Virani: “I love smaller cards like this, getting into the arena when the crowd is filing in. This just feels like boxing. No huge purse on the line, just pride.”
Anita: “I, myself prefer the glitz and glamour of big cards and the main event.”
Virani: “Makes sense, you are a promoter.”
Anita: “My dear, I am your promoter. But right now I am Emma’s. What can you tell me about her as a boxer? Thomas said you have sparred with her quite a bit.”
Virani: “Emma’s kind of an all rounder. She can do everything pretty well. She’s physically a bit bigger than me, and instead of the left hook being the money punch, it’s the right hook, especially thrown overhand. She’s cracked me pretty good with a couple of right hands that hurt. Her chin is average, I’d have to say. If you nail her with a good shot, she’ll feel it.”
Anita: “How good is she? How good can she be?”
Virani: “She’s maybe a level below me. I don’t know how good she can be. I make up a lot of my flaws by having power – that’s something that just comes naturally. Emma doesn’t really have it, though she’s getting better. If my power is an 8/10, hers is a 7. She’s smart though, she can be a very intelligent fighter – she’s good at adapting to her opponent. I think she’ll end up being like Olivia Gerula.”
Anita: “Explain.”
Virani: “People only think of Olivia as the fighter who got knocked out by Jelena Mrdjenovich. But people forget that she also beat Jelena to win a world title. She made a career out of fighting all comers and she was pretty darn successful at it too.”
Anita: “You forgot one thing – Emma is cuter than Olivia.”
Virani: “That we agree upon.”
The Ring Announcer announces Emma McGale with a record of 4 wins and 4 losses.
Virani: “Let’s go Emma! Wooo!”
Virani: “Nice tats. Where’d you find this girl?”
Anita: “Wasn’t anything special. When I got Emma onto this fight card, the original promoter already had two fighters from a Mexico city gym fighting on this card. I asked them if they had someone who could fight at featherweight. They suggested Ms. Jiminez.”
Virani: “She…doesn’t look like much.”
Anita: “I wouldn’t expect much. She lost her first fight, won her second fight by knockout, hence the nickname. She picked up another win to go to 2-1 and then was KO’d in her last two fights…which took place 2 years ago. She’s here for a paycheck.”
Virani: “And her gym just…volunteered her? Emma’s not a killer or anything, but she’s better than her record suggests.”
Anita: “Its the way the game is played. These gyms send up fighters with lesser records with the understanding that they are going there to lose. They protect their good fighters of course. The rest though? Anything to make a buck or two.”
Virani: “That’s not right.”
Anita: “It’s the way it is. Look, Emma needs a win, and she needs a flashy win too. She’s got to fight someone. And Erica’s being paid well for her services. Too well, I think.”
Virani: “So this isn’t a fight, its an execution.”
Anita: “Stop being so dramatic. It’s not like you fought a parade of killers in your first few fights. Why should Emma not get an easy fight like you did?”
Virani falls silent. But then the bell rings, and the fight begins.
Virani: “Come on Emma! Knock her out!”
Anita hides a knowing smile.
Erica comes out firing in the opening moments, lobbing wide, wild punches that promise harm to anyone foolish enough to get hit by one. Emma stays calm, letting the wild shots miss.
Ringside:
Virani: “I think I see how Erica won her fight by knockout. She probably clipped some unprepared fighter with a wild haymaker and that was it. It’s not a bad strategy for an underdog fighter – try to catch your opponent early on before they settle into the fight. No good fighter would ever get clipped by these punches though.”
Anita: “I guess we can put Emma into that category for the moment.”
Virani: “I mean, she has me to spar with and Thomas as a trainer. Of course she is good. Now Prisha Priyanka on the other hand…”
Erica stops lobbing haymakers, but that only lets Emma start to unleash. She and her orange gloves get to work, putting Erica under pressure before she sneaks through a solid right cross.
Ringside:
Virani: “First hit! Sneaky stuff, Emma!”
