn’t for my ears ringing and the fact that my body is desperately telling me to lay down and not move for about 13.5 hours, this would be so much fun.  I’m trading with Lilim Alterion and we are hitting each other with massive punches.  Defence is like nonexistent this round.  I try to throw my left hand, but Lilim smacks me in the face with a jab, stopping my punch in its tracks.  Before I can pull back my punch, Lilim mauls me with a right hand that jolts my head around.  Damn, I got nailed by the most basic combination in boxing.  It hurt too.  Lilim’s power is crazy.

At ringside:

Alesia: Geez. I’m not sure whether these two are for free trade or engaged in a trade war.

Regina walks away: I’m getting you that third beer. Hopefully it knocks you out.

Commentator: “The punches are flying so fast its hard to keep up with the action, I’m just trying to do my best here, ladies and gentleman!  Now Virani ripes a good left hook into Lilim’s midsection.  The Azure Valkyrie’s midsection is made of steel, but maybe Virani’s venom will melt through…”

Virani: This fight is now being conducted exclusively in the middle of the ring.  I try to keep moving to avoid the biggest of Lilim’s punches, and it feels like I’m doing a decent job of that.  I see a jab coming and get myself out of the way of that punch, ripping a left hook into the middle of Lilim’s midsection.  That probably hurt.  I know it would have hurt me!

Lilim: The crowd is so loud I barely hear myself think. Beads of sweat fly from my body as I swing a couple sharp hooks and jabs at Virani, but she dodges them. Which is really annoying. What do I have to do to take her down? I throw a swift right jab, Virani moved her head to the side and pounded my body with a hard left hook. “Bap!!” My eyes frown and a small amount of spit is pushed out of my mouth. I trained my body to be tough as possible, but taking a full powered left hook from Virani MacVicar still hurts like hell. It feels like my body just got hit by a wrecking ball. I grunt in pain from the impact, but I use all my mental power to ignore it. I need to stay up. I need to keep pushing myself and fighting back.

At ringside:

Alesia: Oh, such a good shot to the midsection. COME ON VIRANI! WEAR HER DOWN WITH THOSE BODY SHOTS!

Commentator: “The punches keep flying in as neither fighter wants to give an inch to each other. What heart and willpower! It’s like both fighters decided that they do not want to take a single step backwards.  Now there’s a punch landed from Lilim and she stuns Virani for a moment by landing a solid left hook.  That’s the punch that Virani is best known for, but Lilim throws a mean left hook as well.  Her right hook is her best punch, but that left hook did damage there. How much more can these two warriors take!?”

Lilim: I don’t know about Virani, but I need to keep landing before I tire out. That last body blow she landed took a lot out of me and the other punches she landed are starting to wear on me too. Not to mention all the energy I’m spending trying to keep up with Virani. I feel like I’m getting slower as the seconds pass. I throw a short left hook just as Virani swings a wider right hook. “Pish!” My punch lands flush and I see Virani’s cheeks jiggle from the impact while sweat flies from her brow. My left hooks are strong, but I don’t think I’ve ever knocked anyone out with them. But any damage I cause helps. Damn Virani is tough.

Virani: Bloody hell.  The right hook I was throwing was a bit wayward, I’ll admit, but I don’t know how Lilim slipped inside like that. Her left hook hurt, but I was still level on my feet. If that punch landed with better timing that could have really massacred me. I’m okay, but I can feel myself slowing down little by little, as Lilim’s punches take their toll.  I think my punches are having a similar effect on Lilim. I won’t give up. I’ll take her down no matter how many punches she throws at me. I can take her. I know if I  can land a punch hard enough she’ll go down. I have to keep trying.

At ringside:

Alesia: I don’t like this trading, Reg. Going toe to toe with Lilim is one of the most dangerous things Virani can do in that ring.

Regina: Same here. She went down a couple of times lately and she is risking everything. That left hook hurt, too!

Commentator: “The pace in this 5th round will not slow down!  I think the computer that is supposed to calculate the number of punches landed just exploded! Now Virani gets inside and lands a solid uppercut!  Virani has decided to engage Lilim inside!  I guess if Lilim can hit Virani with a left hook, Virani can fight Lilim inside.”

