Getting instructions from the ref, the two women stared at each other, not paying much attention to what he was saying. Melissa, dressed in the same baby-blue, one-piece outfit and black sneakers she had worn the night before, scowled at Diana who snickered back with her hands on her hips and an arrogant expression on her face. The pretty English woman wore a white, Brazilian cut bikini with matching boots, dressed more for bikini photo shoot than for a boxing
match. But as the ref began to conclude his directive, Diana interrupted him, speaking in her proper British accent.
"Pardon me referee, I need to ask your opinion. Would you say that this encounter should be entitled � Beauty ��" pausing to nod and refer to herself as beauty. "�.. and The Beast!" she concluded, pointing toward Melissa as The Beast.
"Or perhaps the more appropriate description would be; The lady �.. " she continued, pausing to curtsy and designate herself as The Lady. "�.. and The Tramp?" she resumed while placing her glove covered hand out to point toward Melissa.
The ref looked embarrassed, his mouth open as Melissa shot daggers at her opponent with her eyes. Diana coyly waited for response, which finally came, though not from him.
"I'm gonna kick your ass bitch!" Melissa shot back angrily with her heavy Spanish accent, her pretty brown eyes aflame.
"Spoken so eloquently �.. For A Tramp!" Diana replied.
Before the verbal assaults continued he hastily directed the women back to their corners, Diana standing there for a moment as Melissa huffed away. As she reached her corner, Melissa's boyfriend Berto was waiting there at ringside, yelling instructions up to her. Her angry scowl disintegrated as she listened dutifully to what he had to say, nodding her head in agreement as he walked back to his seat.
Berto was sitting in the front row, but on the opposite side of the ring, just below Diana's corner. Diana had been watching him and as Berto walked over toward his seat, she intercepted him, placing one foot on the middle rope and stretching her long leg while posing sexily. She leaned forward and whispered to him.
"You do realize that your little mamasita is going down, don't you?" she asked smugly.
"My girl is gonna put you away!" he replied while taking the time to gaze up and down her body mostly bare body. �But you DO look hot!�
Melissa witnessed the exchange and churned inside with a jealous rage as Diana then turned back into the ring. Just then the bell rang and the war of words ended as the real war began. Trying to control her anger, Melissa moved slowly out of her corner, crouched in a fighting
stance as she slowly plodded across the ring. Diana moved much more nimbly, bouncing on her toes as she scurried on the outskirts of the ring, fluttering her fists in front of her.
It took about 15 seconds or so before they finally came together, each content to study the other before making a move. But once in the middle of the ring, Melissa bowed her head and rushed at Diana, bulling forward. Being four inches shorter than her British adversary, Melissa knew that she had to take the fight inside. But as she tried to do just that, Diana fired off a quick, three-punch combination of jabs, one of them catching her on the side of the head while another grazed her chin to stop her advances.
Diana danced away, content at having nailed Melissa and stopping her charge. She knew that she hadn't hurt her badly but had nevertheless sent a message, "if you want to rush me, be prepared to pay!" But after a brief pause, Melissa again hunted Diana down and then, ducking her head, lunged toward her. With the Latina bent forward to make her even shorter, Diana again drilled a combination of jabs down toward her head, landing one on either side of it.
Shaken but determined, Melissa did not stop as she rammed the top of her bowed head into Diana's shoulder while lifting a powerful uppercut into her taut tummy. Diana slumped forward and hesitated, allowing Melissa to pound a left hook into her side and a right uppercut into her ribs. Diana grunted softly before wrapping her arms around Melissa's and tying them up. Unable to struggle free, Melissa was tied up as the ref came in and pushed them apart, though
not before Melissa sent a verbal shot back at Diana, to go with the blows she had landed.
"How's that feel � BITCH!"
Backing into the ropes, Diana took a deep breath and glared at Melissa, the smug smile now gone from her face. Melissa moved forward quickly, taking advantage of the ropes against Diana's back as she shoved the top of her head into Diana's shoulder before delivering three more body blows. Absorbing the punches, Diana skipped to the side, putting some distance between them while firing a quick combination of jabs down at Melissa's head. The first one landed at the top of Melissa's hairline while the next caught her in the ear, again stopping Melissa from charging.
But after a quick shake of her head, the brunette Latina again bulled in, throwing a winding, sidearm left into Diana's right side which forced her back against the ropes once more. Taking a half step back, Melissa then lifted a vicious right uppercut which bore into Diana's body just below her ribcage, causing her body to lurch over. She then threw two more body shots, neither of which landed squarely. But Diana was hurt and again wrapped her arms around Melissa's to tie her up. The ref came in and separated the two, but as he did, Diana fired a jab down at Melissa's head. Though Melissa blocked the punch, the ref quickly stepped in front of Diana to give her a warning.
