Emily's Boxing Debut

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!  WELCOME TO THE MUNICIPAL ARENA!  TONIGHT, WE BRING YOU, 'WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING!'"

The few hundred people packed in the Municipal Arena erupted in cheers and applause.  It was Saturday night and they had come to see the ladies lace up the gloves and climb into the ring.  The card was stacked with 10 bouts capped off my a main event for the Featherweight Championship.  But lower down the card, a four round fight was the only thing on one woman's mind.  

Emily, a 19 year old college student, was making her boxing debut tonight.  The curvy young woman was in the locker room, putting on her shorts and matching sports bra.  An official came in to lace her boxing gloves and Emily tapped her bare feet from nerves.

She'd been doing a cardio-boxing workout for several months when her trainer suggested she compete.  Emily hesitated at first, but her trainer taught her the fundamentals of boxing and started drills on the bags and footwork.  After about six weeks, Emily's confidence boosted to a new level and she thought to herself, "I can do this!"  Her desire to box was escalated when she handed her ex-boyfriend Jared a brutal beatdown in a "friendly" sparring session.  

That session solidified it.  The rush of competition.  The adrenaline of getting hit.  The satisfaction of beating someone.  Emily was hooked.

The officials gave the OK and left the dressing room so Emily could warm up.  She shadow boxed with her gloves on and lightly worked the punch mitts with her trainer.  As she shook out her arms and legs, there was a knock on the door.

"It's time."  The official said.

Emily looked to her trainer and they both nodded.  Her face became relaxed, focused, and determined.  As she walked into the arena, her only thought was winning her debut match.  The cheers and applause of the arena, while not thunderous, was loud to Emily.  She slipped through the ropes and shuffled around the ring to her corner.  She bounced on the balls of her feet, punching her gloves together.  Through the murmur of the crowd, she heard a few voices cheering her on.  She turned and smiled, raising her fists in the air.

Her opponent, Jocelyn, made her way to the ring to a slightly bigger applause then Emily.  She got a better look at Jocelyn when she hopped through the ropes.  She had a dusty complexion,  possibly of mixed race, and brunette hair pulled back into braids. She wore traditional boxing trunks and sports bra that accented her athletic body.  She and Emily were the same height and weight, but Emily was curvy and strong, Jocelyn was a bit more muscular.  

Jocelyn slammed her boxing gloves together and beat her fist against her chest.

For the first time, Emily was nervous.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the announcer cut through, "our next match is scheduled for 4 rounds in the super middleweight division.  

"Introducing first, fighting out of the red corner!  Wearing the black shorts trimmed in green.  She stands 5'5" tall and weighed in at  167lbs.  Making her women's boxing debut... EMILY!"

The crowd applauded and Emily stepped out of her corner and raised her fists in salute to the crowd, never taking her eyes off her rival.

"And her opponent, fighting out of the blue corner!  Wearing the red trunks trimmed in white.  She stands 5'5" tall and weighted in at 167lbs.  She holds an undefeated record of 1 win and no loses, with that win coming by way of knockout.  Ladies and gentlemen... JOCELYN!"

A louder ovation greeted Jocelyn as she stepped from her corner, raising a single fist in dominance.  She pointed at Emily, then the mat, threatening the college girl with a knockout.  Emily just glared at her.

The referee called the women to the center to go over the rules.  Both ladies got nose to nose, the voice of the ref mere white noise as the girls kept their eyes on each other.  They both wanted to win.  They both wanted to beat the other.

They tapped gloves then backed up into their corner.  Emily's trainer slipped in a mouthguard, giving her final instructions before the first round.  Emily rolled out her shoulders then put up her fists.  Her opponent sneared, raising her own gloves.

The bell rang and the fight was on!

Emily followed her trainers advice, keeping her defense strong and gauging the distance of her opponent.  She got within range and started pumping snappy jabs into her opponents gloves, looking for holes and measuring her own reach.  Jocelyn returned fire a couple of times, but Emily kept her head moving, slipping the jabs, and landing clean jabs to Jocelyn's face!

After several beats of this, Jocelyn seemed to grow irritated.  Perhaps spurred on by her debut KO victory, she took a far more aggressive stance.  She parried Emily's punch with her left glove, then slammed her right fist flush on Emily's cheek!

Stunned by the punch, Emily took a couple of steps back, her guard loosened.  Jocelyn pressed her advantage, working stiff hooks to Emily's head.  Only a few got through as Emily quickly got her guard back up and pivoted out of range.  She then started working her own punches into Jocelyn's ribs just before the bell sounds.

