Unified Bantamweight Title

Posted by simguy on 8/23/2008, 9:21 am

Before: "Yeah, I'll address the respect issue," Neve says in prefight. "Missy's young - she's having her first taste of success now and she's excited - she can be forgiven for overstating herself at times in the press. I'm surprised at some in the media calling my rule 'surprising', however. I laid the foundations for this title reign in wars - WARS - with Rachel, Dani, Elisha, Jewel and others. I fought the hardest battles in boxing to get where I am today - I singlehandedly shattered a stable and scattered its fighters. It's no accident and no surprise that I'm on top, because baby: I have paid my dues. With interest." Missy nodding in acknowledgement throughout, giving the champ her props. "There's no question that Neve's a great champion and great fighter," Missy says at the podium. "And I'm not here to speculate upon whether Campbell belongs in the elite of the division, or if she's got top 10 ability or top 15 or whatever. I'm actually going to find out! We're going to fight, and I'm going to see what Neve's got for real. There was a time when a lot of people thought me and Hilarie Burton were neck and neck: only by knocking her out did I change that perception. I'm going to let the fight speak for Neve and myself, and I know the best woman is going to win." Neve in black bikini top with lemon-yellow bottoms; yellow gloves; hair in slick, shiny French twist. Missy in vivid electric blue sport top; navy bikini bottoms; white gloves; hair loose, but top-knotted back off her face.

During R1: Neve with thumping authority to ribcage early - pounding at Missy with both hands in a robust start. Peregrym dukes up, absorbing stout, then legging away - she spends the first minute loping about, trying to negotiate space. Second minute - Missy gets the jab on Neve's eyebrows, slowing Campbell's assault - then throwing it into reverse with a checking right uppercut. Final minute, Missy over to offence - backing Neve up with smooth, driving one-twos. Peregrym banging away with long, accurate leather, then hopping forward in her stance, walking Neve down by the bell.

R2: Missy in that relaxed, upright stance - legs straight, weight forward over her left (lead) foot, dukes up. Sudden, tart jabs off the shoulder shock Neve to pate and brows: champ getting tracked, knocked. Abrupt right crosses from Missy pierce Neve's guard, slamming through to chin - Campbell rocked onto her heels early, eyes blinking at the piledriver clout of her lanky foe. Peregrym's distance-judgement exquisite: she's triggering punches at just the right time to contact Neve with full extension, full snap. Missy's eyes twinkle at the early success, but she stays patient - rotating clockwise around her jab - setting rhythms, then breaking them to catch Neve by surprise. Campbell busting up some - catching a lot of face-leather flush: champ getting picked apart, rung up through 2 breezy heats for Peregrym.

R3: Missy into the body for the first time - distracting Neve up top with the jab, then whack-whacking her waist limber right/lefts. Neve grimacing under the licks, hunkering forward behind her mitts - Peregrym able to score, then scoot, sidestepping away under a covering barrage of spitting jabs. Campbell bobbing and weaving, starting to slip Missy's accurate stick by the final minute. Neve over the top with chin-ringing right hands, setting up her first serious left hooks to Missy's liver. Peregrym's turn to grimace as she backs out, circles away from fierce Campbell resistance through 3.

Break: Missy taking on water as upbeat trainer gives her pep: "You're touchin' her up, baby - you're pullin' her strings. She got brave at the end, Missy: when she hits you in the body - you answer to hers. I want you to hook her off, then hit a right hand in the face when she's backing up from the bodyshot. The fight's out here, baby (extends hands, throws little punches) - not in here (shortens up, shrugging little uppercuts).

R4: Missy dictating midring. She's getting off first, featuring a stiff, pounding jab to Neve's brows; she's giving Neve clockwise rotation, constantly turning the Campbell right flank; she's dropping crisp, clean right crosses, penetrating Neve's guard. Campbell gritting her teeth, weaving in close, hooking the ribcage: MIssy answering as coached - hooking Neve's ribs in immediate reprisal - putting the right hand on top as Campbell steps out. Peregrym getting gorgeous extension, arms almost straight as she makes driving contact with Neve's face.