"No more of that!" he yelled, Diana smirking at him.
With the round winding down, Melissa tried to take advantage of the opportunity and again moved in, sending a wild, sidearm right hand towards Diana's ribs. But Diana saw it coming and was able to lean back away from it before quickly cocking her right arm and firing a stiff right cross which landed flush on Melissa's cheek. The blow jarred the pretty Puerto Rican's head to the side, but just as it returned forward, Diana smashed a jab down into her chin.
Melissa was hurt as the crowd reacted, Diana hurling another right cross which caught her on the cheek. Melissa's head again wrenched to the side as her arms dropped, clear evidence of the damage done to her. Diana moved in and fired another hook into Melissa's gut, but as she prepared for the kill, the bell rang to mark the end of the action-packed first round. Melissa hesitated before turning and traipsing back to her corner, dropping down onto her stool as she
breathed heavily. Diana retreated to her corner as well, noticing Berto get out of this seat and begin to rush over toward his girlfriend. She rushed over to the side of the ring to interject,
leaning her chest down onto the top rope as she leaned forward so that her cleavage protruded from beneath her skimpy top.
"I do believe your girl is going down in the next round!"
Berto gazed up at her, unable to prevent himself from staring into her cleavage. But Diana then turned and sat down on her stool, allowing him to rush over toward Melissa's corner while clapping his hands loudly and feverishly. Melissa heard his claps and turned to look, her eyes less glowing than they had been before the start of the fight.
"Come on mama, let's go! You gotta beat this concha!"
Melissa gave a quick, half-smile as she gazed down at him before turning her attention back into the ring. She had some water sprayed in her face which trickled down and wet the front of her suit before her mouthpiece was shoved between her lips. Within a few more seconds she was back on her feet and ready to go as the bell rang to start the second round.
Diana danced out of her corner, cocky and confident as she headed forward toward Melissa who clutched her gloves up near her face as she prepared for Diana. Covering up as she crouched, her feet spread in a boxing stance, Melissa was ready for whatever came her way. Diana began to dance around her, throwing a series of jabs at Melissa's head as she kept moving around in a circle. The jabs were more of a taunt then a true assault, so Melissa was able to easily duck or block each of them as Diana continued to prance around her.
Continuing to skip around the ring at an active pace while throwing jabs, Diana forced Melissa to chase her, which she did. This continued for the first 30 or so seconds of the round with Diana
continually fluttering jabs at Melissa while skipping away to all four sides of the ring. The crowd grew edgy, wanting to see more action as Melissa tried to catch Diana and cut off the ring, but was unable to do so.
With Berto screaming for Melissa to attack, she finally bore down and rushed in, barreling Diana into the ropes. She threw a series of body punches, but Diana either blocked or avoided all of them before skipping away unscathed to the center of the ring. Melissa followed and as the two stood in the middle, Diana began to throw more jabs at Melissa's head. Melissa bobbed and weaved, blocking some as she fired her own jabs back at Diana though most did not reach their
target. Unable to corner Diana, Melissa seemed content to square off with the British woman in the center of the ring as the two women exchanged jabs for several more seconds, standing a few feet apart.
Diana smirked as she knew she held the advantage in this type of fight. With her height and reach advantage, she could nail Melissa more effectively this way than fighting in close. And since Melissa was shorter, her jabs rarely extended far enough to reach her. Slowly she began to prove that point, slipping jabs through Melissa's defenses while blocking the punches thrown back at her. Every few seconds Melissa's head would jerk backward from a connecting blow
until finally, Diana saw the opening she was looking for.
Keeping her hands strategically low for a moment, she waited for Melissa to take the bait and throw a punch, which she did. Melissa threw a gangly right which Diana avoided before stepping up and throwing a short but stiff right hook into Melissa's gut. It was obvious that the punch had done some damage, but surprisingly Melissa quickly fired back, using her legs to drive a ferocious uppercut into Diana's ribs.
Neither backed down as they continued to pound away at each other. Diana drilled Melissa on the side of her nose with a jab. Melissa arced a hook into Diana's side. Diana slammed a right cross into Melissa's shoulder. Melissa drove a jab into Diana's gut. The exchange was fast paced and brutal for each of them, though neither backed down. Finally they clutched near the center of the ring and slowly waltzed back against the ropes, each pushing the other to try and get a clear shot.
Finally, with Diana's back to the ropes, Melissa pushed her away before setting herself to deliver a blow. But going for the knockout, she fired a looping overhand right towards Diana's head
which the Brit ducked, causing Melissa to lose her balance and stumble forward, her arm soaring over Diana's shoulder before coming to rest, draped across it. With the two momentarily locked together in the awkward position, Diana took the opportunity to launch another verbal attack.
