Round 5. We enter the second part of the fight. Both fighters are warm to the action, and want to put their stamp on what could be a key round.
Emma thinks: To heck with this. I’m going to go for it early in the round and see if Vicki can handle me.
Peachy start
The Peach stalks Vicki quickly, using an aggressive jab for the first time to disrupt the Australian champion. Once she gets the champion going back, she changes levels, tightens her fist and throws a crunching right uppercut to the midsection of Vicki. Vicki’s reaction is instant – a loud groan of pain as Emma’s knuckles push inwards.
Emma thinks: I know that one hurt real bad. Not giving her a chance to recover.
Brad Holt: “A good punch from McGale here early in the fifth…”
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Hurt by that last punch to the body, Vicki’s hands drop momentarily, and Emma is already throwing her follow-up punch, a left hook over the top. There’s no guard in place to prevent it from landing completely flush, buffeting Vicki’s head sideways and backwards.
Emma thinks: Not many people can take a flush shot like that after being hurt in the first place. I know you beat cancer, but I might have beat you with that punch.
Vicki: “Ungh!”
Brad Holt: “A thunderous follow-up from McGale. Groves is hurt! She’s staggering backwards!”
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To punish or not to punish
Badly hurt by Emma’s big combo right off the start of the round, Vicki staggers backwards and probably would have fallen to the canvas, but the ropes actually temporarily keep Vicki upright for one, long moment.
In position to strike is Emma McGale, who now has a decision to make.
Emma thinks: I saw the vacant look of Vicki’s eyes after I hit her after that left hook. I know she’s heading to the canvas at the least, but in a twist of fate, or luck, she just hits the ropes in just the right way that she’s propped up for a moment before her legs inevitably give out. I could let her fall. She might beat the count, she might not. I don’t know. It would be the noble thing to do. Hold back, full of the knowledge that even if she does get up, I can hurt her again.
But the truth is… I’m going to hit her again, with every ounce of power I can. Because I’m vicious. Because I want to win. And because it’s not my job to be merciful.
And truth be told. I’m going to enjoy it.
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With Vicki prone on the ropes, Emma’s right hand can hardly miss, and she doesn’t, connecting with a short, powerful hook right on the button.
Emma thinks: Yup, that’ll do it. I hope the camera got a good angle on that punch. Gonna want this one for my highlight reel.
Brad Holt: “Oh no! Vicki Groves gets caught on the way down with an incredible punch from McGale, who has surely ended her bid to win the fight.”
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Aussie down
Finally free to fall to the canvas, Vicki collapses, having sampled a variety of pink leather delivered right to her jaw. The Australian champion lays at the feet of the ‘The Peach,’ while the ref, who probably should have been positioned better to spare Vicki from that last right hand from Emma shouts at her to go to the neutral corner.
Emma thinks: Yup, that’s the best thing in boxing. Watching your opponent fall at your feet and knowing that you’ve conquered them completely. It’s great. Winning by knockout is great. Hearing the silence of the home fans. Yeah, that’s sweet too.
Brad Holt: “Oh goodness, it seems like this one might be over. That is one of the more brutal knockouts you will see in women’s boxing.”
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Confident of victory, Emma strides slowly and confidently to the neutral corner.
Referee Clarissa Starling kneels before the stricken Vicki, quickly coming to a decision on whether or not Vicki can continue. Having seen the brutality of the punches from Emma, it’s no surprise to see that she decides to stop the fight.
Clarissa: “She’s Out, It’s over!”
Emma thinks: Good decision. I’m not the division’s hardest puncher, but that girl wasn’t getting up. Not by a ten count at least.
Brad Holt: “It’s over! A dramatic turnaround has flattened Vicki Groves and the fight has been stopped! Wow. Things can change so fast in boxing and it has here. Let’s just hope that Vicki is okay.”
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Closing Ceremonies
As Clarissa attends to the groggy Vicki, removing her mouthpiece and reassuring her to stay down until the ring doctor can attend to her.
The only other person in the ring is Emma McGale, who does her usual victory pose, showing off the guns that have dramatically ended the fight in the fifth round.
Emma thinks: Posing over a knocked out opponent? It lacks a bit of class, I agree. But it creates such a wonderful image that I’m just going to keep doing it. I might put a collection of these images on my wall. So I can remember the good times.
