Posted by simguy on 10/18/2008

Before: "I think Jennifer's kind of - not quite, but kind of - yesterday's news," Missy shrugs, trying to be diplomatic. "She's had some great brawls - mostly with her hips - but seriously, I just don't know if she's still got the juice to take out a fighter like me. I'm not as lazy as Jessica Alba - I keep my hands up - you don't just step in and chin-check me, you know? I think it's going to be a long night for Jen: lot of miles on her odometer, plus she's a lot shorter and slower than me. If I were fight-planning on her side, I'd really be stumped, because honestly, there's just no plan for her to use." Hewitt unruffled: nothing Peregrym could say would rattle a veteran like JLH. "Short girls have been beating up tall girls forever," Jen says matter of fact. "It's a disadvantage: I'll deal with it. Once I get past Missy's jab, her advantage evaporates: I'M the one in charge inside. So let's not rush to judgment here: Missy's a strong young fighter, she'll probably be heading for lightweight soon with her good size and talent, but she's still just a girl with two arms, two legs, and one chin. I say let's fight and see what happens." Hewitt in purple lace push up with dark purple straps, purple panties with dark purple waistband; black gloves. Missy in cobalt blue bikini; white gloves.

During R1,2,3: Tactical negotiations under way. Missy wants distance - uses her legs to create space, but then goes flat-footed to allow punching authority as Jen comes forward. Missy dukes up, chin tucked - she's rifling out the stiff jab, pivoting smartly left around it, keeping the fight midring. Hewitt bobbing and weaving, mitts collected at her mouth: she's staying low, trying to penetrate - finding that last 3 feet very tough treading indeed. Peregrym so accurate with straight punches - so non-anticipatory, just twitching the shots off her shoulders, weight on her front foot as she bangs away. Jen jabbing her way inside, then scrubbing, guilty of more than a few elbow follow-throughs on tight-punching combos. Missy trying to pick Jen up with uppercuts in these rounds - grazing contact only as Hewitt's reading them well: these punches DO complicate Jennifer's approach however, helping to keep her outside. Feeling out heats go to Missy: her legs, her agenda dictating terms through 3.

R4: Missy starts to land the left uppercut jagged off that front (left) foot - just dipping forward, snatching it tart off jug and chin. Hewitt staggered a minute in, straightening up and stepping out in confusion: quick-pouncing Missy steps-with, drilling the right cross to chin. Head swivel Jennifer - DOWN SHE GOES: Hewitt scoots to her rear all startled, punched to her rump by opportunistic champ. Jen up quickly - buzzed, but serviceable: she rallies well off the ropes when Peregrym comes for her. Hewitt bobbing on the spot as Missy swoops in. Swift exchanges as Peregrym rakes right hand leads/left uppercut clean-ups; Jen countering hooks out of her crouch, biting a nifty little right uppercut off Missy's solar plexus. Peregrym presses hard, but can't break Jen down: Hewitt fighting with badger-like intensity, defends the pocket, denies Peregrym her finishing run.

R5: Missy doubling up the jab, weight on her front foot as she tilts forward, then looks for tight, jerking little left uppercuts to Jen's jugs. Conscientious rack-attack a deliberate choice - Missy dippin'-n'-diggin' with snappy rips to the beef of Hewitt. Jennifer dismayed early as her bra gets bounced - but crafty veteran starts to gamble, laying her jugs out there, tempting uppercuts out of Missy, then looking to counter. Hewitt able to bounce several clean, short right hands off Peregrym's chin as Missy's preoccupied with picking up bra - forcing Missy to abandon that aggressive front-leg attack posture. Latter half the round, Missy shows respect, pumps her jab, sidesteps her foe. Jennifer again forced to come forward, bobbing and weaving, paying the price to get inside and scrub.

