Sophie Schumann vs. Anne Carter – Round 2

Ding! Round 2 starts and the ref gets out of the way for some fighting to happen.

Sophie needs to perform well after losing the first round 10-8. She enters this round with a changed mindset, moving back and forth sideways on her toes. Anne immediately notices the added spring in the German’s legs. It surprises her after nearly stopping her in the first round.

Picasso doesn’t bother jabbing. If she is to win this, she needs set up her power game with efficiency and convince the judges, who may still have her knockdown freshly in mind.

Anne opens up to throw a left hook as Sophie steps to her right. The German champ changes directions to bounce back to her left and unload a left hook. Blue leather cracks the American on the cheek and sweat flies from her head.

Regina thinks: “That’s more like it.”

Esther: “A clean left hook that Carter saw coming in too late. Bouncing back after a devastating round is a sign of experience, and only one of the two boxers has it here. That and a love for stepping out of line as soon as she has a chance.”

Sophie thinks: “Pretty girls like Anne exist for one reason: so I can deform them.”

The German launches wave after wave of attacks, but she does it differently than before. She changes her stance all the time, never stays in the same position for long… and doesn’t mind if Anne throws the first punch. Under pressure, the cheerleader struggles to adjust to the fierce, newly unpredictable girl in front of her.

Near the blue corner, Anne throws a jab. Red leather brushes against Sophie’s chin. Encouraged, the American doubles the jab. Sophie shifts to the right, leans down and thrusts a long-range right hand into Anne’s ribs.

Anne: “Urgh.”

Mercedes thinks: “… and Sophie gets to work.”

Mercedes shouts: “Come on, girl! RESIST!”

Anne just took a good right hand in the ribs but she has the presence of mind to realise that she is in the corner.

Anne thinks: “Gotta defend myself. Otherwise she’ll trap me here and pound me.”

The American starts withdrawing her left hand a bit faster than the German’s right. That gives her a split second to pivot and throw a right hook that lands on the side of Sophie’s head, near the left eye.

Mercedes thinks: “Well done. Cousin’s got talent. Fighting instincts from other sports really help.”

Esther: “Trading is not the strongest part of Carter’s game, but it canbe a good idea to give something to think about to an opponent who just hit you. A fist in the face can spark the thought process!”

Seconds disappear slowly from the clock – one goes away each second! – in Round 2. Sophie took an early advantage but Anne works hard to try and keep up with Picasso.

Esther: “After a short burst of trading, this round takes a more tactical turn with Schumann trying to outsmart Carter instead of only going forward. She may be listening to her coach Regina Halmich for a rare time.”

Both fighters think of a clever idea at the same time. Sophie is first to move by leaning down to the left and getting ready to throw a left uppercut. Anne, for her part, comes in with a left hook to try and catch her leaning opponent.

Double pish! Sophie gets smacked in the cheek and Anne takes it on the chin. Both feel pain given by the opponent’s knuckles. The crowd digs the contested exchange. It cheers enthusiastically.

Esther: “This British audience loves a good scrap and it can find satisfaction with these two. With only four rounds to produce a winner, amateur fighters cannot afford to wait. Schumann in particular after losing the first round 10-8.”

Esther: “Schumann is back in business after a first-round bombing that almost decimated her. She boxes with authority but in a different form. She has adapted to vary her moves instead of only coming forward. Typical Halmich coaching when you think of it.”

The TV analyst has a point, but that doesn’t mean Sophie isn’t putting Anne under the weather. While the blue gloves don’t always hit the target, every punch she throws appears to come from a different angle than all the others before. Picasso’s attacks give her increasing control over the action.

The cheerleader is working hard to repel the teenage tank, but it’s a struggle. Sophie changes directions smoothly and throws flurries. With 22 seconds left, she throws a left and a right in Anne’s gloves. With her guard up, the American wants to block the combination before she can get out of there.

It doesn’t work out. Sophie adds a third punch. Her left hook comes out and slips behind Anne’s right glove to sock her on the cheek. Pish!

The crowd applauds Sophie’s mastery in the ring.

Esther: “Sophie Schumann should think about moving to England. The locals seem to like her a lot more than her fellow Germans!”

Past the 15-second mark, Anne figures that she may be losing the round and that she needs to keep Sophie away to avoid a knockdown.

For her part… Sophie wants to land at least one punch that will seal the round’s points beyond any doubt.

That makes for an unusual sight: Anne sending swift jabs at Sophie, who tries to figure out a way to get closer.

Sophie thinks: “That annoying jab… I know what to do. Create a pattern. Picasso is there to paint.”

The German lowers her stance, her gloves, and stops moving. It prompts Anne to jab her in the nose.

Sophie: “Ummff!”