Anita: “Emma likes to keep a high tempo, eh. She doesn’t sit back and wait.”
Virani: “Emma doesn’t really like the fight to come to her. She’s not throwing anything too crazy, but she’s taking note of how Erica reacts to her movements.”
Anita: “And how is Erica doing?”
Virani: “Well, she absorbed the punch okay, but her form seems poor. She drops her hands as she moves in the ring, which is a really bad habit, for obvious reasons. She really does seem like someone who has been out of the ring for two years.”
Anita: “I’m glad you are here to explain this stuff to me. I get the business side of boxing, but I don’t really understand the sport itself.”
Virani: “I got you covered there.”
Emma has the upper hand early on, but she hasn’t landed anything major yet. In an exchange of jabs in the middle of the ring, it is the Englishwoman who comes off best, landing hers on Erica’s chin and mouth, while Erica’s jab doesn’t find the mark. In the battle of technique, it is becoming clear that Emma is far superior.
Ringside:
Virani: “This Erica girl is…not good.”
Anita: “So she lost an exchange of jabs? Not a big deal.”
Virani: “Everything is wrong in how Erica threw hers though – no head movement, other hand too far down to protect herself. She’s far too upright and flatfooted. Emma’s technique is far more solid. It’s nothing earth shattering, but look at how her body is positioned. There’s a nice transfer of weight from the back foot forward. Erica is so flatfooted. It’s just poor from her.”
Anita: “At least she isn’t running and hiding. That’d be the worst thing, from my perspective.”
Virani: “You really are heartless about this. You arranged this match.”
Anita: “I prefer to call it being dispassionate. Logical.”
Emma lands more punches, though they are light, glancing. Erica responds by throwing more haymakers, one of which forces Emma into some evasive action.
Ringside:
Virani: “I hate it when she pulls straight back like that. It’s a bad habit.”
Anita: “But why? She made Erica miss badly?”
Virani: “Well, first, it makes her vulnerable to a follow up right hand – she’s already leaning backwards, so she has less directions in which to dodge. Second, she’s not really in position to counter, her left hand is somewhat available, but again, he weight is on her back foot, so it’d be hard to get anything on a punch.”
Anita: “You saw all that from one moment? It was just one punch!”
Virani: “Boxing is about those small moments. If Erica was good, she’d try that left hook again – Emma is likely to try to dodge the same way – then she can follow up with the right hand as I discussed. Boxing is like chess, but it’s also about figuring out how your opponent reacts. Once you know what she’s going to do, you can anticipate it…then bang!”
Anita: “Are you so critical when you review your own mistakes?”
Virani: “Heck yes! How do you think I improved so much!”
Emma is moving confidently now, seemingly she has the measure of her opponent. She lands a good combination, and then she sets her sights a bit lower. The Englishwoman takes a bit of a risk, but she beats Erica to the punch, the Mexican’s counter is too little, too late. The sound of Emma’s body blow echoes around the arena.
Ringside:
Virani: “Did I mention that Emma’s a pretty darn good body puncher?”
Anita: “I see that.”
Virani: “That one hurt her too. It’s not just the initial pain of the punch, which I’m sure hurt, but it’s the confidence that Emma’s moving with. It’s hard to deal with psychologically when you are getting hit and you can’t hit back. Erica’s landed little more than a few jabs, but now Emma’s landing big right hands.”
Anita: “If she’s smart, she’ll take the easy way out.”
Virani: “You mean take a dive?”
Anita: “Pretty much.The ‘problem’ with many Mexican fighters, is they have too much pride for their own good.”
Emma continues to dominate the first round, showing that she doesn’t exactly fear her opponent. With about thirty seconds to go in the round she fires home a good left hook that catches the Mexican right around her right eye.
Ringside:
Virani: “This is one way traffic now. I’d be surprised if Erica gets out of this round. Emma is going to pour it on.”
