In my stories of Tee’s demolition of Lucy and me during the qualifying rounds of the sixth senior boxing tournament (“Tee’s Law” and “All good things…”) I may have given the impression that she sailed through the qualifying rounds. The truth was somewhat different. Between facing Lucy in the first round and me in the fifth Tee had four fights (three boxing qualifiers and a wrestling match) and only won one of them. Here’s how her year went.
In the second round of qualifying Tee faced Lorraine. Of all the fighters in the tournament these two were probably the closest matched, both being tall brunettes with similar builds (Lorraine being slightly bustier with 36Cs to Tee’s 38Bs but an inch shorter and a year older). When they met in the previous senior tournament, Tee had trailed for the first two rounds before coming back to score a fifth-round knockout. This time Lorraine would be looking to get even.
The pair entered the ring and Gabi gave us the tale of the tape. In the blue corner, wearing blue sports briefs and with her breast length frizzy brunette hair tied back with a scrunchy, Lorraine was 52, 5 foot 8 inches, 36C-28-38 and 150lbs. In the red corner, with her long chestnut hair plaited in a pony tail that reached the waist band of her white midi briefs, Tee was an inch taller, a year younger, slightly broader in the beam and five pounds heavier than her opponent.
For the first two rounds the pair were evenly matched. Lorraine scored a knockdown halfway through the first round but Tee repaid the complement just before the bell. The count was at 5 when the round ended but there was no doubt Lorraine would have beaten it. Tee scored a second knockdown early in the second round but Lorraine recovered well and put Tee down at around the two-minute mark.
After two rounds they were on 10 points each but in the third Lorraine went to the attack, putting the younger woman on her back just 20 seconds after the opening bell. Tee took the full 9 count to get to her feet and seemed hesitant when the action resumed. Lorraine attacked again, chasing Tee around the ring until, just before the midway point in the round, a right hook connected with the younger woman’s temple and sent her crashing, face first, to the mat. For a moment it looked like the fight was over but Tee pushed herself to her hands and knees as the count reached six and got unsteadily to her feet at nine.
For he next thirty seconds or so she managed to hold the older woman off but the traffic was decidedly one way with Lorraine landing three blows to every one of Tee’s. With 45 seconds of the round remaining Tee went down of a third time and, again, it looked like Lorraine had secured a victory. But once again Tee made it to her feet at nine and the action continued. Lorraine attacked but Tee was no longer fighting back and it looked like Gabi might stop the fight. With seconds left on the clock Tee staggered and left herself exposed. Lorraine drove a solid uppercut into her chin and Tee went down for a fourth time. She made no attempt to get up as the count rose but the bell sounded at six, saving her from the knockout and depriving Lorraine of a four-point victory.
Tee remained on her back for about 15 seconds after the bell before slowly getting to her feet and staggering back to her corner where Erica did her best to rejuvenate her. It was no surprise when all six of the judge’s points went to Lorraine, giving her a commanding 24-10 lead going into the fourth round.
Keen to capitalise on her success in round three, Lorraine came out on the attack and quickly backed Tee into a corner where she took a standing count of eight. It was apparent that Tee hadn’t fully recovered from the previous round when, shortly before the one-minute mark, she received another standing count for holding on to her opponent.
In the second minute Tee began fighting back but her blows seemed to lack power and Lorraine was still landing two blows for every one of Tee’s. It seemed that all Lorraine needed was a good combination of punches and victory would be hers. However, she didn’t seem to be able to put it together. As the round wore on, she began to slow up and, with less than 30 seconds left on the clock, Tee managed to force her into a clinch, gaining her first point in two rounds.
The judges scored the round 4-2 to Lorraine leaving Tee trailing by 17 points going into the fifth round. But as they came out at the sound of the opening bell it was Tee who looked the stronger while Lorraine was beginning to look tired.
Tee dominated the fifth round, keeping Lorraine on the defensive throughout the whole three minutes, but failed to score until the exhausted older woman dropped to one knee thirty seconds from the end of the round. Lorraine took the full nine count to catch her breath before resuming the fight for the final few seconds of the round. While it clearly wouldn’t have resulted in a knockout this knockdown was a valuable two-point bonus for the younger woman.
