Insider trading

The battle between Chelsea and Juana gets increasingly brutal.

The orders are clear. The contestants are expected to get in and work inside if they are to win this third round. When the bell rings, they stage an approach and get in close quarters.

The first phase is a little messy, with shots generally hitting the guard or going off target, with a couple of quick clinches broken by the referee. Chelsea and Juana try to engage, but they’re not finding the proper range to make serious action happen. They don’t have the right “chemistry” yet.

That changes when the Mexican has an idea. She presses her body against the American’s, steps back to bait a short uppercut and throws a short right from an angle. Glove meets cheek. Advantage Poisonous Flower so far.

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Slippery Californian

Inside trading continues with glancing blows landing, but nothing too hurtful. However, High Voltage grows increasingly relaxed at the idea of staying near her opponent during exchanges. That’s something new since her favourite position is hitting from long distance to take advantage of long arms and solid technique.

We also see something else that’s new: defense. With nearly a minute gone, the Latina throws a combination that makes the visitor bob and weave. When it ends with a left hook, the Californian ducks under the shot, only feeling her opponent’s glove and forearm sliding against her back.

Commentator: “We have an inside war in Tijuana! Carter isn’t doing too badly against her superior opponent, avoiding a dangerous left hook after taking a solid right hand 30 seconds earlier.”

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Digging for gold

Despite intentions, it takes further time for the boxers to truly find their feet and offer vicious violence. As it often happens when Mexican fighters take to the ring, endless short punches are met by a compact stance, high hands, tight elbows and movement to minimise potential hurt. Blocks and dodges make sure that nothing lands clean.

The frustration ends for Chelsea at 1:14. Having been schooled in inside fighting by Mercedes and Alesia, she finally finds success. As Juana approaches for a short right hook, she leans to the right, puts her left hand up to control both the incoming arm and the head, and slams a low right to the stomach. The slightly younger brunette grunts. That wasn’t pleasant.

Commentator: “Carter digs to the body with a pretty strong right hand. Nothing that will hurt Sánchez, who is resilient, but it does act as a warning.”

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Power flash

The body shot leaves more of a mark than expected. Juana is a little more tentative for a few seconds and Chelsea follows her as she’s backing up. When she gets ready to punch, the Poisonous Flower gets surprised by a rising left hook, which is the gringa’s finest punch, sweeping her jaw for a powerful impact.

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It takes only a split second for Juana to be swept off her feet. She falls back and her butt hits the canvas. Stupefied by this quick knockdown, she strikes the canvas with her left hand out of frustration.

Commentator: “Sánchez goes down! She’s not hurt. She’s still present. This is a flash knockdown, but she was stunned by the left hook landed by Carter. Straight on the button by the American.”

Chelsea walks to the neutral corner with a smile, happy to deduct a point from her opponent’s score, but not excited enough to lose sight of the task at hand.

Iker: “One…”

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If only to show that she wasn’t truly hurt, Juana gets up by the count of four.

Iker: “You okay?”

Juana: “Of course.”

Her checks her gloves and orders the fighters to box again.

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Madness

Chelsea wants to capitalise on the previous action but she gets a massive surprise. As soon as she opens up to throw a right hand, Juana stiffens up and strikes very quickly with a mad uppercut. It takes the chin, snaps the Frisco girl’s head back and produces a cloud of sweat.

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Changing the tune

The visiting brunette resorts to some slick inside work to nullify any potential advantage her host could have gained from that punch. She refuses to yield, multiplying the quick combos, dodges and blocks for the rest of the round.

Commentator: “This is not innocent boxing on the part of the American. Instead of falling apart when in pain, she changes tune for durability.”

This resilience carries into Round 4. Juana is still very keen to trade, but High Voltage refuses to stay in one spot. She alternates between inside and outside. She switches stances to threaten with both hands instead of staying purely orthodox.

A slight moment of confusion on the part of Juana allows Chelsea to take the initiative. She steps back and comes back in with a towering right hand with a big amount of torque. The Poisonous Flower has just enough time to lean back, feeling the glove brush against her jaw. She didn’t take all of it.

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Ayayay

Borderless trading continues into the round, with Chelsea settling on her feet. This plays into Juana’s hands when she gets more aggressive, with the intention to throw a left hook to the body. The Mexican rises up and serves a short right hook to sock the girl in red and black’s jaw. PAFF.

Commentator: “Grande! Sánchez plays brilliantly to her strengths with a counterattack that makes Carter say ‘ayayay’!”

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Messing with you

Does this mean that the American warrior is going to capitulate? Huh, no. She pushes Juana around to disrupt any attempt at building momentum, and adds punches on top of that to produce some pain.

Into the final minute of the round, it’s Chelsea’s turn to bait and switch. She feints a left cross from her switch hitting stance, withdraws the hand and pauses for an instant. This prompts Juana to uncork a right hand aimed at the nose. Then, pork chop switches back to a right-handed stance, steps back and counters with a fast right hook. Her superior speed makes the delivery land straight at the doorstep, in the cheek. PISH!

Commentator: “Carter is bothersome in a boxing ring. Right when you think that Sánchez might have found a way to wear her down, she strikes with an excellent fake and counter of her right hand.”

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Deleted word

Relenting has, clearly, been deleted from both women’s English and Spanish dictionaries. Juana takes the initiative again in the late stages of the round, once again being very active from a nearly intimate position. The highlight for the Latina comes when both throw flurries near the ropes. Chelsea mistimes a left hook. A good twist of the torso ends with a searching left hand right under the nose.

Commentator: “Grande! Grande! Sánchez is a boxing genius and I believe that her late efforts will give her the round. She took some punches, but outlanded her opponent.”

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It ain’t enough

After four rounds of action, the bell rings and both women return to their corners for a full minute’s rest. The unofficial scorecard is updated to 38-37 for Chelsea. She took a two-point lead with a knockdown in the third, but saw the gap narrow in the fourth.

In the red corner, Mercedes is predictably unhappy.

Mercedes: “Pork chop! Ya can’t let her get back into da fight dat easily. I want ya to keep control of the action. Ya were too static in close. Gotta keep movin’ in there so she can’t get ya with clean shots! Got me?”

The brunette nods.

Across the ring, Nina has more positive feedback to give to her fighter.

Nina: “Alright chica. We sucked her into our game. It’s too bad that she scored that knockdown earlier, but this fight is far from over. She’s willing to stay close to you and that’s exactly what we want.”

Juana: “What’s next?”

Nina: “First, we work the body. I want some pounding shots to make her defend the part that can’t move. You know she’ll have to drop her hands a little to do that. When you see the gloves going down, I want explosive combos upstairs. Short, compact, strong.”

Juana: “Got it.”

Iker: “Seconds out!”

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Chelsea Carter Juana Sanchez Round 5
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.