Lorenza Saldano vs. Carmen Rodriguez - Mi Hermana y Yo

Carmen could almost hear her father’s voice in her head, telling her to regain focus, stick to the plan, keep her head straight. That had always been a problem in her earlier matches, focusing well enough to see the whole thing through. It was all too easy to get lost in the heat of the moment, and too many perfectly skilled, physically competent competitors wound up on the mat simply because the exchange took them away.

Of course, were Carmen’s father actually here, he’d have a very different reaction to what was going on at the moment. But that was a whole different matter.

For now, she kept forging forward, wanting to keep the pressure on her opponent, push her all the way back. She wound up taking a good shot in the face, one that had her head rocking back, but it was just a jab - even Lorenza’s weren’t enough to stop her all the way. As Lorenza fell back, Carmen came hard on her looking to close the gap before she’d have a chance to retaliate.

A good idea, in theory. In practice, things were a bit more complicated, and her opponent wound up recovering faster than Carmen anticipated, which meant she took another jab in the face before she could capitalize. Bad enough on its lonesome, but it paved the way for a hard hook that crashed into Carmen’s chest, stinging the ribs underneath.

With an audible croke, Carmen staggered back and put up a tight cross arm block, keeping her chest guarded tight and one eye poking out from behind a glove.

The two of them exchanged an opening cross-counter, then Carmen managed to fire off the next shot that managed to rock Lorenza back on her heels, leaving her flat-footed and allowing Carmen to close in on her, obviously looking to fire off her next salvo from a nice, intimate distance. But Lorenza was not a former world champ for nothing, and her lifetime of brawling in the streets, in the sheets, and in the ring had blessed her with impressive endurance. She rallied and came back at Carmen with a jab that stunned her for long enough that Lorenza's hook could come swinging around and drill the Puerto Rican beauty right in her ribs.

That got a surprisingly sexy croak out of Carmen as she fell back, putting up a tight, effective guard that definitely limited Lorenza's options as she moved forward again, looking for openings. She wouldn't try to dive in right away and leave herself open for a quick counter. She circled around to her right side, as if trying to flank Carmen, taking a second to catch her own breath after the intense action of the start of the round.

And then, well, she got right back to the intense action, albeit in more of an exploratory fashion, as she fired off a hard right jab that would drill straight into Carmen's arms, trying to keep them occupied, before quickly transitioning into a left hook which she tried to sneak around the side of her rival's defense, over her shoulder, and into the woman's cheek!

Carmen had been harboring a crush on Lorenza pretty much since they met, and not for the obvious reasons. Oh, the former champion had many admirable qualities - she was sexy, had great hair, the sweetest accent, was nice and down-to-earth, and the two of them just...fit. A good friend. A good person

But what drew her to Lorenza in the first? Her skills. She was just a damn good boxer.

Case in point.

Many boxers would’ve back off when the saw the cross-arm block, playing it safe, giving her space, rethinking her approach. Not her. Lorenza was a tigress, and when a wild animal like her saw weakness, she didn’t hesitate. No, she came in with teeth bared. Ready to eat.

In came a jab, one that packed enough power to rival many boxer’s straights. Carmen was able to get her guard up, block it, but even with that, there was no ignoring the crushing power. Her head rocked was rocked, she was forced back a step, barely managing to keep her footing.

But her head was clear, her mind was sharp, and that allowed her to be ready for the followup, a hook heading straight for her face. Ducking quick, she let it sail overhead, close enough that it would’ve brushed through her hair if she’d had any. Knowing the window she’d opened wouldn’t stay that way for long, Carmen was quick to make good use of it, shooting straight up and throwing her all into an uppercut aimed at her rival’s beautiful chin.

Lorenza knew she had to take risks to overcome Carmen, and risking counters by being aggressive—up to a point!—was just something that she had to do when in competition with her beautiful, powerful lover. Her jab slammed into that guard, forcing Carmen's gloves back against her face, forcing her back a step as the force of the punch rattled both of their skeletons. Lorenza felt good about the hook she threw next, knowing Carmen could not block it...

She could duck it, though. Even while her arms stayed in what was essentially the same position, she managed to get that bald head low enough that Lorenza's green glove whooshed just past it. And now it was Lorenza's turn to get hit. She barely had time to brace herself before that earth-shaking uppercut smashed directly into her chin, snapping her head upward and sending spit flying as her mouthguard nearly forced its way out from between her lips. "Uuunnfh!"

Lorenza stumbled backward, rocked by that blow, her feet moving uncertainly across the canvas as she nearly lost her footing. Eventually, she managed to spread her feet wide, plant them firmly, and shake it off, but she knew Carmen had the advantage now. The same as her gorgeous foe had done, she decided to put up her guard and let Carmen come to her, settling down into a slightly lower guard as she waited for that flawless fighter to come at her again.

There was nothing quite like the sensation of a well-landed strike. The sensation of a body giving way under the power of a punch, that reverberating impact, that sharp, shrill sound in the air, the way it moved through your entire body, all the way down to your toes.

As a boxer, Carmen had come to crave that sensation, hunger for it, and getting back into the gloves was like having a meal that she’d done without for years. It was time to feast, and there was no better person to do that with than Lorenza Saldano.

It was the tigress’ turned to take a defensive stance now, and Carmen looked to make the best of the situation with something special. Lorenza’s guard was everything you’d expect from an undefeated champion - tight, well-balanced, perfect stance. But that didn’t mean it was impenetrable.

Carmen threw out a left jab at it, but pulled it back just before the point of impact, making a quick feint. From there, she took half a step back, looking like she might back off, only to jerk forward and throw her other arm out. Not with a traditional right cross, though - she twisted her arm with this one, let it curve upwards in an arc, looking to shoot just over Lorenza’s lowered guard and hit her in the face. An overhand right, what her father like to call a ‘Shield Breaker’.

