Klinefelters dominate the ring
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The Klinefelter sisters' search for worthy adversaries continues.
Katy and Emily Klinefelter wanted to greet greater challenges in their professional bouts with fists of stone Aug. 27 at the Johnson County Fairgrounds.
Rather than test or even prevail over the undefeated Klinefelter sisters, the Hill sisters from Arkansas served as a vehicle for the Iowa City natives to showcase their punching power and all-round boxing assets.
Then again, a win is never a bad thing.
"It was really fun," Iowa alumnus Emily Klinefelter said. "That was the best knockout I've ever had. The other fights that have been stopped, I overwhelmed [my opponents] with a barrage of punches. It felt really good to drop someone with a hard, clean shot."
Klinefelter (8-0) disposed of Savanna Hill in the first round of the fight with over a minute to spare. Savanna Hill's trainer threw a white towel of surrender at the ring after witnessing the unadulterated destructive powers of Klinefelter's boxing craft.
But unlike past matches in which shestruck fear into her nemesis' heart with a tornado of punches, her style was more controlled and calculated — the sign of a boxer's maturation.
"I really tried to pick my shots," she said. "I missed some at first, but I settled into things once I got my right range … I was pretty conservative with how many punches I was throwing."
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The 26-year-old estimated that she threw approximately 30 punches in the one-round dismantling of Hill.
One explanation for her more efficient work rate was the shedding of some extra pounds she accumulated while training over the past few years.
"I started my pro career at 118 [pounds], and then I … fought at 130 for a while," Klinefelter said. "It actually helped me to get fights … but I took some hard shots, and my power wasn't as much at the higher weight."
Like Emily Klinefelter, Katy Klinefelter, 22, showed the dominance and command over the ring necessary to succeed as a fighter and improved her professional record to 6-0.
Although the fight went the distance, the younger Klinefelter's opponent, Kerri Hill, spent less time swinging leather and more time hugging her face with her gloves in an attempt to control the damage.
After six rounds of bossing her opponent around the ring, Katy Klinefelter's hand was raised by way of unanimous decision.
"It was a tough fight," said Katy Klinefelter, a senior at Iowa. "I've never fought all rounds before so I was a little nervous about that, but I ended up doing pretty well each round."
She also said that the fight improved her confidence, but not just because it was another win on her resume.
"If you get all knockouts early [in your career] and you don't get that experience of going a lot of rounds, it's really tough mentally and physically when you've been put in that situation for the first time," she said.
Adam Pollack, who trains both Klinefelter sisters, said Katy Klinefelter's work in the ring showed him that she is a smart boxer capable of enduring through tough times to find success.
"I was really impressed with the way she adjusts to her opponent," he said. "I thought that she did better each round. She's like a fine wine: She gets better with age."
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