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(result by simguy; verbiage by simgrrl)
Rematch of their April 15, 2009 contest, UD10 Kurylenko. Rumors rampant of ‘bad vibes’ on the set of Bonder "Quantum of Solace" and they’re not going away! Tabloids detail a dustup involving Kurylenko and Arterton plus several others in the wake of Charlize Theron’s exhibition in South Africa against Candice Swanepoel several weeks back. Both dismiss it as "one of those things that happen in the heat of the moment" but it’s not the first and probably not the last "heat" for these two beauties!
Gemma suddenly being pushed as "the legit heir" to British Legends like Zeta Jones and Hurley; a notion dismissed by Olga in prefight presser mainly attended by the tabloids and cinema beat stringers. "The girl’s a British beauty, nothing more. To call her ‘successor’ or ‘heir’ to the mantle of Commonwealth Hall of Fame fighters like Zeta Jones, Hurley, Naomi Campbell - even tabloid models - does a disservice to them, but also Arterton. The woman’s got a heavy enough burden of expectation without hangin those names around her neck. I expect sometime tonight, early rather than later, opinions of her will change and become more realistic." When a reporter asked her compare herself to Gemma, Olga rolled her eyes and said, "I’m taller and better looking."
Gemma subdued in her press briefing, drawing the Lions of English Journalism - as much for her ‘legitimate body of cinematic excellence’ as for her ‘body.’ Arterton certainly thought she had it all over Kurylenko acting wise, reminding them, "I went to the Royal Academy of Dramatic F***ing Art for Christ’s sake!' Asked her opinion of Kurylenko, Gemma pointed out, "She’s been typecast as a prostitute. I couldn’t improve on that" When pressed to compare herself with Olga, Arterton instead cited a similar experience with another actress rival. "In ‘The Disappearance of Alice Creed’ I'm shouting, "F*** off, you c***!" a lot. It was nice and I can imagine myself saying that in the ring to her!"
This is a battle of youth vs. experience; the 24 y/o Arterton facing 31 y/o Kurylenko. Olga is riding high in the FCBA right now while Arterton is still getting her feet wet, having just five bouts in this, the major league of celebrity boxing. But ‘The Gravesend Gladiator,’ has a well-earned reputation as a hard puncher - all three of her wins came via TKOs. Gemma’s faced some of the best young guns in Great Britain in a brief career (Kerry Katrona, Lily Cole, Michelle Duncan, Isabella Miko and Emily Beecham among others.)
Kurylenko has an up and down record, but after a slow start she’s 5-6-1 over her last twelve - against some of the best young talent in the FCBA. Interesting aspect of this contest: in their 20 combined fights only two have gone the distance (a UD10 Kurylenko when they faced one another and an Olga draw vs. Rachel Nichols.)
Seething staredown during instructions - then Olga spins away and stalks back to her corner, leaving Gemma open-mouthed with her hand up but nobody to touch gloves with.
The 5’7" Arterton, in a black bikini; white gloves; dark hair in frisky beach ponytail with bangs; the 5’10" Kurylenko sports the traditional ‘Bond Girl bikini’ with wild gypsy-tangle, shoulder length hair. Both with shoes to match their kit.
During R1: Gemma storms out of her corner, slamming into Olga chest-to-chest, legs pumping, driving the taller girl back into her corner. Gem loads up; pounds away at Olga’s slender torso with both fists. Gemma hammers Olga; beating her from foot to foot as the Ukranian slide-steps along the ropes; covering up; trying to weather the storm. Gemma getting all ‘big girl’ on Olga, batters her from pillar to post for the first two minutes. Kurylenko barely able to get out of her defensive shell long enough to throw a punch or two. After 120 seconds of non-stop punching, Gemma’s workrate slows. Breathing hard, the ‘Gravesend Gladiator’ reduces her frenetic punching to selectively target different areas of Olga’s slender body. All-in-all, it’s a horrific display of girl-on-girl fistic dominance. End of the round, Kurylenko staggering, a shambles; stutter-stepping, staggering, and reeling from Gemma’s ‘A game’. If anyone sees a bright spot for the Ukranian, it’s that she got her head handed to her on a platter and she still survived. Not only survived, she managed not to get knocked down! Still, it’s scored 10-8 Arterton even without a knockdown; something she desperately wanted!
R2: More Gemma! Olga still not back and she’s hit, hurt and hurled back into her corner not thirty seconds into the round! Atherton the shorter, but sturdier, woman - setting up inside Kurylenko’s long-armed swipes to feast on that slim body. Olga shaken, rattled and almost rolled in the early going, - but Arterton's attack finally loses steam as both women bog down and settle into a sluggish, unartful, toe-to-toe, tit-for-tat, slugging match. By the end of the second round, Olga no longer up on her toes; too hurt to use her long legs to get out of trouble. Gemma mouthbreathing, unable to snuggle up to Kurylenko’s battered body or summon the necessary finishing power to end this early.
R3: No choice for Gemma at this point. She’s panting; out of breath; forced to ease off the gas and settle for walking Olga down. In the clinches, Gemma the stronger; cornering Kurylenko when she can to dish out some discipline; chasing her when she can’t corner her; shoving, pushing, trying to maintain the upper hand. Kurylenko taking a fearful lathering, but late in the round, Gemma is frustrated when she catches up to the big Ukranian and lands two, three, solid punches but Olga won't go down. Finally, Gemma shows unaccustomed maturity, backing off to work Olga’s body; patiently reducing the older Ukranian with thumping right hooks to the leftside ribs; pounding left hooks to the upper torso; dropping down to sink straight lefts and rights into Kurylenko’s lower body. Kurylenko cramping up, winded, staggering to her corner.
