Posted by Simguy on 5/26/2006, 7:24 am.

Before: Hard feelings abound as Neve rubs in her previous victory at every occasion—old school FCBA dominance techniques: always keep a beaten girl down. “I think its crappy, and it’s mean,” Rachel says of Campbell’s behaviour, you inside and out of the ring—but I never thought things would ever get as personal as Neve and me. Forgive me for saying this, but I really, really want to punish Neve before taking her out. If that was her intention—to super-motivate me: mission accomplished!” Veteran Campbell shrugging off Rachel’s condemnations—Neve 100% focused on hanging back to back “L’s” on McAdams. “I’m sorry she doesn’t like the heat and she’s having trouble adjusting to the pro game, but that's not my problem. I do what it takes to beat girls, and Rachel’ getting the full court press because I think it’s necessary. When we’re out of the ring just in public, and she’s still making eye contact with me? Then I know I haven’t done my job. She doesn’t like it, I think there’s an opening for ‘sheep-keeper’ at the local petting zoo, She’ll fit right in.” Ouch. Neve in cerulean blue bikini and a sharp white boxing boot to mid-calf with tassels. Rachel in Maple Leaf configured nylon boxing trunks (high cut sides), sold red bikini top with white strings and a smaller white maple leaf on the left breast, puncher’s ponytail, red/white two-tioned boxing boot to mid calf—tassels. Red gloves with white maple leap over the knuckles, Rache: white gloves Neve.

During R1: Girls meet midring, strong stances, weight on front (left) feet to crank hooks amidships and pick up right where they left off. Stoic faces, tight lips as pumping hooks spank off taut bodies, then they fall in shoulder to shoulder, noggin to noggin, digging, swatting cuffing, mugging at close quarters. Takes a minute for Rachel to massage Neve to ropes: Campbell digs in—Rachel happy to stay in the phone booth and pound away. Grinding tousles—Rachel pawing down on Neve’s hands, then cuffing her jawlines with sudden swats; occasionally dipping a shoulder, twisting her hips to fit in a thick, shivering body shot. Neve leaning forward, hands stacked low (right atop left)—she picks’em up in a little swatting uppercuts, tugging on Rachel’s chin; occasionally dipping her left shoulder to crank hooks to Mac’s waist. Most eye-catching punch of the round: a shooting straight right hand Rachel to Neve in close, taking Campbell between the eyes and jarring her head back to yells of crowd-approval, Bruising back and forth, girls just clouting each other tit for tat, neither moving out of the kitchen, Close, pulverizing stuff—Neve’s back to the ropes the whole time, so judges figure Rachel’s the aggressor: its that tight.

R2: Same again, only this time, it’s Neve steadily working Rachel to the ropes, and McAdams stubbornly digging in to repel Campbell’s advances. Noggin-to-noggin again—Neve pawing down on Rachel’s hands, knuckling at her, then sudden-clouting her jawlines, swiping at her ribs and jugs, pumping to her tummy rolling hup-hup. Answers in kind from Rachel—hot, angry reprisals—both girls absorbing bruising shellack with stoic, strained faces, So close that once again judges have to infer from McAdams’ back on the ropes that Neve’s the boss: round to Neve.

R3: Rachel’s turn: Neve punched, bumped, and stepped gradually to ropes—Rache gets on top, knuckling, pushing for room. Rachel gnawing on Neve—reaching in the left to push Neve’s right arm back at the elbow, then clouting her one, two, three short, drifting right hands on the jaw. Campbell sullenly soaking it up, but showing no signs of real hurt—she paws at McAdams’ hands, getting them out of the way, and digs rights and lefts in combination to the waistline, Bruising, cudgeling, non-stop back and forth—girls pushing and grinding on each other, but nobody clinching: each just wants her turn. Neve’s back to the ropes: Rachel gets the benefit of the doubt.

