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Before: McAdams making a late bid for Fighter of the Year via acceptance of Jennifer Connelly's longstanding challenge - Rachel fighting one of the toughest schedules in boxing, in establishing herself atop the bantam division. "I'm a little banged up," Rachel grins, "but I'm getting used to it - nobody's holding back anything when they face me now. What can I say about Jennifer Connelly? She's the most complete fighter I've faced - she's a legend and I can't wait to match wits and mitts with her."
Connelly 100% focused on regaining her belts - they just don't look right on Rachel's side of the dais. "I love the way Rachel held canvas against Dani and Neve," Jen admits, "and the way she handled Alba was exactly what a real champion should do with a pretender like that. Is she a little over-rated at this point? Maybe - but it's understandable. I don't think she's as physical as Evangeline Lilly, and I'm not sure she's got as much raw ability as some - but I'm not knocking her. Rachel's done more with her talent than most, and that's truly impressive."
Jen in white suede western-motif bikini (fringes), tan boxing moccasins, white gloves, long black battle braid. Rachel in sport-cut bikini - maple leaf top, solid red bottoms; red gloves with broad white knuckle-bars; white aerobics shoes/socks.
During R1: Rachel into Jen with robust rights and lefts amidships - Connelly loping away from the shots, gloves up as champ's fists thump loud off pale ribcage. Minute mark - RIPPING counter right uppercut, Connelly to Rachel - MCADAMS IS HURT! Rachel staring, glassy eyed as she wanders away in a fog - ON COMES JEN! Connelly jabbing Rache to ropes, then stroking her swingeing (not swinging - "swingeing") bodyshots - lashing at the ribs and tummy as MacAdams groans, buckles. Rachel clinching down the stretch, hugging Jen close for ref's breaks - Connelly treating the body-banging champ to a dose of her own medicine in the first!
R2: Jen's sharpshooting still prevailing - Rachel trying to work her way forward, crouching behind her jab - but Connelly in complete control midring. Jab busting Rachel alarmingly on the face - setting up slicing right crosses and vicious left hooks in the ribs: maybe the best body shots Jen's thrown in two years. McAdams repeatedly forced to back away, elbows in to her ribs, face grimacing - Connelly CONFIDENTLY walking Rachel down, touching her, then crippling her downstairs as McAdams fades down the stretch.
R3: Rachel showing her resilience - she's able to sustain her attack this round, double up the jab and fight off Jen's chest. Connelly refusing to back up - buttocks trembling as she digs toned legs into canvas to push against stocky Rachel - girls beating each other's ribs and tummies with frightening commitment in between shoving sessions. Rachel tousle-scrubbing very aggressively, pushing Jen's face side to side; Rache digging right/lefts nice n' tight to breadbasket, staying low and crouched-down against Jen. Connelly answering with right uppercuts scraped against the bars of Rachel's guard, and strapping body shots placed thick below and around McAdams elbows. Brutal, hardhearted stuff - Rachel able to bang out points at last as she starts to negotiate in earnest.
R4: More of it - Rachel closing on Jen fast, pushing inside as Jen digs in to deny McAdams forward progress. OH the bodypunching - both women just absolutely lambasting the other with torrid rips - waistlines and ribs sounding out with tortured spanks as girls take turns splashing on the hurt. Two minutes of hot tossing not enough to establish Alpha, but in the third: Connelly visibly wilts as Rachel surges against brunette's creeping paralysis. Happens in stages: Jennifer grimacing, stops punching; Jennifer getting walked back, slugged brutally about her hips and stomach as Rachel pushes forward. Finally - Connelly steps away, turns to her right and takes a wincing, veteran knee, mouth open to gasp at air as McAdams strides past hard-eyed.
R5: Jennifer's hurt, but defiant: Rachel presses her attack all along the ring aprons this round. Long, sustained offensive as Jen slides to her right along ropes - Rache pushing in with her forehead, stepping-with and laying down a numbing barrage to the hips, arms, ribs, chest and tummy of her foe. Connelly mouth breathing, hunching forward - her hands loose, pulling at Rachel's head, trying to control champ's upperbody. McAdams doing a great job keeping hands free - bobbing her torso, elbows tight to her body, then ripping her shots - jarring 3 punch bursts shake Connelly's Oscar-winning chassis. Rachel going relentlessly to the midsection, but occasionally clippin'-and-cloutin' to the chin - tidy uppercuts and hooks systematically lumping Jen up as she tilts forward.
