(UNIFIED BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE MATCH) JENNIFER CONNELLY Vs. CH. KELLY HU 

BEFORE: Connelly a case of a challenger willing herself into contention. Once a soft, overweight buxom punching bag--Connelly now a tight, focused body puncher who seems capable of competing with and beating Kelly Hu tonight. Hu more talented, still one of the best technicians in the game, but detractors point to her quitting against "Downtown" Julie Brown with the suggestion that what Julie did in the non-title fight, Jen can do in spades. Interested observer Lucy Liu ringside--Hu's the bigger money fight for her. Hu in black push up, black velvet boy cut trunks, slick ponytail--Jen in navy sports bra, red stretch shorts.

DURING:

R1: Jen with the tight guard, right hand tight at her eye, left at her chin walks Kelly down and proceeds to bang hooks with a vengeance as the champ lean away behind her closed stance. Hu offering prefunctory jab from the hip--but Connelly's ferocity overwhelming, often forcing Hu to the ropes to take a cudgelling before the champ can spin free. midway through--Jen utilizing her left shoulder/elbow to nudge Hu back for short right/lefts, bites a hook in behind the elbow of the champ, buckling Hu's legs and putting a pained wince on her face. Hu with no choice late, opens up, slashing lefts and rights up in rising arcs from the side as Jen clubs the body with both hands in a rousing first.
Hu hurt in her corner--it's mission accomplished for Connelly.

R2: Important round for Kelly Hu--she's still a little shaky from the body work, but she comes out and fights brilliantly in reverse, force feeding Jen the jab, turning the brunette with neat pivots, and poking the odd sneaky lead right from that closed stance. Connelly unhurt, but she's shutout and robbed of her chance to continue to work Hu's body and legs--Kelly obviously acutely aware of how key it is to avoid unnecessary punishment in this one. One key tactic for Hu: she comes in with her lead shoulder, then turns over the right as Connelly is nudged back--the old bump and shoot.

R3: Kelly in control--right hand at jaw, chin tucked behind her left shoulder, left shoulder pointed sharply at the opponent, lead hand low, backhanding jabs or swiping hooks across Connelly's face as Jen comes forward. Connelly bobbing, pays dear for real estate, but in the final minute, she sets up on Hu's chest and goes to work. Kelly huddled in tight with Jen as Connelly steps to the right, sets up that left shoulder, cudgelling Hu artfully with little left hands to the belly, breasts and mouth--using the left hand in between swats to push at Kelly's right bicep and keep her open for business. Hu getting roughed up and in the final moments, she steps out, eats a chopping right over her left shoulder and nearly goes down--Connelly stealing the round as Hu left floundering at the bell.

R4: Hu once again boxing brilliantly while hurt, Jen letting another opportunity to pile on slip passed as she follows Kelly around the ring. Hu with the closed stance, won't let Connelly push on her, and meanwhile, Kelly's nibbling the jab, slapping left hand cuffs upside the head and the odd darting right hand from the cheek to Jen's face. Occassional bump and shoots surprise Connelly as Kelly messes up her timing. Shutout Kelly Hu.

R5: Kelly finally gets serious about this fight and takes the initiative decisively this round. Midway through, Hu twists into a ripping right hand to the eye, stunning Connelly and leaving her open to a slashing hook across her bra, and another slicing right to her mouth that has Jen stepping in fence post holes. Kelly keeps it up, now slashing in for quick 2 and 3 punch combos, now sliding away, pivoting to the side to keep Jen turning. Down the stretch, Kelly Hu lights Jen Connelly up with tight right hands, punching, pivoting right, then punching as Jen eats it up arms crossed and helpless to prevent the incoming. Connelly busted up over that left eye, staggers to the wrong corner at the break as Kelly Hu surveys the damage with a satisfied glare.

R6: No quit in Jen Connelly. She bodies Kelly Hu to the ropes and savages the Asian's midriff--Hu twisting and turning, leaning deep into the ropes to escape, but Jennifer's attack won't be denied/ Bludgeoning hooks up and down the right side, short right hands on the cheek--plenty of shoulders and elbows keeping Hu off balance--it's masterful shove and slug from a determined challenger this round.

R7: Shutout Kelly Hu. Key to this fight so far is Hu's ability to deny Jennifer momentum--Connelly desperately needing to stay on top, but Kelly boxing her ears for all 3 minutes. Hu neatly closing Jen's left eye this round with backhanded jabs, slicing right hands as she steps away and around the challenger. Final moments: Hu feints like she's opening for a right hand, comes instead with a ripping hook to Jen's bra, THEN twists the right hand into that ruined eyes--Connelly'slegs buckling as Hu pivots to the left, eyes glittering at the sight of Jen breaking gown just a little bit. Whenever Hu bumps in with her shoulder now--Jen's legs give a little quake, and she's stumbling more afterwards, Hu notices.

R8: Kelly Hu uptempos--Jen Connelly falls off the pace. Jen coming forward, takes jab,cross, jab on her face then has to reset as Hu is gone. Kelly doing what she wants, slicing in and out and not paying the price--she's picking Connelly apart like a surgeon. Midway through, Kelly leaning forward, sways back to make Jen miss, bends her to the right to make Jen miss again, then turns on a vicious right hand on the chin to beat Connelly to the cross--Jen corkscrewing slightly, almost goes down, but she's SO hurt! Hu steps to her right, digs the left hook into thr sternum--Connelly gurgling, falling forward, Hu able to jam the right hand in tight to the jaw, then stepstep as Connelly plunges past. Jen splattering to her face out cold--the winner and STILL champ: Kelly Hu, KO8.

AFTER: Lucy Liu leaping to her feet, face impassive but fierce as she claps--Hu does her part to make the super fight happen. Kelly Hu has her critics, but when she's good, she's very, very
good. Hurt early and often by Jen, Kelly kept the brunette off her body, boxed when she had to, slugged when she had to, broke Connelly down physically and mentally, then took her out with brutal efficiency in shutout 7th and 8th rounds. Step up in class too much for Jen tonight--by the end you could see she was resolved to go out on her shield.