Emily sat down in her corner a bit flustered but okay.  Her trainer quickly discussed the first round while a second took her mouth guard and began hydrating her.

"She got frustrated with your outside punches," the trainer explained, "she was looking for a slugfest and you were putting on a boxing clinic.  You gotta keep that up."

"She's so strong," Emily huffed, "if she gets too close, she starts beating me up... bad!"

Her trainer had her go through some breathing exercises to calm her down.  "Then you keep on your toes.  Don't let her get in close enough to sink her hooks it.  Stay off the ropes, but keep circiling her like a hawk.  Then drill her when her guard's weak!"

Emily nodded as the whistle blew.  The second slipped in her mouthguard and she stood up, shaking out the nerves before rapping her glove against her chin.  Rock solid.  Jocelyn snarled at her rival and Emily flared her nostrils before raising her fists as the bell rang for Round 2.

Jocelyn darted across the ring, looking to press her advantage from the close of the first round.  But Emily danced away, moving laterally around her and peppering Jocelyn's exposed face with jabs.  The darker skinned boxer reared on Emily and tried to land very wide haymakers that only hit air or bounced off of Emily's gloves.  Emily then planted her feet and fired off a quick combination that rocked Jocelyn's jaw and chin.  

Frustration turned to anger in Jocelyn's eyes.  She started launching huge punches that Emily deftly dodged or blocked.  A feint of the left hand caused Emily to stutter for a split second allowing Jocelyn a chance to land a crushing right punch to Emily's jaw.  As before, she stumbled, but regained her footing and weaved under Jocelyn's follow up left punch, landing a swift one-two combo to Jocelyn's face.

The bell clanged, and Jocelyn's look had turned to pure rage.  Her slightly red face had a death glare aimed at Emily as they headed to their corners.  

Emily felt good.  Her second rubbed the soreness away as her trainer discussed their next move.  She's won that round, but she needed more points if she wanted the decision.  Her trainer suggested focusing on the mid section, try and take Jocelyn's legs out from under her.

"I'll have to get in closer," Emily noted, "within her reach."

"You got her fighting angry now," her trainer responded, "angry boxers fight stupid.  Keep your chin tucked in and your head moving."

The second rinsed her mouth guard then slid it in as Emily put on a determined look.  The whistle blew and she looked over at her opponent.  Jocelyn's face had shifted yet again.  This wasn't frustration or anger or rage...

This was hatred.

The bell sounded and Emily tucked her chin and elbows in, ready to weather the storm.  And it came quickly!  Jocelyn threw all form out the window, throwing haymakers and wide punches, looking to hurt any part of Emily.  But Jocelyn's target stayed light on her feet, bobbing and ducking past the wild punches, inching closer.  When she was in range, she launched a salvo of punches to Jocelyn's stomach, before quickly darting back, waiting for the right moment, then going back in.

After the third beating of her belly, Jocelyn yelled in anger and lunged forward, arms out, shoving Emily to the mat!

"NO DOWN!  NO DOWN!" The ref called out.

Emily sat shocked at her opponent.  The ref motioned for her to stand up, which she did, then yelled, "What the hell!?" She motioned at her rival, who just snarled.  The ref checked to make sure Emily wasn't injured then motioned for the two women to fight.

Emily was more flustered by callous act of Jocelyn.  She tried to get back into the rhythm she had before, but found it difficult – suffering a few of Jocelyn's inside punches as punishment.

She tried coming from a different angle, looking to bust Jocelyn's ribs... then, out of nowhere, Jocelyn landed a perfect right hook on Emily's chin!  Her entire body shook from the punch and the world went blurry as she fell face first to the mat!

"DOWN!"  The ref barked, pushing Jocelyn back into a neutral corner – her fists already raised in victory.

"1... 2... 3..."

The world was back in focus, though all Emily could see was the dirty canvas of the ring and her opponents bare feet in the distant neutral corner.  

"4... 5... 6..."

With all the strength she could muster, Emily got up on one knee and shook out the rest of the cobwebs in her head.  "Take the count," she thought to herself, "you need it!"

"7... 8... 9..."

Emily stood up and faced the referee, the rush made her a little dizzy, but her balance was good.  

"Are you okay?"  The ref asked.  Emily nodded.  He motioned for her to raise her gloves and walk forward.  She complied and took a few steps forward – realizing her legs were still tingly.

"Do you want to continue?"  He asked.

