Jessica Biel vs. Taylor Cole
Medallion Boxing vs The Fighting Academy
(Words: The Grand Wizard; Results: Lookout)

BEFORE:
 
Matchup of two of the fittest, most athletic, most physical girls in the FCBA promises to be fun to watch. The pair have met twice before, with each claiming one fight. And, each is determined to take the lead in the career head-to-head. "Jessica's back," says Taylor with a nod. "The question IS, is she REALLY back? Is the Jessica Biel who's won all those titles really here? Or is she gone for good?"

"Oh, I'm BACK," says a hard-eyed Biel. "Back, and as good as ever. I've had my little break. I've recharged the batteries. And, I'm ready to take back what's mine. The lightweight gold."

ROUND ONE:
 
This is fun to watch. Two excellent athletes, two excellent tactical fighters, playing the tactical game. They're moving beautifully, jabbing, probing for weaknesses, looking for places to slot a hard right hand. Or, looking to create those places. There's not a ton of action. Both girls only moderately busy. But, there's a lot to look at. The great feet. The quick hands. The excellent head and shoulder movement, the varying of tactics and timing. It's all about getting comfortable, getting a good sweat worked up, getting into the rhythm of the fight. And, as the round goes on, both fighters do. By the final minute, things are getting busier. Both fighters are putting punches together and getting some leather home. Nobody really gaining much of an advantage, but both able to score with both hands. At the bell, it's a near thing, but it goes to Biel, who grabs the early 10-9 edge.

ROUND TWO:

Sometimes, the complexions of fights change slowly, so slowly that you don't realize anything has changed until long after it begins to do so. So slowly, that you're actually looking back, looking for the moment when it all began to happen. In other fights, though, the complexion changes quickly. So quickly that everyone in the building and everyone watching on any size screen anywhere knows it's changed the instant it does. And, the change in this fight is the latter kind It comes at exactly 1:50 of the second round, a round much like the first. A close, tactical round in which both fighters are having their moments. It's a picture perfect right hand that detonates on the jaw of Jessica Biel and sends her staggering backward into the ropes. Taylor Cole actually hesitates, not believing Biel is still on her feet. She is, but she's wrecked. And Cole is quickly at her, giving her a complete beatdown for the next 65 seconds. How Biel stays on her feet is anyone's guess. How the manages to avoid having the thing stopped? Also anyone's guess. But. She does. The result, however, is clear cut. Cole wide and Biel very unsteady on the way back to her corner.

ROUND THREE:

Things quickly get ugly for Jessica. Cole's going great guns immediately, and Biel clearly has no answers. The legs aren't there, she's still unsteady, and, as a result, she can't generate enough power to keep Taylor off. Cole simply wades forward, battering Biel backward with salvo after salvo, trapping her on the ropes, banging away to head and body with both hands. Biel spends most of her time either clinching or covering up. Cole spends hers looking for the one additional punch it's going to take to end this thing. And, she lands a couple of beauties near the end of the round. Both shake Biel and get the referee's attention. But. Neither are able to take her off her feet. Somehow, the champion is able to survive the onslaught once again. But, when the bell rings, she's looking more that a little scuffed. And Cole has her second consecutive wide round and her first lead, 29-28.

ROUND FOUR:

Beatdown of Biel continues. Jessica's able to move a bit better this round and stay off the ropes for awhile, but she can't shake the damage, because Cole keeps piling on more of it. A lesser fighter wouldn't just have been stopped a long time ago, a lesser fighter would have been stopped immediately by the one punch. But, this is no lesser fighter. This is a physical specimen unlike just about any other in the FCBA. She HAS shipped the damage and stayed afloat, but she's definitely listing, and Cole, again, knows one more hit in the right spot could send her to the bottom. And, Taylor's all about firing everything in the magazines to make that hit happen. It's grim stuff for the Hall of Famer, but, like the Hall of Famer she is, she perseveres. Those great legs hold her up, and the iron will keeps her going. But, that doesn't stop Cole from grabbing a third consecutive round wide and taking a 39-37 lead.

ROUND FIVE:

Cole back after Biel, but Jessica tosses a curve ball. She goes into the pocket. Allow me to repeat. Jessica. Biel. Goes. Into. The. Pocket. The girl with, maybe, the best legs in the division decides not to use them. She goes to the ropes and invites a siege. Taylor Cole complies. But, Biel's defenses hold. She might not be using those great gams to move around the ring, but she's rolling the shoulders, moving the head, using the quick hands to pick punches off. And, she's countering and countering well. We're, all of a sudden, back to a two-way fight. The first half of the round belongs to Biel, who's got Taylor a little off and fighting a little too aggressively. The second half is much closer, with Cole settling in, figuring this out. Not giving Jessica as many openings. But, the edge the Hall of Famer built up early holds up late. Biel claims the round close to cut the lead to 48-47.

ROUND SIX:

Biel back to the pocket. Worked once, why not try it again? Cole a bit more cautious now, playing this game the way she played it near the end of the last round, working carefully, setting everything up, not giving Jessica a lot of openings for counters. Pace slows as a result. Game of cat and mouse developing. Biel moving the head and shoulders, keeping the gloves up, Cole trying to find her, careful not to open herself up. But, caution can't make you safe. Not in a ring with Jessica Biel. And, no defense is without weaknesses. About a minute in, Biel finds one, ROCKING Cole with a brutal combination that sends her staggering backward. Jessica explodes off the ropes and proceeds to hammer Taylor around the ring, finally trapping her on the calbes and giving her a thorough working over. Cole guts it out, hangs on desperately, manages to make it to the bell, but it's Biel wide and we're even at 57.

ROUND SEVEN:

Now it's Cole looking worse for the wear. She's a little unsteady, clearly still trying to shake off the last round. Biel doesn't come out guns blazing, however. She doesn't go back to the pocket, but instead begins working the left hand. She's looking to box, get the left on, follow on with the right. Cole has to be feeling fortunate to be playing this game and not trying to survive an onslaught designed to finish her. Taylor gives ground, circles, boxes pretty well. She's holding her own as the legs slowly come back. It's all going very well. Until it isn't. It's a BLISTERING right hand from Jessica, set up by a crunchingly solid left jab. It swivels Cole's head and sends her crashing to the canvas on her right side. Biel wastes no time getting to a neutral corner. She knows how sturdy Taylor is. But, Jessica also knows what kind of punch that was. She's not expecting Cole to be getting to her feet. And, she's not disappointed. Taylor manages only to roll to her back and stay there as the count passes her by. It's over. And your winner by KO7 is Jessica Biel!

AFTER:

Jesse all smiles in the post-fight. This was vintage Biel tonight, being able to out-physical a big, strong, physical girl, taking the best she could offer, standing up to it, and then taking her out. "I knew this was going to be a heck of a fight," says says. "Taylor can hit and she's very athletic. But, I also knew if I was at my best, I'd beat her. I wasn't quite there, but I was close. Close enough. And, the best news is, next time, I'll be even better."