By Kirk Lang
Sept. 25, 2004 -FedEx Forum – Memphis, TN – (Undercard bout of the IBF light heavyweight championship fight between Glen Johnson and Roy Jones Jr.)
In a women’s bout that was entertaining while it lasted, Cristy “Code Red” Nickel, 158, of Southaven, MS, raised her record to 4-1 (4) with a first-round stoppage of Kim Caplena, 162, of Fort Smith, AK, at the 1:39 mark.
It was entertaining largely because Caplena, the taller fighter, displayed no kind of skills whatsoever. She looked like she had never even stepped inside a boxing gym before to learn how to throw basic punches. At one point before the bout was stopped, she was laughing, perhaps failing to realize the crowd was laughing at her, not with her.
“Code Red,” who has spiky red hair, had better boxing technique, but in the early going, both looked sloppy. Nickel and Caplena each tried to hit one another with flailing hands while leaning their heads and upper bodies back. Eventually, Nickel landed a big right hand. Moments
later, another right to the head dropped Caplena. She got up, only to get floored by another right hand. Caplena, 0-2, rose to her feet, but referee Alan Lovell felt she would have been in serious danger if he had let it go on, so he stopped the fight.
For Caplena, who fought wearing a tank top with a “Superman” insignia, the loss marks the second time in two months she has been unable to make it out of the first round.
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