This story was “ghosted” for me by DarkKnight9890 when I realised that I hadn’t written this key link between “The Gamble” and “Farm girls”. Basically, I gave her a loose outline of the fight between Alma and Karen, she then wrote the detail and I framed it in the context of a CLAWS event. Readers will notice that I have deliberately kept some of her text unaltered and the story is a combination of our writing styles. She also created AI images of both fighters which, sadly, we couldn't work out how to include in this story - perhaps she'll post them in the comments.
We hope you enjoy this mash up.
Ellen
It was Friday night, April 15th, 2022 and the second CLAWS boxing league meeting of the year. Two months earlier Hayley Swinton had beaten Kate Robbins to take the vacant title, Jane Langford had beaten the veteran Alma Johnson to win her first shot at the title, Megan Carter had destroyed Chantelle Cummings in the first ‘second generation’ battle between the two families and Geordie newcomer Karen West had knocked out my girl Nat Thomas.
Tonight, all eight girls were in action again. I was confident that Nat would be a good boxer in time but she was still a rookie, with just one defeat and no wins to her name, and I was keen to check out the opposition she might face in the coming months. Tonight’s fight was almost certainly the easiest ride she’d have. Chantelle may have had a world class fighter for a mother but, at 19 and just 130lbs to Nat’s 145lbs and having already suffered a devastating defeat at the hands of Megan, she looked decidedly out gunned.
Nat entered the ring brimming with confidence and dominated the action from the opening bell. For almost three rounds she chased the younger woman around the ring. Chantelle, despite encouragement from her mother, never seemed to settle into the fight and went down three times before being finally knocked out with thirty seconds of round three remaining.
It was Nat’s first victory and she was over the moon as she danced around the ring while a dejected Chantelle was helped to her corner by Emma, her mother and coach. Seeing Nat’s jubilant celebrations made me remember my own first ever win all those years ago. How I'd love to relive that moment again. I was so proud of her that I had to try not to cry knowing all the hard work she'd put in.
After Suzi had called the two fighters together in the centre of the ring and announced the result, Nat flounced over to me in the blue corner, grinning like a Cheshire cat. I wiped her down with a towel and asked if she wanted to head for the showers and change. She declined, preferring to sit with me in just her robe and black panties with a towel around her neck. Good girl! I thought. I would have done the same.
We took our seats near the blue corner to watch the rest of the night’s action as Emily and her protégé, Karen West, took our places in the blue corner.
Across the ring in the red corner stood South African born Alma; at 5'10 she was imposing to a lot of women. Her toned coffee skinned body weighing in at 135lbs, with her black afro hair style made her look incredible. Over 80 fights in 16 years of CLAWS action with titles to her name showed her pedigree. Although relatively light and willowy, Alma had a notoriously hard punch and had defeated many larger opponents.
While I had never faced Alma myself, I’d seen her in action many times and I knew she was a formidable fighter although, at 36, perhaps past her peak as a boxer.
She was the favourite amongst the women watching as she stood in her lime green thong and matching gloves. A confident smile on her face as she stood hands on her hips. Though a loss by TKO in her last bout to Jane Langford had seemed a blip on the radar for the now fifth ranked fighter in the league.
Emily busied herself preparing Karen for battle against her formidable opponent, seeming to take pride working her corner. The Geordie native was still a bit of an enigma. No one knew her previous record or what training she had had before moving south; all she'd proven was she could outlast an opponent in my protégé. Which had moved her up to sixth in the rankings.
The thirty-three-year-old was three years younger than her opponent tonight. At 5'7 and 142lbs she was shorter but heavier than Alma. The ebony woman also had her opponent beat on bra size at 34C to Alma's 32C, not exactly a massive thing to brag about. Karen thudded her white gloves together that matched her white knickers, long black hair straightened behind her back as she stared down Alma and her toned muscles glistening in the ring lights.