R4: Cue comeback! After three non-stop rounds of offence, Gemma's gassed! But Olga's ruined; her legs shot, but she's got more energy and she mounts a mini-comeback, of sorts. Olga at long range, keeping her left in Gemma’s face; stepping left and pumping the jab. When Gemma tries to close, Olga jab-jab-jab’s, then hooks the right and slips away to her right, leaving Gemma stumbling in her dust. Time and again, Kurylenko manages to make her long legs a factor in the fight even though they’re barely able to get her out of harms way. At the bell, it’s a clear Kurylenko round!
R5: Olga back for more! Again, Olga the aggressor and it’s Gemma in full flight; Olga pasting her with stiff jabs and cracking overhand rights. Still no legs by Kurylenko, just slow, plodding, advance; but she’s making Arterton fight backing up and that’s almost always a good thing. Gemma getting pasted with alarming regularity, but she’s retreating in good order and while Olga’s landing a lot of punches, none are anything so damaging as to cause alarm in the Arterton camp. Still, Gemma’s not going to win this fight by defending herself…no matter how well!
Kurylenko vs. Arterton (conc; too much beauty for 1 post)
Posted by simguy on 7/31/2010, 7:30 am, in reply to "Olga Kurylenko vs. Gemma Arterton (pt 1)"
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R6: Wow! Lookit that, here’s more Olga! Gutty stuff from the slender brunette. She’s got her second wind now and Kurylenko is bringing the fight to Arterton. Gemma rocked back on her heels in the first minute, gob-smacked by the way Olga is bringing the heat. It’s not that Olga is merely aggressinve, it’s because she's not "boxing" as one would expect; no, Olga’s walking, setting up in tight to Gemma, then standing right in front of Gemma, flat-footed, digging, slugging and pretty much pounding Gemma at will. Bell-to-bell dominance from Olga Kurylenko to move even (or maybe a point ahead) on the scorecards. HBO ringsiders say it’s 57-56 Kurylenko; BBC has it the reverse for Arterton!
R7: Conditioning always a factor in a tough fight. First minute it’s all Kurylenko, but Arterton stubbornly refuses to fold and in the second mnute, Olga tires and ON COMES GEMMA! Gemma no longer punching with the mindless ferocity of her first minute attack; she’s settled into a rhythm; calmed down and her approach is more cerebral - less emotional. As the round wears on, Kurylenko struggles to increase her workrate, her punching getting more frenetic…almost desperate. Gemma, on the other hand calmly backstepping; timing Olga’s punches; countering effectively. Final seconds tick down and it’s clear the the ebb-and-flow now favours Arterton as she tosses her hair, spins and struts to her corner. Olga’s shoulders slump and she trudges forlornly back to hers and flops onto her stool.
R8: Gemma still getting strong - pushing, shoving, bullying Olga around the ring; beating her body and head-hunting. No single shot all that damaging, but the continuous barrage of rights and lefts have Olga’s knees buckling time and again. Gemma visibly excited, getting up on her toes, pursuing, whipping right and left hands to Olga’s head from impossible angles. Kurylenko visibly breaking down under the strain, ends the round with her bottom stuffed in the ropes, gloves at her face; elbows tucked in; just accepting whatever punishment Gemma is dishing out. Gemma with non-stop punching almost the entire final minute - then beyond as the referee is slow to intercede. Gemma bouncing playfully, nearly dancing back to her corner. Olga wandering forlornly, lost; needs her seconds assist to steer her back to her stool.
R9: Arterton doesn’t sit between rounds; standing and glaring at Kurylenko who slumps on her stool, gulping air and getting a furious talking-to from her corner. Opening minute, Gemma back on the attack, windmilling punches from every side; intent on ending this before another round. Arterton’s hands drop in fatigue and out of nowhere, Kurylenko drops a big overhand right on Gemma’s jaw! Arterton stunned, staggered, stumbles back in disarray. Olga steps with, her left in Gemma’s face, positioning her head. Another big right hand drops on Gemma’s jaw and she crumples to the mat, twitching, and lays still. Countout is a mere formality as Gemma Arterton doesn’t move during the longest 10 seconds in British Celebrity Boxing history. The winner by KO9, Olga Kurylenko!
After: An expected result to be sure; everyone knew one or the other of these beauties was going to be stretched but it’s nevertheless an exceptional performance by Olga Kurylenko in terms of a newly demonstrated durability, if not late power. Kurylenko withstood a terrible early power barrage by the younger woman, then went eight tough rounds before she summoned up the power to not just stop Gemma Arterton, but to stretch her out stone cold! This is a side of Kurylenko whe haven’t seen before and she suddenly bears watching in the tightly crowded lightweight ranks.
Some expected to see Kurylenko take Ms. Arterton for a ‘walk of shame’ but Olga so dismissive of her opponent she turns up her nose; gives a toss of her hair, steps over Gemma’s shattered body and prances - prettily I must say - back to her dressing room to meet the press in a loose robe that gaps open strategically to keep the newshounds (and hens) so distracted there’s no ‘hard hitting’ journalistic inquiry.
Of course, in the wake of this stunning performance by Olga, Theron and Bell take all the credit for her "resurgence" - pointing out (correctly) she’d spent a month with them in South Africa during the World Cup; working out and sparring with Bell while helping Theron prepare for her ‘comeback exhibition’ vs. Candice Swanepoel. Whether Olga gives them full, half or partial credit; there’s no doubt the tall, lanky, Ukranian is a legitimate threat to any FCBA lightweight at this point.
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