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Connelly/McAdams Title Bout
Posted by simguy on 12/2/2006, 9:59 am
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R6: Jen rights the ship, initiating plan B. Pumping jab keeps Rachel out at arm's length - Connelly stepping primarily to the left, but occasionally to the right, just to keep Rache guessing. Jen using the ring, dropping right hands with sudden, abrupt chops off the jab - Rachel's getting clipped clean and stung by these shots. McAdams jabbing-with, leaning into right hands ticketed for Jen's chin - both women taking each other's power-stroke very well. Connelly's footwork the difference - she outboxes Rachel in the sixth.
R7: For two minutes, Jennifer Connelly bounces jabs and right hands off Rachel's pate - brunette sidestepping, spearing her girl like trout in a barrel. Third minute, furious trade in toe-to-toe rights and lefts sees Jen pull back starry-eyed from a hook on her jaw, step into a fence-post hole and suddenly go loose-limbed with hurt! Opportunistic Rachel pounces as soon as Jen's hands cover her temples - CRUNCHING rights and lefts in tight-swiping arcs to ribs cripple Jen on the spot. Crowd groaning in sympathy as Connelly absorbs hell to her torso - former champ stooped forward behind her mitts, soaking up a brutal thumping. RIGHT UPPERCUT - SOLAR PLEXUS! Gigantic bodyshot catches Connelly up underneath - she spits out her mouthpiece 'POOOH!' - eyes clamped tight in pain as McAdams buries home her hardest shot of the night, weight on that sturdy right leg. Connelly tip-toeing forward, but refusing to go down - Rachel back on the ribs with workmanlike left and right roundhouses, pulverizing stubborn brunette to the bell. McAdams steals a Jen-Connelly round - champ pumping her fist en-route to her corner, bopping with growing confidence as Jennifer limps back into port.
Break: Tech corner splashing water on Jen, rubbing her thighs - Connelly mouth open, shopworn, but iron-willed: eyes still hard, alert despite the dreadful pounding she's absorbed.
R8: Rachel does it to Jen again - Connelly in command of the first two minutes, easily and cleanly boxing Rache midring - big banging hook onna chin unhinges Jen's knees in the final minute. McAdams cut over her left eye, but barrelling into Jen's chest with gusto - she stampedes Connelly to ropes, headbutts her unintentionally, then goes to town with a robust thump-down. Jen digging in face-in-gloves, legs in a shaky A-frame stance - she's SOAKING it up from Rachel, refusing to give MacAdams satisfaction. Tight-punching champ just SMASHING at torso and arms - digging her rights and lefts up underneath to get at the belly and solar plexus - swingeing attrition having a withering effect on the proud former champ in the 8th. Bell: Rachel turning away from smouldering Connelly with a big smile - McAdams pumping her fist, feeling Jen succumbing bit by bit through 8.
R9: Jen resolute - she had the 7th and 8th rounds won with her jab, she sticks with it, reopening the cut over Rachel's left eye. Pumping poke ; world-class poke: Jennifer just pounding away at McAdams, then sidestepping to turn the champion midring. McAdams unable to hurt Jen this round - coming up short on right crosses and glancing her hook off Jen's right shoulder - Connelly pitches the shutout and lumps Rache up classy in the 9th.
R10: Rachel bobbing, weaving, jabbing out of her crouch - she's knocking her knuckles at Jen's face, backing the brunette up. HARD right cross swivels Jen's head, drives her sideways into ropes - McAdams following up with a brace of shattering body shots to sit Jen huuurrrrt in the ropes. Connelly exhausted, badly broken down, but refusing to quit: every time it looks like the younger beauty is imposing her will, Jen flurries with a sharp right uppercut/hook in the jaw/hook in the ribs combo to wow the crowd. Hammer and tongs - Rachel besieging Jen at the ropes - Connelly sallying forth in spots to deny McAdams time and again. Crowd's on its feet at the bell as these two trade smashing blows until ref actually physically separates them. Comes back UD10 for the winner and STILL champ - Rachel McAdams!
AFter: Rachel gets it done - adding Jennifer Connelly's name to the growing list of high-profile former champs and top contenders harvested during this break-out championship run.
"She nicked me for a decision when we first fought," Rachel gushes in postfight, "now I've returned the favour. I would have LOVED to have stopped her tonight - I know I had her going several times, but Jennifer Connelly is special - she just wouldn't give in to me. I couldn't BELIEVE it when she came out slugging in the first round! Who else but Jen changes things up like that?"
Connelly all banged up, but gracious in defeat, hugging the champ and lingering beside her while commenting on camera. "I underestimated Rachel," Jennifer shrugs sheepishly, wincing still from throbbing ribs. "I thought I could outbang her to the body - and I did for a while - but I let her get underneath me and get position on me and that probably cost me the fight. I can handle her inside, but I do have to make some adjustments. She fought very well tonight - I take nothing away from her - but when we settle accounts with the rubber match, I think I've seen what needs to be done to put me back on top."
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