Posted by Simguy on 3/25/2005

Before: Must-win bout for sinuous Alba - stamped and branded a quitter by Jewel's hard fists, Jessica needs to draw a line in the canvas and handle her business in this one. "I'm going to walk her down and lay her out," Elisha says with chilling certainty. "I'm too strong-bodied for her - just like Jewel - only I'm better than Jewel. In fact - after I'm finished mopping up what's left of Alba, I want Jewel: the Krushers definitely kept the wrong bantam."

Alba brave in the storm - opposing fighters champing at the bit to expose her, media headlines screaming 'Gutless', 'Where's The Heart?', on and on. Give her credit - Elisha a fighter in the Kilcher mode - Jessica's bound and determined to end the insanity. "It's business as usual," Alba insists in prefight. "Elisha's not hot enough to share a marquee with me, not smart or good enough to box me and as for her strength? Speed kills baby: I'm 'a dress this girl up before I take her out."

Jessica in brown/taupe bikini, blonde hair in messy up - Elisha in ivory bikini, blonde tousle. Small gloves both vixens.

During R1: Jess loose, lanky, stepping right - she shows a slow right, then RIPS the left uppercut, tugging Elisha's chin hard to port - Cuthbert's stepping in fence post holes. Alba applying lessons from the Kilcher debacles - hurting Cuthbert early, then going after her strong. Jess riding her guard into 'Lishy's shoulders, then dippin' and rippin' underneath - lanky digging uppercuts gutting stout blonde breadbasket, backing Cuthbert to ropes. Lashing beatdown along the apron as 'Lish slides numb to her right - Jess steps with, licking oily rights, savage lefts upside the head. Cuthbert's noggin bears the brunt of it - 'Lishy's eyes glazed over in stupor: shutout with feeling, Alba.

R2: Jessica working it - loose arms, relaxed legs as she steps left or right, sliding out the jab to Elisha's available face. Sleek punches from Alba, featuring the slow right cross, shrieking mop-up hook - Cuthbert getting nailed repeatedly, lumping up nicely, but taking it well. 6th minute of the fight, Cuthbert finally gets to Jessica with some rugged ribwork - ducking in tight and bursting to Alba's lithe torso - Jessica legs away with points in her pocket.

R3: Pattern: Elisha stalking, eating Alba's punches, but fighting through to the chest, hammering away hips and flanks until Jess can disengage, restablish distance. Alba the dictator - she's guiding Elisha with the jab, steering her, choosing when to set down on uppercuts or hooks. Cuthbert landing some thudding bodyshots, but nothing consistent and Jessica's clearing her back of ropes with beautiful loping footwork.

R4: Jessica takes her fourth straight, boxing 90% of the time, choosing spots to set her feet and rip Elisha uppercuts and hooks. Cuthbert undaunted, but face busting up - she's just walking through the punches, taking way more than is good for a girl. Elisha taunting, goading Alba at the bell despite dropping the round: Jessica's people want her to start investing in Cuthbert's body, urging her to 'back this chick up'.

R5: Slow right cross sets up that withering hook/uppercut clean on the chin - Cuthbert caught so hard she totters on one leg for a moment. Alba wades in: riding her guard into 'Lish, then dippin' and rippin' downstairs - good, good licks to breadbasket backing Cuthbert up as requested. 'Lishy soaking up shellack, but she's so stubborn - back-to-ropes, she crosses her arms, bobs, answers back slugging and soon fights her way back to midring. Crowd-pleasing back and forth: Cuthbert's bashing, clubbing, artless swings; Jessica's slicing, slashing, elegant lefts and rights, so pretty as she turns over one ankle or the other while twisting her body into the blows. Cuthbert bellowing in defiance - she's just lost five straight, but her chin has Alba questioning herself during the break.

R6: Moment of doubt Alba - she's running, hesitant to engage - Cuthbert's walking her down. Elisha showing that strong Jewel look: right hand at temple, stubby, walking jab hard to Alba's chest - Cuthbert able to force Alba's back to ropes for the first time. 'Lish crowding in to operate - head under Jessica's chin, pushing and propping at Alba's biceps - 'Lishy clearing the way for her fists to find Jessica's lean ribs and svelte tummy. Meaty spank of Cuthbert's work has Alba flat-footed, leaning forward and answering back in kind - bruising noggin-o-noggin slugfest much to Cuthbert's liking. Jess a lanky lass who can fight inside - tightening up her strokes, licking and swatting, turning into her punches well - but she can't back Cuthbert off as Elisha finally gets on the board.

R7: Alba settling down, acting like a professional - she's showing Elisha a little lateral movement, striping her jabs and right hands, all to set up that vicious, lanky limbed rising hook. Cuthbert gobbling, crossing her arms after getting rung up, but stubbornly trudging forward - sheer will allows her to get spot-work done on Jessica's rib cage. Alba more willing to engage this round - laying in with Elisha and digging up into her body left or right uppercuts: Cuthbert mouthbreathing, unable to force Jessica back as Alba wins a crucial series of exchanges down the stretch.

R8: Shutout Jessica Alba - boxing and slugging. Jessica simply superior out in space, finding the bridge of 'Lishy's nose with sinuous jabs, stunning her with lead right hands and always, always cashing in that ropey, slingshot hook. No head movement from Elisha - she's getting caught and rocked, but taking it all well - makes for very entertaining viewing as Cuthbert too gutty to back off, but too battered at this point to get any work done.

R9: Shutout Jessica Alba. Jess easing into the rounds, working outside for a minute, ringing Cuthbert up hooks and crosses, dazing her, stunning her, then gradually edging in close to work the body. Jessica's uppercuts to the midsection things of rangy beauty, but she's got a nice licking hook to the ribs as well, sliding it in thick behind Cuthbert's elbow. Alba mining gold as a slugger, but she's staying smart - turning Elisha with sidesteps, pushing Cuthbert on her elbows to spin her. 'Lish ramshackle, crossing her arms and posing as Jessica's hateful lather starts to settle into legs, buttocks, weighing Cuthbert down with hurt.

R10: Shutout Jessica Alba. Breezy work at this point - Jessica fulfilling her promise, showing that lithe, smooth form she's famous for. Cuthbert harmless at this point, arms crossed, bent forward, fielding punches off her face and chin - eyes swelling to slits after the constant pounding of Alba's relentless slugging. Jabs, lead rights, ripping left uppercuts - Jessica's getting them all, stepping to either side, looking for more, happy to heap on in the absence of any meaningful pursuit. Bell: Alba thrusts her mitts skyward and struts; poor Cuthbert reeling on the spot, staring - she's one beat up beauty tonight. Comes back UD10 wide (9-1 in rounds) Jessica Alba.

After: Jessica too classy - she ripped Cuthbert in the first and fifth, couldn't get her out of there and settled into cruise control to box 'Lishy senseless to the finish line. Difference between Jewel and Elisha probably the committment to the jab - Kilcher constantly keeping stubby stick on Alba, distracting and disrupting her - Cuthbert trying to walk in and it just didn't work. "That's what happens when you try to bully me," says Jessica in direct response to her critics. "You get busted up, you get torn up, you get shredded. I'm back on track and Britney, baby, you better get ready, because as far as I'm concerned? It's ON!"