Virani: Gods, I’m so tired. But Lilim’s going down, I’ll make sure of it.  I don’t have energy to go backwards, so I go forwards, closing into close range with Lilim.  This is her specialty, this where she wants to fight.  But I’ll fight her here. I’ll fight her anywhere.  I land a quick uppercut to Lilim’s chin.  I don’t get full power behind it, but I bet that hurt.

Lilim: I’m breathing heavily as Virani and me keep trading. I’m starting to feel exhausted, but I know Virani must be too. She’s been fighting just as hard. If I just keep pushing myself I’ll put her down on the canvas. Virani then stepped forward closer to me. My head instantly jerked up as her glove collided under my chin. “Uuuggh!” My vision goes fuzzy again, but quickly goes back to normal. Damn my head is pounding. Her uppercut wasn’t strong enough to knock me down. But I don’t want to get hit by another one of those.

At ringside:

Regina: That’s a nice reply to the left hook but I reckon there isn’t so much behind it.

Alesia: Yeah. I think she may be tired enough not to be able to evade Lilim’s pressure.

Commentator: “MacVicar has just scored an uppercut on the inside…and now Lilim responds with one of her own!  I can’t believe what I am seeing!  What is holding these women up?”

Lilim: I need to strike back before she hits me again. I squeeze my right glove and I sharply swing up. My uppercut exploded underneath her chin that sent her head flying up in a puff of sweat. That’s a real uppercut V. I mean…. It was a good punch, but my fatigue is stopping me from hitting at my full power. But I still hoped it be enough to drop her. Go down already Virani.

Virani: I’m still admiring my uppercut when Lilim swings her arm back around and catches me underneath my chin with an uppercut of her own.  Where…where in the hell did that come from.  I feel my legs weakening just a little, as Lilim’s punches take their toll.  I can’t take many more of these punches.  But neither can Lilim.

At ringside:

Alesia: Gosh. Uppercut for uppercut, I think Lilim’s hurt the most.

Regina: Defense is needed here, otherwise I’m sure that someone is going down before the end of this round.

Commentator: “MacVicar quickly decides that standing inside with Lilim is not a good idea, so she takes a step back, a rare one in this round.  The two ladies keep up the pressure though, each unwilling to back down.  They both step in to throw hooks…and Virani’s lands!  Another big left hook from MacVicar.  She just managed to beat Lilim to the punch! Alterion has absorbed more left hooks from Virani than I thought it would be possible to take.  Virani must be thinking…maybe the next one will do it.”

Virani: I try to bounce on my feet to keep reminding myself to move them.  If I don’t, I’m dead.  Lilim takes a quick step in and her body posture suggests a right hook.  I have the tonic, my favourite punch, my perfect weapon, the left hook.  I plant off my back foot and take aim.  I want that chin…but while my punch thuds into her cheek, it doesn’t catch Lilim where it needs to.  Crud!  So close!

Lilim: Virani finally takes a few steps back and hops on her feet. I guess she realized she can’t beat me on the inside. Either that or my uppercut stunned her. I use my speed and step forward while preparing my hardest right hook. Before my punch gets close I see a black comet fly at me and pain explodes against my cheek. “Uuughhh!” My vision blurs but gets clear. Damn. Her punches are still pretty strong, but luckily I can handle them. Its not enough though. I have to move faster and hit her harder. And above all watch out for those blasted lefts.

Jett: Damn Lilim got caught with a good left, but she seems okay. Whew! I’m worried about Lilim’s condition. I don’t think I’ve seen her throw so many punches before. If she was fully rested I think Virani would be out cold by now. But MacVicar has done a good job wearing her out. Lilim is in the best shape of her life….. But I’m afraid she might wear out first with this insane pace.

Thomas: I’m getting tired just watching them.  I don’t know how Virani is standing.  I don’t know how Lilim is standing.  This round feels like its been going on for years. Come on Virani.  You can break Lilim, I know you can.

At ringside:

Alesia: Here’s the hook, finally! That should stagger Lilim.

Regina: The tricky thing is that Virani would have to duck to the left to avoid the left-handed counter but that’s not the motion she is making with that hook. Risky, risky!

