Romney and Obama put up their dukes

Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier fought three epic fights, and this fall Barack Obama and Mitt Romney will duke it out in three presidential debates.

However, for folks in Tampa at this week's Republican National Convention who don't want to wait that long to mix up their politics and boxing, there's a small tabletop concession where they can get the next best thing to a ringside seat.

Squirreled away from the convention floor on a sidewalk outside a nearby hotel, one can plunk down $20 for a tight-lipped, but smiling Romney doll and $20 more for a big-toothed grinning President Obama figure each adorned with boxing gloves. And they fight.

Creator Lynn Armstrong of Sarasota says you can call them bobbleheads, but they function more like hand puppets with quick jabs ready to knockout whatever comes in their way.

"Our puppets were created to provide comic relief and to soften the blow of the political battleground," Armstrong says on her website punchingpoliticians.com

If the fight between Romney and Obama was measured in sales, the president would have thrown in the towel, as this week's Republican star this has scored a decisive blow this week. Though in true boxing fashion, Armstrong didn't rule out the possibility of a rematch in Charlotte next week.

"Maybe one time Obama wins, maybe the next time Mitt wins," lawyer Michael Anderson said after buying one of each. Anderson was quick to point out that he runs a bipartisan law office in Washington D.C. and didn't want to show any partisan favor.

The dolls are made from a foam material similar to what is used in stress relief balls. There are also dolls for Ron Paul, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum, plus the elephant and donkey party mascots. Armstrong says one man from California bought all seven dolls.

Noticeably absent from the main sales table is a Paul Ryan doll. Armstrong said she didn't have time to put in a production order of the GOP's vice presidential nominee. But she did hand make ten of them that go for $100 each.