Anita: “I have no problem with that. Do you think that she has the power to end the fight though?”
Virani: “The right punch with the right timing can fell just about anyone. Emma’s not exactly a feather-fisted fighter. I bet she drops Erica soon.”
Anita: “How do you rate her left hook?”
Virani: “It’s pretty good. Like a ‘B+’ maybe. She learned a bit from me, I think!”
Emma is really starting to fire away at this point. Erica seems shellshocked. She doesn’t cover up or try to stay away. She’s just there to be hit, and Emma doesn’t need the invitation as she starts landing a good percentage of her punches.
Ringside:
Virani: “This is going to get ugly. Emma’s boxing very well, but its being helped that Erica isn’t doing much..”
Anita: “It’s selfish of me, but I want something for a highlight reel. A knockdown will do…but hopefully one on a flashy punch…”
Virani: “Emma’s not necessarily flashy, but this Erica girl isn’t long for this fight, I don’t think.”
After eating a jab from Emma, Erica tries to respond with a left hand, but that opens up her body to Emma, who needs no invitation to slam home an absolutely punishing right hand that lands flush on Erica’s jaw.
Ringside:
Virani: “Oh!”
Anita: “Yeah!”
As Emma follows through with her punch, the effects on Erica become clear. That was not just a big punch, it looks like it may have been the final punch of the fight.
Ringside:
Virani: “Holy hell, Emma just unloaded on her! That’s the fight!”
Anita: “In one punch?”
Virani: “Did you hear that punch land? That was absolutely flush. It had everything – power and placement.”
Anita: “I guess I got my highlight.”
Erica completes her trip to the canvas in front of a clearly surprised Emma.
Ringside:
Virani: “That’s it. She’s not going to get up from that.”
Anita: “You’re sure?”
Virani: “You don’t take a punch like that and fall like that and get up within 10 seconds. She just won’t.”
Referee Marshall Howard wastes little time in getting to the side of the downed fighter. He looks at her and makes an immediate decision, Erica has been knocked out!
Ringside:
Virani: “It’s over! That’s the way you do it, Emma!”
Anita: “Oh my god! Good job, Emma!”
Virani: “Hell yes! That’ll make an impression on everyone who watched the fight.”
Anita: “Just like I planned..”
As the fight is officially waved off, Virani makes her way onto the ring apron to share an embrace with the victorious Emma McGale.
In the corner:
Virani: “Emma! Holy shit, girl! What a punch that was! You knocked her out cold!”
Emma: “I wasn’t even trying, she just left the opening and I landed perfectly…She just was so open!”
Virani: “It was awesome! You absolutely flattened her. Is that your first real knockout?”
Emma: “Yeah! First time! Damn it feels so good!”
Virani: “Just keep it calm for now until she gets up. Then you can celebrate wildly.”
It’s taken a few moments longer than anyone would have liked, but Erica is now awake and talking to the ref and the ring doctors. The crowd claps as Erica his helped into a sitting position. The Mexican fighter looks a bit confused as to where she is, but she seems to be out of danger.
In the Corner:
Virani: “See, she’s getting up.”
Emma: “I have to admit, she scared the hell out of me.”
Virani: “Nothing to be scared of anymore, now get out there and celebrate!”
With Erica safely ensconced in her corner, Emma struts confidently into the middle of the ring and takes in the applause of the crowd. Off to the side, Virani gives her friend a friendly gesture of support.
With all the particulars sorted, we go down to ringside for the official decision.
Ring Announcer: “Ladies and Gentleman, referee Marshall Howard has called a halt to the action at 1 minute and 35 second of the very first round, your winner, by way of KNOCKOUT, Emma McGale!”
While Anita and Virani watch on proudly while Emma gets her arm raised. Emma McGale now moves her record to 5 wins and 4 losses. Not an amazing record, but an improving one. There’s a new confidence in the Englishwoman, and with the right guidance who knows how far she could go…