Commentator: “As one of the best rounds of boxing I have ever seen winds, down the crowd roars and rises to its feet.  The fighters respond.  Lilim nails Virani with a straight left!  But Virani comes back and nails Lilim with a left hand of her own!  These two won’t back down, they cannot back down!  This is a fight to tell your grandkids about!

Lilim: Knowing the round is near the end. I want to end on a high note. I see an opening in Virani’s form and snipe out a left jab that flings her head over her shoulder. I know that had to stagger her. Instead she turns back glaring at me and crushes her glove against my cheek. “Uuhh!” I can’t believe she’s still up. I’m so tired my punching power is too weak. But I have to ignore my pain and fatigue. I need to dig deep and keep fighting till the end.

Virani: I’m feeling so out of it that I’m just fighting on instinct.  My reactions are pretty slow, so I barely see Lilim’s left hand coming.  I feel it land though.  Yet, if Lilim can land a left hand, so can I!.  I quickly turn back around and throw a left hand of my own.  It lands clean as well.  I feel like I’m in an arcade game.

At ringside:

Regina: Thanks to the boxing gods, this round is about to end. Good show, but it kills brain cells!

Alesia: It’s killing me!

Commentator: “Lilim and Virani continue to stand toe to toe as the round winds down. Virani lands a right…and Lilim responds with one of her own! The only thing that prevents either fighter from landing more is the ringing of the bell! And the crowd is out of their seats and going wild. What a round!  Wow!  I need a minute to recover, just from watching that. Those are two real warriors.”

Lilim: “Bap!” My head turns sharply as Virani’s right distorts my face. “Uugh!!” My cheeks ache and they feel like their on fire. I’m too slow to avoid her punches. I do my best to ignore the pain and I instantly fire back with a right jab as hard as I could. My jab lands and forces her head over her shoulder. But Virani takes it and still stands in front of me. Before I can jab again I hear the bell ring multiple times to end the round. A part of me is relieved to take the moment to rest, but the other part of me wants to keep going until I knock this girl down. I know she can’t take more, but then again I’m pretty tired and banged up myself. I mustn’t get too anxious. I need fight with a clear head, but damn that round was insane. I feel heavy and slow. My body can’t take another round at that pace.

Virani: I catch Lilim with a good right hand.  Her defence is falling apart.  But it turns out, so is mine.  Lilim absorbs that hit and gives me one right back.  I feel that leather distorting my face.  Spit flies from my mouth, sweat flies from my brow.  If I cared about my looks though, I would have quit months ago.  The bell rings after taking that punch from Lilim.  Thank the boxing gods.  My legs feel like rubber.  My face feels like rubber too.

At ringside:

Regina: Punch stats will probably show that 99% of punches landed here!

Alesia: Yeah! It’s the Toronto Leather Festival!

Commentator: “This fight was made after Virani MacVicar called out Lilim Alterion.  They butted heads a little after exchanging strong words with each other. But it’s no surprise to see these two warriors touch gloves in a show of mutual respect after the round ends.   Both of them deserve it. These two ladies want to win, but they are certainly earning each other’s respect tonight. It’s nice to see such a show of sportsmanship in such a violent sport.

Lilim: My feet feel like anvils. And why does my corner look so far away? But I notice I have to walk pass Virani first. Virani then extended her left glove out to me. Then a great moment hit me. I was tired and in pain, but this hard-fought round made me feel so alive and happy. To me, this was true Boxing. I was a fan of Virani and now we’re both fighting each other on equal ground in front of a large crowd. We are both tired and hurt, but we are both pushing each other past our breaking points to keep fighting. Both of us are sharing this moment together. It’s a weird warrior bonding moment that only we could really understand. I appreciate Virani fighting me so hard and fair. I’m giving my all to beat her. She really is strong. I’ll always admit that. I happily reach my left glove out and tap hers. I smile back at her. Great round Virani. You’ll always have my respect. I just wish Coach Jett would carry me to my corner.

Virani: I’m a bit confused as to where my corner is, so I have to look for Thomas.  I realize that I have to walk past Lilim to get to my corner.  I turn and hold out my left glove.  Lilim taps is and shoots me a smile.  I smile back.  It’s a nice moment.  I have so much respect for Lilim.  She’s tough and skilled as hell.  I just wish she didn’t hit so hard.

