Posted by simguy on 3/25/2006, 9:04 am

(Thanks to FightFan for this repost)

Before: "I know we have history," Shannon acknowledges in prefight, "but I hope Cat can get past that and accept the fact that I view this fight as nothing other than an extreme honor. I never appreciated fighting Bell in the past, but I do now. Competing against her is a priviledge and I hope to BETTER what I did to her in the past, but do it fair and square. I think I can still knock Cat out, but it won't be cheap and it won't be easy. I'm here to earn victory, not steal it." Bell non-plussed: visions of Elizabeth rampaging in her youth not easily dismissed, but Cat willing to let by gones be by gones...to a point. "Maybe she's changed - I believe she has changed," Cat admits, "but I still owe her a knockout - at LEAST. Shannon's retooled nicely and looks great in the ring, but her ribcage hasn't seriously been tested since Demi took her apart a few years ago. I'm going to go back there and check her out, put some heat on her body and see what develops. Odds are, she'll wilt: she's very slender and I don't think she's built to last. All I can say is, she's going to have to box very, very well to keep me off of her." Bell in electric blue bikini; Shannon in red sport-cut bikini.

During R1: Shannon wide eyed, nervy early, pumping her jab while baring her teeth, stepping to her left. Cat calmly parrying, cutting off the ring - she jabs back at Elizabeth's face, then dips in to lash right/left hard against the waist, backing Shan up with a groan. That's the way of it: Shannon working her jab, looking for angles; Cat methodically taking the angles away, sliding inside and punishing the waist, ribcage with lashing licks, both hands. Workmanlike Bell first: Shannon shiny-bodied early as Cat makes good on prefight promises.

R2: Shannon sticks to her knitting: plenty of stiff, long jabs spotted against the Bell upperchest and face, keeping Cat's weight on her right foot, forced to parry. Elizabeth sidestepping left, now changing direction and walking right while scowling over her left shoulder - she's circling well, has Cat turning defensively midring. Choosy right hands from Elizabeth - long, slinging blasts - Bell able to read and block, but good, wiry pop on these shots: Shannon dialing in, getting her preferred distance and balance as she boxes to a smart shutout.

R3: Cat answers, and answers, with vigour. Bell calm, poised - right hand at her cheek, left at her hip - she's just pawing the left hand, occasionally picking it up to show Shannon the palm, then slap downwards with it - distracting. Bell looking to shoot in, duck down with right hands, then come up out of the crouch with hoisted power to Elizabeth's ribcage. Shannon falling back early, blocking the overhand right, but giving up body to do it as Bell digs in. Down the stretch, Bell jumps in that right from too far out: Shannon times it, fades it and clips Catherine a ringing right uppercut counter. BELL GOES WOBBLY BUTT! Cat reeling upright, blinking S.O.S. with long, stunned eyelashes, world-class gams a-stamping in fence post holes for balance. Elizabeth regroups - eyes like saucers - pouncing with a looping right upside the head and ANOTHER to club Bell to her right, sideways to ropes. Shannon pushing in with her left to Cat's right bicep then CLOCKING Cat the looping right on the cheek: Elizabeth bending wiry into the shot, finishing up very close to Cat, pushing her into ropes. Bell stunned, reaching to clinch - she snuggles up hurt, runs the clock to get out of a disasterous third as Shannon steals points late. 

R4: Cat's legs aren't back: Shannon pounces to test the waters. Jabs to mouth set up looping right hand wallops upside the head: Cat sent staggering to ropes once again, curvy legs holding her up as Elizabeth scores ridiculous chin-music. Touchstone corner shrieking "BODY! BODY!" as poor Cat stoops forward earmuffed: Elizabeth responds, arches her back to lick vicious left hooks crank-style up underneath. Thick, wet body shots cripple Bell: Shannon pushing with her right while taking a half step to her right, opening up a festive angle from which to HOOK CAT'S JUGS! OH, the bitter licks Shannon's getting - one, two, three zesty licks spank that hulking cleavage: Cat sputtering in pain and shame, reaches to clinch and EATS SHANNON'S RIGHT UPPERCUT! Bell chin-clipped sits boozily in ropes: Shannon puts the hook on top from her right foot, leans into another right hand which misses over the top, allowing woozy Cat to clinch around the waist. Ref's break: Shannon taking deep, calming breaths - she restablishes balance with her jab, setting her feet to launch straighter right crosses, slinging hooks as she leans in and out. Bell covered up, bending forward and back - she gets out of the round with more clinching and good pocket defence - but it's a big shutout with power, Shannon Elizabeth.

