Posted by Simguy on 10/3/2008, 6:36 pm.

Before: “I’ve been trying to get Theron in the ring for two years,” Crawford says in prefight, “and this is what they send me? A washed up old hag with a 9 rack and a 2 face? Fine--the Krushers want to play games with me, I’ll take their empire apart girl by girl. There’s a reason why Bell never took the trip up to welterweight before: “I’m going to remind her of that.” bell stunned by the vehemence of Crawford’s podium assault, but Cat’s never been easy to intimidate. “I’ll carry the weight,” Bell promises in rebuttal, “and I’ll carry the punch. Cindy’s the class of the division, but you know, all good things come to an end eventually. She’s finally going to be up against someone who can box with her, and I don’t think Crawford’s prepared for that--physically OR emotionally.” Bell in heart pounding white bikini; small white gloves. Cindy in leopard print bikinbi, small black gloves.

During R1: Identical conventional stances--right hands at chins, left hands slightly lower, poised to jot jabs. Widespread feet--both girls stepping in the jab, then easing back a half-step: economical, efficient distance management. World class jabbing--both women generating terrific pop off the other’s defences as each takes turns blocking, then answering. Gradually--both women form V-guards--elbows together beneath breats, hands cupping faces as fighters edge closer together. From the tight Vs, they dip and dig left hooks to ribs/scrape left uppercuts across defences--always bringing hands back quick to cheeks to defend, Cat’s punching much stickier downstairs: frustrated look of compliant on Cindy’s face at the bell as she gets the worse of it.

R2: Similar stuff--fighters laying down heavy jabs early--slowly rotating clockwise around educated left hands. Poke-Work so thumping and penetrative, both forced to form the rigid V to block. Elbow s in, women lean in, bumping heads and gloves to work in close, Almost every Crawford punch picked off by Bell’s elbows/shoulders. Cat more effective placing her shots--tucking in either side of Cindy’s collected elbows to work the trunk-line; splitting Cindy’s mitts in close via jagged left uppercuts, Furious, hard-hearted toe-to-toe--non-stop work from both warriors bell to bell, but when they pull apart…Cindy’s all touched up, picked clean for a shutout.

R3: Bell laying claim to Cindy’s breasys via that long, strong jab, Cat parting the jugs, pounding at ‘em, doubling up on ‘em with stiff stick. Cindy flustered, driven backward: she’s starting to get disorganized, unable to cope with bell’s coldblooded execution. Closing distance--Bell forms V-front--dropping jabs out hammer style from this posture, stepping forward in V, blocking receipts. Cindy panting, eyes angry/confused: cats TOUCHING her at will, and crisply. Methodical Bell: coming forward behind the jab and the V-front; scoring to face and breasts, then snatching away right/left to the waist as Cindy hastily forms ragged V, Not much back from Crawford: she’s punching off her heels, punching after she’s been smote--that’s another cat bell round.

R4: Veteran Cindy calms herself on her stool, rallies. Much more disciplined Crawford confronts Bell, Dueling V fronts midring--girls leaning in and bumping guards, scraping away in close, bringing hands back quick to defend. Tart, juicy licks--very short, compact punching to the waist and flanks. Cindy directing a steady stream of chopping rights to Cat’s left bicep, beating at the guard: Crawford able to impose strength a little, pushing Bell backwards for  the first time.

R5: Peculiar savagery of V-guard warfare: so disciplined and compact, yet so vigorous and hard-punching. Women dipping side to side; bumping fronts; getting off with scouring licks, Tummies/ribs pink up under snatching contact, Bell’s uppercuts more effective than Cindy’s” more than once, Cat’s able to pick Cindy up to chin, splitting the mitts with short, jerking lefts or right. Cindy’s` headshots reduced to cuffing blows about Cat’s ears as bell’s defensive focus can’t be shaken. During the break, Cindy’s legs spasm as she’s sitting--testimony to the ferociousness of the close-quarters combat.

R6: Cindy advancing behind the V-guard--dropping the hammer-jab onto cat, then stepping-to her, Bell getting touched up, forced to stay covered up: Cindy able to work the waist thick-n’-ripping, while continuing her work on bell’s throbbing left bicep. Final minute--Cat’s guard loosens for the first time: Cindy finally splitting mitts with a series of jagged left uppercuts, then POURING a crashing right hand onto Cat’s chin. Bell sent reeling backward--first form-break of the fight for either woman: she’s ragged, regrouping at the ropes as Cindy steps-to and beats her without mercy, Round ends to the sight of Crawford lapping lanky right/left uppercuts against Cat’s heaving breasts, clapping away unopposed as Bell swoons in stupor.

R7: Bell rallies. Same disciplined stuff as girls compete from identical V-fronts, but bell out-executes Cindy, Cat able to drop the hammer jab onto Cindy’s breasts and step-to, taking canvas from Cindy. Cat banging the body, and bumping up: Crawford constantly having to renew her stance. Withering licks applied to either Crawford flank--Cat leaning in close, twisting her torso side to side to lay the strokes on thick. Cindy spot-checking Cat with sporadic left uppercuts: Crawford absorbs a terrible thumping as Bell reasserts herself.

R8: Crawford answers--and answers--with vigor. Cindy dropping out the jab, stepping-to in her V, dominating Bell inside and out. Cindy’s cruel, chopping right hand numbing Cat’s left arm: Bell’s guard loosening as a result, allowing Crawford to scrape away at close quarters and score to breasts and face. Bell staggered, then setting herself; Cindy’s methodical, bruising Cat up, beating her breathless, walking her down. Cat offering back shabby--just don’t-hurt-me punches: it’s all Cindy hammering at her rival.

R9: Cindy continues her good work--marching in Cat with increasing confidence, going to her body, then working up-torso with batting shellack. Bell gritting her teeth, shuddering behind her V front: she takes two minutes of thumping abuse before firming, and answering. Final minute sees cat draw a line in the canvas: successive Crawford attempts to cross are thrown back. Bell digging back to Cindy;s firm tummy, then scraping short left uppercuts inside--Cindy mouth breathing, blinking in confusion: she has assumed she was rolling Cat up here.

R10: Brutal V-front collisions all around the ring: Cat Bell the sturdier, more determined vixen in heartless exchanges. Cindy landing several choice strokes--in particular a rangy sidearm right in above Cat’s hip that has Charlize Theron squirming in sympathy at ringside. But Bell edging forward behind jabs, taking away canvas, backing Cindy up. Inside--Cat’s sawing away with that rigid left uppercut, clipping and scraping at Cindy’s face/forehead. Downstairs, Cat really wearing out the Crawford midsection with vicious rights and lefts sticking into firm paunch: Crawford grunting, unable to immediately answer as bell digs amidships. Break: girls shoulder to shoulder, bumping and clanging away--ref pulls seething brunettes apart all flashing eyes and heaving chests. Come back UD10 close--Cat Bell!

After: Bell uncharacteristically emotional--shouting out “YES!” upon announcement, clenching her fists at her chest: she carries her Jeri-busting momentum into a new weight division and hands one of the classiest customers a humiliating setback. Crawford astonished, blinking back tears: beaten by the Krushers is something Cindy isn’t prepared to accept gracefully. “She has one of the strongest bodies I’ve ever faced,” a banged-up cat admits in post fight. “I dug at her consistently, but I don’t think I loosened her knees once tonight--that’s pretty hard to believe, I felt good at the weight--she hurt me a couple of times, and moved me around--but overall I felt I was just as strong if not stronger thah Cindy. it’s a great win for me--a real confidence boost, because until you step to a true welterweight and handle her, you don’t know if you can take the weight.”

Reposted by Archer 10/9/10,