Kasandra builds a lead
The third round of the fight begins with each fighter knowing pretty much what the other has to offer. There’s been adjustments in terms of coaches, but there’s no trap cards left to play, in all likelihood.
It also offers a chance for either fighter to get ahead on the scorecards. While Virani, as champion, may get the benefit of the doubt, it’s far from a guaranteed thing.
Kasandra loosens up her movement in the round, knowing that she might need to take a punch to get what she wants from this fight. That draws the attention of Virani, who would love nothing more than to land a big power shot on the chin of her opponent to establish her authority.
It’s movement that wins the day, as Kasandra is able to shift from an awkward position to throwing a short, thudding left hand, that catches Virani right around the tender solar plexus area. The white Adidas glove produces a solid sound and conjures a grunt of pain from the champion.
Laila: “Sobieski is showing that she doesn’t mind mixing it up with MacVicar, and so far she’s really gotten the best of these exchanges and trades. Not something you want to see if you are in MacVicar’s corner.”
Virani isn’t about to let Kasandra just easily build a lead. Not in her hometown. Not in her first title defence.
The middle section of the round is a close quarters brawl, with Virani trying to get inside to do damage, and Kasandra working hard to deny her from doing just that.
Virani dives in low and Kasandra reacts a bit too slowly to contain Virani before she can throw. The Canadian’s arms work like pistons as she drives a short uppercut into Kasandra’s midsection. A powerful punch that makes Kasandra hold on so she can recover.
Laila: “MacVicar has picked up a few tricks from her gym partner Emma McGale, showing quite excellent work in close. Not as good as the excellent Peach, but a reasonable facsimile thereof.”
With both fighters knowing that everything is to play for as the round progresses, it leads to one of the most action-packed parts of the fight so far.
Holding her own in a situation that would generally favour the champion, Kasandra shows her moxy. The Polish-born fighter owns the pocket, her significant height and reach advantage allowing her to dictate how and when these engagements occur.
Though Virani tries hard, and sometimes even makes contact with her own punches, the cleaner, harder punches clearly belong to the challenger.
Laila: “Sobieski is showing off some sincere toughness here, taking a good punch to the ribs to land a cracking left hook that surely seems to have caught the champion’s attention. The challenger is rising to the challenge so far.”
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Round 4
Thomas tells Kasandra to slow things down this round. He doesn’t want this to constantly be a battle in the pocket against a puncher as dangerous as Virani. This round he wants to dominate with defence. Kasandra obliges.
The fourth round is a boxing clinic from the white-gloved beauty. She makes Virani chase her around the ring, and when the Cobra does try to strike, she finds herself hitting gloves, or more often, hitting air.
About halfway through the round, a confident Kass perfectly knocks down an incoming left hand from Virani, smiling as she does it.
A challenger like Kasandra can’t simply win a fight against a champion in her hometown simply with defence. Fortunately the Polish fighter finds a use for those Adidas gloves besides just blocking Virani’s pink ones in the second half of the fourth.
Again taking advantage of her height and reach, the rangy ‘Bombel’ opened up with a full fusillade of leather, and broke through Virani’s defences well.
A particularly punishing right hand that Virani thought that she was protected from was the most emphatic punch landed in the round.
Laila: “Warning bells have to be ringing in the champion’s corner, if her head isn’t already ringing from those white gloves, that is. Kasandra Sobieski is putting on a clinic here. Surely she is now up by two rounds on the champion.”
Round 5
Sandra Blohm motivates Virani between rounds, knowing that she needs to keep the confidence of her champion high.
Like the first part of the fourth round, Kasandra is able to avoid the worst of the incoming punches from Virani.
The most spectacular moment of defence is a brilliant display of Kasandra’s upper body movement, as with her gloves down she makes a huge overhand left hand from Virani go sailing harmlessly wide.
Laila: “It takes confidence to see a punch like that from your opponent coming and know that you can get out of the way with your hands still down. That is just faith in yourself and tremendous skill on full display.”
The fifth doesn’t get much better from there Virani.
Kasandra’s defensive confidence becomes offensive confidence and Virani has the unfortunate time of not being able to land much of her offence, will also getting blasted by an increasing amount of leather from Kasandra.
At her best, which she clearly is today, Kasandra’s offence can be amazingly clever and completely devastating.
A brilliant left hook/uppercut from Kasandra comes off of her back foot, but with Virani moving in, the timing of the punch could hardly be better.
PISH!