Break: Neve getting enswell from nervous cut man: her brows are puffy, ready to start leaking. "Yer blowin' it kid," trainer tells his veteran. "You need to put hands on this girl - right now, Neve. Get inside that stick and you WORK those ribs. Start sending her back to her corner hurting - every round now."

R5: Familiar sight: Neve stalking, crouching; Missy bouncing jabs off champ's face, setting her up for right hands. Minute mark - Missy doubling up poke pretty as she pivots left: Neve guzzles leather, but crouches close, pulls a savage right hand over the top and DROPS MISSY PRONE! Peregrym simply blown to her back - Neve with a tight, 3/4 arc on the overhand, kisses it off chin, shows Missy the canvas in a heartbeat. Peregrym up on borrowed legs: challenger suddenly shabby, digs in on apron, eyes moist with chin-shock. Neve strides in, issues beatdown: the kind of thing we've seen her administer to Rachel and Elisha. Heavy, pulverizing jabs pound at the defences, pinning Missy down. Brutal right arms switch quick to the ribs, pounding in behind behind the elbow. Quick-swat left hands distract Missy up top, then double down with vicious intentions, digging in deep behind the right elbow. Up and down, up and down - Neve sturdy, recovering balance behind her jab, then punishing MIssy extra in a thuddingly methodical clean up. Bell: Neve's eyes blazing, nostrils flaring - she forces hard eye contact, loving the sickened wince on Missy's scuffed-up face.

Neve/Missy title bout conc.

Posted by simguy on 8/23/2008, 9:21 am

R6: Neve grimly walking Missy down, spitting jabs to close, then working torso like John Henry laying track. Peregrym grunting, grimacing in behind her mitts: she's flat footed, breathing hard, just crouching forward, keeping elbows in to brace her ribs. Neve bumping Missy off, walking her down, belting her: good, thudding roundhouses drumming off Missy's toned torso, bashing at the flanks. Neve trying to sneak that left hook into liver, but Missy's blocking it with the right elbow: Peregrym doing a good job denying Neve the out-punch. Missy also doing a nice job keeping her back clear: girl is banged up, but composed - pushing Neve off, sidestepping, then covering up to absorb the next onslaught. Good grinding shutout, Neve Campbell.

R7: Missy showing youthful resilience, starts to get her legs back. She's fetching Neve jabs again, forcing Campbell to weave her way in, problematizing the approach. Neve works her way to Missy's chest only to eat a tightly-curled counter-right uppercut - Peregrym picking Neve up prim, then pivoting left to turn her proper. Campbell getting her touches - hamhanded whacks to either flank - but Missy restoring order, stabilizing her front and getting back to keeping at the end of Peregrym punches. At the break, Neve's left eyebrow's sprung a leak: cutman controls it, but older-gal's tissues starting to bust up.

R8: Sign of confidence: Missy drills Neve a lead right, then gets it again as Campbell's slow to respond. Peregrym sporty to her right - striding, circling, then curving back in - looping the right overhand, lashing the left, then slinging a bolo right uppercut to Neve's jugs. Pasting 3 punch combos have Campbell baffled - she's no longer pressing, alternating hands between earmuff and crossed arm as she bobs, trying to find a way forward. Midway through, Missy back to her traditional piercing jab, touching Neve twice, then twitching that withering straight right cross, pounding Neve's head back so she's facing ceiling. CAMPBELL'S WOBBLY BUTT! Neve's strong legs able to straighten up out of the knock-down swoon, but she's shook: Missy heartless to the midsection, cranking hook, hook, hook off her front (left) foot before shifting weight to right foot and circling right. Campbell visibly slowed - Missy triggering straight, jarring punches from outside - gloves pounding off Neve's brows, shoulders as she wearily tries to weave underneath. Dying moments, Missy punctuates a big round: right hand across the jugs; right uppercut to chin; right cross to chin. Neve nearly down again after the bell - curvy legs holding her up. Peregrym grins wide - pumping her fist at her corner; blushing with excitement.

