Posted by simguy on 5/26/2006, 7:34 am.

Before: 'Miss Consistency' Jen Connelly looks to make it umpteen-straight: how does she keep her edge in a streak, especially with so many comprehensive victories along the way? "I just think of what it would mean to someone like Scarlett if she were to beat me." Connelly answers. "She'd be over the moon: that's enough to keep me sharp. I don't tolerate complacency - not in myself, my sparring partners, or in my team. I truly believe my hardest fights are in the gym - I'm always totally prepared for whatever my opponent might bring on the night." Johansson unveiling a new southpaw style - or going back to an old one, for this fight. "It's no big deal," Scarlett says, "I've always been a southpaw - I tried turning around, and I haven't been completely happy with the results, so I'm just going back to what feels natural." Is Scarlett intimidated by 'The Streak'? "You know, I'm actually disappointed in Jen for building herself up with rookie-meat," Scarlett says. "It reminds me of what Brandy Ledford did a while back - beating up girls who shouldn't have been in the ring with her. It's nothing to be proud of. I don't know when Connelly became this bitter, middle-aged bully, but she's going to get her comeuppance. Not only am I not intimidated, I'm a little miffed at Jen. That's not good news for her." Jen in ivory crushed velvet bikini, long hair with top knot (spilling down back and shoulders, but kept off her face). Scarlett in midnight blue, satin-finish bra and panties, silver/grey lace trim, Marilyn Monroe platinum curls. White gloves, both vixens.

During R1: Johansson: right foot forward, left well back; left under her chin, elbow in tight; right at her tummy, elbow in tight; chin tucked behind that right shoulder. Jen: left foot forward, dukes up, palms out, chin tucked down - she's rotating to her left around a chop-jab from the high guard. Johansson bending low at the waist, creep-steppin' - she'll jab her jab into Connelly's: right mitt colliding with left mitt in midair. Scarlett pouncing in with lead left hands caroming off the left side of Jen's jaw - Johansson with nice body lean, bending right with the left hand, then easing out and to her left with a TIGHT right hook - grazing Jen's chin. Johansson much more elusive as a southpaw, moving her head as she punches to combine offence with defence: something that was missing as a righty.

R2: Connelly doubles up her jab, uptempo's her feet: she's turning Johansson's right flank, pivoting clockwise around the blonde, keeping the left foot outside Scarlett's right. Johansson can't get the angle for the lead left - she's reduced to a pawing jab at Jen's chest, trying to time that tight right hook. Connelly managing distance very well - still not hurting Scarlett with anything, but finding the range, dictating terms. Never too early to start jabbing Scarlett's breasts: Connelly getting her touches to Johansson's upstart rack in the second.

R3: Straight right hand lead, Connelly: spanking blast to open the round drills into the right side of Johansson's head - Scarlett's wobbly butt early. Jen edging in on her front foot, consolidating with ripping hooks sliced in under Scarlett's right elbow: blonde buckling, cringing as brunette carves into succulent midsection. Left uppercut rocks Scarlett upright; another rifling right hand swivels her head, sends her tottering backwards to ropes. Connelly hopping in, coldblooded: she fits a right hand to the pit of Scarlett's tummy, then clubs her a left atop the head as Johansson pitches forward and SCARLETT'S DOWN! Jennifer hop-stepping away, strutting insolently to neutral corner: Johansson wide eyed, huffing and puffing through pursed lips - she's feeling the pedigree of her opponent in the third. Wonky 8, Scarlett: Connelly hops back in, but doesn't press - Jen pulsing a sharp, chop-jab from the shoulder, keeping Johansson at the end of the punch, and rotating clockwise. Connelly with some choosy right hands and some skidding hooks off Johansson's shoulder, but Scarlett allowed to wriggle off the hook as blonde survives a scary third.

R4: Connelly on cruise control - managing Scarlett midring, just turning her and controlling her - but Jen not really putting crop to haunch the way she could. Credit Johansson some: she's all tucked in, pivoting around her lead (right) shoulder, staying very compact, moving her head, bending at the waist. Scarlett being out-scored, but she's landing a worrisome lead left against Jen's jaw that may explain Connelly's hesitation: Jen getting tagged just enough to keep her from releasing the hounds. Scarlett's jab pesky - a knocking shot, abrupt and backhanding - Connelly's unusually wary of it. Tactical fourth to Connelly: Scarlett relatively upbeat, bouyant in her corner during break.

R5: Similar cat and mouse. Johansson leaning and turning into her lefts and rights - disengaging as she cranks that right hook and steps to her left - she's got Connelly pensive, tentative. Jen using her height - having trouble landing the jab the way she wants, but it IS helping to maintain distance. Even struggling until Connelly finally measures Scarlett for a jamming straight right to the right ear - stinging blast over Johansson's right shoulder. Johansson nearly takes a knee, covers up earmuff while stumbling forward hurt and takes a frothy pasting as Connelly lathers flanks to salt away the round.

R6: Connelly nibbling - operating behind the jab - as often feinting with the right hand as releasing it. Scarlett allowed once again to regain her bearings: every time she's hurt, Jen eases off the gas pedal, letting Johansson back in the fight. Scarlett prowling, crouching, not landing powerful lead lefts and biting step-away right hooks - but she's THROWING them, trying to answer Connelly's class with aggression. Not a lot of meaningful contact - Jennifer successfully minimizing Scarlett's opportunities. When nothing else is happening, Jen will punch a straight right into Scarlett's breasts, then pump the jab to cover.