Tee’s performance in the round had restored her confidence and gained her valuable points. The judges awarded her five points to Lorraine’s one and she went into the final round having closed the gap to eleven points.
As they came out for the sixth round it was clear that Lorraine was running on empty but at, at 31-20, she still had a significant lead over her opponent and she was still in a commanding position. Tee took the fight to the older woman but, once again, was unable to score a telling blow. The beating she’d taken in the third round seemed to have robbed her punches of their normal power. In the final minute of the round Tee landed a right to Lorraine’s temple. Lorraine went down hard but somehow managed to make it back to her feet at nine. Lorraine looked decidedly unsteady when the action resumed and it was no surprise when she went down for a second time a few seconds later. Knowing that simply going the distance would secure the win probably spurred her to beat the count again. The two women were now locked in a desperate struggle for victory. Tee trying to land a knockout blow but lacking the power to do it, Lorraine determined to hang on and avoid another knockdown. As the seconds ticked away Tee made a last desperate effort to finish her opponent but Lorraine covered up and rode out the assault. The round ended with the older woman pinned in her corner. Gabi intervened with a standing count but the bell went before the count reached three.
At the end last round of the closely contested match the judges awarded all six points to Tee, giving both fighters 31 points – the first and only draw of the tournament.
That evening Emma knocked out Lucy and I was knocked out by Ildiko – both in the fifth round.
In the third round of the tournament, I scored my only knockout victory, taking Lorraine out in the sixth round. Lucy went the distance against Ildiko but lost on points and then it was time Tee to face Emma.
After her loss to me and a rather lacklustre performance against Lucy, Emma was keen to re-establish herself as a contender for the title. All the stood in her way was the current tournament leader, Tee. The pair had had an unofficial fight at their first meeting the year before (covered in my story TEN) where Emma scored an unconvincing victory. This time Tee would be looking for payback.
Tee was fighting from the red corner again. Once again, she had her hair tied in a single plait and, once again, she was wearing white midi briefs. Her opponent this time was a year younger and of similar build and weight. Emma was dressed in her trade mark canary yellow string thong, her waist length strawberry blonde hair tied back in a loose ponytail.
Both fighters started cautiously, feeling each other out, and no significant blows were landed in the first minute. The second minute saw the pace increase but it wasn’t until the closing seconds when the action really picked up, with Tee taking the fight to the younger blonde. If I had been the referee, I would probably have scored it 4-2 to Tee but the judges scored it 3 each and the girls came out for round two on even terms.
Compared to the first round, the second was a more fast-paced affair, with both women trading punches in equal measure. The first knockdown of the fight went to Tee just before the midway point but Emma was quickly on her feet and paid the brunette back around the two-minute mark. Tee went down for a second time shortly before the bell and, on the strength of that, the judges scored the round 4-2 to Emma, giving her a four point lead going into the third round.
Keen to redress the balance Tee came out on the attack for round three and quickly had Emma in trouble. She went down twice in quick succession but then managed to rally and hold Tee off for most of the rest of the round. As the clock ran down Tee backed Emma up against the ropes near the red corner and launched a right hook which Emma blocked. Emma countered with a straight right that flattened Tee’s left breast and winded her.
Now it was Emma’s turn to go on the attack. She hit Tee with a hail of rights and lefts to the body and head. Tee staggered back towards the centre of the ring, doing her best to cover up but her guard fell apart under the assault. As her arms dropped to her sides a right upper cut lifted her off the mat and she went down on her back, out cold.
Gabi started to count but it seemed a formality as the brunette lay unmoving. At six, Tee opened her eyes and raised her head – and then the bell sounded. Tee’s head flopped back to the mat.
In the neutral corner Emma’s expression went from satisfaction to shock to outrage to anger in a split second as she realised Tee had been saved by the bell. Even if she knocked the brunette out with the first punch of the fourth round, she had dropped a point. As she crossed to the blue corner passing the still prostrate brunette, she launched a kick which connected with Tee’s fanny. Tee screamed and clutched herself as Gabi steered Emma to her corner, issuing a caution as she went.
