Scrappy and efficient
Strong images of Delfine Persoon’s epic first match against Katie Taylor bounce in Alesia Schumann’s mind as she gets out of the corner for Round 5.
Across the ring, Chelsea Carter has visions of nailing the basics to outbox her challenger to even the score and eventually retake the lead.
Ding.
Whose fantasies turn into reality in the first minute of this engagement? The Diva’s. She adopts the scrappiest boxing style she ever put on display in the competitive ring. Nearly nothing is off-limits, from a glove rub in the face to a small push, and the occasional head rub on the opponent to warn about potential clashes. But mostly, relentless punching.
Nearly a full minute in, the Bavarian leans inside the American’s right cross to press her shoulder and arm against her body to push her back. The push stops the brunette in her tracks. You can’t land a punch when space is taken away from you.
The insider
Irked by the tactics, Chelsea turns to pressure to impose her will on a crafty veteran. The champion fails to make much of a dent upstairs, so she targets the basement when getting close to the ropes. The Minister of Defence keeps up with the unorthodox manners by staying close, getting inside the shot and striking on the counter by shooting up a short and sharp uppercut in the cheek.
PISH!
Esther: “Insider trading can be tricky in finance and in boxing. This time, Schumann masters the art of keeping your enemy close to hit her a little harder.”
Anna: “She’s known for uppercuts from a longer distance but this short little thing is very effective.”
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The plan to box from a distance goes out the window for the girl in gray and black. Frustration makes her shoot daggers at the woman from Munich, who’s happy to poke, shove and punch according to needs.
Alesia also defends. Chelsea nails her twice with jabs to the body to set up the next shot, which turns out to be a right uppercut. The blonde has an instinctive reaction as soon as the gray glove rises up. She leans back to make it miss before stuffing a short right hand in the middle of Chelsea’s face.
Esther: “Carter tried to set up a retaliation uppercut but it fell short.”
Having spent an entire round facing disappointments, the San Franciscan stops moving to give the Münchener an angry look. Which is met by a little smirk.
The bell rings three seconds later.
Anna: “Alesia hasn’t openly played mind games so far in this match, but she still pushed buttons by doing everything needed to deny Chelsea the success she had in their first fight.”
Annoyed friends
There is concern at the champion’s guest table, where Summer Simpson and Christine Spencer are sitting.
Summer: “I’m not happy with this. She’s losing focus.”
Christine: “It’s not her style but Alesia’s methods hit a nerve.”
Summer: “What annoys me is that she can keep it legal and still rub you the wrong way.”
Christine: “Crafty, yeah.”
Fierce fraulein
A minute’s rest with advice follow before Round 6 can begin.
It’s Alesia who defines the round by stepping it up with the unconventional ways. She comes at Chelsea by throwing punches to trigger counters. As soon as the combination ends, she sticks a black glove in her face.
The Diva stays in High Voltage’s face, looking for ways to peck at her relentlessly. She doesn’t hesitate to hold or push as instructed by her coach, before slamming a hand in any opening she finds.
Exasperated, Chelsea gets back at Alesia by holding inside but she takes it too far when Ally tries to take the body with a left hook. The brunette holds the arm tightly despite a verbal warning by the referee. The blonde still nails her with a short uppercut.
PAFF!
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Gaffe
Alesia embraces the messy inside fighting and bosses it by landing the cleanest punches against an embittered Chelsea, who starts fouling more often while ignoring the official’s warnings.
It comes to a head when Alesia tries to slip a right hand under the elbow, to hit the ribs. Chelsea grabs her, holds tight and pushes her down.
Rebecca: “STOP!”
Rebecca: “Alesia, neutral corner.”
The Diva goes.
Rebecca: “You, in the middle of the ring. That’s enough. Point deduction!”
The official turns to each ringside judge to signal that they must take a point away from the defending champion, whose only reaction is to roll her eyes in indignation.
Mercedes thinks: “Idiot, idiot, idiot.”
Puzzled, Chelsea doesn’t engage anymore in the final seconds of the round. Happy with her work, Alesia takes that as money in the bank.
Ding.
Esther: “Who would have expected this after the ‘easy’ knockout scored by Carter in the first match? It’s getting messy for the American.”
Anna: “If you predicted that she’d be knee-deep in the mud at this point, you’re good.”
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The visitor is looking for advice but she gets quite the reception when sitting down in the corner.
Mercedes: “HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?”
The fighter immediately knows that this is trouble. Her cousin only speaks formal English in front of microphones or when she’s really pissed off.
She meets the question with silence, afraid of saying the wrong thing.
Mercedes: “You’re NOT going to win this fight by being a boneheaded dumbass who ignores the toughest referee in the business! GET IT TOGETHER AND FOCUS ON FIGHTING.”
Chelsea: “I can’t keep her off me.”
Mercedes: “You need to work AROUND someone who keeps coming at you this way!”
Chelsea: “She keeps doing new things!”
Mercedes: “Then you switch things around too! Be dynamic. Never be somewhere for too long. Never make the same move twice. You’re a goddamn switch hitter. I’ve taught you how to make every move from every direction. USE THAT.”
As you can imagine, the discussion goes better across the ring.
Regina: “Very well done. Not only did you fare better but she lost her nerves as well.”
Alesia: “What’s next?”
Regina: “She’ll probably adapt, so let’s stay on our toes and be instinctive. You’ve got an entire toolbox and a plan. React to what you see.”
Esther: “A lot has been going on for six rounds here. What do you make of it, Steffi?”
Steffi: “Everything you see tonight is based on a change of stance and on adjustments from Alesia. She keeps throwing new things at Chelsea, who simply can’t keep up. Regina is masterful and by far superior to Mercedes as a coach tonight. The champion needs to land something big to turn the tide. The good news, if you are a fan of hers, is that she can produce this kind of magic if she regains her focus.”
In London, a blonde friend is totally enjoying viewing this match.
Anna: “Talk about finding the edge in a boxing match. Alesia Schumann widened her lead with tactical changes and she’s the one with the momentum now. Chelsea Carter has her work cut out and her immediate priority is to reset to find her way again.”
Rebecca: “Seconds out!”
