Not really a story, just another little continuity piece with a little scuffle thrown in. Moderators please move if the location is inappropriate.
In the furore following the fifth senior boxing title match Jay promised a tribunal to review the events and decide whether the result should stand.
The day of the tribunal has arrived and six women are gathered in the corridor outside the edit suite where six chairs have been set out. None of the women seem to want to sit down. Erica and Ellen whisper to each other while Tee stands silently staring at the floor and Emily, Gabi and Sallie make small talk a short distance away.
The tribunal is being held in the video room, a place where fighters and their trainers often watch videos on a big screen as part of their training. The room has been rearranged for today’s event. Amber, Jay’s PA and herself a league wrestler, appears from video room, located a short distance down the corridor and asks:
“Gabi and Sallie, can you come in now please?”
Inside the video room, a desk has been positioned in front of the window, opposite the door and three women are sat at it. Jay sits in the centre chair flanked by Suzi and Christine. To the left of the desk sits Amber, taking notes, and to the right is Jill, sat at a table, her hands on a keyboard, staring at a big screen monitor on the wall opposite her.
Jay indicates that the women sit down next to Jill. Gabi feels like she is on trial – in her own offices!
Jill presses a key on her keyboard and the big screen springs into life. Two women, naked except for boxing gloves and boots, are lying unconscious in a boxing ring. A brunette with long hair, is face down with her head near the red corner and a blonde is on her back with arms spread wide and her feet close to the brunette but facing away from her. Standing over them is Gabi, slowly counting. The brunette is Tee and the blonde is Ellen.
As Gabi counts Tee raises her head while Ellen moves her arm. Tee reaches for the ropes as Ellen lifts her head. Tee grabs a rope and pulls herself towards it as Ellen sits up. Tee grabs another rope with her other gloved hand. Ellen tries to push herself up but immediately falls sideways. Tee starts to pull herself up on the ropes as Ellen gets to her hands and knees. Gabi’s gaze goes from one woman to the other as she counts slowly and rhythmically.
Tee tries to grab the top rope but misses and rolls onto her back in the corner. Blood is trickling from her forehead and, as she slumps back to the mat, she pees herself. Meanwhile Ellen tries to get to her feet but pitches forward back to the mat.
The count reaches 10. Gabi signals to Sallie, sitting at the time keeper’s desk, and continues counting. The bell does not sound.
Tee starts to haul herself up on the ropes in the corner. Ellen gets back to her knees and begins to pull herself up on the ropes on the other side of the ring. Tee gets to her feet and steadies herself. Ellen is leaning over the ropes but can’t stand. Tee takes a faltering step out of the corner. Gabi glances at Ellen, still hanging on the ropes and signals to Sallie who rings the bell as Tee’s legs buckle and she falls to her knees.
The video stops and then starts again, showing the same sequence of events but this time viewed from above. When it ends a brief silence is broken by Jay:
“So, Gabi. We can all see what happened – the question is why didn’t you stop counting at 10? Neither fighter is going to beat the count – why didn’t you stop the round and give them a chance to recover?”
“That’s not in our rules…”
“Neither is what you did.”
“Look, they were both done in, they wouldn’t have been able to continue.”
“So why not declare a double knockout and a draw?”
“I don’t think anyone wanted that. It was a title fight. People wanted a champion.”
“We could have had a rematch. Sallie – you went along with this, why?”
Sallie makes her position clear: “I saw what Gabi is doing and I agreed with her – we wanted a result and neither girl could continue. We needed a winner and the first girl to get up was the best option.”
“I can see your argument. I’m just not sure Ellen’s supporters do. Once she was up, Ellen clearly recovered faster than Tee and she had won three rounds to Tee’s two so she is arguably winning. The fighters won’t remember anything but let’s hear from the seconds.”
Amber calls Emily and Erica into the room, leaving Ellen and Tee alone in the hallway.
Jill runs another video sequence. This time it is a split screen affair showing the action from the corners and capturing the expressions on the faces of the seconds. The sequence continues past the bell ringing to show the seconds entering the ring and helping their fighters.
“Emily, do you think Gabi’s decision is fair? Should she have stopped the count and let the fighters recover? Or declared a double knockout?”
“Yes, I think Gabi did the right thing. Tee was done in; she’d fought back well but she would have needed time to recover. Nobody wanted a double knockout.”
“Erica?”
“No way!” The blonde jumped to her feet. “Ellen had dominated the fight and she was in better shape. She could have continued. Gabi should have stopped the round and given them two minutes to recover. Ellen would have flattened Tee given a couple of minutes’ rest.”
“She also had two cautions to Tee’s one.” Gabi interjected.
Erica was about to respond when Jay raised her hand.