"Y-yes." Emily responded, a tiny waver in her voice.

"Are you sure?"

"YES!  YES!  LET ME FIGHT!"

The ref nodded, stepping back and motioning for the women to box.  

Jocelyn sneered at her opponent, then punched her boxing gloves together before rushing Emily.  Not prepared for such aggression, Emily got caught by a fierce left jab that back her up against the ropes.  Jocelyn began a flurry of punches to Emily's head and body.  She covered up, protecting her head and tried to find away around her opponent.  Jocelyn simply moved downstairs and began mercilessly punching Emily's belly, sinking and twisting her fist in.

The bell ended the round and saved Emily from further punches.  Jocelyn dropped her gloves and looked at her opponent, leaning on the ropes and breathing hard.  She shot her a disgusted look.

"Fat bitch!"  She spat at Emily before returning to her corner.

Emily slumped onto her stool, letting her fists hang and stretching her legs out, gulping in as much air as she could.  She was tired.  Not missing a step, her trainer and second went to work reviving their weary boxer – drenching her in water and rapidly rubbing life back into her limbs.

"Are you ok?"  The trainer asked.  Emily shook her head.

"I'm tired..." She gasped.  "She's too strong."

"No," the trainer responded, "she's not.  She caught you with a good punch.  You were winning the fight until that bitch got you flustered.  You can still win this match!"

"H-How?"

"She'll be looking for the knockout blow... beat her to it!"  the trainer pat Emily's belly.  "Stun her with a left body shot," then knocked her chin lightly, "then go for the chin!  Lights out!"

"You sure?"

The trainer got right in Emily's face.  "You.  Can.  Do.  This!"

Her determination and confidence restored, Emily got a fierce look and nodded her head.  The whistle sounded and she bit down hard on her mouthguard, rapping her boxing gloves against her head.  She stood up and raised her fists, ignoring the condescending smirk of Jocelyn.

"I'm going to beat you!" Emily screamed in her head.  "I'M GOING TO BEAT YOU!"

The bell sounded and the two boxers, at first, circled each other.  Then Jocelyn tried for another flurry of inside punches, but Emily quickly darted away – though her speed wasn't as fresh.  Jocelyn followed landing a couple of punches to Emily's face, which the curvy girl ignored.

Emily begin her own flurry, landing precise punches to Jocelyn's face then shuffling around her responses to tag her face from another angle.  Jocelyn became frusterated again and tried to bat Emily's punches away.  Slowly, Jocelyn's guard rose to defend her quickly brusing face until at last, her stomach was completely undefended.  This was Emily's chance!

She rolled her shoulders back and, while ducking under Jocelyn's left hook, lunged forward, planting her feet solid.  She rared back and landed a massive uppercut deep into Jocelyn's belly.  The frustrated fighter was not expecting it as all of the air rushed out of her lunches, her back arching from the blow and her mouthguard nearly slipping out of her mouth.

Emily didn't stay idle.  She pivoted to her right and, gathering steam from her right toe, hips and shoulders, landed a perfect right cross to Jocely's exposed jaw!  The darker skined woman's head snapped to the right, straining the chords in her neck as the loosened mouth piece flew from her lips.  Her eyes rolled back into her head as she fell forward onto the mat with a thunderous FLOP!  

"DOWN!  EMILY, BACK UP!"

The ref was pushing Emily back into a neutral corner, the impact of the punch momentarily making Emily forget where she was.  Quickly, she walked over to the corner and started to catch her breath.

"1... 2... 3... 4..."

Jocelyn didn't move.

"5... 6... 7... 8..."

A twitch rose in her legs, but the fallen boxer wasn't stirring.

"9... 10! KNOCKOUT!"

The crowd exploded and that woke Emily from her daze.  

"I've won... I'VE WON!"

Emily leaped into air and screamed in joy and the crowd cheered her.  Her trainer and second came in to the ring to hug her as Jocelyn's crew came in to help her.  As they rolled her over, Emily looked into her beaten rival's face and smirked.

"Who's the bitch now?"  She taunted.

The announcer came in the ring to read the final results.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the referee has called a stop to this bout at 0:56 of the fourth round for your winner... BY KNOCKOUT!  EMILY!"

The ref raised Emily's arm in victory and she suddenly realized tears were running down her face.  She had won her boxing debut, against a stronger opponent, by knockout!  She was proud of the fact that she had the guts to step into the ring, but now she was proud that she had proven to others and herself that she could win!