Tee lay clutching herself and sobbing. She made no attempt to get up, clearly believing that she’d lost the match, until Gabi bent down and explained the situation to her. Tee got slowly to her feet and staggered to her corner where Emily did her best to rejuvenate her fighter in the closing seconds of the break. An ice pack was slipped down the front of her knickers, Vaseline applied to her temples and nipples, tears wiped away and reassurance given.
Despite being saved by the bell, Tee’s dominance of the round earned her the bulk of the judges’ points and she went into the fourth round equalling Emma on 15 points. As the bell sounded for round 4 Tee got to her feet with a look of determination on her face and immediately went on the attack.
Tee’s aggression caught Emma off guard, she had fully expected to cruise to victory in this round but quickly found herself on the receiving end of a hail of blows from the older woman. She went down to a left hook just one minute into the round. Although she was back on her feet at eight, she was soon on the back foot again.
The fast pace of the first three rounds had clearly taken its toll on Emma and she was fading fast. Tee, by contrast, had her second wind and was dominating the action. Two more knockdowns in the next ninety seconds saw Tee taking a commanding lead. As the round drew to a close Emma was rocked by a series of solid blows from the brunette that left her staggering, punch drunk, around the ring. Tee lined up for the knockout punch but was beaten by the bell and a grateful Emma collapsed on her stool in the blue corner as Tee made her way back to the red corner, dropped her pants relieved herself into a bucket. Tee’s dominance of the round earned her all the judge’s points and she went into the fifth round leading by 27 points to 15.
At the start of round 5 Emma seemed to have regained some of her poise and tried to take back control of the fight. For the first minute or so she kept Tee on the back foot but failed to land a telling blow. Then the tables turned as she momentarily dropped her guard and Tee connected with a right to the jaw that sent the blonde crashing to the mat on her side.
Emma just beat the count only to walk straight into another right hook from the brunette and land face down on the mat. She pushed herself up slowly and got to her feet at nine looking decidedly unsteady. Gabi checked her over, giving her a few seconds more respite, before signalling Tee back in. Before Emma could get her guard up Tee delivered a right upper cut that put her on her back again.
Again, Emma just beat the count. For a moment it looked like Gabi might stop the fight but once she was sure Emma was ready to continue, she waved Tee back in again. At first the blonde’s guard held up and Tee’s first few punches were deflected but then a blow from the brunette pushed Emma back onto the ropes and she threw her arms wide, hooking them over the top rope to stop herself from going down. This left her completely exposed and Tee managed to land a left and right to her breasts before Gabi steeped in and sent her to a neutral corner.
Emma was sitting slumped on the middle rope, arms draped over the top rope. Gabi dispensed with the standing count and simply signalled for the bell before helping the blonde to her feet and back to her corner.
“Ladies and gentlemen, after two minutes and 40 seconds of round five. Your winner, by a technical knockout – Miss Tee!”
Over the summer Tee and I both received wrestling challenges from Jen, who was looking to rejoin the senior wrestling tournament the following year after almost 10 years away.
I went first, stepping into the ring against the busty brunette in July. I’d faced her twice before in the second senior wrestling tournament and we were even. She’d knocked me out in qualifying but I’d defeated her by five falls to three in the final. Back then I’d been 47 to her 40, now I was 56 and feeling it. Things didn’t go well for me in our third encounter and I was beaten three-nil in under 10 minutes. A month later it was Tee’s turn. Here’s how it went:
When they entered the ring both women had their long dark hair tied in two braids either side of their face and, when they slipped off their robes both were wearing black knickers. But if they were a mirror image of each other it would be in a fairground hall of mirrors.
Tee stood several inches taller than her opponent. Her B cups still pert despite her 51 years and her ample behind clad in a pair of plain black midi briefs. By contrast Jen was shorter, with a deeper tan. Her DD breasts were starting to sag but her petite derriere was covered by a pair of lacy Brazilian knickers that showed off her firm butt cheeks as they came together in the centre of the ring for Suzi’s introduction.
