UNIFIED BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE

Posted by Simguy on 6/26/2004, 8:38 am.

Before: Intrastable bout, but a credible title bout nonetheless--Keiora looking for legitimacy with former champ Jen Connelly. “I’m ready for Jennifer,” says a confident champion, bristling at the underdog status most have given her for this fight. “No offence to Connelly, but she’s one of the old fighters who are being swept away this year--it’s her turn. Write this down: I will have my way with Jennifer Connelly.” Connelly not ready to be consigned to the ash heap of history just yet, but respectful of Keira’s accomplishments to date. “Look, you can’t take anything away from Keira.,” says gracious Jen. “I see her every day in he gym and she’s just got better and better--I think she’s the most underrated fighter in the FCBA. She’s fit, she’s prepared--this is a tough fight for me. Basically, I think I am the stronger woman and I have this skills to make this fight be about my strength, so I think she’s going to get worn down and worked over late, but I’m going to have to earn it.” Keira in tan hide bikini with loincloth, Jen wearing the red push and panties worn by Raquel Welch in 1967’s “Bedazzled”--both women sporting small gloves and UGG boxing boots.

During R1: KEIRA ATTACKS! Knightley edges her whippet frame in close and starts scouring Jen’s abdominal pan--ripping lefts and rights curling up into tummy, solar plexus--PUTTING JEN WOBBLY BUTT! Connelly clinching immediately, shaking her head--Keira going to the Claire Danes play book (can’t punch? Punch to the body) and sending  a message early. Jen joins in, cleverly gripping at Keira’s arms to tug her close, then working up underneath with rising right hands, raking hooks--soon Connelly’s tearing it up as fat free frames are torched. Down the stretch, Jen gets to Keira with a series of raking hooks, beating her way up-torso and cashing in on jaw. Knightley staggered, rubbery-legging to the ropes, eyes blinking--she’s saved by the bell as jen graciously holds up on a driving right ro the midsection.

R2: Keira boxes the first minute--shining jab piercing Connelly’s defence, wiry larteral movement to the left, Middle minute--Keira steps off the jab to get lithe leverage on a licking hook to chops--Connelly doesn’t like it, covers up hurt and Knightley ties up that gut, those ribs, with a slashing flurry. Keira’s small fists making spik-spak-spek noises against Jennifer’s rigid chassis--Connelly just tilting forward, dukes at her temples, soaking it up. Keira’s back to stick and move late--salting away the shutout. First blood to Knightley as Jennifer’s lower lip is busted up.

R3: Keira all wiry lines, slashing in-out attacks off the jab, really using her natural gifts this round. Connelly defensively sound--parrying with an open right mitt, but Keira viciously pecking away, obviously seeking to harm Jennifer’s face. Brilliant boxing from Knightley--jab working away on Connelly’s left eye, setting up hooks rigid in the ribs and taut gut muscle, drilling right crosses through the middle. Connelly can’t get off--she’s juts pivoting, trying to keep mobile Keira in front of her as Knightley whittles away for another shutout.

R4: Knightley in off the jab, going body on Jen with rip-roaring enthusiasm--long slender arms lathering at tummy, gouging at solar plexus and POOR JENNIFER’S HURT! Connelly’s face breaking into a grimace as she reaches to clinch--Keira really tearing it up downstairs, adds insult to injury with a bony left shoulder butt to the mouth to get Connelly off her. Lathering lefts and rights as Connelly falls back--Jen arms crossed, head turned away--she’s backpedaling is disarray, clearly confused.. Keira light on her feet, gangly but effective--hard fists bouncing, skidding, scraping off the head, shoulders and guard of her wilting foe, Knightley won’t let up--constantly in and out on Jennifer stepping to either side, raking and slicing at her with brisk, rangy combinations. Knightley spices Jen up with a glorious 6 punch burst late, neatly cutting Connelly over the right eyes and sending her to her corner in a fog of doubt.

R5: Jennifer finally finds the will to punch back--hooking Keira’s rigid ribcage, jabbing a but, setting down on straight rights-bit it’s still ms. Knightley’s show. Keira setting the tone with her legs and jab--dictating terms--but she’s also slicing in and getting on Jennifer with hard body punches and loots of them Connelly routinely forced to cover up and stoop, letting Keira’s cruel mitts touch up the waist and ribs with hard spanking contact.