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Virani is hurt from that punch, but the experienced veteran puts on a good pokerface. Kasandra doesn’t press on, happy to clearly take the round on points.
Laila: “Three straight rounds for Kasandra Sobieski have the home crowd nervous. Virani has been clearly second best here, and she’ll need a huge turnaround here, as she should be down 49-46 here on all scorecards.”
Corners
A happy challenger is happy to get a little bit of a break and is very content how this fight is going.
Thomas: “You’ve never boxed better. I am loving this. I have no notes.”
Kasandra: “It feels easy in there. That’s not supposed to happen, is it?”
Thomas: “That’s how I want you to feel from now on.”
Kasandra: “Huh, I could get used to this.”
In the champion’s corner, it’s time for Sandra Blohm to earn her keep.
Sandra: “So, bad news, you’re losing.”
Virani: “No shit.”
Sandra: “Good news, we have half the fight left to correct it.”
Virani: “If she doesn’t knock me senseless first. That left hand had me seeing stars.”
Sandra: “Tough shit, I don’t care. We’re going to do this backwards. She’s going to think you’re coming out all guns blazing looking for one punch to get back in this. We’re going to be smarter. Force her to dictate the fight – you play defence. Then, I want opportunistic offence. No loading up for one big punch, but lots of quick combinations. Put her mentally on the back foot. We’re down a few goals, but we can chip away at the lead. Got it?”
Virani: “Anything’s better than this, so, yeah.”
Sandra: “Purge doubt, too. I ain’t got time for that shit. This is when we see what kind of champion you are.”
Virani: “Yes ma’am.”
Oh man, perhaps I have underestimated Kasandra again. First, I didn’t think she could stand up to Kayleigh and now I thought she couldn’t last enough with the World champion. Instead, she is tearing apart both of them. If there is a comparison Virani wouldn’t want to Kayleigh, it is losing the championship on a first title defense. I am amazed Virani has not been knocked down yet from the clean shots she has been given. Just for that, I think she will go the distance. With 3 rounds down, a draw off of a judge’s decision seems the most likely, but I would bet that Virani still has one clean punch she can give the challenger to break that incredible defense. Once that punch lands, I think the entire defensive end shifts as it goes from Virani barely landing shots to landing picture perfect haymakers.
Kass beat Kayleigh. Don’t underestimate her 😉
Good point on the comparison to Kayleigh and losing a first title defence. I didn’t think of that.
A draw, eh? That would certainly lead to a rematch, I would think…
Kasandra really turns it up a notch with the elegance and brutality by now. Giving Virani more than her fill of white leather with both hands.
I suspect that the left is giving the champ the most pain due to how Kass puts torque behind it. Good weight transfers while battering the cheek multiple times.
The Pole’s defensive moves don’t hurt, but they achieve two things. She makes the Canadian waste energy and stings her pride by making it look too easy.
Should the lesson continue, Virani might find herself in the same position than Kayleigh. Having to make a bold move to compensate for the dropped points. This comes with the risk of getting hurt even more.
The mental part of the game becomes important. Will Kass indulge in overconfidence? Will Virani listen to Sandra and conveniently “forget” doubts? Entertaining the thought of getting knocked senseless is hardly how you win the fight.
Strategy matters as well. I don’t think that Virani can bully Kass, so she has to adapt to her range and bank on timing as the most important weapon to score points.
Elegance and Punishment could have been another title for this chapter. Kasandra demonstrates both.
Virani could end up like Kayleigh – having to chase the fight – and that can be very dangerous for Virani, who is not the best chinned fighter going, and Kass does know how to punch.
The question is if Kass can keep this up for 5 more rounds. Does she have one moment of complacency that allows things to change? Boxing is unpredictable like that.
Virani’s being asked to get her way back into the fight slowly, but that’s not generally how she does things. She likes to swing for the fences and assume it’ll work out. I doubt that works against Kass.
Three straight rounds of Kasandra outboxing Virani. The cobra does get in a good body shot in round 3 but it’s Kasandra who’s dominating the fight so far and has a good lead.
Kasandra has every right to be happy, though I feel Thomas should still give her some advice cause V is not gonna back down that easily.
Also no surprise Sandra gets her sag in this lol, V is gonna have to make her come to her instead, let’s hope that works.
Kass in control 😀
Thomas doesn’t give her much advice, but Kass is winning pretty well. Sandra’s got to get Virani to go up a level or this will get out of hand quick!