R6: Jennifer's lumping up. Hewitt stubborn, determined, but having a hell of a time closing distance. Peregrym leggy, but never running: pleasing balance of footwork and well-balanced punching has Jennifer wary. Missy's jab a shocker: pounding off head and shoulders - even moving Hewitt backwards when it lands flush on face. Missy's left uppercut jagged and heavy, picking Jen up when it connects. Missy's right hands straight and sudden - often erupting off her shoulder after a slow, teasing torso-roll from Peregrym. One such right hand catches Jennifer square on the face halfway through: Hewitt's legs give - she steps away, then takes a knee rather than risk slugging woozy. Jen recovers well, proving gritty under pressure on the apron: Missy rakes Jen savagely, but can't break Hewitt's good crouching defence through 6.

R7: Change of tack for Jen: she's been trying to work her way in - now she hangs back, lures Missy forward, trying to get Peregrym to give up height. Missy stalking her prey, leaning forward to strafe Jen one-twos: Hewitt bobbing low, pivoting to either side, banking the odd body shot in exchange. Minute mark Jen slips under a straight left; slides her right (back) foot back and stays low as Missy's right hand misses over top - then Jen straightens, shifts weight to right foot while pulling the hook across - SMASHING Missy across the face. Peregrym stunned - she stumbles forward past Jen's left flank and CLATTERS TO ALL FOURS! Heavy shot with all of Hewitt's curves behind it drops lanky champ: Missy wide-eyed on hands and knees, trying to make sense of it all. Shaky 8, Peregrym: ON COMES JEN! Hewitt finally enjoying her first moments atop Missy at ropes - squirming in close to fight off taller girl's chest. Good, good thump applied to Peregrym's waist as Jen straps it back and forth, then dips either shoulder to clip short uppercuts through to chin. Missy catching clout - long legs shabby as she's repeatedly checked: Peregrym hangs on, ties up hurt, gets out of the round as Jennifer bangs back into the fight.

R8,9: Missy on her bicycle - but still with that knack of setting down flat foot to punch as Jennifer's trying to be aggressive. Hewitt nailed repeatedly coming in: the left uppercut; the right cross; the stiff left jab. Peregrym able to move, use the ring, but never appear a runner: she's preempting Jen, stabilizing the front, restoring order as Hewitt's jailbreak is contained. Jennifer puffy-faced, getting banged up - but she has to press, knows she's well behind at this point. Target practice for Missy - she punishes Hewitt, dropping shots on Jennifer that have definitely hurt or even stopped other bantams. Jen drops both rounds trying to get back to Missy's ribcage: Peregrym gets herself together, lands several gorgeous right hands down the pike to wobble Jen at several points throughout both rounds.

R10: Again Jen hangs back, drawing Missy to her: Peregrym gives up height - slugging ensues. Jen doing well when she can slip, make Missy miss, then tag her before Peregrym can get tall again. Missy chopped on her chin, breasts and waist - she's taking a good shot, but still shocked to see Hewitt be so effective. Missy loosening up - willing to swap licks: she's dipping shoulders, lapping Alba-esque uppercuts, trying to check Jen out. Pleasing, high-contact trading - both women accepting right hands on jaws without flinching - answers usually coming promptly back after every question. Round ends with Missy picking Jen up a short right uppercut inside; Jen clouting Missy a short right cross receipt, then Hewitt landing a hook for luck, late - bringing in the ref. Comes back UD10 for the winner and STILL champ - Missy Peregrym.

After: Peregrym's size proves decisive - but Jennifer showing grit and tactical savvy that was sorely missing from the first half of her career. Hewitt clearly evolving into a well-rounded, heavy handed little slugger at this point. "I couldn't get her out of there," a scuffed up Missy admits in postfight. "Every time I tried to up the pressure, she answered, and I had to go back to my jab to regroup. She couldn't break down my jab, that was the main thing: I could have won with just that punch - but I wanted to give the fans their money's worth, you know? But Jen's tough: every time I thought I had her, she'd firm up, dig down and fight me off. You're thinking I should have taxed her body more - and you're right - but I couldn't get there: Hewitt's very tough to dig at downstairs for a tall fighter." When asked about plans to move up in weight to confront Kaley, Erica, Ali Larter, Ashley Scott and the like - Missy is coy. "I do feel like I've accomplished just about everything I can at bantam, except one thing: I want to level Jessica Alba. That's really the big fight for me - the money fight - it would be pretty hard for me to move up without taking care of Jessica's business first."