Emma’s knockout return

Emma McGale vs. Petra Davids

6 Months.

It has been 6 months since I set foot in the ring. 6 months since I got to do what I loved.

6 months since I got knocked out.

6 months since I lost in front of a national audience.

But that’s the past.

What’s in front of me is 6 rounds of boxing. My return to the ring.

My opponent is Petra Davids. She’s got a record of 3 wins and 1 loss. 1 knockout win. She looks like a fitness instructor. Well, that is her day job. She’s here to win. I’m here to resurrect my career and try to remember what it’s like to win. If everything goes to plan, this one should be an easy victory for me. I scouted Petra myself. She’s nothing special. Athletic, but not really talented in terms of boxing prowess.

In the first round, I’m honestly a bit sluggish. Getting hit for the first time in a fight since being knocked out is a bit strange. My chin holds up fine, but there’s a bit of trepidation in the back of my head that I know needs to go away.  There’s no room for fear in the boxing ring.

Thankfully, Petra doesn’t hit too hard, but she throws with decent technique, and she’s throwing with confidence.  In an odd sort of way, it’s good that I get hit early. It builds my own confidence that I can take punches.

In all honesty, the first round was a bit of a dud but near the end, I got some snapping jabs through Petra’s guard that jolted her head each time I connected. That feels good. It’s always better to give than receive in boxing.

Emma Petra 1

In between rounds, Thomas told me to step it up a notch. It was what I needed to do at that point.  It was time to see if I had that next gear still.

The second rounds is my round at my pace. It’s not a blistering pace. It’s not the pace I fought the Astrid fight at – that fight was a damn war. But dictating the pace and distance of the fight is something that I like and enjoy doing. I used long, probing jabs, to keep Petra at bay, and frankly she wasn’t deceptive enough to make me miss that much.  She stood there and took it.

I won the second round fairly easily and fairly convincingly.

By the third round, I figured it’s time to see if I can get this girl out of there. There was no sense in letting someone hang around in a fight. Counterproductive, actually.

I started to loose my power punches, mostly my hooks a little more frequently. And they started landing and they had some snap on them.

Look, I know I would have to be insanely lucky to be able to land one punch and just lay Petra out. It happened once, and that probably used up all my luck in the “One-Punch KO” department. But when I start to land, I can make people feel that power in these orange gloves, and halfway through the round, I can tell that Petra is not liking the taste of my leather.  Too bad, it’s German and imported.  People pay good money for this leather.

How do I know she’s hurting?  It’s the little things that show it off. The way she resets at a little further distance from before, the way she holds her gloves just a bit higher to try to protect herself. But mostly its the eyes. It’s the eyes that give away the fact that the punches you receiving aren’t tickling, that they are taking something out of you. And in the case of Petra, it reveals that she is not enjoying this at all.

That was the cue to turn up the heat.

So even though it cost me taking a jab to the nose, I managed to find a home for a right hook that jolted Petra’s head sideways and got her reeling backwards towards the ropes. Now she seemed to really be in trouble.

Still in the ropes, Petra got her guard up, so I got a little creative to sneak a left uppercut through her guard and smack onto her chin. Yes, I’m right hand dominant. But my left hand hurts too.

Emma Petra 2Emma Petra 2a

With Petra hurt along the ropes I added some more pain by getting low and burying a wicked right hand to the body. Judging from the loud grunt that emerges from Petra, she really didn’t like being on the other end of that punch.

I missed making my opponents grunt. It’s an intoxicating feeling.

Yes, I’m strange.

Emma Petra 3

After that uppercut and that hook, Petra went down in a heap, probably wondering why she ever took up the sport of boxing. Me, I’m wondering why she thought wearing those leggings was a good idea.

Was it possible that Petra got up from my punches? Sure. I didn’t knock her out cold or anything. But she knew now what I knew before the fight started. I’m just the better boxer. And if she got up, I got to keep hitting her. Mentally, that’s a hard bridge to gap. I should know. I’ve been on the other side.

Emma Petra 4

I made my way to the neutral corner, not really celebrating yet, but certainly ready to celebrate.

The referee’s count got to about 6, but with Petra not showing the slightest sign of wanting to get up to beat the count and with me thoroughly dominating the fight, he decided to wave it off. Your winner, by knockout….Me!

As the ref attended to Petra, I turn to the camera and strike a pose, flexing my arms for the camera. People always say that I have nice arms and should show them off. Well, I’m showing them off!

Emma Petra 5

Petra got to her feet without much of a problem. I beat the fight out of her, I didn’t beat the heck out of her. When its the right time, I go over and give her a little hug and thank her for the fight. It’s the least I can do. Goodness knows that at some point it’s probably going to be me in Petra’s place.

As for the official summary, I’m now 9 and 5, with 4 victories by knockout. Hey, I’ve got as many victories as Virani now!

Now it’s time to focus on what I really want. I want that Canadian title. Why do I want it that badly? Well, I think it’s pretty neat as a fashion accessory, but also winning a national title is something that eluded a certain someone. Maybe me winning one will finally get their attention.

Emma McGale
Emma McGale
A self admitted boxing nerd and friend of Virani. Especially powerful and dangerous working from in close Super Featherweight contender.