MTV 122 Featherweight Title

Posted by Simguy on Monday, 27-Dec-1999 15:45:11

Before: Cathy comes in the underdog, facing the hottest fighter in boxing in Jewel Kilcher. Kilcher on a tear of a late, tightening up her technique, and presenting a tricky blend of power and finesse for any challenger.  Bell with a very methodical, boxer/puncher approach shows Jewel a different look than she’s had recently, but experts doubt Bell can take it from the hard-hitting blonde. Yellow no-nonsense bikini and black shoes for Bell, electric blue bandeau bikini for Jewel, tight ponytail, black shoes.

During R1: Jewel advancing behind high, tight guard, picks up Cathy’s jabs on her gloves, cuts off the ring, then goes to the body with short, sharp strokes, dipping her shoulders down, getting off, then reforming her guard before punching again. Bell soaking it up, is beaten into steady retreat this round.

R2,3: Cathy solves Jewel to some extent, continuing to bang jabs into jewel’s guard, but stepping back, walking Kilcher into straight right hands up the middle. Bell with constant jabbing, so that if Jewel slips and comes in, Bell’s extended left simply wraps down around Kilcher’s head for a forward headlock until a break. Jewel bogging down while Cathy gets off, picking apart the blonde with crafty boxing this round.

R4: Cathy getting off with a series of jarring one-twos up the middle, pounds through Jewel’s mitts to put leather on those beautiful eyes this round. Bell taking a step to the right, lights Jewel up with the right uppercut between the elbows--Kilcher going wobbly butt early as bell tees off. Jewel recovers late to square up and bounce her fists off Bell’s tight midriff late, but Cathy;‘s built a nice lead through 4.

R5: Jewel cutting off the ring, does harm to Bell’s midsection with ripping left hooks, then uss a shoulder to budge Bell to the ropes. Girls snipe at one another with straight lefts and rights and in the final minute, Jewel misses a right, comes back with a short left hook on the teeth, and Bell folds to her knees in shock. Savage blow has KO written all over it, but Cathy gets to her feetr as the bell sounds to end the round.

R6: Jewel capitalizing with a shutout, romps on bell this round with punishing one-twos to the waist. Cathy seated on the ropes, cringing and turning her body as Jewel gets off. Kilcher stepping with Bell, keeps the brunette pinned to the ropes, and turns her shoulder into her body shots, gouging her fists into the meat of Bell’s torso. Cathy mouth-breathing at the bell, is shaky legged going back to her corner/

R7: Hammer and tongs round as Cathy ROCKS Jewel with a banging wide right hand on the ear, leaning back from Jewel’s right, then stepping into a hook on the teeth that has Kilcher wobbly-butt. Cat working with good upper body movement, smoking Jewel’s jaw with rights, swaying back from the counter, and banging the left hook to close Kilcher’s icy right ere this round. With Cat cruising late, Jewel scores a brazen short right hand on the jaw, then swats a quick left to the ear, biting left to the ribcage, and Bell’s knees fold, spilling her to the ropes. Jewel banging away at the bell as Cathy covers up, getting shellacking sideways along the ropes.

R8: Brawling continues as Jewel fights off the taller brunette’s chest early, but gives ground as Bell catches her leaning in with clipping right uppercuts. Down the stretch with both girls leaning into their punches, Jewel bangs 2 consecutive one-twos off Bell’s chin, punctuating each combination with the short right hand, all shoulder. Bell swoons, takes a knee as once again she fades late in a round, only to be saved by the bell.

R9: Cathy goes back to savvy boxing of the early round, stabbing out the constant jab, hooking Jewel into headlocks as the blonde looks to come inside. Cathy‘s legs recover this round as she boxes defensively, keeping Jewel under control.

R10: Cathy finally punching that jab through Jewel’s mitts, has Kilcher’s head bouncing early, and the blonde’s body is open for spearing right hand shots as Bell potshots, moves the right. Midway through the round, with Jewel chasing. Cathy steps to the right, sweeps a wide left hook to set up a short right hand that lands with a popping crack on Jewel’s left eye. Kilcher stunned by the blow, topples forward, and Bell rocks the blonde with the looping right uppercut from the side, snapping Jewel’s head straight up as her hands dangle out in front of her body. Kilcher wobbles to all fours as bell dances away, and the crowd roars as Jewel barely beats the count. Bell moves in to finish, but the champ won’t have it, trading lefts and rights in close as the girls brawl head to head. Bell sounds as each warrior is beaten ragged in the hot final minute. Decision comes back a heartbreaker as Cathy Bell lifts Jewel’s MTV crown by narrow one point decision.

After: Controversy reigns as questions of Bell doing enough to unseat the champ is raised. Both girls hurt often in this rousing slugfest, bell using a disciplined, savvy attack to slow Jewel down and control her for long stretches of the fight. Cathy becoming a bit of a Kim’s Krusher’s killer, with big upset wins over Theron and now Jewel on big, high profile cards. Britney Spears in audience, visibly disappointed as a lucrative pop star showdown for the title now appears postponed indefinitely.

Reposted by Archer 8/2/11.