number1contender.net

ESPN Wednesday Night Fights

June 20, 2007

Foxwoods Resort Casino-Mashantucket, Connecticut

International Women's Boxing Federation (IWBF) Junior Welterweight (140 pounds) 10-Round Championship Match:

Jaime Clampitt (17-4-1, 7 KO's, 136 pounds) vs. Jane Couch (28-9, 9 KO's, 139 pounds)

This title is currently vacant. It was last held by Couch who defeated the champion who defeated Clampitt by unanimous decision, for it on June 12, 2004, in the Ring Magazine Women's Match of the Year for 2004. Couch never defended the title, leaving it vacant. It was decided Clampitt would face another former champion, Eliza Olson, to determine a new title holder in December 2004. That match ended in a draw, and in the greatness only found in professional boxing, the title has gone vacant and uncontested, for the last 2.5 years.

Clampitt has held this title twice before. At 30-years-old, the Rhode Island native will be the crowd favorite. Her loss in their first match, may be partially attributable to Clampitt's focus being divided with the news of her trainer passing away, two days before the match. Clampitt has had problems with injuries to her right hand. She had surgery on the hand last September. Clampitt's last match was a 10 round unanimous decision victory in February, versus Mia St. John, in Providence Rhode Island.

Couch won this title from Clampitt via 10 round unanimous decision. The boxer from Bristol, England may suffer from jet lag in this match and that could be a factor. Age may also be a factor, Couch is now 38-years-old. She will have the height advantage, standing 5' 7" tall, compared to Clampitt's 5' 6" tall. Couch has been a pioneer in women's boxing, successfully suing the British Boxing Board to give her a boxing license, beginning the licensing process for female boxers in Britain. That allowed her to have her first professional match in Britain, in October 1994. Couch has had problems with cuts, being opened up in her last two matches. Couch's last match was a 10 round unanimous decision loss to top boxer Holly Holm in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in September 2006.

The differences between a women's boxing match and a men's boxing match is that the rounds are 2 minutes in length, instead of the usual 3 minutes. Also, the WIBF mandates that championship matches be 10 rounds instead of the usual 12 round matches of men's title contests.

Round 1 is somewhat hard to score with the shorter rounds making the job much harder. Clampitt wins round 1, 10-9. The Rhode Island boxer is showing much greater speed in round 2, then her opponent.  Clampitt takes round 2, 10-9. Round 3 goes to Clampitt, 10-9. Teddy Atlas has the match scored exactly the same as I do to this point. After three rounds we have Clampitt ahead on our cards, 30-27.

Clampitt wins round 4, 10-9. Round 5 goes to Clampitt, 10-9. Couch has faced elite competition for years, losing to all of them, and all of that punishment may be catching up to her in this match.  After 5 rounds, Atlas has Clampitt ahead, 49-46. He gave round 4, to Couch. The first 30 seconds of round 6 did not air, because of a replay and excessive commercials. Round 6 is a good round for Couch and difficult to score, but Clampitt still did a little more damage. I doubt all of the judges will have it this way, but Clampitt wins round 6, 10-9. Through 6 rounds, I have Clampitt ahead, 60-54. In round 6, Couch out landed Clampitt 31 to 23. Seeing the first 30 seconds would have likely reversed my score, but I have to judge on what I saw, even though it now appears completely wrong.

Clampitt is not using her speed advantage at the same level as in the early rounds. Couch wins round 7, 10-9. Punch Track numbers have Couch landing on average 28 head shots in rounds 6 and 7, compared to Clampitt who averaged 17 in that same time frame. Through the first 5 rounds Couch averaged 16 punches to the head landed per round and Clampitt averaged 21 punches. Through 7 rounds, Atlas has the match scored for Clampitt, 68-65. He gave round 7 to Couch and round 6 to Clampitt. My total score through 7 rounds has Clampitt ahead, 69-64. Clampitt wins round 8 barely, 10-9. The action has really picked up with both boxers trading punches. Through 8 rounds, I have Clampitt leading, 79-73.

To start round 9 Clampitt's left eye is beginning to swell, but is unlikely to effect her at this late point in the match. Clampitt has been standing in front of Couch for the last several rounds instead of using her speed, which is a good way to lose. Clampitt still probably wins round 9, 10-9. Couch will have the opportunity at a knockout in round 10, if Clampitt continues to stand in front of the veteran. Through 9 rounds, Atlas has the match scored 87-85. He scored round 8, 10-10, and round 9 in favor of Couch, 10-9. Round 9 saw Couch out land Clampitt, 30 to 29. Through 9 rounds, Clampitt has landed 248 punches and Couch has landed 224 punches. Clampitt threw an astounding 100 punches, in the 2 minute long, round 10. Clampitt wins round 10, 10-9. On my scorecard, Clampitt wins, 99-91. Atlas' final scorecard had Clampitt winning round 10, 10-9, and the match, 97-94.

The official decision from the judges scorecards is: 98-92, 98-92, 100-90, all for the winner by unanimous decision, and once again, for the third time, International Women's Boxing Federation Junior Welterweight Champion of the World, Jaime "The Hurricane" Clampitt.  (The ring announcer gave an incorrect name for the championship (WIBF) when reading the decision.)  The win moves Clampitt to 18-4-1, with 7 of those wins coming by way of knockout.

The final Punch Track numbers are that Couch threw 657 punches, landing 251 of them, which was good for a 38% connect percentage. Clampitt threw 740 punches, and landed 286 of them, good for a 39% connect percentage.

This was a very good women's match and both of these women are worth seeing on television, again.

This was a good show from start to finish. Not a must watch, but if stumbled upon is worth watching.  This was the SmackDown! of boxing events.