Liberty Lane takes on Japan’s champion, Akira Asuka!
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- Liberty Lane and Akira Asuka stared each other down as the ring instructions were read. Then, they returned to their corners to await the opening bell.
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- DING! DING! The opening bell rang and Akira Asuka flew out of her corner, attacking Liberty with quick shots to the head.
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- Liberty moved to block her head, but Akira flipped her attack to the midsection. Liberty was taken unaware by her opponent’s speed. Liberty’s rust was showing in this first round as Akira worked to dissect her.
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- Toward the end of the round, Liberty got her head together and began to improve her defense. Although unable to hit back at the Japanese champion, Liberty was able to block her attacks just in time. DING! And the bell rang to end the first round.
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- Liberty leaned back in her corner, frustrated with her performance. But she also felt the fight slowly coming back to her. Her instincts slowly began to return. Akira, meanwhile, celebrated in her corner. She smiled out at the fans and thought about how proud her family must be at home. DING! And the the bell rang to usher in the next round.
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- The 2nd round began with Akira attacking Liberty immediately. The American fighter found herself on the defensive again, waiting for a good opening.
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- And Liberty’s patience paid off! Akira eased on her own defense as she swooped in with a shot to Liberty’s chest, but her opponent veered slightly and responded with a huge slug to the belly! Liberty took control of the match!
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- Liberty’s fight instincts returned in full force and she went to work on the Japanese champion. Liberty spent the remainder of the second round dismantling her opponent, bit by bit. The bell rang just as Liberty delivered a jaw-busting uppercut that rattled Akira’s head and made her dizzy.
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- This time, during the break, both women sat to rest up. Liberty looked tired but motivated. Akira put her head down in exhaustion. The last round took a lot of her momentum out and left her shaken up. DING! And the bell rang for the 3rd round!
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- The third round began with Akira trying to take back control of the match, but Liberty Lane was in top form. She weaved around her opponent and blocked her punches easily.
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- And then Liberty takes her turn with Akira. She powered into the Japanese fighter with a blistering shot to the head that wore the champion down even further.
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- The crowd cheered her on as Liberty spent the majority of the round dismantling Akira. Asuka tried fighting back but her punches caught air while Liberty landed hers every time. Liberty Lane was back in champion form and she had the fans behind her!
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- Akira fell apart in the middle of the ring. Liberty felt energized as she pummeled Akira with blows to her belly and head. Liberty was nearing a very powerful victory to the delight of the crowd.
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- Meanwhile, the crowd began cheering for a whole other reason. It looked like a ring girl was approaching the ring, but no! It was France’s Foxy Boxing champion, Clarisse Cloutier in a barely-there bathing suit! The French boxerette strutted to the ring, blowing kisses to the fans.
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- Just as Liberty was about to deliver the coup de grace, she heard a voice close-by call out, “Liberté! Liberté! Liberté!” All of a sudden, Liberty was distracted by an unwelcome sight at ringside.
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- The crowd was as distracted as Liberty Lane! Clarisse Cloutier got Liberty’s attention and proceeded to gyrate and mock her. The crowd loved it but Liberty was confused.
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- Unfortunately, that break in Liberty’s concentration was all Akira needed. She took advantage of the distraction, mustered all her energy, and obliterated Liberty Lane with a powerful, swift uppercut!
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- She quickly followed up with another blow to Liberty’s chin, this time from the left side. Liberty’s head rocked back and her eyesight filled with stars.
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- Akira finished off the American with a speedy right that ripped her jaw to the side! Liberty Lane’s head twisted to the side and her body collapsed under the Japanese champion’s power.
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- The count slowly rang out: “1… 2… 3… 4… 5… 6… 7… 8… 9… 10!! DING! DING!” And it was over! Akira Asuka jumped up and down in the middle of the ring, happy with her victory. And Liberty Lane, representing the USA, was knocked out cold in the middle of the ring.
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- Raquel Balboa’s number 1 choice to represent the USA in this international tournament had come up short. Liberty Lane, ex-champion, given a final shot at glory found her chances destroyed in the very first quarter-final. The crowd booed loudly as Liberty Lane laid out broken on the canvas. Her shot was over.
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- Akira Asuka, meanwhile, bounced around the ring. She would be advancing to the semi-finals of the tournament. Little did she know, it wasn’t her power or speed that won her the match, but a dishonest outside distraction.
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- And that distraction, French Foxy Boxing champion Clarisse Cloutier, smirked as she walked away from the ring. She had accomplished her goal tonight. For whatever reason, she did NOT want Liberty Lane to advance so she came out at a critical moment and afforded Akira Asuka an opportunity for victory. The crowd booed her heavily as she walked back to the locker rooms.
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- Unfortunately for Liberty Lane, to add further insult to injury, two handlers entered the ring to complete her embarrassment. The International promoters had decided that since no championship belts would be forfeited in this tournament, they needed there to be some penalty for the losing boxers. And that penalty would be the removal of their upper garments. The loser of each fight would be stripped of her top and be displayed in the ring! Liberty had lost tonight. But she would have to stay around until the tournament was completely over. Would she confront Clarisse before the tournament’s end?
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- Akira Asuka walked back toward the locker rooms feeling very giddy. She had just defeated an American icon and would be advancing toward the semi-finals. Her family and fans back home would be very proud of her performance tonight.
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- “You don’t have to thank me for helping you tonight. I had fun! But I will thank you. Now, I don’t have to fight Liberty Lane in the Finals. So thank you! Oh, and tell your family I said, ‘Bonjour!'” And then, Clarisse walked off laughing.
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- Akira’s joy turned to confusion. What did Clarisse mean by not needing to thank her? And why was she laughing after telling her family ‘bonjour’? After her shower, Akira would review the post-match commentary to understand Clarisse’s attitude.
B.A.B.E. 