R4: Rachel takes the first back to back rounds, starting to make serious inroads in Neve’s body. Rache sliding her right (back) foot back for a little extra leverage, really dipping-and-ripping rights and lefts hard to Neve’s flat tummy, Campbell issuing breathy little grunts now, lips parting moist, eyelashes fluttering: Rache’s winning the round by a distinct margin for the first time, clearly outworking her rival, Rache with that muscular tactic of pushing her left in on Neve’s right inner elbow, then going to work with short, drifting right hands—uppercuts and clubbing clouts batter Neve’s face: she slumps a little in the ropes, stooping forward and taking groggily. Rache finishing up big girl: pressing her left shoulder and open right palm into Neve to stack, then clipping her a clawing hook across the chops; tart right hand on the cheek. Neve: right hand at her cheek, left draped across her gut, soaking up shellack at the bell.

R5: Neve goes to the jab early, prodding Rachel stiffly, and setting up a fine right cross with which Rache partially rolls. McAdams bobbing and weaving in response, stepping out and using her legs—tassels tossing as she circles, neatly countering Neve’s boxing look with lateral movement. Rache edges back in with a lead, rising hook, taking Neve cleanly on the chin: follow up short chopping right hand on the left eyes forces Campbell to cover up, jerking left uppercuts splits Neve’s mitts, picks her face up sleepy: short, drifting right hand jams in across the tops of Neve’s guard, smashing into her face, smudging her features for the cameras. Hard, pulverizing punches drive Campbell to ropes—Rachel’s biceps and shoulders hardening into view on her uppercuts, especially. Once again, Neve droops forward lazy, hands low, bobbing her torso slightly as McAdams squares away to work. Rachel breaking out the baseball bat now, setting her feet, getting into Neve with gut-wrenching force, Straight arm hooks shiver off Neve’s right flank with cracking reports, drawing slight cringes from the brunette. Hooks and clipping left uppercuts clobber Neve’s head around, complimented by clouting right hands tidy on the jaw, Rachel pressing in with her shoulder to stack and reset, then she’s back on with more hurt—clawing and clubbing and bashing at her nemesis. Neve’s composure cracks late: she clinches up head and shoulder, turning her face to rest her puffy left cheek on Rache’s hard left shoulder—mouth open, eyes closed,. McAdams strong, pulling and pushing out of the clinches, staying on her girl: Neve’s busting up, wilting under sustained McAdams pressure.

R6: Neve shopworn, lumping up—she starts bouncing to her left, flashing out the jab, trying to buy her legs and body a little more recovery time. Rachel stalking, crouching, slipping most of Neve’s stick, but having trouble cutting off the ring—Campbell with underrated wheels, knows how to skirt a perimeter. Final minute, Rachel finally stepping over and jabbing to Neve’s chest to locate her—hook/cross combination brings Neve down her bicycle, settling her back into the ropes once again. Campbell earmuffing up, stooping forward: Rachel lights her up a GORGEOUS left uppercut, rocking Campbell’s face up off her mitts with a stunned slackjawed expression. Short, straight right hand on the button; left hook bouncing off chin—Neve sinks down in groggy agony, dimly taking a knee as Rachel steps back, eyes blazing. Rocky 8, Neve—Campbell swooning at the ropes, stumbling a little as ref wipes her gloves, but he’s letting this thing go and HERE COMES RACHEL! Mac crouching, reaching in her left to push on Neve’s right arms and POUNDING Neve’s face a looping overhand right, Campbell out on her feet, tips back into ropes, staring incoherently at the incoming fury. STOP THE FIGHT, REF! Rachel unleashing—wide de la Hoya hooks, crisp, straight right hands—Neve’s head tossing dangerously on a limp neck, world-class legs somehow holding her up, slumpio against the ropes and REF STEPS IN! Brutal TKO6, Rachel McAdams!

After: Good gamble by the Mountees—McAdams answers the call big time against veru motivated comp. Rachel beaming with pleasure, pounds  a stoppage out of Neve—really a nasty, comprehensive beatdown simply using Campbell up tonight. Neve dazed, slumped on her stool, eyes swelling to slits--she looks wearily up as triumphant Rachel approaches with a smug smile of deep satisfaction. “I forgive you,” McAdams says offering her hand. Neve looks at the truce, wincing up at Rachel and mumbles, “Best of 3. we shake hands when I knock you out.” Spurned, Rachel goes cold: “Fine, I’ll see what I can do.”  She turns away to do her interviews and accepts her accolades—up to management whether to pursue this increasingly bitter series to rubber match.

Reposted by Archer 11/10/09.