Posted by simguy on 9/19/2008
Before: "I've had the pleasure of seeing Ali's jab in the gym for years," Kelly smiles in prefight, "that's how I know mine's better. And that's the key really, to breaking Ali down - because her only hope is to get inside and work me with combinations. But how can she do that when my jab is dominant? And if she can't get inside, she'll be a sitting pigeon for my right hand, and she knows she can't take that. So I'm very confident coming in. Ali's been a great fighter for a great many years, but her sun is setting. I cannot wait to tuck her in at long last." Landry unfazed - she's seen her fair share of gym uprisings over the years - has generally flattened 'em out with vigour. "I've felt this coming for some time," Ali shrugs at the podium. "Lacey moving on Jen - Kelly moving on me - It was time. Every stable has its issues and kinks - every once in a while you have to take a girl out back the woodshed and smarten her up. I knew once Kelly had broken through Biel that I'd have to put my hands on her. A girl's gotta feel your authority at some point; authority has to be leather, sweat and beef - it can't all be reputation. End of the day, it boils down to pedigree: Kelly's done well for a suped-up beach fighter, but pageant girls expose beach bunnies every time." Kelly in crimson bandeau; curls in pretty ponytail; black gloves. Ali in gold bikini, black gloves; curls loose. Catchweight at 130 - Ali can call it a welterweight fight if she wishes; Kelly can call it lightweight. Jeri Ryan reportedly neutral for this fight, promising to favour neither fighter at the expense of the other.
During R1: Kelly in rangy wide stance, pivoting left; she drops a drilling one-two onto Ali's chin and LANDRY GOES DOWN! Kelly just twitching the right off her shoulder, detonating it flush against Ali's jaw: Landry sprawling majestically on her back, eyelashes fluttering in swoon as she's out for a moment. Gritty effort for Landry to struggle up off her back - she beats the count swaying, eyes bleak, glassy. ON COMES KELLY! Brook grinning, sauntering into Ali's breadbasket with a sweeping right, then using heels of her hands to push Ali's shoulders back. Brook methodical, rolling her shoulders, bumping rights and lefts off Ali's paunch, then pushing her upright - Kelly staying on top. Ali stunned and hurt, grunting from body-thump, hands distracted as she alternates between desultory crossed arm and earmuff looks. Latter half - brace of hooks claps against Ali's right flank, sweeping her to her corner: Brook carrying a thick right hand to breadbasket again, bunching Ali up. Kelly stacks her girl, softens her up clubbing lefts and rights to biceps, then she's in on Ali's rack with thudding vengeance. Grim stuff - Kelly staying compact, elbows in, shoulders twitching side to side as she pumps Ali's breasts a steady buffeting. Landry all loose and shabby, hair in her eyes, lips parted: she's desperately hurt, just trying to tie up and stop the rain. Bell to bell Kelly leaves Ali in stupor through 1.
R2: Kelly rotating left midring, pulsing out the jab: again she drops a sudden, jolting right to Ali's chin, spasming Landry's curvy legs. Ali able to stomp her way out of the knockdown, but she's all buzzed and flustered: Kelly able to bounce overhand rights off Ali's defensive front, forcing Landry to ropes. Kelly gets big again: working over the paunch, then heeling Ali's shoulders upright - patiently breaking Ali down. Paunch subdued, Kelly creeps up-torso with her work, as well as round the flanks: comprehensive thump being applied to the problem of Ali's luscious torso. Landry in a funk - hurt from jolting power early, all she can do is ride the ropes, soak up punishment, and tie up for ref's breaks. Bell: Kelly chesting up, making Ali take weight - Brook refusing to get off until ref's actually tugging at her arm.
R3: Kelly roams to her left, wide stance, banging jab keeping Ali covered up. Nasty-ass poke from Kelly: when it penetrates, Ali's head is bouncing back, her face all stunned and concerned. Brook patiently pounding at Landry's left eye, leaning in with the odd whistling right cross, then finishing up with a snappy hook in Ali's midsection. Withering lick, this hook - Kelly's weight on her left leg as she pops hips-right, rip-digs the punch off meat, then brings the mitt back quick to her chest. Ali mouthbreathing, turning on the spot: she's disheveled, disorganized, still rocked - and she's yet to land a meaningful punch through 3 rounds.
R4: Kelly turning Ali's right flank while jabbing, then driving Landry backwards: story of the fight so far. Brook establishes at the apron - Ali sitting in ropes, right hand stacked atop left at her midsection. Kelly deploying hooks to Ali's flank; sloshing sidearm rights clubbed to left flank or ear; heel-pushes to keep Ali stabilized. Midway through, Landry dipping and rolling, finally hooks-with and beats Kelly to the punch: BROOK'S SHOOK! Kelly suddenly wobbling from vicious chin-check: Landry hooks jaw again, drops a straight right to mouth to back Kelly up with authority. Landry grimly forward on shabby Kelly - jabbing at Kelly's raised guard, stepping into the body with straight, down-sloping right hands. Brook driven length of the ring - she's woozy, lips parted: she hits ropes, cups Ali's head in her hands as Landry pushes in. Landry on top, being brawny - arms writhing to push Kelly's limbs out of the way; fists churning in short clubbing arcs. Landry bashing away inside, backside ringing with the effort of stacking Kelly up. Down the stretch, Ali POUNDS away to rack - hacking and chopping in close with both hands against Brook's bulging cleavage. Kelly sobbing, crying freely: she does well to keep her feet as Ali mauls her without pity to bell.
