Posted by simguy on 12/31/2008, 4:54 pm.

Before: Hungry lightweights - good chance for one to step up and be noticed. "Gotta get her beat," Maria shrugs at the podium. "It's as simple as that. Cobie's nothing to me - but I've got to slap her down and get by her. That's the name of the game." Smulders equally motivated, equally determined. "I have nothing against Menounos," Smulders says in prefight. "She's an obstacle to me - one of those girls you climb over to get where you want to be. Both of us are pumped for this, because all-indie PPV spots don't happen every day. I've got to finish Maria if I can - get noticed - and go on from there." Cobie in evergreen bikini; brown suede boxing moccasins (just below knee); black gloves. Maria in chocolate brown bikini; tan suede boxing moccasins (below knee); black gloves.

During R1: Routine midring exchange - both girls conventional, hooking and crossing each other: MARIA'S BEATING COBIE TO PUNCHES. Smulders facing into clobber - stunned as lefts and rights find her chin/face in quick succession: she's suddenly loose about the knee. Menounos pushing forward as Smulders gives ground - Maria maintaining distance, bending in, extending on power shots - OH, she's pasting Cobie. COBIE'S DOWN! Smulders tottering back on her heels, badly face-punched: she's dropped to a seat, back against ropes head lolling in wonder. Menounous braying, pounding her chest - she's all grins as Cobie struggles up for a swaying 8. Plenty of time on the clock, Maria moves in on Cobie, palming Smulder's shoulders at ropes, then sets about working her over. Just one brunette stacking another up and laying on the stroke: poor Cobie lashed about her waist, beaten in her flanks, clipped about chin and temples as Maria dishes sweet shellack. Nothing hurried about Menounos: feet widely braced, dukes up, elbows in, arms relaxed: she's palming and resetting Cobie as needed, then strapping her limber. Pasting shutout Menounous: Cobie dazed, but stubbornly covering up, suffers torment to make it to bell.

R2: Cobie's spitting jabs: Maria momentarily stymied as she's face-spanked. Girls trade rights: Smulders with the table-setting jab gets her cross home first, swiveling Maria's head. MENOUNOS IS SHOOK! Mirror image to the first - Cobie getting to Maria in early trade, moving forward as Menounos wilts. Cobie leaning over front (left) foot after delivering one-two: she dips-n'-digs a jagged left uppercut to Maria's ribs - just a short, thrusting pump Menounos ashen faced, backing into ropes while cringing forward behind her mitts: Cobie steps-to, grimly bracing her feet for hard-punching clean up. Moments spent softening up Maria's waist with strapping lefts and rights: Cobie baring her teeth, switching side to side to bring in palm-down lefts and rights against Maria's trembling midsection. Still palm-down, Cobie deploys a stream of right hands in behind Maria's left elbow, beating her sideways into ropes (Menounos left-side presented, right side in ropes). Maria cries out, covering her head with left hand as she's slumping into cables: Cobie back straight, buttocks back, fists jackhammering out straight, criss-cross lefts and rights. Brutal pulse - Maria crying out as punches strafe her left shoulder/head - Cobie just leaning forward, pouring crop to haunch, whipping her mount to finish line. Maria succumbing in stages - slow wilt to her knees as she slides down ropes. On her haunches, Maria's still cowering, covering her head and leaning her right shoulder into ropes as ref bodies Cobie back. It's over - Menounos can't get off her knees: KO2 in pulverizing fashion - Cobie Smulders.

After: Smulders proves the harder vixen: both women rocked and tested - only Smulders guts her way through. "I was hurt," Cobie candidly admits. "When I went down seconds into the first round - I felt like crying. I worked so hard training for this fight, and it was all getting away from me. Somehow, I willed myself up, but it didn't get any better: Maria beat me without mercy - but by the end of the round, I could feel she was tiring. I turned the tide on her, and she couldn't hack it. She's a front-runner; I'm a closer - that's the difference between us."