Referee Suzi Lomax called the fighters to the centre of the ring for a briefing. Eyeing each other up with intensity radiating off them. There seemed to be a legit dislike between them when their eyes meet and neither flinched. Although I like to think of CLAWS as a friendly club where we all get along fine outside the ring, I know there are personality clashes and the expressions on these two women’s faces made it clear this was one of them. Whether it was because they were the only two ‘coloured’ girls in the club or whether there was some other reason I couldn’t say.
Although I had never faced her myself, I knew Alma could be ruthless from watching her dominate bouts in the past and turn them into title wins. Could Karen prove herself an equal to someone like this? This was a big fight for both with a win getting them up the rankings towards those top spots.
As I contemplated who would win, I barely realised that the bell had run and both fighters were out of their corners. Both jabbing early on with Alma using her reach and height. A confident expression on her face as, for the first minute, she was winning the range battle. The thud of her green gloves on the forehead and cheeks of Karen rang out. I turned to look at Emily and saw no hints of worry on her face, even as her boxer’s head at times was being snapped back. I knew Emily had faced Alma herself many times and I had no doubt she had told Karen everything she knew about her opponent.
My attention returned to the action as I heard a few people gasp in front of me. An overhand right had smacked Alma on her chin. Moments later she was being mauled about her body as Karen set about cutting her down, a tactic that I'd used myself against taller women. Alma gritted her gumshield before pushing Karen at her shoulder to get her off her. Both eyeing the other up with no hint of the smirks they'd had, both now were fully focused on destroying the woman in front of them as they circled with a few beads of sweat on their brows.
The last minute of the opening round saw both landing some meaty shots. Heads got turned and it was pretty even but I noticed that Alma couldn't seem to keep Karen at bay for long. I'd seen her bully women before; this wasn't it though. Instead, she was being drawn into fire fights at times. Cheeks smacked as leather cracking on flesh rang out. Beads of sweat were sent flying into the air as the grunts and groans of effort could be heard. These two weren't holding back and the girls around the ring roared them on, loving the intensity both showed till the bell rang for the end of the round.
The round ended and the judges scored it three points each. Personally, I felt that Karen had the edge and that a four-two split would have been a fairer reflection of an exciting first round. Sitting on their stools, I saw Alma shake her arms to keep them loose. Maybe a sign of nerves or tightness. Karen spoke to Emily and nodded along as she was told what to change up. I tried to scout both but my mind kept wondering what Emily saw in her protégé. Something I was missing here as Karen fist bumped Emily before her stool was removed and the bell rang for the start of the second round.
Using more feints and better upper body movement, Karen was starting to dodge and counter strike. Alma, while landing some nice jab/straight combos, couldn't seem to land with the same accuracy as she had in the first round. Instead, a brutal left hook to the ribs from Karen set up an overhand right on the jaw that send some spit flying out of Alma's mouth. The South African suddenly finding herself under assault, her back pinned to her own corner’s turnbuckles as Karen, a deadly look on her face, battered her flanks. Each punch drawing a groan and a grimace from Alma as her toned body was taking a pounding.
Suzi moved to intervene but, before should could, Alma dropped to one knee as a right hook around her ear made her cry out. Karen stared down at her before walking to the neutral corner at the stern ordering of Suzi. I watched Alma closely as I saw her shake her head to clear the cobwebs. Suzi got up to eight before Alma stood back up. Fists up as she showed she could continue. Suzi wiped the gloves down before allowing them to resume.
Alma used her jab to box more defensively. I was a little surprised as this was a woman I'd seen be so forceful, yet she looked apprehensive. Karen took some hits she probably should have easily dodged while stepping after her taller opponent. She ducked under a right cross to bury a right into the belly button of Alma. Followed by a left hook on her chin to send sweat flying. Alma was soon on the ropes this time as her abs were being beaten by Karen. Biting her gumshield down as she looked zoned in on breaking the former league champion. While Alma was grimacing as she needed to clinch up and force Suzi in to split them apart.
