Posted by Simguy on 6/7.2002, 5:45 am.

Before: Kim on the bubble, Meteoric rise came to a crashing halt at the fists of Claire Danes--and elbows--and shoulders--etc., but all anyone remembers is that Li’l Bad turned punk from harsh treatment. “Kim wasn’t exposed by Claire Danes,” says a serious Pam Grier. “Anyone can just decide to take a baseball btat into an alley and beat on a girl--that doesn’t mean Kim got schooled. She learned a lesson--it’s done, and if Danes or anyone else ever tries to go at my girl like that again, they’ll be leaving in a body bag.”

Natalie unlikely to adopt Claire’s Pearl Harbour tactics. “I’m just going to box,” says the fresh-faced brunette, “I’ve got the height, I’ve got the legs and I’ve got the experience. You know, everyone’s talking about how Danes fouled Kim out--I saw a lot of boxing in that ring as well and THAT’S what punked the ‘champ’--the sheer frustration of knowing she was in over her head, round after round.”

Portman in red bikini, hair braided, bunned back, Kim in orange bikini, highlighted curls

During R1: Not a little rigid, but has the right idea. Hands high, feet wide, she’s leaning in on the stick, tap-dancing to her left, Kim festive with her punching--showing the exuberance she had pre-Danes, drawing applause as she exploded out of crouches, trying to jam away over and around Portman’s guard. Nat keeping it midring, turning clockwise, poking straight shots to capture the the round, but Kim lands some leg-shaking right/lefts on the chin as Natalie’s not moving her head much.

R2: Pam wants more body work--Kim comes out with gloves at lips, trying to weave her way inside, but Portman’s got the jab on overload. Natalie with the right at her cheek, stepping in and around the stick, really jams the baby in on Kim’s nose and chin, reaching the straight right hand off the front door to the cleavage, turning thr shorter woman midring. Kim just bending side to side, both getting off, and midway through, a sudden burst of piercing one-twos straight up the middle has Kimmie stumbling backwards in disarray. Crowd roaring as Portman draws blood from Kimmie’s nose, backs off in good order, legs out the final moments as Li’l One regroups.

R3: Kim coming forward with gloves at her chin, elbows in, side to side bob--Portman pumping stick but it’s a little predictable and Kim capitalizes early. LK bobbing right,  comes back a roaring right hand on the cheek that jerks Nat a quarter turn to her right and nearly sits her down. Grier screaming “BODY!” from the corner--Kim jumping in and plugging sidearm rights t the ribcage as Natalie staggers to the ropes, Portman showing her savvy--she’s hurt, badly rung up, but she gets out of the jam. First, she clinches, allowing the overanxious Kim to smother herself. Then she starts to end and twist with her back to the ropes, just fitting in chopping swats to either side of the shorter woman’s head, quickly clinching up and  pulling at Kim’s neck. Down the stretch, Portman starts getting the uppercut off the ropes--clean, short punches, picking Kim’s head up, and backing her off. Li’l One can’t fight backing up--simple as that.

R4: Portman back on track--she’s jabbing, owning the center of the ring, stepping to her left, mixing in the odd straight right hand up the middle. Kim has opportunities here--Portman’s head doesn’t move much when she punches--she’s there for counters, but the rapper just isn’t seeing the moments. Grier yelling for body work, but Kimmie’s not listening or not executing. Round piles up--Natalie just chipping away for points and in the final minute--Portman salts it aay with another stomping fencer’s rush, criss-cross punching Kim’s face with straight loicks to drive LK to the ropes at the bell.

R5: Shutout Natalie Portman--Li’l Kim looking tentative, uncertain, Kim not confident, hanging back--where’s the pressure, the volume and power? Natalie simply allowed to operate--backing Kim up with pesky, but not damaging jabs, scoring stinging but not lethal straight right hands and slowed to step into the body with pumping lefts and rights. Portman’s legs loosening up nicely as well--she’s scoring, swinging to the left, really opening up nice angles as Kim stays covered up, reacts late.

