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Photo credit: Sports Illustrated |
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While the undercard was fairly even, this fight looks, at least on paper, to be a mismatch. It pits Stefani Pogue, a 5'10" former college basketball player and professional MMA fighter, against the 5'4" RoxannaPinotti. But in chessboxing, brawn can easily lose to brains, so anything is possible.
McGregor brings the fighters to the chess board and signals it's time to begin. After a slow start that primarily involves swapping of a few pawns, the women switch to boxing. It's here that Pogue's sizable reach advantage and fighting experience allow her to easily land solid blows to Pinotti's face. But the Argentinian battles, herself landing some nice body shots.
After the round of boxing is done, the chessboard is brought back to the ring. But unlike the first fight when quiet would overtake the room, the crowd is much more rambunctious during the chess rounds. Many begin to chant, "Chess! Chess! Chess!" and after Pinotti swipes Pogue's bishop, a Bronx cheer of "No more bishop!" echoes through the room.
Pogue later explains that it's these elements that make chessboxers "feel like you're in a circus. It's kind of like 'Alice in Wonderland.' It's surreal…the whole thing is odd, which makes it kind of fun."
As the fight continues, it's clear that Pogue is dominating her smaller competitor both in the ring and on the table. And at the end of the seventh round, Pogue has Pinotti right where she wants her. With a pronouncement of "check and mate!" from Mahowald, Pogue (and her charity, the Kilimanjaro Orphanage) is declared the winner. |
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W | L |
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Pogue wins via chess - checkmate (Round 7) |
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