In the red corner Alma’s second (and long-time league rival) Stacey looked relieved as the bell rang. She sat on her stood taking a few deep breaths to cool off. A little water poured over her head to wake her fully up. While Karen was sitting on her stool tapping her toes. Emily I could hear tell her to keep focused, no mistakes and to hurt her rival any chance she got. The others in front of me watching this seemed surprised as Alma had only scored one point, while Karen had taken a big lead with the knockdown, especially after a close first round, and was now leading by 10 points to 4.
Third round saw Alma try to be more forceful but she walked into a right cross flush on her chin. Beads of sweat flew off as her head was sent backwards. Karen swung in a left/right hook combination that crashed onto the marked-up cheeks of her foe and down went Alma onto her back. A small cut had opened under right eye from the left hook as Suzi counted over her. Pushing up using the ropes as help. Alma beat the count at eight again with a pained expression.
Back they went at it with Alma trying to be aggressive but failing to break her younger opponent. Each mistake she made was punished. The signs were there for all to see, whether Alma wanted to admit it or not. She seemed to be slowing down in my eyes. Her punches looked more tense. Her footwork not as nimble as it was just a year ago. Not to take away from Karen as she dodged and struck in some meaty shots that rocked back the head of Alma. I could see that the wear and tear wasn't helping the former league champion and not all of it was physical, she was worried and I knew that feeling well from my own experience.
Things continued to get worse for the former league champion as Alma hit the deck again with seconds to go in the round. An uppercut rocked her head back before a left hook to the ear put her down in a heap. Suzi counted as Stacey yelled at her to get up. At nine, with more help from the ropes, Alma was up holding and her gloves up. That toughness I'd seen over the years wasn't in doubt. At the end of the round Stacey stepped into the ring to help her sit on her stool, patching her up as blood started to trickle from her bottom lip.
Meanwhile in the blue corner Karen glistened under the lights. She had a little mouse under her left eye from Alma's punches but she looked in good shape as she spoke to Emily. I have to admire Emily for getting a bond with her fighter so quickly. This round had been Karen all the way and she now had a commanding 16-point lead over her opponent. Even if the fight went the distance, it seemed unlikely that Alma could claw those points back and win. She would need to pull something very special out of the bag to beat the girl from Tyneside.
"Ding!" The bell rang out to start round four. Karen seemed able at will to close in now as Alma was pushing her punches more than throwing them with authority. The hooks to the body made Alma grit her gumshield as she was winded. Her punches weren't dissuading Karen from coming inside her reach with an overhand left setting up a right hook that sent some blood and sweat into the air before Alma hit the deck again.
Karen jogged to the neutral corner, wiping her brow as her chest rose a little faster. Alma slowly turned onto her front. Her conviction not in doubt as she crawled to the ropes not too far away. Pulling up to her feet at nine again. She assured the referee, in an almost pleading tone, to not let the fight be stopped. Maybe it was fighters’ pride or her simple respect for Alma, Suzi let her fight on but made clear next time she went down the fight would be over. Alma nodded before they were allowed to fight on.
I found myself almost pleading Alma to throw in the towel. She was gamely trying, landing a few nice shots but missing with desperation style haymakers that anyone could see coming a mile off. An uppercut from Karen, though, landed flush. Alma's head whiplashed back, she crumbled with her face rubbing down the sweat-soaked stomach of Karen before she landed on the canvas at her bare feet. Suzi didn't waste time counting as Alma was clearly knocked out!
Karen marched around the ring in a lap of honour with her arms in the air, hugging Emily tight. I nodded to myself, knowing that it wasn't a fluke that Karen beat Nat. I’d have to keep an eye out on this young woman. This year's league tournament was certainly proving to be exciting.
Alma meanwhile had woken up and was helped to her stool. She tried to look defiant but the blood on her face needed cleaning off and her gloves and gumshield needed removing as she was still a little out of it. Her supporters tried to keep her spirits up yelling that she'd fought well. I didn't see that myself. Part of me was glad, as Nat may have fight Alma in the future and the fear factor won't be there. Nat had seen that her bulletproof armour had holes in now. Alma could be beaten badly as father time is undefeated.