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The official particulars are announced by a somewhat annoyed ring announcer, who has to tell that the local favourite has lost by way of knockout in the fifth round. The crowd is slightly more enthusiastic, having witnessed what they wanted to see, a good fight and a knockout, just with the wrong fighter winning.
Emma thinks: I’m really happy I won, because that would have been a long flight back having to dwell on a loss. But this win was nice. It should give me some positive momentum again towards the Canadian championship. I just need to get in the ring with Mechelle again.
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A friendly chat
Vicki hung around to hear the official decision and when Emma turns to see her, the two of them embrace in the middle of the ring.
Vicki: “Wow you are a lot tougher than you look! Good fight! You can really throw hands!”
Emma thinks: If you think I’m good, you must have been really sheltered in your other fights.
Emma: “Thanks. It was a good fight. Sorry about that last punch by the way…”
Vicki: “Nah, I was still standing, you were well within your rights. I would have done the same to you. My jaw still hurts though.”
Emma: “Yeah. Sorry.”
Vicki: “Don’t be! Maybe we can do a rematch back in Canada.”
Emma thinks: Sure. Free win!
Emma: “When I’m champion of Canada, we can do a champion vs. champion thing. Sound fun?”
Vicki: “Sure does. I’ve always fancied a trip to Canada.”
Emma: “It’s lovely. Anyway, thanks again.”
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Damn! Ok I’ve seen Emma a couple of fighters but I didn’t think the peach can get so vicious!
I was expecting this round to be another one with fireworks or that Vicki makes a comeback in this round with a good body shot. But it was Emma that came out with a the body shot and a good one at that, great job setting Vicki by getting her towards the ropes.
Then catches her with a clean left hook to the chin that definitely gets her backed up again. I think she should change her name to Emma “The Vicious” McGale ?
She gets even more vicious with that short right hand to Vickis face putting her down for the count! Emma was very confident this fight an I can’t blame her cause for the most part she’s been winning most of there exchanges.
Emma knocks her down, she’s declared the winner, the crowd is silent but she doesn’t care. It was good to see her get a win again. And she has some lovely guns ??
The hug at the end was cute, true sportsmanship between them. I think a rematch between them would be really interesting. Great work Alex ?
The Peach has no mercy 🙂
This round was bound to be on the action side, but it was all over fairly quickly one the Peach got rolling.
Emma’s got to be feeling good after this, I mean she won with a big knockout. That would make anyone confident!
Yeah, Vicki’s a true sportswoman. Offering a rematch to someone who just knocked her out. Many are not so brave!
Oof. You would think that having been “cleaned up” a couple of times before made Emma learn the art of being absolutely vicious herself. What she just gave to Vicki is as brutal as what she received in the past.
A body shot doesn’t even have to be that powerful. Placement and timing can incapacitate a fighter by plowing their insides.
With her guard disabled, Vicki offers the most appealing thing to Emma: a fully open chin. Nearly 0% of boxers will refuse that offer. Emma surely snaps it up and once the Australian is going down in the ropes, she’s totally vulnerable to savagery that Emma delivers in style.
In that piece of action, we witness one of the things that boxing fans like so much about the game. The fighter who scores the knockout looks very powerful. Emma’s looks only add value to that. It’s pretty hot and she knows how to milk it when posing as a winner.
Vicki’s proposal of a rematch can come across as surprising after getting stopped so convincingly. It’s hard to think that she can stand up to Peach Power, but hey. It would be silly for Emma to say no to someone she knows she can thump.
Seems like Emma getting her clock cleaned did not take away from her desire to finish off Vicki in the most violent way possible. As much as Emma is the ‘boxing nerd’ she’s still a fan of good old fashioned violence.
The body shot starts everything, a moment where Vicki’s guard is down presents Vicki’s chin on a silver platter and Emma doesn’t miss when given a perfect chance to put leather right on the chin.
Vicki presents a final chance for punishment, and Emma provides it.
Emma’s pose over a fallen Vicki is as delightful for Emma as it was for me to render it :).
Vicki wanting a rematch is a bit of a surprise, given she was taken to the cleaners pretty convincingly by Emma. But its a magnanimous offer from someone who must really love the fight game.