MASHANTUCKET, Conn.-- Nearly three years to the day of their signature match up that produced WBAN “Fight of the Year” accolades, Jamie Clampitt and Jane Couch, staged another memorable outing.

Last night at Foxwoods Casino, Clampitt garnered the IWBF Lightweight crown with a 100-90, 98-92, 98-92 , ten-round decision over the Bristol, England native in a bout that could accurately be characterized as a proverbial tale of two halves.

Clampitt secured the win with a near mistake-free, opening five rounds, before holding off the veteran champion’s late-round surge.

Clampitt advanced her record to 18-4-1 with 7 KO’s while Couch dropped to 28-10 (9 KO) on the co-feature of the nationally televised contest. Peter Manfredo, Jr. of The Contender fame captured a victory against Portland, Oregon’s David Banks in the other co-feature.

Couch prevailed 96-95, 96-94, 96-94, in the last meeting between the pair.

The opening two stanzas had been rather pedestrian, when compared to their last meeting in the ring in June of 2004, but Clampitt got the best of two last second exchanges in both the third and fourth rounds.

“I felt really fast,” said Clampitt. “I think her being bigger and leaning on me in the middle rounds, those were probably my weakest rounds, but I went back to using my speed and boxing a little bit more in the last couple of rounds. Once I went back to my game plan, it seemed to work for me.”

“The scoring was a bit off,” said Couch of the decision. “I can’t believe I lost every round and all that. We’re away from home and I didn’t expect to get anything and she boxed a good fight but I thought I got in a lot of clean shots and I had a few cracking rounds from the sixth, on. What can you do?

Couch, 38, clearly closed out the fight in a fashion that was fitting of a multiple world title holder as she got the better of the final four minutes. For Clampitt, the scenario and tactics of the first fight were long forgotten. “I think my speed (was the key),” said Clampitt. “Last time I stayed in front of her and slugged. In the beginning rounds, I was definitely boxing and moving to show her that I was a totally different fighter.”

Both fighters proved to be animated in the middle rounds with Clampitt utilizing a crisp right and Couch displaying her straight-ahead signature style.

“I’ve come here twice to fight in her hometown,” said Couch, alluding to a third showdown with the Canadian native. “Now it’s time for her to come to England and fight me.”

“I don’t underestimate Jane Couch-she’s a warrior,” Clampitt said of Couch’s dogged ability to work her way back into the mix. “She’s been doing this for a long time-she’s been in there with everybody. She’s a skilled fighter who knows how to keep coming at you.”

In an under card bout which opened the festivities, New York City native Addy Irizarry took her second victory in the span of a week in a TKO over Domesha Allen just 16 seconds of the opening round.

Irizarry wasted little time in taking advantage of the inexperience of Allen, a native of Wilson, North Carolina. Irizarry (137 lb.), a Connecticut prison guard opened with a body shot, forcing Allen into the corner and followed with a right up top that prompted Allen to turn away, prompting referee Steve Smoger to signal the end of the bout. “Not what I expected, “said Irizarry of the inactivity of her opponent. “I thought she would swing.”

Allen (133 lb.) dropped to 0-2 in her career while Irizarry, who felled Tiffany Lucas at 35 ticks of the first round in their fight last weekend upped her slate to 2-1. “I’ve been training a lot for the past two fights. I want to try and get better fights and take it as far as I can go because I’m 36 and will be 37 in July. I’m getting older but I’m still young at heart,” said Irizarry.

 

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