“Ladies and gentlemen. Our next and final bout of the evening is a non-title senior wrestling match. Introducing in the blue corner. 51 years old, 5’9” tall, measuring 38B-30-44 and weighing 160lbs. The reigning senior wrestling champion, Miss Tee!”
“And in the red corner. 49 years old, 5’4” tall, measuring 38DD-29-38 and weighing 150lbs. Former undefeated league wrestling champion, Jen!”
At the bell they came out fast and locked up immediately. Tee got the advantage and took Jen to the mat in a side headlock but the smaller woman was able to twist pinning Tee’s shoulders to the mat and the reigning senior wrestling champion only narrowly avoided being pinned in the first thirty seconds of the match.
For a minute or so they mixed it up on the mat with neither really getting any great advantage before, by mutual consent, rising to their feet and starting to trade throws and other power holds. Despite Tee’s superior size, Jen was dominating the action and had Tee in trouble several times in the first few minutes.
I had been impressed with Jen in our match the month before. It had been 10 years since I last faced her in the ring. She was a formidable opponent then and, while we were all now 10 years older, she seemed to have lost none of her strength and agility – I didn’t stand a chance against her. Now here she was showing that she certainly wasn’t afraid to trade power moves against a larger, heavier opponent. Tee is a strong fighter and she did her best, but the traffic was definitely in Jen‘s favour.
A series of throws and postings culminated with Jen clotheslining Tee to the mat. As Tee came to her feet Jen landed a double axe blow to her back and slammed her face down on the canvas. Before Tee had time to react, the smaller woman squatted down beside her and, wrapping arm around her neck and another around her ankles. Tee was in serious trouble. Jen rocked back and pushed the larger woman into the air on her knees in a perfect bow and arrow hold. There was nothing Tee could do except cry out her submission.
The bell sounded and Jen released the hold allowing the larger woman to flop back to the mat. Tee lay face down on the canvas for a few seconds before pushing herself up to her feet and staggering back to her corner as Suzi announced.
“Ladies and gentlemen. After four minutes and ten seconds. The first fall, by a submission, goes to Jen. Jen leads by one fall to nil.”
When the bell sounded for the start of the second fall Tee came out quickly, keen to even the scores, but Jen was more than ready for her. Both women danced rapidly around the ring before coming together and locking up. This time it was Jen who took her larger opponent to the mat where secured a body scissors and attempted to lock on a half nelson. Tee delivered a sharp elbow to Jen’s left breast and Jen released her. For the next two minutes they struggled for dominance on the mat, Tee using her superior size to control her smaller opponent but, despite several attempts at pins, failing to secure a three count.
Eventually Tee managed to pin Jen face down and straddled her body, facing her bum. She reached forward, grabbed Jen’s legs and folded them into a figure four leg lock. Holding the lock with her left hand, the champion reached back and attempted to secure a chin lock but Jen grabbed her arm and forced it away. Tee applied more pressure to the leg lock, using both hands to press Jen’s ankles into her bum, but the smaller woman refused to submit.
Sensing she as getting nowhere Tee uncrossed Jen’s legs but kept hold of her ankles. Tucking Jen’s feet under her armpits, Tee stood up and pulled her victim into a Boston crab, calling on the smaller woman to submit. Initially Jen resisted. Tee shuffled forward dragging Jen’s big boobs across the canvas and bounced her ample back side on the small of Jen’s back. Once again, she called on the smaller woman submit. Once again Jen refused but there was no escape. Another drag across the mat, another bounce of that big backside on the small of her back and Jen conceded the fall.
The bell sounded and Tee released the hold. This time it was Jen face down on the mat, recovering, as Suzi announced:
“Ladies and gentlemen. After six minutes and fifty seconds. The second fall, by a submission, goes to Miss Tee. The score is now one fall each.”
Jen was quickly back on her feet and, when the bell sounded for the third fall, seemed completely recovered. Offering Tee her palms, Jen encouraged the taller woman to take her on in a trial of strength. Initially Tee forced the smaller woman back but, just as it looked like Tee was dominating, a knee to her pubic area stunned her and she dropped to her knees, her hands still interlocked with Jen’s. Jen pushed Tee’s arms back and thrust her 38DD into Tee’s face.
