12 March 2005 Jennifer Connelly vs Virginia Madsen

Before: Trip down memory lane - Madsen/Connelly getting reacquainted with Virginia's big screen resurgence giving her some profile in the FCBA.

"I think the difference between Virginia and me now," says Jen in prefight, "is the difference between an Oscar Nominee and an Oscar WINNER. Virginia has quality, but she's not special. She's much heavier than I am now, but I won't be packing on beef to meet her - I plan to come in quick, classy, and I'll take her apart with my skills."

Madsen quietly confident - curly headed blonde slowly rebuilding a still-born career - Connelly bout giving Virginia a whole new level of exposure. "This is an important fight for me. It's risky, because if Jennifer does carve me up, I'll look like a shopworn old hasbeen who can't handle a bantamweight - even a world class bantam weight. I think I've got a lot more left than people realize - it's not like I've been taking the punches Charlize Theron has or some of these girls. If Jen thinks I'm coming in all shot, she's got another thing coming."

Jennifer in hot pink push up and panties from 1967's Bedazzled (worn by Raquel Welch) - Madsen in black lace push up, high waisted red panties.

During R1: Jennifer light on her feet, but set to punch - stepping to spots and looking to walk Madsen into right hands. Virginia using her jab to steer and manage traffic, not buying into Jen's plans - cagey, probing thrust and parry midring. Halfway mark - Connelly jabs to breadbasket, gets the hook off the front foot, chops a tidy right hand and looks for ANOTHER hook when MADSEN TEES OFF RIGHTY! 'Ginny in the pocket, absorbing, waiting, then dropping the hammer - clanging chin-check short and sharp PUTS CONNELLY ON HER BACKSIDE! Jen shaking her head, failing on her first attemp to push herself up off her hip - strength of Virginia evident as Connelly barely beats the count. Jen recovering well however - refusing Madsen's closing bid with a deft spin off the ropes and a brace of tangy jabs to box out the clock.

R2: Jennifer not as greedy, jabbing to the body, hooking up top and stepping to her left - she's scooting, moving, making sure she's not standing around in front of Virginia. Madsen dukes up, chin tucked, patient - she's stalking, can't match Connelly's speed, but compensating with wise ring-geometry, cutting off the ring, thrusting out a thudding jab from her eyebrow. Madsen smart - stepping in to grab Jen by her biceps, wrestling the smaller girl a bit. Connelly busier, the better boxer this round but clearly challenged by Virginia's size through 2.

R3: Madsen not flashy, but she's subtly effective - cutting off the ring and grabbing Jennifer, walking her to ropes, stuffing little forget-me-not punches to chest or ribs until the ref gets in there strong. Connelly wanting to be the fast girl, hadn't counted on Ginny's jab: thudding, long, non-anticipatory blow - it's catching Connelly, startling her, foiling her plans. Madsen stalking, chipping away, clinch catch-and-release - she's got Connelly frustrated. Final minute, Jen trying for a hook gets pre-empted a scolding jab on her chin - startled, she never sees the chopping right hand on her cheek. CONNELLY GOES WOBBLY BUTT! Jennifer stomping around suddenly hooked-on-crack - Madsen re-establishes calmly behind her jab, steps right and looks to hit Jen behind the head some poleaxing right hands. Warning from the ref as rugged blonde gets rough - Jen rocked and shook this round.

R4: Connelly rights the ship. Jen mixing up her jab, doubling it up head and body, fending Madsen off. Ginny coming forward but showing respect - she's tightly covered up, giving up her body but nothing to the head as Connelly sharpshoots. Jen taking what's offered, jabbing breadbasket and lancing in overhand rights to tummy, quick-pivoting out of Dodge before Ginny can answer.

R5: Madsen proving an effective stalker - answering for Connelly's quicks with a heady jab, efficient step-overs - blonde able to get position and force biting exchanges on Jennifer. Connelly up for the slugging - not shying away one bit - pleasing two way spank as girls operate out of high guards, trading hooks and short right hands while covering up in receipt. Even round suddenly goes all Madsen as Ginna gets an innocent little left uppercut as Jen leans forward behind her mitts: blonde suddenly reaching down and digging a vicious left behind Connelly's elbow to bend Jen's knees. Breathy clinch Connelly, mouth open, cheek resting on Madsen's shoulder - classy brunette has to hug up as legs rebel beneath her.

R6: Madsen sensing a little give, starts to pile on. Ginny gambling, up tempoing earlier than she had planned - doubling up the jab to Jen's head to get her ropeside. Harsh right hand to the body, then Ginny palms up on the biceps, pushing Jen down and keeping her at arm's length: blonde smart, patient, hurting Jen systematically and keeping hands free from clinch-minded brunette. Madsen pnning Jen down with jabs, swinging sidearm rights to the flank and midsection, pushing and palming - but it's the sudden, unexpected left to the kidney as Connelly's bent double that produces magic. Connelly swooning forward - Madsen stepping back and banging away wide lefts and rights to body POMM! POMM! POMM! CONNELLY GOES DOWN! Jen sprawling forward, then rolling to her back: black hard strewn across her face, mouth agape - she's cringing in body hurt. JC somehow shakes off the KO, but she's shabby, staring at the ropes as Madsen moves in. Same patient, heavy handed, disciplined Ginny - she'll pound a right to the body and immediately palm up, preventing Connelly from swooning forward to clinch, stacking her up instead. Cold blooded, merciless beat down: blonde bashing away to body, numbing Connelly's arms, scoring to the chin and clouting those jugs as Jen's defense melts away. It's all too much - proud Jenny shipping shellack, swaying and swooning on the ropes and the ref finally edges in. Madsen permitting herself a small smile of satisfaction as she turns away: she's just hammered Jen Connelly TKO6.

After: Connelly brutalized, getting examined on her stool: hurt and down in the first round she just never had a chance to execute her carefully laid plans against a bigger woman. "I was more than just big," happy Virginia says in postfight. "I think they seriously underestimated how smart I am, how skilled I am. I know Jen's a classy fighter, but I showed I know how to handle class, how to handle speed and let's face it: I beat Jen Connelly up tonight. It really gives me a lot of confidence - I don't care who you are, not many girls break Connelly down like I did tonight. All I can say is: I'm available. I don't care if your name is Brooke Shields, Cat Bell, Ali Landry - you know - whomever. I think I can still hang with anyone after tonight."