The two of them, Lorenza and Carmen, always so evenly matched, from the world championship ring to that old warehouse, knew all the tricks the other had in her bag. They were much older now, grizzled veterans in one way or another, and their matches were no longer about finding new ways to beat each other.

In some ways, they weren't even about winning. Lorenza would still put her body on the line to make sure Carmen was the one who went down for the count, but a blemish on her record was not the catastrophic moment it used to be. Not when it was to Carmen. Lorenza had learned to enjoy the finer details in each and every interaction: the glisten of sweat on bronze flesh, the clean smacking sound of leather against flesh.

The beautiful, blazing fire in Carmen's brown eyes.

Lorenza knew that Carmen was going to come at her hard, but she was ready to weather the storm. That left jab fell short, and the instant it did Lorenza's arms tensed up and she began to raise her gloves. She got them up fast enough to deflect Carmen's punch, but not in time to deflect it clear of her forehead. It smashed into her face just above her eyeline, still snapping her head back, forcing her back a couple more steps. The skin at the epicenter of the blow reddened, but there wasn't a cut, not yet. Lorenza stabilized herself after those two and then taking another big step back, trying to make enough room to begin circling around Carmen, ready to get back in this fight!

Direct hit. Kind of.

Carmen’s blow landed, but it didn’t quite have the snapping impact she was going for, didn’t drop Lorenza like she was aiming for. Not that she was expecting anything less from the famed tigress, but she’d used that move on seasoned boxers before and gotten downs with it. Just another reminder of the level they operated on.

Carmen shook it off, didn’t let it slow her pace as Lorenza beat a mild retreat. She was still in control of this match, had enough momentum to seize the reigns. The advantage was hers to work with. Had to press it.

”Nope!” Carmen slid in as Lorenza backtracked, quickly closing the gap. She ducked low and weaved back and forth, tracing an infinity symbol through the air with each step, making a moving target for Lorenza to strike at.

Left, right, left, right, hook! Carmen’s blow came out low and swift and hard, aimed at Lorenza’s ribs, an attempting to catch her in the side and slow her down, weaken those legs. That core was a thing of beauty, and the more damage she did to it, the harder it would be for Lorenza to take the offense or maintain the defense.

Lorenza tried to create some space, but Carmen was not about to let that happen. She kept moving in closer, closing the gap with every step Lorenza took to try to build it. Matching Lorenza's strides perfectly, coming in for another frontal assault. Lorenza was still sore from the last one, and she knew that she would not be able to fire back until she survived this storm. She braced herself, summoning as much energy as she could, letting her mind track Carmen's movements, waiting for the perfect opening...

Carmen came in low, firing hooks from the left and the right, aiming for Lorenza's ribs! The Mexican woman blocked the first, blocked the second, took the third, and then, as the fourth came at her left flank...Lorenza would step into it, letting the glove land solidly in her midsection, hissing through her mouthguard as she felt the pain of the direct hit radiate through her body.

It was part of her plan. As she stepped into the punch, she stepped forward, trying to get inside that glove, leaving Carmen wide open for a counter. Lorenza didn't waste time, firing a hard haymaker with her left right at Carmen's nose, trying to take advantage of the gap in her lover's defenses to bludgeon her face and get back in this fight!

It was a testament to Lorenza’s skill that, despite all the times they fought and the matches they’d have and the countless hours they’d spent studying each others’ moves, this woman could still surprise Carmen. Still had some tricks that could take her off guard.

Whereas most women would have retreated when they took an onslaught like this, Lorenza simply responded to aggression with more aggression, giving as good as she got. Carmen was greeted with a heavy punch, a blow that slammed into her face with that trademark Saldano force. The crowd roared at the impact, cheering as Carmen was thrown back, expecting the tide to change once again.

Well, she was off a mind to disappoint them.

Planting her feet hard, Carmen resisted the urge to retreat, standing her ground, letting her opponent come in. Once the gap was closed, she weaved towards Lorenza, but she didn’t only do that - as she came in, she threw a hard hook at her face, using the momentum to deliver her weight behind the blow. When it connected, she quickly jerked to the side and weaved back again, repeating the same motion from the other side.

Building a rhythm. Establishing a pace. Getting ready...

Lorenza didn't relish the thought of taking a full-force Carmen hook right into her ribs, but with the opportunity to land a hard straight right to her lover's face, she felt like she got the better of the exchange, as she threw Carmen backward, her balance a little bit shaken. Lorenza stepped forward to follow her, only wincing slightly as she felt the developing bruise on her side protest the sudden explosive movement.

Carmen wasn't ready to take her turn being beaten, though. She didn't retreat any further than where the punch threw her, and, with Lorenza coming in hard, the two of them were set to collide with plenty of violence. Lorenza was already firing a hard hook to the side of Carmen's chest when Carmen's hook smashed into her face, snapping her head to the side, sending sweat and spit flying. Lorenza definitely felt that, but she wasn't going to slow down, either. Her next punch flew right up into Carmen's face, a left hook slamming into the beautiful Puerto Rican woman's cheek, as Carmen's next hook landed cleanly, too, Lorenza groaning as she felt the bruises on her face starting to pile up, starting to make her cheeks swell and pinch her eyes, nose, and mouth.

She could sense the rhythm Carmen was getting into, the many, many hours they had spent training together putting a genuine sense of foreboding into the Mexican boxing queen as Carmen seemed to be building up her energy. But Lorenza didn't intend to lose her own cadence, either, as she twisted her body to the left and aimed to fire off a right uppercut into Carmen's chin, planning to interrupt Carmen's movement and kill what she was planning before it really began!