R5: Cat scuffed up: left eye swelling angrily, lower lip fat, ears ringing - she comes out hardhearted to even up the score. Shannon getting tagged overhand rights as Bell times Elizabeth's jab, lunges in close, then works hard underneath off that front foot. Shannon grimacing, forced to fight toe-to-toe and she's getting beat up: Bell using her head and shoulders to butt and bump on the inside, jostling Shannon to ropes. Cat expertly bodying up, pinning Shannon down to prevent escape, then easing out a smidge to continue working BEFORE the ref can issue breaks: Elizabeth subjected to constant attrition as Bell applies weight, then punches, to the problem. Down the stretch, Elizabeth stooping forward - she's in trouble, teeth bared, ribs threatening to quit as CAT POUNDS AWAY! Bell heartless as she looms over crouched prey, riding one palm on Shannon's shoulder to heave away the free hand underneath over and over and over. Left side, right side, left side, right side - Bell just methodically reducing her foe, threatening to put Shan down at the break. Elizabeth achy-groggy, gets splashed ice-water in the face on her stool and receives a vigourous thigh massage as Bell roars back in the fifth.

R6: Cat pressing her attack to Shannon's ribcage - Elizabeth fading behind her jab, walking Bell onto the counter-right uppercut, then TAGGING Cat a looping right on the jaw as Bell backs away. Once, twice, thrice - Bell rejected as she tries to come forward - each time looking a little more ragged as she staggers back to regroup. Midway through, Shannon catching her second wind: this time when she catches Cat the right uppercut - steps and fetches Cat that long, looping forget-me-not right - she follows up - jabbing Bell to ropes. Cat covers up: Shan jabs the guard, then twists to fit a snug left hook sticky to ribs, just in behind Bell's elbow. Cat grunts: Shan tucks that hook in snug again, then eases onto right foot to pull the hook across Cat's temple. Shan eases onto left (front) foot to pull in a clanging short right; headbutts Cat hard - not on her face, but against her gloves to bump her face back, leaving Cat WIDE OPEN FOR THE HOOK! Cat clocked HARD across the chops, lies back stunned and blinking in the ropes! Shannon goes right uppercut; left hook - lashes a wider hook as Cat starts to topple to her left and BELL GOES DOWN! Cat sprawling on her side, then her belly - she gets to all fours, falters, falls onto her face, struggles up again as mouthpiece tumbles off her teeth but it's OVER! Cat can't shake off Shannon's licks: KO6 in upset fashion - Shannon Elizabeth! 

After: Elizabeth bursting into emotional tears of jubilation: Cat Bell laid low, battered and stopped fair and square: Shannon enters the elite, proving that she can box top women and stop them on their own terms. "This is so huge for me," Shannon blubbers in postfight, wiping at tears. "I dreamed of outboxing Cat, then stopping her - I trained for that, I lived and breathed that and to see it happen...it's overwhelming." Bell devastated as she's brought around - heartbreaking outcome for boxing's proudest brunette: haunted look in her eyes reminiscent of Kelly Packard when first beaten by Claire Danes; Vanessa Williams when shocked by Halle Berry; Salma Hayek when upset by Jennifer Love Hewitt. Cat sucks it up, gives Shannon a tight-lipped, perfunctory hug of congratulations, but doesn't hang around to visit: Bell on a real rollercoaster this year after having her way with Theron.

Sim Guy
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