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29 May 2004 Neve Campbell vs Keira Knightley

Page history last edited by Dradis 15 years ago

Posted by simguy on 5/29/2004

 

Before: Excitement in the Campbell camp - Neve positioned to ascend the throne against a 'fluke' champion. "No doubt about it," breezes Neve, "Keira's the worst champion in boxing - maybe ever. She caught Britney during one of Spears' little emotional snits and knocked her out - that doesn't make you a legitimate winner. I'll get to that bony body and suspect chin and when I do - we'll have a deserving bantam champion in place." Keira on top of the world - written off as an undergunned overachiever by many pundits - Knightley's conditioning, skills and range at the weight have made her the most surprising fighter in boxing. Neve in cerulean blue bikini, Keira in navy peasant top, pale blue lacing up the front, navy boy cut trunks, pale blue lacing.

 

During R1: Neve establishes herself, scooting into position, jabbing stubby to Keira's chest and grazing chin with some scary right hands that have Knightley scattering into the ropes. Muscular pursuit - Neve lowering her head, throwing hard right/lefts against that scant waist, getting her forearms up to shove Knightley back down as Brit tries to spin off. Pounding body work really shaking Keira up - lips pulled back, she's forced to slug or be battered - Knightley leaning forward, then pulling back to clip Neve rigid uppercuts to no effect. End of the second minute, both girls punching sharp - Neve's hook tugs Keira's chin hard to port and DOWN GOES KNIGHTLEY! Neve smoldering in satisfaction - thundering punches and a brisk pace paying off exactly as promised. Knightley up at 8, rung up but stubborn - she doesn't punk under pressure. Neve pushing in to finish - Keira able to get scrubbing lefts and rights on the face - pushing, nuisance punching to be sure, but Keira's able to move around the blows, keeping Neve off balance to the bell.

 

R2: No-frills Neve attacking Keira with blunt, effective tactics. Stamping jab to the upperchest locating the champ - crisp right hands down the pike - Keira has to lean away and bail or risk being decapitated. At the ropes - Neve lets her hands go - thick, robust tanning of Keira's fat-free waist - really shaking the lithe Brit's torso. Keira elbows in, getting rocked, but staying composed - she's fitting crooked little left uppercuts onto Neve's chin, slapping her face right hands, then covering up - Campbell unfazed, clearly stronger with Knightley's back to the ropes.

 

R3: Keira gets on track, jitterbugging footwork, long legs changing direction, stepping out - Neve unable to fight off Knightley's chest this round. Keira scoring with the jab if not hurting Neve, stepping to spots and landing the hesitation right on Neve's jaw. Campbell wading through it, but subtle shift in momentum as Keira's legs start to set the agenda.

 

R4: Keira staying free and clear of those ropes - sticking jabs, scraping jabs, hesitation right hands, cute spin moves and sidesteps. Campbell growing frustrated, reckless and midway through it costs her. Neve pawing the jab - Keira stepping in on it and putting 100% Knightley behind a clanging right hand - CAMPBELL GOES DOWN! Neve as shocked as Britney had been - staring up, mouth agog as Keira prances long leggedy to the neutral corner. Keira not pressing, allowing Neve to come forward, luring her in and a gorgeous punching sequence sees Campbell swing and miss - Keira tap and touch while stepping back, rubbing clean lefts and rights across Neve's face, pivoting, guiding Campbell past with a hand in the back and cleverly tripping the brunette during the sidestep. REF CALLS IT A KNOCKDOWN! Neve falling face first into the ropes, up quickly, bleeding from the nose and OUTRAGED as the ref gives her 8. Grinning Knightley SHAMELESS as she takes to her heels, suddenly changing direction to shake Neve - Campbell storming forward, livid at the unearned 10-7.

 

R5: Knightley blending movement with steady facial scrub and occasional stinging pokes - stop and go, rangy rhythm clearly not to Campbell's liking. Neve able to take Keira's timing rights and clawing hooks without flinching, but Knightley doing a nice job preventing Neve from getting off then moving to force Campbell to move her feet. Neve not clearing the holster enough, shining up nicely under Keira's brushing punches.

 

R6: Glossy shutout Keira Knightley. Fight at midring - Knightley circling, feinting, chipping away from outside and occasionally stepping in with that sneaky hesitation right on the chin. Neve dipping side to side, alternating hand position from chest to eyebrows - again, she's not getting off, not getting her range and where's that stamping jab that had bothered Keira early?

 

R7: Keira yo-yoing that jab, dabbing at Neve's nose, doubling and tripling up on the face, punching off the front foot and mixing in the occasional chiseling right hand as Campbell hangs back. Knightley really in a groove, right hand alongside her chin as she pumps the left, legs effortlessly shifting her weight forward and back, moving her in, out, to the side. Neve not shutout this round, getting to Keira's sternum with some lancing overhand rights - but it's all one shot at a time - Campbell unable to impose herself on the slighter champion.

 

R8: More of the same - Keira boxing brilliantly from outside, tapping away, polishing up Neve's face - Campbell trudging forward, occasionally stepping over to cut off the ring and beat the body with loud right/lefts. Neve landing hard when she lands, but no denying Keira's ring generalship as Knightley dances her way through the 8th.

 

R9: CLANG! Neve moving her torso, finally gets a torrid hook onto her opponent's chin - when she hits Keira's cleanly, Knightley gets hurt. Double-K woozy to the ropes, legs suddenly distracted - British beauty sets up gloves at temples to withstand the storm. Good times for Neve - she squares up, pounds away crisscross straight lefts and rights to the chest to break up the defence, then turns over hooks upside head, up and down the flank as Keira turns and cowers. Knightley wiry-tough in these moments - she's being bullied, beat down, but protecting her head and hanging in there. Neve turning on her heel at the bell - all business, in control as fight winds down.

 

R10: Keira Knightley won't give in. Keira recovers her composure, shows good resiliency, getting back on her toes and making a pest of herself once again midring. Neve constantly preempted as Keira pings punches off the face, then pivots to the side, or steps out to walk around. When Keira doesn't like the angle, she'll tug an arm or push an elbow, getting around Neve and resetting things - Campbell just being influenced rather than beaten at this point. Goes the route - Keira unflappable, unavailable as she takes a ho-hum 10th. Comes back UD10 for the winner and STILL bantam champ - Keira Knightley!

 

After: It's another upset, but Keira starting to make believers of folks - she's done a masterful job of boxing the punchers in her last several outings. Neve shaking her head in disbelief - early success might have been the kiss of death tonight. "I lost my focus," admits Campbell in postfight. "When I dropped her in the first - I thought, 'this is going to be too easy' - I mean she had NOTHING on her punches. Before I knew it - she'd rung me up for a bogus 10-7 round and we were in a distance fight - but I just couldn't get my head back for that. No excuses - she outboxed me tonight - but I'd LOVE a rematch - no way she can do that again." Knightley glowing with vindication and not sparing the doubters in the press. "People think I'm going to shrivel up and blow away when they hit me," Keira bleats, "but it's not as easy as all that. I'm tuff, I'm skilled, and best of all: I'm champion. Believe it!"

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