“Thank you, Erica, sit down please. I’m sure you have faith in Ellen and I’m equally sure Emily is right when she says Tee wouldn’t have been able to continue – I’m not sure Ellen could have either.”
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Meanwhile, out in the corridor Ellen approaches the thoughtful Tee and, without warning, drives her right fist into the brunette’s belly, dropping her to her knees. As Tee gasps for air Ellen said: “I’ll have you next time bitch.” And drives a knee into the side of her head, sending her sprawling on the carpet.
Tee gets to her hands and knees and looks up at Ellen.
“You fucking bitch!” She spits. “Bring it on!”
With that she launches herself at the blonde and slams her head against the wall before punching her in the gut. Ellen doubles over and Tee lands a double axe blow to her shoulders knocking her face first to the floor before jumping on her back.
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In the video room Jay concludes: “Thank you ladies, we can’t turn back time but we need to resolve this so please leave us for few minutes.”
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The four women walk out into the corridor to discover a catfight in full swing.
Tee seemed to have the upper hand and is sat on Ellen’s chest repeatedly slamming the back of her head into the carpet. Ellen, for her part, has pushed up Tee’s sweater and exposed her breasts and is now squeezing and twisting them. The brunette is screaming as the blonde tries to rip her tits off. Ellen’s jumper has also ridden up and her breasts are on full display as she struggles to buck the brunette off.
Emily shouts at the pair to stop while Erica and Sallie grab Tee’s arms and pull her off the blonde, allowing Ellen to sit up. As they pull her to her feet, Tee launches a final kick at Ellen’s head. Ellen groans and collapses back to the carpet. Sallie spins Tee around and Gabi hits her with a hard slap across the face that knocks her to the floor as well.
“For fuck’s sake ladies, calm down.” Shouts Gabi as the two women lie on the floor try to catch their breath as Erica and Emily check them for injuries.
Eventually things calm down and the two women get to their feet and try to smarten themselves up a bit.
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Meanwhile back in the video room, oblivious to the action outside, Jay sums up the situation:
“On balance I think Gabi did the right thing here but she did break the rules and we do have to even things up. As I see it, we have three choices:
1. We declare the result a draw and make them both champion
2. We declare the result void and have an immediate rematch
3. We allow the result to stand but request a rematch before the next tournament
Ladies, what do you think?”
Suzi speaks first: “I don’t think we can have a rematch immediately, they’re both fighting in the wrestling tournament next week. And I don’t like the idea of a double champion so I would favour a rematch towards the end of the year. By then they should know where they stand in the wrestling tournament and be better placed.”
Christine adds: “I agree that we don’t want a double champion but I’m in favour an immediate rematch to sort this thing out now. I don’t think we should let it drag on.”
“OK, it looks like I have the casting vote. Amber, can you call the fighters in please?”
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Amber walks out into the corridor and stares at the two fighters now being tended by the other women. Tee has a split lip and a bloody piece of tissue paper protrudes from Ellen’s left nostril, both women have visible scratches and blemishes and their hair in a mess. If Amber is surprised, she hides it well.
“Ladies, you may come in now.”
Ellen and Tee are ushered into the room and stand sheepishly facing the desk. The other women follow them in and sit on a couch under the big screen. Jay looks the two women dishevelled up and down and, without preamble, says:
“Ladies, the tribunal has considered the evidence and we have reached a decision. Although looking at the state of you, we may have made the wrong choice. The tribunal has decided that the result of your match will stand. Miss Tee will remain the champion.”
Erica is about to protest but Jay raised her hand to silence her:
“However, we will have a rematch before the start of the next senior boxing tournament. Whoever wins that fight will take the title into the next tournament.”
Both fighters nod their agreement and Jay continues:
“Thank you, ladies. We have one other thing to add. In addition to our standard rules, you may both request one special rule for this match only. Tee?”
Suzi raises an eyebrow but says nothing, this is clearly Jay’s decision alone.
“Easy,” Said Tee. “We’ll fight naked – boots and gloves only.”
“Ellen?”
“OK, but, to spice things up a bit the winner will get to fuck the loser with a dildo in the ring as soon as the match is over.”
“Tee?”
“Fine by me, I’m going to enjoy fucking this bitch.”
“Don’t count on it honey, I’ll be the one doing the fucking.” Replies Ellen.
Sensing tensions between the two are rising again, Jay decides to wrap things up.
“Thank you for your co-operation everyone, the rematch will form part of the card in early November with Suzi as the referee. In the meantime, you ladies both have a wrestling tournament to take part in. I’ll wish you both good luck but, of course, there can only be one winner.”
With that Jay stands up and walks around the desk to the door. As she passes Tee she whispers: “And you may yet get your chance to get to grips with me.”
With that she is gone and the rest of the women make their way out. Tee is pondering Jay’s whispered comment – has she just been challenged by the club president?