Suzi called the fighters to the centre of the ring to announce the result:
“Ladies and gentlemen, after one minute and ten seconds of round four your winner, by a knockout, is Karen West!”
There was a bit of a fist bump between Alma and Karen. Though neither looked exactly friendly. Alma with help left the ring. While Karen had her right arm raised in the air to loud cheers. I applauded her as I was beginning to respect this young woman. Though she kept glancing over at me. I wondered what she wanted exactly but Emily distracted her as they shared a kiss and a cuddle before leaving the ring together. It was clear that Emily thought she'd found a diamond in the rough in Karen. I was sure she could be beaten as she looked crude at times in her style, but tonight she had shown real promise against an experienced veteran.
Two more fights followed that evening. Megan Carter continued her quest for the title scoring an easy knockout over the oldest woman in the league, Kate Robbins. Then Jane Langford, the only woman fighting in both leagues this year, won her first title, defeating Hayley Swinton – compensation for losing her wrestling title match with the Welsh whirlwind, Cerys Jones, the month before.
With the evening’s card complete the fighters and trainers returned to their dressing rooms, in our case the blue corner, to change. From there they moved on to the chill out zone, where they could mingle with their fellow fighters and selected members of the CLAWS family.
Nat and I emerged from the blue corner dressing room to find my sparring partner and training assistant, Terri Brooks, waiting for us. Terri was full of praise for Nat who was beaming with pride at her victory.
Terri had always been positive about Nat being a boxer (I had originally thought she’d make a better wrestler) and said to me, not for the first time:
“Ellen, I think you’ve got a future champion there, I’m sure she’ll go all the way.”
"Oh, I'll win the title and make you proud, just you wait." said Nat as she wrapped her right arm around me. Terri just grinned along as she looked us over. Giving me a hug once Nat let me go. All three of us chatting away with big smiles as the joy of victory for Nat was so uplifting.
None the less I was still concerned about the ‘dark destroyer’ as I had dubbed Karen. I felt that, with enough training, Nat could beat any of the other fighters, including the big bruiser Megan Carter, but Karen was a different matter. Her methodical destruction of Alma seemed almost machine like, she had never seemed to be in serious trouble as she punished the veteran South African.
In Emily, Karen had possibly the best coach she could wish for. Emily herself had fought in the league for 10 years and had a dozen title wins to her name. She, in turn, had been trained by Suzi who, herself, had chalked up 15 title wins in her 9 years in the league and was, I had no doubt, watching Karen’s progress with interest, even in her capacity as referee.
Karen and Emily emerged from the blue corner dressing room, along with Megan. While Emily and Megan headed for the bar Karen came over to us, greeted Nat with a big beaming smile and hugged her before joining her trainer.
She was now the fourth ranked fighter in the league and I'd heard other women who'd fought wonder how far Karen could go. I kept seeing the glances she threw my way and decided to find out what that was about. Leaving Nat with Terri, who had now been joined by Emma and a rather downcast looking Chantelle, I made my way over to the bar. I gave Emily a hug and also offered my congratulations to the Geordie, who accepted them with good graces. Moments later she said:
"mmm Ellen I have to ask. Do you think I can go all the way to the title? Emily here of course tells me that I am destined for the top spot but... well, I have heard all the stories from Emily about you. You're someone who won't talk BS to me pet."
That startled me a little. She evidentially wanted to impress me. I had to think for a moment my answer as Karen looked a little nervous about what I'd say. Once I formulated my reply, I told her:
"I can see your power; you can box but you seem to start slow. I am sure Emily will fix that so you very well could win it all. Just no taking training lightly."
That made Karen smile and nod to Emily as she said "no chance of that."
All of us laughed at that.
I shook Karen's hand before returning to my friends. I hoped that I'd get to know more about her as she seemed to have her own story. For now, though, I focused on the important people in my life. I was going to get Nat that shot at the title and, if that meant she’d have to face Karen, I was determined to make sure she had the best possible chance of beating her.
