Decoding

Kasandra Sobieski proves her worth while Hee Jung Struggles

It’s a conventional training camp for Hee Jung Park as she prepares for Kayleigh Parsons. Having trained for fitness and strength it’s time to bring in a main partner to help sharpen the skills. While Hee Jung is entering her 40th professional fight, as a veteran of the ring, she knows more than anyone that skills can atrophy over time if they are unused.

Darius Miles decides to bring into camp someone a little newer, but someone that can imitate the style of Kayleigh Parsons – the Polish redhead, Kasandra Sobieski. Hardly an experienced pro, Kasandra’s tentativeness has seemed to hold her back, but she’s shown the best of herself in these sparring sessions.

It takes a bit for Kasandra to settle in, but once she does, ‘Bombel’ starts finding her feet, the length of the Polish woman begins to trouble Hee Jung, especially with a long, probing jab that the champion finds hard to contain.

With her confidence high, Kasandra begins to move around the ring, finding Hee Jung a bit lethargic in this sparring session. Given a chance to impress against the champion, Kasandra doesn’t disappoint, showing off the skill and fluidity that have long marked her as a fighter to watch.

Slinging in a good right hook from an angle, Kasandra makes the champion’s head move – ‘Bombel’ knows to pull the punch, but the connection would have been a good one, had Kasandra tried to land it at full power.

Time out

Darius: “Stop, time! Hee Jung Park, come here!”

The Korean champion walks over to her coach. She as much as anyone knows that this hasn’t been going well.

Hee Jung: “Yes, coach?”

Darius: “Look, if you let her set the pace with that jab of hers, you’ll be fighting a losing battle. You have to bait punches so you can set up the counters. Work angles. She may be quick, but you have to work the angles. Move your feet, get yourself off of the line. You work best when you are taking away your opponent’s strength. Do it here.”

Hee Jung: “Yes, coach!”

With a bit of a spring in her step, Hee Jung resumes the spar. Kasandra finds it slightly more difficult to get her punches through. Hee Jung works the angles, slipping in and out of Kasandra’s range and being difficult to predict. Feeling the need to press the action as that is how she has been having success, Kasandra overcommits on a right hand, but gets caught by a rising left hook from The Empress.

Darius: “That is what I like to see!”

Kasandra’s confidence wilts as Hee Jung flips the script on the redhead. Kasandra’s output drops as she fears the increasingly accurate counters coming back at her from the WBU champion.

Kasandra thinks: I’m in over my head here. But, I have to gut it out, that’s being part of the team.

There’s not too much desire on the end of the champion to actually hurt her opponent, but that feeling of competing against another top athlete and making her bend to your will, that is the feeling that Hee Jung is searching for. And she’s finding it. She gets Kasandra fighting off the back foot, no longer willing or able to use her jab as a long rangefinder. Hee Jung expertly constricts space, forcing Kasandra against the ropes, where Hee Jung is able to gain superiority. A strong snaking left hand through the guard is the type of punch Kasandra has to endure from the champion.

Under fire or not, Kasandra gets through the remainder of the sparring session. This is, after all, a training session behind closed doors and Hee Jung isn’t trying to knock her out. Both parties know that by the end, that would be the result if the fight happened for real, though.

Once it is over, Darius gets in the ring for a conversation.

Darius: “Nice work, Kasandra. Thanks for helping out.”

Kasandra: “It was my honor and pleasure.”

Darius: “You’ve sparred with Kayleigh. What’s it like being in the ring with her?”

Kasandra: “Her confidence, or over confidence, is almost palpable. It’s like she knows how good she is, and wants you to know it. It’s a bit intimidating to be honest.”

Hee Jung: “I won’t worry about being intimidated.”

Kasandra: “No, of course not. But you can’t knock her confidence either. She could be down 9 points in the 9th round and she’ll still believe she can win.”

Darius: “What about in-ring skills?”

Kasandra: “She’s fast. And vicious. But she makes mistakes. I’ve caught her in sparring, and I dropped her.”

Darius: “Thanks Kasandra. You’ve been a great help.”

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Hee Jung Park
Hee Jung Park
South Korean who is a legendary champion in multiple weight classes. She fights to secure her legacy in the sport.
Kayleigh Parsons
Kayleigh Parsons
A confident Englishwoman with skills to match. Technically skilled with underrated power. Former Featherweight champion.