She goes back up for a split second, then lowers her upper body and stops moving. Anne’s red glove comes in quickly. The nose again.

Sophie: “Ummff!”

Sophie thinks: “That was for effect. You’re falling in the trap, beauty queen.”

The blonde goes back up… and lowers her stance once more with a small difference that Anne doesn’t notice. Before she stops moving, Sophie plants her right foot behind and puts her weight on it. When Anne’s left hand comes forward, Sophie pivots to the right. She comes back up, and forward, with a right-handed bombshell in full extension. PISH! It snaps Anne’s head back.

Anne thinks: “She trickedme to land that shot.”

The brunette then pulls back and refuses to engage again before the bell rings. The crowd applauds an excellent round of boxing from Sophie, topped by a stylish finish.

Esther: “Never, ever trust a Schumann sister in the boxing ring, especially when landing punches becomes a tad easier. It’s a trap.”

Corners? Starting with blue? Let’s do it.

Regina: “Good work. You should have boxed like that forever. It’s so much smarter.”

Sophie nods.

The ref comes in. He confirms that Sophie won the second round 10-9. The score is 19-18 for Anne after two rounds.

Regina: “Ok. We’re still behind but we’re getting there. Taking the last two rounds would be enough to win.”

Sophie: “But if she takes one, she wins.”

Regina: “That’s right. We’re still in a tight spot. If somehow the score ends even, the judges will award the win based on impressions, and the way she smashed you in the first round can make the difference.”

Sophie takes a deep breath and nods.

Regina: “I don’t want you to go head hunting like in the first round, but if you see a sign that a punch hurts, follow up quickly. Should the opportunity arise, a knockdown would change everything. You got me? Do notforce it!”

Sophie: “I understand. I’ll keep it clean.”

Regina: “Hmmm. I hear Mercedes yelling in the other corner. Be on your guard in the early going.”

The trainer gives her fighter a bit of water, butters up the bruises with vaseline and gives her the mouthpiece back.

Mercedes: “How ya feelin’?”

Anne: “That was a hard round.”

Mercedes frowns: “She won it, but it doesn’t look so bad.”

The ref confirms that Anne leads the score 19-18 halfway through the fight.

Mercedes: “We’re still ahead. There’s plenty to work with here, pork chop.”

The boxer grunts.

Anne: “I’m suffering. Her punches are hard.”

Mercedes: “Yer sufferin’? Ya think that losin’ a round is sufferin? All ya have is a scratch on da chin and yer sufferin’?”

Anne looks puzzled.

Mercedes: “I’ll tell ya what’s sufferin’! Been homeless in fuckin’ criminal Detroit for weeks! Had no parents, no nuthin’. Even no electricity when I squatted a place! Depended on food banks and charity to survive! It was humiliatin’ but did I complain? NEVER! Then mah coach and his wife made me family. They gave me a life. Fightin’ has been nuthin’ but fun! And ya think that takin’ a few shots in this ring is a big deal? You’ve seen nuthin’, grrrrrl!”

The boxer is astonished.

Anne: “I…”

The coach gives her a shoulder shove.

Mercedes: “Yer not talkin’ cuz I ain’t done! Yer in a fight. Yer goin’ out there and givin’ all ya got! Box with speed, technique and guts! No matter what happens, ya can say ya fought like a beast! NO EXCUSES! NO BULLSHIT! NOT WITH ME!”

Mercedes looks Anne in the eye, in silence. Her stare virtually asks if her fighter is serious about proving something. Anne’s body language goes from surprise to hardening resolve.

The coach gives Anne water, her mouthpiece and a pat on the cheek when she gets up. Anne nods, with new intensity in her eyes.

Mercedes: “Dats mah grrrrl! Beast mode. C’mon!”

Esther: “If you thought only Regina Halmich could give a hard speech, you were mistaken.”

With two rounds between Sophie and Anne in the books, Alesia Schumann is still thinking about the action she has just seen.

“That was so much better. Sis outboxing Anne instead of trying to overpower her was great to watch. In March, she’ll only be 20. If she really wants it, she can become as good a fighter as I am. Maybe better. I don’t have her power and if she acquires the defense… look out.”

“They say that Anne is just an American cheerleader. I’d expect that kind of girl to be on a stretcher, not to do what she is doing. She lost that second round, but she still put up a fight.”

“I think Sophie will win this, but it’s a better show than we expected.”

Chelsea Carter
Chelsea Carter
Former Super Lightweight world champion. A daredevil from San Francisco who follows the footsteps of her idol Alesia Schumann.
Sophie Schumann
Sophie Schumann
The little sister of Alesia Schumann is a born troublemaker but supremely talented puncher. Former world champion at Lightweight.