American teacher

Chelsea puts on a show of skills against a gritty Juana

We’re back at the Arena de Combate Industrial in Tijuana, México. Chelsea Carter is bouncing on her toes with a drop or two of sweat on the cheeks. She’s already warm and ready to go. Juana Sánchez is a little more flat footed. She doesn’t like jumping around at any point.

Ding! The crowd cheers as the final of the program goes live, telecast by TUDN in México.

Not being the local fighter, High Voltage knows that she has to be more aggressive than usual, especially if this fight goes the distance. She has to be convincing enough to say “I was robbed” if the scorecard is not favourable.

The brunette doesn’t throw herself forward, though. She favours letting her hands go from a distance, taking to the center of the ring and working her way around Juana.

A first clean shot lands with barely more than 10 seconds gone. It’s a crisp, ascending jab that Chelsea throws while leaning forward, with her arm at full extension. Pish! In the eye socket of the innocent-looking Mexican.

Commentator: “Sánchez is obviously the better fighter here, but the American has reach and uses it well. Working from range is how she likes to dominate opponents.”

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Inconvenient

The approach that Mercedes has thought Chelsea in the sweet science gives the Poisonous Flower fits in the first minute. The visitor moves around with grace and stays outside of the Latina’s comfort zone. She evades the incoming strikes and uses her superior hand speed to punch with placement.

At 2:25, when Juana walks forward and goes for what should be an overhand right, High Voltage ducks slightly to the left and counters with an “underhand” right. Red leather meets the precious cheek for a little more paffening.

A few first-row fans get impatient.

“VAMOS JUANA!”

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Faster hands

However, Chelsea stays very focused. No smile, no taunting, no interaction with her opponent except looking for ways to hand her the first defeat of her career.

The Carter cousin keeps her guard as compact as possible while twisting her torso for a stiff straight left hand as the Mexican tries to finish a combination with a right hook. Chelsea foregoes the foot pivot for this one, aiming for speed. Her red Paffen glove takes off and zooms to the jaw for a quick impact. Pish!

Commentator: “Carter is accurate and instinctive. We have to give her credit for both speed and technique while Sánchez’ timing seems a bit off. Surely something she can adapt to, given a round or two.”

Nina: “COME ON JUANA!”

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Blockade

Juana thinks: “I gotta change the patterns here.”

The young lady dressed in taupe, pink and red turns defensive. The American is surprised since she expected her to be the all-action puncher who invades your private space to make it her own. She resorts to jabbing to let the play develop not used to defending, Juana makes awkward moves to block with the palms of her Reyes gloves.

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Heavier hands

After a couple of minutes of being outsmarted by the gringa, Juana is irritated. She makes a sudden change to attack Chelsea. The shots she throws are certainly slower, but the gloved hands backed by a ripped upper body produce heavy punches.

A few vigorous combinations force Chelsea back near the ropes. She looks to counter with a left hook, and Juana gets a little closer, inside, to smack her with a right hook on the cheek. She follows up with a straight left on the same spot in the right cheek.

Those are the first two clean punches that the American ever took from Reyes gloves, and she grunts as she feels the difference. The glove design features a different weight distribution: longer cuff, less padding volume, with some of the cushioning made of traditional horsehair. Less protection for the knuckles and more pain for the recipient.

Commentator: “There it is! Sánchez strikes hard in the ropes with a right-left combo that bites Carter’s cheekbones. She looks more assured on the offensive.”

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Stepping inside

Stung, the young woman in red and black puts her left arm on Juana’s shoulder and uses her opponent’s body to gain leverage, pivot and disengage to return to the middle of the ring. Emboldened, the Tijuana native smiles.

Juana: “Didn’t like that, huh? More of it coming your way. Now!”

The Mexican charges with intensity. She follows Chelsea like a hungry panther and throws hefty punches in her direction. The San Franciscan is under fire. She brings her hands up to protect her chin, with red leather brushing against her forehead and temples.

Chelsea thinks: “Fuck. She looks like a college kid but hits like a Welterweight.”

There are two options for the gringa. Either she retreats and risks losing the opening round due to sheer intimidation, or she engages for early trading. The daredevil picks the second option, thinking that local judges will heavily punish her if she shows any lack of courage.

A couple of inconsequential exchanges follow with the Mexican on the front foot and her counterpart fighting on the back foot. Until Chelsea can muster enough grit to go for a solid counterattack.

Juana links up big punches. A strong straight left, a heavy right, a left hook that brushes Chelsea hair, followed by an equally threatening right hook. The inside of the Reyes glove catches the side of her head but she stands her ground to let a short right uppercut fly inside. The Paffen glove catches Juana’s chin, clean, and displaces her jaw. PAFF!

The crowd gets excited by the trading.

Commentator: “Carter has a small advantage inside for the first time of the round. She gets the better of the exchange with an ever-improving uppercut.”

Alesia thinks: “That’s how you throw it. I’m glad I showed her that punch.”

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A game of position

The Mexican remains in high spirits. She drives Chelsea out of the center of the ring with sinister attacks. Were one of her punches to land clean, the visitor could be in trouble.

The American resists fiercely, though. “I’ll make this my ring.”

With 12 seconds to go, Juana goes for the good old one-two. She sends a swift jab forward and follows it up with a crisp right hand. Chelsea plays a game of position. She sidesteps to the left and drives a descending straight right under the arm, for impact on the tip of the chin.

Commentator: “Another good counter by Carter, whose punching accuracy has to be admired. She is working well against a Latina who threatens to punch her head off.”

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The action slows down a tad after that hefty warning by the lighter skinned girl. The contestants trade lighter shots from a greater distance until the bell rings. They get a round of applause for the unusually high intensity of this first round.

Extra pepper

In the red corner, Mercedes greets her fighter with a dose of satisfaction.

Mercedes: “Good work in this round. You started well from a distance and stood your ground when she attacked. Dats we be wantin’ to do. Ya gots da speed and I wanna see ya use that to outbox her. Put a little extra pepper in them shots in da next round. Keep her busy, and never stay anywhere for too long. Got me?”

Chelsea: “Yes.”

Mercedes: “Second, I ain’t wantin’ ya to make this a war. This ain’t no race. It’s a marathon. We gots 10 rounds. This chica ain’t stealin’ our steak.”

The brunette nods before getting facial treatment and water.

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The undergrounds

Across the ring, the other coach is livid.

Nina: “What was that? You let the gringa outbox you to take the round! You were too cagey. Not enough onslaught. I want pure aggression in the second round. Take more risks and make her regret getting in the ring with you. I want her to shit in her panties after taking your punches.”

Juana: “I’ll do better. Promised.”

Nina: “You better. Otherwise, I’ll send you to the undergrounds to show you what a real scrap is like. This is a luxury fight against a silver spoon. You have NO excuse to let this kind of chick and have your cake, right under your nose.”

Juana: “Yes coach.”

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Iker: “Seconds out!”

Chelsea Carter
Chelsea Carter
Former Super Lightweight world champion. A daredevil from San Francisco who follows the footsteps of her idol Alesia Schumann.
Juana Sánchez
A Mexican puncher who carries power in both hands and never backs down. Good luck if you are to face her.