Breaking a finger interlock when your opponent doesn’t want to is pretty much impossible and Tee could do nothing to prevent Jen’s breast smoother. However, with Jen’s hands otherwise occupied she couldn’t force Tee’s face into her cleavage to cut off her air supply. Slowly Tee force Jen back, freeing herself from the suffocating boobs and coming first to one knee and then back to her feet. Fingers interlocked and arms raised they struggled for dominance, breast to sweaty breast. Tee towered over her opponent and slowly began to force the shorter woman back. Just as her legs started to buckle Jen delivered another knee to Tee’s pussy and, again Tee’s knees gave way. This time Jen released the finger lock. Tee’s hands went straight to her abused pussy as Jen’s knee connected with her chin and laid her on her back.
As Suzi began to count, Tee lay on her side clutching herself, only staggering to her feet at eight. Jen was behind her and immediately ran the taller woman into a post where she slammed Tee’s head against the turnbuckle three times before throwing her on her back and dropping across her in an attempted cross press.
Despite her dazed state Tee managed to buck the smaller woman off. Jen was quickly back on her feet but Tee took longer, rolling over, coming to her hands and knees and shaking out the cobwebs before finally coming to her feet at nine – and walking straight into a forearm smash from her busty opponent.
Tee staggered but stayed on her feet. Jen grabbed her right arm, whipped her into the ropes and clotheslined her on the rebound. Tee struggled to her feet only to find Jen in front of her. This time, as Tee’s knees left the mat, Jen grabbed her shoulders, pulled her forward and delivered a knee lift between her breasts, knocking the wind out of her, before slamming her face down to the mat.
Gamely, Tee got to her feet but it was clear she was in big trouble. She made no attempt to resist as Jen grabbed her arm and whipped her into the red corner. Tee slammed, back first, into the post and for a moment slumped with her arms spread over the top rope. Jen moved in, grabbed her ankles and hoisted her clear of the mat. Tee was suspended above the ring, arms around the top rope hanging on as Jen lifted her ankles up to breast height and started pulling back. Tee did her best to hold on but it was futile and eventually she was forced to let go of the ropes and fall heavily onto her back on the Canvas.
Jen kept hold of Tee’s calves and quickly locked the larger woman’s ankles around her thigh. Turning Tee over she reached down and slipped her arms under Tee’s armpits, locking on a full nelson before leaning back and hoisting the unfortunate woman in a scorpion cross lock. The pressure on Tee’s back was immense and she screamed her submission. The bell sounded and Jen released the full nelson, allowing Tee to drop face first to the mat before releasing the ankle lock. Tee lay unmoving as Jen returned to her corner and Suzi announced:
“Ladies and gentlemen. After nine minutes. The third fall, by a submission, goes to Jen. Jen leads by two falls to one.”
Tee remained face down on the mat for a good twenty seconds before rolling onto her back. It was another twenty seconds before she sat up and, after a brief questioning from Suzi, got to her feet and returned to her corner just as the time keeper called “seconds out”.
Coming out for the fourth fall, Tee wore a determined expression but her body language confirmed what her behaviour in the break had suggested, that the previous fall had taken a heavy toll and she was a spent force. It seemed it would simply be a matter of time until Jen secured the winning fall.
Once again, they traded power moves and once again it was Jen coming off best. Her strength, agility and stamina unmatched by the champion. A couple of minutes of action ended when Jen ran Tee face first into a corner post. Grabbing the back of her scalp she slammed Tee’s face into the top turnbuckle three times. Suzi moved in and admonished Jen for use of the hair. Jen released her hold on Tee’s scalp and took a step back. Tee raised her head, a vacant expression on her face, and took one staggering step backwards but remained on her feet. Jen grabbed her by the arm and spun her into another corner post, back first. Tee slumped in the corner. Jen ran forward and jumped onto the bottom ropes, pulling Tee’s face into her cleavage – going for her trademark breast smother to finish her opponent. Trapped in the corner Tee was powerless and slowly started to lose consciousness. As her legs started to give way Jen released the hold, grabbed hold of Tee’s scalp again, jumped off the ropes, took a step back and slammed to older woman face first to the mat.