At ringside:

Regina: This reminds me of Gatti against Ward. Smack, smack, smack, then a friendly gesture!

Alesia: [Checks something on her phone] Not as much facial damage, but it should look the same soon!

Commentator: “Lilim was still throwing the harder punches, but she withstood a ton of damage in that round. Let’s first check in on Lilim Alterion’s condition.  It looks like the cut above her eye is bleeding and has been staunched again…but her coach is doing a good job to stop the bleeding! How much longer can the Azure Valkyrie keep this up?”

Lilim: I make it to my corner and I happily sit down. Coach Jett takes my mouthpiece out and I take a few slow deep breaths. I can’t stop sweating. My whole body is burning, my face hurts, the cut on my cheek stings and my body is sore too. I open my mouth as water squirts into my mouth. I turn my head and spit the water out in the bucket.

Jett: I work on cleaning and stopping the blood on Lilim’s face. I’m a little worried about it. If Virani lands any more big shots her cut could get bigger. I lean in front of Lilim and get a good look at her. She looks tired. Really tired. Virani landed a bunch of big shots on her. “How are you feeling Lil?”

Lilim: I nod my head. “Good Coach. But I can’t knock her down anymore.”

Jett: “No talking. Slow deep breaths Lil. Relax. You’re doing great. Now listen to me. Yes, you can. Virani can’t take your punches anymore. You can stop her in the next round. I want you to pick your punches wisely. Don’t throw any light punches. If you see an opening in her defense. Throw that knockout punch of yours. Just make sure you do it fast. Virani’s best weapon is her left. Watch out for it. She’ll try to trick you. Don’t let her. Understand!?

Lilim: I nod my head. In agreement. “Yes.” I agree with Coach Jett. I can’t afford to do another round like that. I really will pass out from exhaustion. I need to land my hardest punches and not waste any more energy on lighter jabs. Virani probably knows how tired and messed up my defense is. I have to put her out. It’s my only chance. I just need to stay calm. I’ve made it this far. I can’t lose now.

Jett: “You’re the Azure Valkyrie. Make the fans remember who you are!”

Lilim: “Yes coach.” I take a few more deep breaths trying to rest as much as possible. I’ll need it.

At ringside:

Alesia: Lilim looks tired now. All those punches, received and given, take their toll.

Regina: Especially when you have done enough to send someone crashing to the canvas for good. You wonder how she can stay in there and trade with you.

Commentator: “And now we’ll check in with Virani’s corner.  One thing to note is that Virani has never had a fight go past round 6, so we are entering uncharted territory here.”

Thomas: “Sit, rest.  Deep breaths, Virani.”  Virani’s face is showing the damage she has taken this fight.  Her face is swelling up, especially around the eyes.  There’s no cuts, which is good, but my fighter’s face tells the story of a beaten up young woman.  This fight can’t go on much longer.

Virani: “I can’t hurt her,” I complain.  “I’ve hit her with everything.  I don’t know what else to do.”

Thomas: “She’s human, Virani.  Just focus on what you are doing.  She’s tired, so she’s getting a bit predictable.  If you feint the right cross, she should open up for the left hook.”  I take another look at Virani.  We need to get this fight over with, and quick.  “Why don’t we start the round with that?”

Virani: “…Okay.  I’ll try.”

Thomas: “You can do it, Virani.  I know you are hurting, but Lilim is too.”

Virani: “I can do this.”

At ringside:

Alesia: Oof. Virani’s battle scars are obvious. Please, protect yourself better in Round 6!

Regina: She’s too exhausted for that, I think. Lilim would keep up the aggression and easily win the round on points. Virani needs that game-changer shot now.

Commentator: “How does one even go about scoring such a round?  I’m sure someone will say that one fighter landed more and thus should be given the round, but I cannot possibly seperate the two warriors that rounnd.  One fact remains though, and that is on my scorecards, Virani is down two points with three rounds to go.  This fight may not go the distance, but you have to wonder if there is some desperation in the MacVicar camp as the Cobra is fighting an uphill battle right now.”

At ringside:

Regina: What do you make of that round?

Alesia: I don’t see a clear winner. Both gave and took so many power shots that it has to be a 10-10. Not sure if this is the best thing for Virani, though.