R7: Similar stuff: Jen upright, pumping stick, stepping left; Scarlett trying to rotate right, bending supple at her waist, crouching, turning and weaving her torso. Final minute - Johansson hops to her right, getting outside Jen's left foot for a change: Scarlett leans in with a blunt, short left hand to the left side of Jen's face and BUCKLES CONNELLY'S KNEES! Johansson twisting to her left, leaning out onto her left foot as she CRANKS that right hook around - biting contact against Jen's left temple gets good head bobble on classy brunette. Scarlett leaning in again on her right foot, slinging in another left - this time clapping to the right side of Jen's face - gets it again as Jen's toppling backward into the ropes! CONNELLY'S SWOONING! Jen staring bleak, eyes glassy with hurt: she covers up earmuff as Scarlett bounces in with bundled blonde punching. Double right hook to the bod; carving left hammer-dropped between Jen's mitts; right hook to left cheek; right uppercut splitting the mitts. Connelly pasted senseless - Scarlett keeping elbows in, staying on her girl with good tight form - furious flurry at the bell has Jennifer out on her feet in the seventh! HMK trainer meeting Scarlett en route the corner, slapping her butt and hollering boisterous encouragement as Johansson cracks a tension-releasing grin.

R8: Connelly's eyes forlorn, legs still shaky - she's shying away to her right now, pushing out the don't-hurt-me jab and fluttering lead rights. Scarlett aggressively stalking - leaning into lead left hands off the right foot, stepping forward and leaning into the right hand off the left foot - shooting missiles at Jen's chin. Connelly backpedaling, avoiding flush contact, but being steadily hounded - complete role-reversal as little Scarlett becomes the huntress. Jen skirting the perimeter, narrowly escaping leaping swipes as Johansson launches up out of her crouch - creep-steppin', flat-footed power being generated by Scarlett as she walks Jen down in the 8th. Corner reminding Johansson to pound Jennifer's body: "She's a walking corpse, baby - you BANG those ribs!"

R9: Connelly moving to her right at the ropes, gets her face spanked back a lunging right hand - she's destabilized, stumbling along the apron when a leaping left hand smashes her face, nearly flooring her. Connelly open-mouthed, bending low under a sweeping left - Johansson momentarily swinging herself face-first into ropes allows Jen to escape back to midring. Stalking blonde pursuit - Scarlett nostrils flaring, eyes intent - she's crouching, stepping forward, looking for power shots off either hand as she stalks-n'-slugs. Jen getting hit plenty now - head flinging back from crunching impacts - Connelly showing tremendous pride in soaking up blonde bombs, staying on the move as Johansson can't get Jen off her feet.

R10: Johansson hopping to cut off the ring, shooting in straight lead lefts to shunt Connelly ropeside. Jen bleak, staring: SJ prods a measuring left to Jen's chest, then BITES that hook! Vicious, tight torque - Johansson twisting violently to her left to pull the hook across and JENNIFER'S STUNNED! Connelly somehow refusing the knockdown, but she's momentarily helpless: Johansson plows back in with a slinging left, transitioning her weight to front (right) foot as Connelly is shelled upright. RIGHT HOOK! Scarlett twisting so viciously her footing skids a quarter turn to her left - she hops back into position and jams the left in between Connelly's mitts. Crowd screaming in anticipation...but Jen manages to cinch up head and arm, pulling a struggling Scarlett to her breast for a ref's break. Jen ragged, mouth open, eyelashes fluttering but CONNELLY'S PUNCHING-WITH! Jen mustering a desperation right hand off her thigh, bunts Scarlett in the mouth, spoiling Johansson's pitching left. Johansson hooks righty off her front foot, catching Jen on the eye: Connelly sponges it, skids her hook across the top of Scarlett's head, then clinches. Back and forth - Jennifer brawling on guts and heart, fending Scarlett off, then clinching her - Johansson slugging her little heart out, but she can't regain decisive advantage. Bell: both girls still swinging away - ref has to physically insist that fight is over. Comes back one point duke...Jennifer Connelly!

After: Johansson open-mouthed in shock, stamping her foot and shouting "NO!" at the verdict: shopworn Jennifer nodding in acknowledgment, clapping wearily at the just decision. Connelly hands on hips, still woozy from Scarlett's non-stop punching: Jen comments in-ring, on-camera. "The southpaw stance surprised me," Connelly admits, "All my sparring was orthodox and I wasn't as comfortable with Scarlett as I expected to be." Jen, Scarlett's power: did she hurt you down the stretch? "You know, Scarlett can punch, no doubt about it. Maybe not top-shelf power at 120, but she was catching me very firmly - yes, I was hurt. I think she made a mistake in not going to my body more - I felt pretty strong late, even though I was a little disoriented - I had very good legs and I knew she hadn't done enough work to stop me." Jen, Jen - the fight was all even in rounds - do you think you did enough to win? "I dropped her. You know? I mean - I separated myself from her very clearly I thought. Don't get me wrong - she fought a great fight - but I definitely beat Scarlett Johansson tonight. If anything, I let HER off the hook - not the other way around." BLONDE! Magazine going with the slender opening afforded by SJ's fine performance - blaring the headline "EXPOSED!" and claiming Connelly to FINALLY be running out of steam, printing only the most demoralizing shots of Jen to convey a worse beating than she actually sustained.