R9: Missy fades half-a-step back, drawing Neve forward; Peregrym quickly countering Campbell's hook with a short-jot lead right hand to mouth/quick dip-n-rip right uppercut to chin. Missy hooks Neve's jaw while pivoting left; Missy shoeshines pale Campbell tummy, bunching her forward. Missy pivots right, eyes wide as she dips and licks a bolo-right uppercut to Neve's overhanging face: Campbell blinking in swoon as Missy hooks her once, twice, thrice while pivoting-left to completely cross Neve's bow. Crowd roaring - Neve's getting POLISHED: Missy widens stance, jabs Campbell into compliance to reset. Neve regrouping in a crouch, trying to come forward throughout second minute: Missy repelling Neve with vicious right uppercuts in close, then withering hooks, jabs and crosses as Campbell backs out. Neve busting up, blinking swollen eyes - champ's form really degrading as hurt piles up and desperation replaces strategy. Pinpoint accuracy from Missy: she's extending on glorious right hands, just twitchin' 'em in off the shoulder to pound back Neve's swollen face. Campbell repeatedly rocked - facing bravely into blows that have stopped a lot of bantamweights: Missy ringing up a huge 10-8 without the knockdown, sends a battered Campbell wandering in a fog to her corner at the bell.

R10: Missy up-tempos! Peregrym hungrily at Neve, heartlessly pressing for the KO. Campbell feeling Missy's full-bore punching: champ bitterly recognizing what Peregrym's working for. OH THE SHELLACKING! Neve all busted up - unable to work her way forward with authority: this is Missy circling, eyes narrowed as she pump-pump-pumps her jab, then drops withering right hands straight down the pike. Corner screaming at Missy "BODY! BODY, MISSY - BODY!" Peregrym unable to process instructions as she's just PASTING Neve. Campbell stumbling forward - Missy sidestepping, then drilling in again - HEARTLESS pursuit of a young lioness looking to finish off the queen of the pride. Middle minute, brutal assault sends Neve staggering to ropes: Missy in at her with a straight, drilling one-two, then a hestiation left uppercut off the front foot. SLOW SWOON, NEVE CAMPBELL! Neve's eyes flicker out - she droops to her knees and hands, panting and stunned as crowd roars to it's feet. Missy jogs to neutral corner, leaps into the ropes and screams into the audience...BUT NEVE BEATS THE COUNT! Campbell ALL torn up - out on her feet, but refusing to lie down: she sits in ropes, waves Missy on in with a grim expression, covers up to take her medicine. Deep breath Missy P - she's starting to labour: she steps in wide - features the lead right uppercut to Neve's breasts; turns over a short left hook off the right foot, leaning over to that side to check Neve's damage. Campbell just rotating-torso from her seat in ropes, mitts at her temples, hoping to bait Missy close for a hook. Peregrym splits the mitts with her jab - her left arm straight as her mitt skids off Neve's punished face and into her right shoulder; ANOTHER savage right uppercut rips at Neve's chin, rocking her head back. BELL! Neve drooping forward, but still up - this one goes to the cards. Comes back UD10 for the winner and NEW bantamweight champ - Missy Peregrym!

After: Missy embracing Neve - giving her battered cheek a peck and talking into her ear as ring fills with the usual suspects. Campbell offering a wan hug in response - she's terribly battered tonight, standing up to the freshest puncher she's faced since the undamaged Jolene Blalock years ago - but there's no hard feelings tonight. "She said I earned it, and that I could be as good as I want to be in this sport," a misty-eyed Peregrym says in postfight. "She wasn't giving me anything tonight - everything I got from her, I had to take. I hit her with my best right hands - over and over: she just gobbled 'em and kept coming at me. I made the fight harder than it had to be by not going to her body NEAR enough: she was still so strong at the end, I mean, I was lucky she didn't catch me with something because her legs were still pretty spry. Still - she wasn't getting off like she usually does - we had a great plan for neutralizing her work rate and keeping me out of her wheelhouse - so props to my guys for strategizing this one. I'm just so thrilled to have taken this championship against a real hard-nosed fighter - this is definitely the highlight of my career so far! I can't even imagine a higher high than this."