Whether Tee would have beaten the 10 count isn’t known because Jen had other ideas. Standing on the back of dazed brunette’s knees she hooked Tee’s feet around her own calves, grabbed hold of her arms and rocked backwards, lifting the larger woman into a Mexican ceiling hold, and suddenly it was over. Tee hung suspended above her vanquisher screaming:
“No! No! Oh god, no! I give! I give! I give!”
The bell rang. Jen released the hold and dropped Tee to the mat before standing up and, with a satisfied glance over her shoulder, returning to her corner. Tee lay for a full minute on the mat weeping and cursing before slowly coming to her feet and staggering back to her corner. Thirty seconds later Suzi brought the two women together in the centre of the ring and announced:
“Ladies and gentlemen, after eleven minutes and twenty seconds. The fourth fall, by a submission, goes to Jen. Jen wins by three falls to one.”
In an impressive display of agility and power by the busty 49 year old, the reigning senior champion had been soundly defeated and Jen had established herself as a serious contender for the next year’s tournament.
Watching Jen in action and seeing how easily she overcame an opponent who had beaten me twice as often as I’d beaten her made me realise I would have my work cut out if I ever faced her again. That knowledge helped me decide to do something I’d been putting off for far too long.
Two weeks after this defeat Tee was back in action in round four of the tournament. In this qualifying round Emma regained her mojo with a fifth-round victory over old rival Lorraine and I became Lucy’s only victim of the qualifiers when, for the second time, she put me away in the third. Then it was time for Tee to face Ildiko. In their last encounter Tee had dominated the early rounds but came close to losing when she started to fade in the closing minutes. Only a determined effort saved her from defeat and earned her the points win.
At 45 Ildiko was the youngest fighter in the tournament but she was also very experienced. A former kick boxer she had fought in the boxing league for nine years between 2003 and 2012 and beaten the likes of Suzi, Emma and Lucy. She was also a successful wrestler during the same period. Although she only held the league boxing title on three occasions she retired as champion of both the wrestling and boxing leagues, defeating Emily in the boxing ring in her final fight.
Six years younger than Tee, the same height but of slimmer build, she was giving away 10lbs to the older woman. In their previous encounter Tee had dominated the action before starting to fade towards the end of the fourth round. Ildiko staged a valiant fight back in the fifth round before Tee found her second wind in the sixth. That final round saw a total of five knockdowns but it was the younger woman who was on the deck when the final bell sounded. Although she avoided a knockout, Ildiko lost on points and tonight she would be looking to get even.
As in her match with Jen, Tee wore black midi briefs and her hair was once again tied in two braids either side of her face. By contrast Ildiko wore a skimpy lime green thong with a butterfly on the back of the waist band, which showed off her shapely buttocks to their full advantage. Her waist length straight dark hair was loosely tied in a ponytail.
Ildiko came out fast at the start of the first round and immediately put the older woman on the back foot. Tee retreated and tried to regroup but a right hook put her down for a count of eight just fifty seconds into the fight.
After the knockdown Tee gathered herself and the fight became more evenly paced. No further drama ensued and the round ended fairly evenly. The early knockdown tipped the judges’ scored in Ildiko’s favour and she went into the second round leading by six points to two.
The younger woman dominated the early part of the second round but then started to fade. Tee went on the attack and two knockdowns in quick succession in the final minute of the round saw her take nine points to Ildiko’s one, giving her a four-point lead going into the third round.
Picking up where she left off at the end of round two, Tee took the fight to her younger opponent for much for the third round. Ildiko went down twice, once around the one-minute mark and again a minute later, but easily beat the count on both occasions. In the closing seconds of the round Tee seemed to slow down a bit, giving her opponent some much needed breathing space. Taking advantage of Tee’s hesitancy, Ildiko managed to push her into a corner where she took a standing count of eight. The round ended a few seconds later, before Ildiko could capitalise on her success.
