Posted by Simguy on 04/23/2005

Before: "I was disgusted," Vicki Pratt says of Biel's shameful postfight shenanigans on a helpless Cat Bell, "there's no excuse for that kind of behavior. Look - I expect to punish Cat in this fight and stop her - that's my plan, that's what I've trained for. It'll be huge for me, beating Cat the way Jessica did, but that's where the similarities end. Cat Bell's an institution in this league and I have nothing but mad respect for her - win, lose, or draw."

Bell still tender about the punishment received, anxious to show she can still hold her own with the new crop of muscular lights. "I wanted Vicki specifically because of her athleticism and explosiveness," Cat says. "I need to get right back on the horse and show I can handle the gymnasts - Vicki Pratt's exactly the kind of challenge I need."

Cat in electric blue bikini, Pratt in bronze bikini.

During R1: Cat drops a stern right hand off the jab, erupts with a mop-up left uppercut to tilt Pratt back on her heels: mission accomplished. Vicki staggered early, forced to backpedal - Bell stalks with that educated jab, walking rattled blonde down. Bell not hanging back and boxing - she's going right at Vicki: Cat leaning in forehead on forehead, gloves up, hooking Pratt waist and ear, clouting her rights upside the head. Flat footed, toe-to-toe slugging from Bell - she beats an astonished Vicki Pratt pillar to post.

R2: Pratt recuperating, able to get off at least: when Cat leans in noggin-o-noggin - Pratt's tapping body the hook, then ripping the more serious left uppercut between Bell's mitts. Cat shrugging off blonde pop, deploying her own hook behind and under Vicki's elbow, occasionally widening stance a little to get room for slinging side to side rights and lefts up top. Bell banging away, always looking to reset with guard and forehead on Vicki - peculiar choices from the taller woman, but it's confusing Pratt, winning minutes.

R3: Cat hurts Pratt a left uppercut off a tapping left hook to the body - Vicki baby-stepping forward, gloves at temples, momentarily stunned. Bell bumping a tough shoulder and wading in: thick, strapping lefts and rights, Cat rotating through the punches, belting Pratt upside the head and banging her to ropes - very muscular stuff from Bell early. Cat stays on her foe - licking Pratt across the waist, easing in with the head, then clipping the tidy right uppercut to bat back Vicki's head. Pratt stupified, drooping off the ropes, gloves at her temples, just shipping shellack as Cat romps bell to bell.

R4: Cat shows the jab a bit this round, stepping around Vicki, poking her in the face. Blonde rushing, anxious to nail Bell a jump-in circus punch - brunette unashamed to clinch as blonde aggression amounts to so much noise. Bell continues to work on the inside - should be to Vicki's advantage, but blonde's covering up, waiting her turn while tall, strong brunette rips and strokes hooks under the elbow.

R5: Pratt finally making some things happen. Vicki showing a great chin - she's taken Cat's punch - gives Pratt the confidence to open up. Vicki crouching, jumping in, then working on the inside - now SHE'S getting the touches in the waist, tapping hook to body, then ripping the left uppercut, banging Cat's head up off her gloves. Bell leaning in behind her mitts, looking to put her head on Vicki to smother - giving up some tuff bodyshots as Vicki digs in, both hands.

R6,7: Identical rounds - Pratt with some early aggression, jumping in punches, trying to take Cat's head off - Bell managing the heat with clinches, bogging Vicki down, then crowding her to initiate a draining inside war of attrition. Bell backing Pratt up, bumping her guard into Vicki, constantly snatching hooks at her waist, picking her up left uppercuts on the chin. Pratt often backpedalling to regroup but it's a mistake: Bell leaning in and landing long right hands whenever Pratt creates space. Cat piling up points through 7, taking a commanding lead into the home stretch.

R8: Turning point midway through - girls just leaning in workmanlike, swapping hooks and uppercuts in close - Pratt goes: hook to body; left uppercut to chin; hook to ear and Bell doesn't take it well. Cat wobbled to her left, gloves still at her brows, but she's not answering back - Vicki right back into the body with hooks: short, digging, savage. Bell's mouth parting open, torso drooping forward - Pratt able to splash away to both flanks, dig both dukes to jug and batter Bell ropeside. Final moments - Cat sitting in the ropes, listless, sluggish - Vicki pounds away strong to bell, grinning huge as ref pushes her off.

R9: Cat's definitely tired: mouth open, eyes lidded - jab's pushy, not snappy - Pratt's able to dart past it. First minute, Vicki slashing in with those trademark one-twos on the button and BELL GOES DOWN! Cat nailed repeatedly on her chin, seems ok until she wilts to her back - crowd screaming in shock as Bell's a LONG time rolling to her hip to beat the count. Middle minute: Pratt SAVAGING Cathering Bell at the ropes - Vicki putting together swatting left/rights on the head and guard, then REEFING hook to ribs, bending Cat's frame, buckling her legs. Pays off: Bell being nibbled up top, but crippled downstairs - vicious hook behind her elbow draws a breathy gasp, sinking knee from the former multi time champ! Bell on one knee, sobbing for air - Pratt jogs to neutral corner, sensing the KO. Final minute - Cat bell digs in - ON COMES VICKI! Pratt muscling her way into Cat's chest and releasing short, ripping hooks and uppercuts, pounding her way into Bell's tummy, jugs and in between the mitts. Grim 60 seconds for Cat, but she rides it out, finally gathering Pratt into a desperate clinch to run the clock.

R10: Bell battered, exhausted - Vicki's fitness a big factor in this fight late as she POURS herself at Cat with puppyish enthusiasm. Bell sagging into ropes for support, dukes at her temples - she'll show the hook to Pratt's body or ear, then cover up or clinch. Pratt working hard, reaching in under Cat's arms, wrestling the guard out of position, then jerking tight hooks to struggling gut, or swiping 'em tidy across jug. Bell outworked and bossed, but she's collecting herself, tieing Vicki up around the head, behind the elbows - crafty brunette makes it to the bell and this thing goes to the cards. Comes back a tractorpull special: DRAW!

After: Sweat-drenched Bell hugging similarly soaked Pratt - girls chatter forehead on forehead as the ring fills up. All Cat early, but scorching pace caught up with her late - Pratt's rally one for the history books as she nearly extinguishes Bell down the stretch.

"I slugged her early because I wanted to drain her tank," Bell explains, "but I guess I didn't drain it enough! I felt that Vicki, even though she's shorter and more compact, is more dangerous outside where she can slash in on you from angles - I wanted to crowd her, make it more of a toe-to-toe slogging session and that WAS working, but what can I say? Vicki Pratt's a very dangerous fighter and she nearly overhauled me!"

Pratt disappointed the surge fell short, but ecstatic with a draw. "I felt like I took her punch and I was pressing the pace early, even though I wasn't landing," Pratt says in postfight. "She proved why she's still the class of the field at lightweight tonight - she built a lead and hung on to it - that's what pros do. I'm encouraged - this was one of my toughest performances to date and I think I showed very well against a great, great fighter."