"Judging by your pungent aroma, I presume that either you don�t bathe regularly, which is a distinct possibility, or that I am causing you to perspire profusely!"
Diana then wound her arm and sent two brutal uppercuts into Melissa's defenseless belly causing her to double over. She then pushed Melissa off of her before bouncing off of the ropes and circling her. Both women were growing tired and both had been hurt at one point or another. With the two of them standing in the center of the ring, the bell rang to mark the end of the second round. As they passed each other while walking back toward their corners, again
Diana insulted her foe.
"You street trash, peasant girl! I will be tossing you away in the next round!"
Melissa charged at her while mumbling obscenities, but the ref stepped between them, dragging Melissa back to her corner. Berto did not get up from his seat this time, seeing the fire in his
girlfriend's eyes. He knew that she was now motivated, so he decided to leave her alone and let her get ready for the final round on her own. But Diana was not about to miss an opportunity to toy with Melissa so as she reached her corner she gazed down out at Berto, and posing sexily, began to flirt.
"What's a cute boy like you doing with such a smelly little peasant girl like that? Perhaps after I've disposed of your girlfriend I'll let you take me out!" Diana purred flirtatiously, not expecting an answer.
Melissa glared across the ring, watching Diana flirt with her boyfriend as she breathed heavily, her chest heaving up and down. But she remained seated realizing that there was precious little time for her to recover as soon the two were directed to stand up before the bell rang to mark the start of the third and final round.
Melissa moved slowly forward but surprisingly, Diana remained standing in her corner, her arms spread on the top ropes as she continued to pose playfully for the crowd. Melissa waited in the
center for Diana to start the round, but when it became apparent that she wasn't going to move out of her corner, Melissa went after her. As she approached, Diana covered up, curling her arms into her body and bowing her head into them as well. Just as she had done against Carol Ann, she was going to allow Melissa to attack, hoping she would punch herself out.
Melissa moved in and began to fire hooks, crosses and jabs at the recoiled Diana, all of them blocked. But after her first few blows were easily impeded, Melissa slowed the pace, instead trying to find openings, and when she did, making the shots count. Seeing an unobstructed patch of skin on Diana's right side, she slammed a hook into it. Diana repositioned her arms, leaving an opening on her left side, which Melissa drilled with a punch. Diana then dropped her arms to cover her body more completely, so Melissa smashed a jab into the top of her forehead.
Gradually most of the punches began to squeeze through, as Diana took them without responding. But Melissa's power and accuracy were proving fatal and before long, Diana was reeling. Knowing that she couldn't take much more, Diana faltered forward and wrapped her arms Melissa to prevent her from throwing more punches. Melissa tried to wriggle free, but eventually the ref came over and began to push them apart.
"Who's sweating now bitch!" Melissa taunted as she backed away, Diana teetering in the corner.
Finally the ref stepped away allowing Melissa to storm back in. But after nailing the Brit with a few more body blows, again Diana wrapped her up and after a brief struggle, the ref separated the two. Finally Diana trudged out of the corner as the ref pushed Melissa back, no longer dancing. Diana was in trouble, and Melissa knew it. So when the ref signaled for the fight to resume, Melissa charged at Diana and began to pummel her body with more blows. Diana
did her best to avoid the onslaught, but Melissa was relentless. Twice more Diana was forced to grab hold of her Latina foe until the ref stepped in and separated them.
Finally making their way to the center of the ring, Melissa again began to drill punches into Diana's body, virtually all of them connecting and with few counter punches thrown back by Diana. As the bell rang to mark the end of the fight, Melissa began to celebrate, knowing that she had beaten the arrogant Brit. But Diana's arrogance would not allow her to admit defeat, so she thrust one arm in the air as well while retreating to her corner. Eventually both were called to the center of the ring, the ref grabbing each of their wrists as the two women stood, waiting for the
results.
The announcement finally came as was not surprising as Melissa's arm was raised, declaring her the winner by unanimous decision. For the first time in the tournament, Diana had nothing to say as she hung her head. But Melissa did not let the opportunity pass her by as she strutted up in front of Diana, raising both of her arms over her head while gyrating her hips in celebration.
"Go home bitch!" Melissa yelled at her.
Humbled, Diana debated whether to slam her fist into Melissa's vulnerable belly as she celebrated, but decided against it, instead walking quietly to her corner before climbing out of the ring. Melissa meanwhile climbed out of the ring as well, greeted by her friends and family as she celebrated her victory. Berto walked over and gave her a hug, though still not as excited about the win as his girlfriend.
"You did good tonight ese', but you still got to be better tomorrow night."
Melissa nodded her head, but the smile remained on her lips. It had been a war, and though she felt the affects of it, the pain was overcome by the feeling of elation she felt knowing that she was now going to fight for the championship!