Tee had dominated for most of the round so it was no surprise that the judges awarded her five match points, giving her another nine points and taking the score to 20-8 going into round four.
Whatever had troubled Tee towards the end of the third round was still affecting her when the bell went for the start of round four. Sensing her opponent’s weakness Ildiko went on the attack from the bell and Tee was on the back foot for the whole of the round. She went down to a left uppercut one minute into the round and took a standing count a short while later for holding on. Another knockdown followed just after the two-minute mark and the round ended with her taking another standing count after being backed into her own corner.
At the sound of the bell Tee collapsed gratefully onto her stool looking decidedly the worse for wear. The judges’ scores were in quickly and, unsurprisingly, all the points went to Ildiko, bringing her back level at twenty points each. All Tee’s hard work in rounds two and three had been wiped out. Ildiko looked fresh and keen. By contrast, Tee looked concerned and sought reassurance from her second, Emily. Could it be that the effects of her match with Jen were catching up with her?
When the bell sounded for the start of the fifth round Tee seemed to have composed herself as the pair squared off. For the first thirty seconds or so they traded punches evenly until a series of blows to the breasts and ribs brought Tee’s guard down and a right cross connected with her jaw sending her spinning to the canvas.
Tee took the full nine count to regain her feet and looked decidedly unsteady as Gabi waved Ildiko back in. Another flurry of body blows backed Tee up against the ropes before a straight uppercut parted her breasts and snapped her head back as it connected with her chin. Tee dropped to her hands and knees, gasping for breath. Her left hair braid had started to unravel as she struggled gamely to her feet as the count reached eight.
Gabi insisted on a full nine count and gave the brunette a thorough checking over before allowing the action to resume. Tee raised her guard as Ildiko closed in and they began trading punches again. Against the run of play, Tee landed a right hook to Ildiko’s temple that stunned the younger woman and sent her staggering out of Tee’s reach. Tee followed her looking to capitalise on her success but it was a false dawn for the older woman as Ildiko’s fists flashed again and a right hook sent Tee to the canvas for the third time in the round.
For a moment it looked like the former champion was finished as she lay on her side but as the count reached four, she rolled onto her front and slowly pushed herself up, coming to her feet as the count reached nine.
Gabi checked her over and waved Ildiko back in as a clearly groggy Tee raised her guard and prepared to keep the younger woman at bay. With a minute of the round remaining and another round to come it seemed unlikely Tee would go the distance. Even if she did, she’d need a strong final round to even the scores. She was already six points behind in the round and, on present form, all six judges’ points would be going to the Hungarian as well.
Once again, Ildiko attacked and once again the former champion was forced onto the defensive. Eventually she forced Tee back against the ropes where she struggled to cover up and ride out a hail of blows from the younger woman. Eventually she sat down on the middle rope just a short distance from her own corner and Gabi stepped in, ushering Ildiko to a neutral corner before administering a standing count as Tee desperately tried to collect herself. Her left braid had come almost completely undone and her hair was falling loose, sticking to her sweat soaked face and breast. She was breathing hard, eyes wide and face red.
As the count reached eight Tee shakily stood up, her left hand grasping the turnbuckle for support. She looked desperately into Gabi’s face as the referee continued to count. Tee raised her gloved hands but sank back onto the middle rope as she did so. Gabi shook her head, took hold of her wrists and lowered them to her sides before placing her hands on her shoulders and saying “I’m sorry.”
The bell rang and Tee fell into Gabi’s arms. The referee steered her to her corner where Emily had her stool already in place and sat her gently down. Across the ring Ildiko raised her arms in victory. Tee sat with her head in her gloved hands for a full minute before Gabi bought the women together in the centre of the ring and announced:
“Ladies and gentlemen. After two minutes and ten seconds of round five. Miss Tee being unfit to continue. Your winner, by a technical knockout – Ildiko!”
This was Tee’s second defeat in a row and her first in the tournament, Had the bubble burst? I could only hope so. To make the final and defend my title I was going to have to take Tee out in the first three rounds when we met in October.
If you haven’t already, now would be a good time to read my story “All good things…”
