Posted by simguy on 11/8/2008, 12:00 pm

Before: Bell the busiest flyweight in the division - fighting one of the toughest schedules in the division. "I feel like I'm getting back to my old self," Kristen says of the work. "Lots of rounds - I'm getting sharper - and my body responds well to activity. My manager says there's a tremendous appetite for my fights, so it's a good idea on that side as well - but mostly, I just find that when I'm fighting often, it keeps my edge better than just sparring." Ricci stunned by hard-punching Rachel Leigh Cook last time out: she knows a win over highly-touted KBell will erase that result. "It's a risk," Chris acknowledges, "following up an upset loss with a real tough, skilled blonde - but I want that Cook result to go away. Beating Bell puts me right back on track, and lets people know that Chris Ricci competes with the big girls, while Rachael Leigh Cook's still a big fat nobody." Ricci in midnight blue bikini, small white gloves; white boxing boots (with tassels) to midcalf; blonde hair squeaked back in slick, short ponytail. Kris in hot pink bikini; small white gloves; white boxing boots (with tassels) to mid calf; word's feistiest ponytail with messy bangs.

During R1: BRISK! Midring - girls close - swap it up tic-tac-toe. Ricci bobbing, arms crossed at her body, clubbing at Krissy's flanks, shoulders, ears. Kristen's hands in loose stack - right atop left - at her midsection: she's snatching back quick, curling clout - elbows in tight to her body. Bell sidestepping-right, jabbing Ricci while shifting, then tearing at her anew: Ricci turning, constantly bobbing, slugging out of her crouch. Close, hardfought action: Bell maintaining initiative with her little lateral moves, tattooing Ricci body and head, tidying her up for points. Christina shaking her head 'no' en route to her corner, denying Bell had any effect whatsoever. Ricci's corner like the effort, but remind Christina to "dig up into her ribs" on occasion, rather than working out wide all the time.

R2: Ricci digs at Bell's ribs - Christina hup-hup-hupping away brawny little rights and lefts, shoulders rotating. Bell clip-clap-clopping away tidy rights and lefts upside Ricci's head in receipt, then stepping right, turning Christina's left flank. Bell putting punches together off Ricci's left shoulder - chopping right hands/short hooks in withering combination. Midway through, paydirt: Bell fighting off Ricci's left shoulder, hacking down short right hands once, twice to chin: RICCI'S STUNNED! Chris stooping forward over her feet, then dropping to all fours as snarling Bell swishes away side-to-side left/rights. Final minute - big KBell mop up: she steps to Ricci at ropes, standing up in the stirrups to get after Ricci's bulging melons via short-shrugging hup-hup uppercuts.

R3: Ricci doggedly determined - driving up the middle, bludgeoning at Kristin's sturdy ribcage/waist. Bell snarling, swiping away left/rights against Ricci's ears; picking her up close-in right uppercuts; sidestepping-right while prodding Ricci jabs to face. Bell always angling in off Ricci's left shoulder, hacking down right hands as Christina's crouching forward, then picking her up tight, double-left hooks jug and mouth. Ricci falling off the pace: Bell pouring unheard of volumes onto Chris - not all hard blows - just a steady drumming rhythm punctuated with the odd vicious chop.

R4: Torrid pace continues - one or the other fighter constantly getting off. Ricci pressing her attack up the middle - bouncing small mitts off Bell's ribcage/waist: good thumping effort finally putting a grimace on Bell's face. Kristen banged back into ropes, unable to sidestep Ricci: Christina doing a good job maintaining position on Bell's chest. Now they're fighting on Ricci's terms: Bell's back to ropes; Ricci's head under Bell's chin; Ricci's shoulders rotating, arms chugging, fists punching into Bell's trembling midsection. Bell grimacing, baring her teeth, dipping to either side and hoisting supple uppercuts in reprisal, but unable to squirm out from under brawny Ricci.

R5: Bell doing a better job controlling Ricci, keeping fight midring. Jab a key weapon for Kristen: she's marking Ricci with it, tapping brow and face, using it to fix Ricci's position so Bell can sidestep her. Off the left shoulder, Bell putting tremendous combinations together - blistering stuff really tearing at Ricci. Christina in her crouch, but helpless to prevent those chopping, short right hands of Bell from pouring in over left shoulder and smiting cheek. Bell's clawing left hooks double up short, catching Ricci's mouth and tits, cuffing her senseless. Late the round, Bell starts mixing in a cute outside-in right uppercut from her angle off Ricci's left flank, picking Christina's face up drowsy from her crouch. Break: Ricci's wobbly-butt back to her corner, eyes starting to swell from Bell's constant attention.

R6: Christina Ricci's wearing down. She's still coming forward in her crouch, but she's not getting off, reacting slowly to incoming, taking punches as she can no longer evade them. Bell crisp as ever - strafing, clipping, chipping away - ponytail swishing, tassles tossing as she steps right, keeps up the steady beat. Bell's elbows in as she works, getting legs and back into short, chopping blows - she's pouring in over Ricci's left shoulder, tearing it up on Chris. Ricci tough, durable - wearily turning and turning into punishment, but she's damaged goods, starting to grow sleepy from the beat. Bell light on her feet, bouncy, energetic - by the break, she's getting off with impunity, just shredding a dazed Christina Ricci at the bell.

R7: Ricci wanders out, crouches down, leaning into Bell's buzzsaw. Bell snarling, body tensed as she gets off/steps around. Ricci baby-stepping forward, no longer moving her head: STOP THE FIGHT, REF! Kris stepping right around her jab; dropping the chop-right over Chrissy's left shoulder; hook-hooking Christina's chest; curling the outside-in right uppercut to chin. On and on - Ricci wobbly butt - gradually breaking down...FINALLY she staggers, droops, then drops to her butt as a pair of cuffing Bell hooks takes Ricci in the mouth. Christina ALL banged up, bravely to her feet at 10, but ref's waving it off. TKO7 Kristen Bell.

After: Bell jubilant - clear, decisive victory her best in a long while, incorporating her full suite of high-tech skills and hardnosed will. "Chris is a volume puncher," Bell explains, "but she needs to get off first to work at her best. I wouldn't allow that tonight - I turned her, touched her up, kept her hurting and confused. She was ROCKED when I dropped her in the second - I could see in her eyes she was so confused - nobody told her I could hurt her like that. I had a lot of work ahead of me at that point - Ricci's like a little knot of muscle these days - but I worked at her, kneaded her, beat upon her. I hit a girl as many times as I hit Chris Ricci tonight, and they're going to succumb - I don't care who it is."