R6: Kim loads up, but at least firing back this round--getting to Portman’s chin with clubbing rights or lefts after the Portman jab. Natalie still dictating terms, but Kim can undo stretches of patient Portman labour with just a couple of jamming connects--she’s shaking Portman when she lands--there’s just not enough coming.

R7: Kim lets it slip away again. Promising first minute sees Portman backing up, hands at chin height but too centrally placed--she’s not picking up Kim’s short, wide rights and lefts very well as Kim wears out jaw early. Inexplicably--Kim lets up--Portman gathers herself, and starts to operate--jab, jab, jab, straight right hand, hook, turn. By the final minute--Kim’s backing up, dropping  her hands and getting nailed by Natalie’s full body weight. LK wobbly butt at the bell, looking dejected--Grier forcibly picking up the girl’s chin when she climbs in with the stool.

R8: Pam inspires Kim with two words in the corner: “Mish Williams”. Portman apparently unaware of the connection--immediately resumes control, getting off with sticky, rigid punching, eyes focused, legs springy as she wheels left around the hurt. ‘
Kim bending forward at the waist, getting her face punches--head snapped back two and three times as she stares in response--Portman working on the creases laid down by Danes and Kim starts to open up around the eyes,. Portman going downstairs more this round as Kim stands still, covered up high--Nat bending and ripping the left uppercut to the solar plexus, clearly pleased at the sighing grunts Kimmie’s making. Kim shows signs of life late--forcing the fight in the final minute, still landing those dangerous, clubbing right/lefts on the jaw whenever Portman backs straight up.

R9: Natalie just doing it by the numbers. Kim’s still trying--Pam’s calmed her down--but the kid just can’t figure out the distance problem. Portman able to operate comfortably outside, circling left, stringing out the  minutes, Wild punching from Kim late totally ineffective--Natalie stepping out and walking away as Kim nearly corkscrews herself into the matt.

R10: HERE COMES KIM! Li’l One barrels across the ring, tackles the weaker woman into the turnbuckles and lays down a curb-stomping with both fists CHURNING! Portman I shock, huddles against the ropes and vibrating as Kim tans her sides and arms with clobbering shots--belly and breasts jiggling like crazy as Kim sets feet wide part and lets ‘em fly, Crowd roaring--Pam pumping her fist--where’s THIS Li’l Kim been all night? Frenzy does down into sustained punishment--Kim keeping her weight on Portman, pressing her, stabilizing her, then bashing away with sidearm rights on the ear, right uppercuts, left hooks. A particularly effective sawing right hand on the chest forces tears from Natalie’s eyes--she hasn’t taken this sort of beating in a long time. Final minute--it all peters out! Kim stops punching, just laying in with Portman, actually reaching around the brunettes back to clinch in spots, Natalie takes over--she’s shaky, but composed, dipping down to either side and working to clip her uppercuts in and KIM GETS HURT! LK turning away, stumbling back from Natalie--Portman able to slice over the outstretched left of the shorter girl with a javelin right and KIM ROLLS TO HER BACK! Kim blubbering, Pam bellowing at her to get up--kid gathers herself and stands for a trembling 8. All Portman in the waning moments, jabbing Kim to the ropes, then going to the stomach with both mitts as the girls shoulder up at the bell. Comes back UD10 Natalie Portman by wide margin.

After: Pam ushering Kim out of the ring with a protective wing around the shoulders--kid showing heart in coming off the canvas and SOME grace under pressure, but inexplicably lapses against the basic, but very solid Portman,. Natalie a little bruised along the jaw line, but beaming.

“I want Gellar--I think that’s a nice fight for both of us. I want Danes--Mish Williams. Basically I’ve handled the stumble-b um brawlers in this division--I want more sophisticated competition and I know I’ll get it from the blonde.”

When asked about division heavies like Milano, Liu, Ledoyen, Packard et al, Portman’s realistic. “Those are bigger girls, stronger girls, who can fight. I think I can pick Alyssa apart and maybe that’s something I’d look at, but for me to get in right with Lucy Liu wouldn’t make a lot of sense right now. I’m a few fights away, but eventually yes, I see operating on Lucy at some point.”

Reposted by Archer 1/20/11.