R6: Jennifer establishing her jab with more authority, pounding it to Keira’s chest, throwing it at the right times and distances to disrupt Ms. Knightley’s rushes--thrust and parry evolves midring. Second minute--Jennifer fading back, brushes aside a Knightley one-two, answers back a sticking right between the breasts and clanging hook high on the temple--KEIRA’S SHOOK! Keira stepping in fence post holes, then hanging on, draping her arms around Jen’s neck for a break. Knightley legs out of the round, skirting the perimeter, keeping Connelly at bay with the jab--Jennifer’s unsuccessful in cutting off the ring, can’t capitalize on the hurt as the champ escapes.

R7: Competitive boxing round, nice crisp exchanges as girls hunt each other all around the ring, Keira less inclined to hang around and trade with Ken--Knightley looks to be a girl milking a lead as she hops along the perimeter, shakes Jen’s pursuit with sudden direction changes, spins off the ropes to get round behind Connelly, Jennifer the aggressor,, pressing her jab to the chest and throwing combinations off it--Keira able to lean away from right hands to her chin, but her ribcage is soaking up Jens meanspirited hook

R8: Jennifer starting to pick up momentum, spitting jabs to cut off the ring, tossing thick right/lefts against Keira’s waist to freeze her, then batting away up top with tidy lefts and rights on the ears and jaw. Knightley sputtering--occasionally slugged off balance and reeling--she’s disorganized, busting up around the cheeks and Jennifer’s hook has found a cozy home in Keira’s fat-free midsection, Shutout Connelly--drumming attack has Knightley glaring with a mixture of resentment and respect.

R9: Keira feels the title slipping away, reasserts her rights as champion with a sensational, blistering bell to bell session. First minute, Knightley circles clockwise around a merciless jab--just POUNDING away on Jennifer’s left eye, reopening the cut over the right eye and putting a shellacked look of worry on Connelly’s face. Mission accomplished--Keira starts sliding in off Jen’s right shoulder and gouging out the midriff--small gloves tacky against hard flesh and Jenny doesn’t like it. Connelly anguished, reaching for Keira’s neck to clinch for breaks--Knightley broken through and crippled her opponent with the body work. Keira staying on her girl with serious lather, often slugging away with Jen’s arms clasped around Knightley’s neck--Keira wanting to keep output high to compensate for lack of pop. Sheer attrition has Connelly’s legs trembling at the bell--she’s all achy/forlorn, busted up eyes almost pleading as she hugs herself en route to her corner,

R10: JENNIFER CLIPS CHIN A HOOK--fight turns on a dime as poor Keira staggers away in shock. Jennifer spitting jabs, chopping rights and trying to step in a go home hook chases Knightley ropeside--there to lather away as champ covers up, Connelly not sparing the lash late in a close tussle--Keira bends forward, Jen takes those kidneys and lower back with heartless pummeling, nearly drumming Keira to her knees, Knightley breathless, reaching around the waist and getting her break--by fits and starts she gets her jab working again, even if her legs don’t look that good down the stretch. Connelly pressing the attack, but she’s starting to get nibbled, eating flush right hands on the mouth and swinging hooks against her ribs--fight devolves into a desperate punching match with both beauties looking ragged, Bell sounds, they’re still slogging away--ref jumps in to enforce the break. Comes back a Tractorpull Special--DRAW--and Knightley retains he belts.

After: Connelly drained, ashen faced, bitterly disappointed--turned back and rudely beaten at time by the brash new champion. For Knightley, sinewy performance her greatest triumph since upsetting Britney for the title--she’s punished, but glowing in the aftermath, “Nobody thought I could stand against Jennifer,” crows the champ, “but time and again I did it. I outboxed Connelly., I outfought her, I hurt her repeatedly--no one dare say that I don’t deserve these belts (said in a Peter O’Toole Shakespearean vibratto.” Experts divided--a draw hardly convincing in the minds of some, but most agree--Knightley’s the most surprising and definitely the most improved fighter in the game with this performance.

Reposted by Archer 7/29/10.