Post by Vassago on Aug 27, 2021 11:02:05 GMT
Yasmin Verheijen vs Bianca Balti
(Lioness Club vs BBU Independent)
(10-7, 10 KO vs 3-5, 3 KO)
Results: BBU; Story: Vassago
BEFORE: BBU TV's Denise van Outen points out the Lioness Club management should really hit it out of the park with Yasmin Verheijen as the next big thing at lightweight! She went 3-0 last year and losing to Alessandra Ambrosio afterwards shouldn't take away any credit whatsoever either. However here we are, Ann-Kathrin Brommel had made the most noise in recent months while Yasmin seems stuck in neutral waiting for her big opportunity to pounce at the divisional contenders.
The same can be said about Bianca Balti who somehow got passed over by Federica Nargi as the top Italian prospect in the division. Melissa Satta might have fallen out of Sirens' favor and Elisabetta Gregoraci has regressed but Bianca simply can't take advantage of the turmoil on the Italian boxing scene. This feels like a "winner-take-all" clash with the loser destined for a weird gatekeeping tenure going forward.
Yasmin Verheijen wears a pink bikini set & blue gloves. Long dark brown hair tied in a curled ponytail. Bianca Balti wears a navy blue bikini set & silver gloves. Long dark brown hair tied in a curled ponytail. The fight is scheduled for ten rounds in the lightweight division.
Round 1:
Yasmin flies into a hectic start and tries to outwork the lanky Italian but Bianca has other ideas and beats the fellow brunette over the top while tagging both temples in the process. She splits Yasmin's mitts much to the crowd's surprise and keeps blasting away in fury which forces the Dutch pageant to yield real estate in short order. Huh! Yasmin struggles to connect from the back foot and weaves around the ring as Balti maintains the high-octane pounce and traps her along the ropes come the final minute. She flicks immediate body assault pressure and harpoons Verheijen's midsection from both flanks which slumps the Dutchwoman into loud spasms at the bell!
Round 2:
Bianca finds more success punching Yasmin to the body which makes Lioness coach Mel B. look really upset as the Dutch stunner is simply unable to shake off the Italian's slugging pressure. This leads into a back & forth dispute that Bianca dominates through supreme power delivery as Yasmin skims off her forearms too often instead. She tries to catch the older model over the top however Balti moves away from the striking zone and poses immediate threat downstairs. Yasmin has to yield real estate again and spends the final minute in defensive retreat that allows Bianca to take the round on points with relative ease.
Round 3:
Yasmin tries to slug it straight up the Italian's chimney but eats a left hook on the nose and slumps on her heels while the older model crashes into her chest with a sudden burst of pure aggression. Yasmin clinches the fellow brunette in spooked fashion however Bianca still tears down into her midsection and pummels her onto the ropes where she resumes the high-octane slugging. Verheijen responds from behind the guard but just can't match the Italian's pace and gets spun onto the turnbuckle; Bianca rips a left hook on the nose before a quick harpoon on the solar plexus folds the Dutch brunette into loud spasms. More piercing shots dissect the breadbasket come the final minute where Balti dominates the subdued opponent to the point she's unlucky not to send her for the count!
Round 4:
Bianca jumps into a quick-fire attack hoping to cash in with her advantage but Yasmin manages to stay in the initial exchange and lands some crisp punches into the Italian's breasts. Both models engage in a furious back & forth attack where Bianca is unable to sustain the dominant position anymore further hampered by an accidental clash of heads. She still rips a left cross into Verheijen's mouth but gets chopped to the body thereafter as the younger brunette finally sticks her foot in the door with a meaningful rally. Yasmin thumps Bianca butt-in-ropes and gets vocal when she hammers in more harpoons to the body just before the bell.
Rounds 5 & 6:
The Verheijen comeback continues as she takes advantage of Bianca looking a little tired after that impressive burst at the start of the fight. She weathers the initial jabbing storm and then gradually outworks the Italian stunner to the point she dominates each of the final minutes with Balti trapped on the ropes and soaking more punishment. Bianca still rips a quick response over the top late in the sixth but Yasmin bangs a vicious cross double on the nose that leaves a bloody gash across the Italian's nasal ridge and the Barnet crowd totally loves that!
Round 7:
Bianca gets more desperate with some aerial swings as she tries to fend off another jabbing burst up the middle but runs into a wall early enough that Yasmin can flat out punish her and pummel onto the ropes instead. Ugh! Yasmin gets vocal as she lands more shots on target and drops Bianca behind a tight earmuff as the Italian response goes AWOL fast... Bianca hangs on well.. but then simply runs out of steam and gets rocked from side to side until the Dutch pageant SMOKES her with one hook on the jaw too many... DOWN GOES BALTI!!! The proud Italian just can't take further punishment anymore and slides onto her backside with that hollow look in her eyes. She stares down at the canvas and makes a very late effort to beat the count but remains on all fours when it eventually passes her by few seconds later. KO7 Yasmin Verheijen in come-from-behind fashion!!!
AFTER: That was a hard-fought victory for Yasmin who really looked all out of shape in the first three rounds. She got the desired result but the artistic impression value is what keeps holding her back from mounting a real challenge at the lightweight straps. Yasmin doesn't seem to care though and climbs the ropes to celebrate tonight's victory with the Barnet faithful chanting her name. Well, she is based in London full-time these days so that probably explains the cheerful reaction!
Official Result: Yasmin Verheijen def. Bianca Balti KO7.