Posted by Simguy on 02/26/2005

Before: We're so used to thinking of Hu as a master technician, we forget she's a big, strapping bantamweight - Johansson still making flyweight whenever she wants, stepping up not only in class for this test, but in beef as well. Rust a factor for Kelly - she's a timing fighter and hasn't had a lot of ringwork lately - we'll see if she can hit the gaps as Scarlett is sure to bring the heat. Hu in pale pink cotton tank and panties - Scarlett in pale blue cotton tank and panties.

During R1: Scarlett surges off her stool, ploughing into Kelly and driving her ropeside in a blur of forehead, shoulders, elbows and fists. Johansson in there nice n' snug - keeping her head on Kelly, fitting left hands into Hu's paunch, right hands into her hip and back. Hu trying to close up her stance, bumping and rubbing her left shoulder to ease Scarlett back - right hand under the chin, left held low. Midway through, Johansson with a brace of clubbing hooks, jerking up at Kelly's face and startling the sorceress - Hu buffeted across her mouth and brows, loses balance and TAKES A SEAT! Kelly up, cheeks burning with embarrassment as pro-Johansson crowd roars in approval. After 8 - Hu still listless, lounging on the ropes, using her shoulder on Scarlett and slipping shots, but not answering back - Johansson able to set up close, chug, bat and bash away to her heart's content, posts an improbable 10-8 shutout first!

R2: Hu a little more interested - left hand low, right under her chin - she's sliding her front foot, rotating and twisting her torso in front of Scarlett, tagging blonde with swatting, catspaw hooks. Johansson wading through it, just putting leather on meat: she's punching Kelly's shoulder, hip, arms, missing the chin, clawing jug and digging up belly meat hooks. Hu relaxed, retreating, finishes up back-on-ropes, purely defensive as Johansson out-hustles former champ for more points.

R3: Kelly all warmed up, starts shedding rust at last. Hu meeting Scarlett strong, bumping her a hard left shoulder, then rolling to take Johansson's left on her right shoulder blade, dipping to take Johansson's right on the left shoulder blade, bending torso-down to make Jo-Jo miss over top, sliding the right foot back and straightening to tug Scarlett's chin a crisp, tidy hook clean. Same again - Johansson pushing leather - Kelly right in the pocket, twisting, turning rolling, then scoring as she eases backward, walking Johansson's willing chin into biting hooks. Hu turning at the ropes, luring Scarlett forward - virtuoso display of slip and counter as Johansson fills the air with dukes but comes away lumpy. Shutout Kelly Hu.

R4: Similar stuff from Kelly - slipping and rolling in the pocket, then tearing at Johansson short, vicious hooks and left uppercuts. Kelly always easing back, walking Scarlett in - Johansson stubborn, but she's starting to wobble a bit - eating way, way too much. Late the round, Kelly slips over to her left, bending low under a brushing Johansson one-two - Hu back with limber left hook crotch spank, bunching Scarlett up and wrenching a wounded sob from Johansson's lips at the bell. Shutout Hu.

R5: Kelly's been a one-handed fighter for 6 minutes - now starts mixing in that lethal coiled right. Thing of beauty: Kelly in her closed stance, feinting Scarlett, dipping, popping up into sudden, very short hooks, fading right while flicking out the jab, then bending in with scything rights to Johansson's pretty face. Scarlett right there for the punching - Hu can have that chin any time she wants with hooks, now choosy right hands work over the left side of Johansson's face. Scarlett's legs shake, buckle, shimmy at several points - Kelly a master at hurting a girl, then giving her a little slack to recover - patiently stacking up the beating on Johansson. Scarlett getting a lot of work on her face during the break: she's busting up.

R6: Kelly managing Scarlett with the left shoulder, cute sliding footwork, turning and fading the blonde, luring her forward. Johansson shipping steady work to her eyes and chin - but when she has the gall to tag Kelly a hook in the second minute - Hu dips and rips a payback hook to Johansson's trunks to draw boos. Kelly all flat-eyed and unrepentant as she's warned: not known for sharp practice, but she's clearly unsettled by Johansson's fearless attitude. Late the round, Hu jabs past Johansson's right ear to cleverly snag blonde in a headlock: Kelly even graceful as she laces Scarlett's eyes with the right hand while turning Scarlett away from the ref. Happy smile from Kelly: shocked sob of pain from Johansson as veteran bullies ingenue through 6.

R7: Kelly jabbing to Scarlett's tummy, jabbing her, then up into abrupt hooks on the chops while pivoting left. Pretty to watch, but Johansson not impressed - little blonde bulldog keeps chugging forward, spitting straight rights, clawing hooks, pelting Hu's head and shoulders. Hu setting up at the ropes relaxed, rotating her torso and scoring short, chopping counters with either hand when SCARLETT LANDS THE HOOK! Big, head-snapping blow drapes Kelly staring at the ropes - Hu astonished, right at her chest, left low as Johansson jumps in a bat-bat right/left clean on pristine Asian cheekbones! Hu reaching for Scarlett's head and pulling her in close - brunette wobbly-butt as blonde mindlessly churns her arms downstairs to pile on the hurt.

R8: Kelly in the pocket, turning her shoulders with Scarlett's wide punches, blunting them, then RIPPING hooks to Johansson's little chin - crowd oohing and aahing as Hu lights it up. Kel with that sneaky little slide-step, drawing Scarlett forward - tight, shoulder shrugging hooks and left uppercuts scoring at will but it's all single-shot counter punching: Johansson hurt, but struggling through it.

R9: Kelly back in charge, stunning Johansson lead right hands moist and flat against face, getting those swiping hooks and clipping left uppercuts. Johansson showing heart of a lion, chin of granite as she's repeatedly tagged, hurt - she just won't go down or back off. Late the round, Johansson wading in with hacking right hands over Kelly's raised left - blows bludgeon down on Hu's ear, neck, forcing her sideways to ropes and KELLY'S STUNNED! Hu staring as Scarlett jumps into a swinging hook on teeth, swiveling Asian head and sitting Kelly into strands - brunette covers up and takes a merciless clubbing atop her head and shoulders as Scarlett unleashes to steal the round late!

R10: Kelly: sliding back in that closed stance, rolling shots and furiously hooking back at Johansson's chin, Asian eyes blazing as she repeatedly picks the blonde up. Scarlett badly busted up, but wading through it - hacking overhand rights, swinging crude lefts, but answering the class with sheer volume. Late the round - Hu dragging her front foot, feints, then bends into a slaughterhouse right hand - her hardest punch of the fight - bashing Scarlett's face to the side and momentarily dimming blonde porchlights. Johansson swaying in the wind, upperbody loosely connected to lower - she's terribly hurt as Kelly straightens, jabs the lips, jabs the lips, leans in on front foot to hook crotch, leans onto right foot to hook the mouthpiece off Johansson's teeth. Scarlett in stupor, unable to answer back, but defiant - she's on her feet at the bell, making drowsy eye contact with an infuriated Kelly Hu. Comes back UD10 by a SINGLE POINT - Hu.

After: Scarlett beaten beyond recognition - eyes closed to slits, face puffy, but she's upbeat, woozily celebratory in her corner and why not? Deep underdog put Kelly on her butt, clocked her some good, clean shots and put a rude blanket beating on Hu for a lot of minutes - it's a good outing. Hu unable to get smaller beauty off her feet despite torrential left hands to the chin - some girls just refuse to go and Scarlett could be one of them.