R5: Ali busted up, but alert and grimly determined: she turns stalker midring, walking Kelly down. Brook still throbbing and shaky-legged: she pumps the jab, trying to make her prophecy of Ali-denial a reality. Works to some extent - Landry eyes-narrowed as she jabs-with - ducking her head, turning her shoulders, trying to edge inside - but it's hard work. Kelly's jab a stiff, spiteful poke, and when Landry does slide past it, Brook's tying up effectively for breaks. Down the stretch however - Ali's able to jab her way in, fight off Kelly's chest. Landry returns to the Brook midsection with vigour, working up-torso to flatten out that rack again. Brook straining against Ali, teeth bared as Brit pushes her hardest to keep from being ropebound. Ali scoring with swift cuffing swats and chops - whittling her way into the Brook lead through 5.
R6: Ali continues to back Kelly up, collapse distance, and punish Brook at close quarters. Kelly frequently pushed to ropes: she cups Ali's ears, trying to pull the head down while keeping her elbows in close to her body. Job of work for Landry to wrestle these clinches apart, then muscle Kelly upright, then beat at her. Shoulder to shoulder, Ali stronger, always at Kelly and on her, pushing and mauling when not punching. Ali committed to humbling Kelly's rack - dreadful side to side pounding administered, featuring plenty of cheap forearm chaser as Landry scrubs away in tight. Kelly gritting her teeth, suffering: she's able to keep her feet, but little else as she just can't get her butt off the ropes.
R7: Kelly catches second wind - jabs Ali's face a brace of poke at the open. Landry jabbing-with - punching Kelly's face - stick banging back from Brook as Kel pivots left, stays at range. Minute mark, Kelly turns over the right cross, catching Ali's chin; Kelly puts the hook on top, reaching out to cuff Ali's cheek, then jabbing her the left hand while pivoting left. Kelly easing into wide stance - pushing off the back (right) big toe: she's stamping home stiff stick, penetrating up top and down into Ali's tummy. Landry scowling in frustration: she tries to bull-crouch her way in: Brook meets her with a short lead right, bouncing it off forehead to reject Ali's assault. Moments later, another Landry rush: Kelly fades back, slapping check hooks off the right foot, then pivoting left to neatly sidestep her girl. More Ali rushes met with the same preemptive, popping punches: by the final minute - Kelly's scoring, palming up, and pushing a discouraged Ali off by her shoulders. Bell: smug smile Kelly, ponytail re-invigorated as she struts back to corner. Landry cut inside her mouth, puffy 'round the eyes, bewildered and smote.
R8: Ali desperate to renew the offensive, bobbing and weaving her way up the middle as Kelly hangs back, pumps stick, looks for intercept right hands. Brook never better: wide, strong stance; good sliding mobility as she fades back, dragging her front (left) foot while walking Ali into cuffing hooks and drilling rights. Kelly sidestepping left, turning Ali, stifling the Landry offensives, then touching her up on the way out. Landry wobbly butt, frowning: she's wandering in groggy, taking punches, then getting herself shoved back outside and Kelly won't have her in tight. Down the stretch, Brook punctuates an impressive round with a twitching feint/hesitation right cross to spank the mouthpiece off Ali's teeth. Landry stunned, covers up earmuff: Brook hooks golden-brown gut once, twice, popping 'em in off the front foot at bell.
R9: Ali really ragged, weaving side to side out on the end of Kelly's poke, just trying to keep her face clear of leather. Brook's jab stiff-n'-spicy - she's brisk with it, steppin' left around it, keeping Ali occupied. Brook twitches vicious right crosses off jabs or feints - frequently punching Ali's face flush and forcing her to cover up panicky. Brook finishing up hooks off her front (left) foot - ripping 'em to body after she extends on right hands to get Ali covered up. Glorious stuff - Kelly circling patiently, punishing Landry from outside, proving muscular and dominant by palming up and shoving Ali off when she straggles inside. Down the stretch, Kelly flicks a pair of jabs at Landry's face, spooking Ali backward: Kell able to lean in and stroke Landry's breasts a massive, clapping right hand, driving Ali heartbroken to ropes. Bell: Landry astonished, all busted up, dragging her butt back to her stool. Kelly strutting, eyes flashing, lips set in a tight, confident line.
R10: Ali trails a broken wing, retreating in front of Kelly to bring out the bully in Brook: Kelly cooperates, running into a series of brisk, chopping counters as Ali proves cute off her back foot. Brook a little too KO hungry - she's pressing, leaning into right hand after right hand: Ali slipping in underneath on cue, treating herself to Brook's available ribcage and tummy CHUP! CHUP! on the counter. Landry's hands so quick inside - fists bouncing off Kelly's torso in tic-tac-toe beats, repulsing Brook as she tries to drive up the middle. Gets progressively worse: Kelly slipped, countered to the body, then clocked about the chin as she's stumbling back out: Ali patient, realizes she's found a rhythm at long last. Kelly stubborn, defying her corner: she marches into a crunching array of sharp, tattooing blows - tummy, tits and chin: Ali lights her girl up, but just can't lift Brook off her feet. Comes back UD10, Kelly Brook.
After; Mild upset for most pundits: Ali's been the boss of this group since Jeri Ryan's salad days - proud pageant princess got her ears soundly boxed tonight. Brook grinning, preening: she answers the haters that had dismissed her Biel upset as an off-night for Jessica - Kelly shows class, power, and heart in warding off her stiffest comp yet. HBO quick to slap in the Swan Lake tape, despite howls of phoned-in protests. Better to be safe than sorry when these particular girls tangle.