Natalie Portman vs. Kat Graham

Hawkeye International Sports Consortium vs Front Street Gym
(Words: Front Street / Results: Lookout!)

BEFORE:

This would seem to be a no-lose situation for Graham, who's got a huge opportunity in front of her. She's a clear underdog against a nine-time champion and Hall of Famer. But, it is a big opportunity, and Graham has no idea how many more she'll get. As for Portman, there's not exactly something to prove here, but, perhaps, something to demonstrate. Natalie's never been the most physically gifted flyweight. Not super quick. Not super strong. What she is is a wonderful technical fighter who's gotten everything possible out of the physical gifts she has. She's also 35 in a young girls division and climbing into the ring against one of the most gifted flyweights on the planet. So, there's nothing to prove, really. Except that she still can. And Portman plans to do just that. "I hear about how she's another Scerbo and all that," says Portman with a shake of the head. "Well, let's not forget that I beat the original. I can beat the copy." For her part, Graham says nothing, continuing with her recent policy of refusing to comment to the media.

ROUND ONE:

Natalie taken to the woodshed! This thing starts pretty ugly for the Hall of Famer, and just gets uglier as it goes along. Graham using those lightning fast hands and ridiculously quick feet to make Portman look bad. There's no recon here. just Graham bouncin' and misbehavin' right off the bell. She's snapping jabs, dancing, circling, bouncing forward for quick, accurate flurries, getting gone before Portman can answer. Natalie getting beaten to the punch again and again. Not getting off very much. Getting touched up by hard, accurate stuff again and again. Portman moving the head. Working the feet, trying to track Graham down and square her up. But, she can't do it. Kat's here, there, everywhere and nowhere. The lightning leather coming from, seemingly, everywhere at once. Portman never hurt, but she's constantly taking fire and rarely able to respond. It's Graham wide for the 10-9 lead.

ROUND TWO:

Natalie adjusts. No surprise there. Portman gets the gloves up and keeps them up, and begins working to cut the ring. Kat not having that. She wants to bounce and circle, stay in open canvas. Still, Natalie slowly pressures, picking off much of the shot that was catching her last round, getting the angles right, getting off in combination, scoring well. Graham responds, landing solid stuff of her own in the exchanges, and, unlike the last round, the result is good, two-way stuff, with Portman now actually fighting lead and Graham countering off what Natalie's doing. As the round goes on, Portman gets in rhythm for the first time and begins to pull ahead of the younger flyweight. Graham continues competing, staying in the round, but it's Natalie who manages to do enough in the final minute to grab the thing, albeit in narrow fashion, tying things up at 19 after two.

ROUND THREE:

More of the same. Portman showing just why she's built that Hall of Fame resume. She's offsetting her opponent's advantages in speed and quickness with intelligence and skill. But, there's another storyline at work here, too, and that revolves around Katerina Alexandre Graham, who's boxing with Natalie Portman and holding her own. Graham using that speed and quickness to stay right with the former champion, making Nat use every tool in the box to stay with her. Portman, as always, working hard. And, she has to. Because, even a slight let up on the accelerator will open the door for Graham. And Queen Natalie knows it. So, she keeps the pressure on. Keeps fighting lead and making Graham fight in the counter. And, again, it's an excellent two-way round with both fighters scoring and neither hurt. But, this tim, the round goes the other way. It's Graham close, and Kat's back on the lead 29-28.

ROUND FOUR:

Graham finds another gear. All of a sudden, Nat can't keep up. There's barrage after barrage of accurate leather flying at the older brunette. And, as slick as her defenses are, some of that leather's landing. Some. At first. Then. More. And then still more. Soon, Portman's covering up. Then, she's backing up. And that's like chum in the water to the circling shark that is Kat Graham. The more Portman retreats, the more Graham advances. The further onto the defensive Natalie goes, the stronger Kat's offensive becomes. By the final minute of the round, Kat's not just in control, she's dominating. She has Nat on her back foot, taking. And, by the final 20 seconds, she has Portman rope side and she's landing Sugar Ray Leonard speed combinations that have Portman earmuffing, leaning back in the ropes. When the bell finally rings, Graham simply spins away and walks quickly back to her corner. Natalie is, shall we say, quite a bit slower to get back to hers. It's Graham wide. And with a 39-37 lead.

ROUND FIVE:

Front Streeter's confidence growing, as so is the hole she's thrown the Hall of Famer in. Portman in retreat from the opening seconds. Graham all over her. Natalie can't hold canvas, can't slow Graham down. Can't get anything done. Kat like a buzz saw. It's combination after combination, the second beginning almost as the first ends. Natalie can't find the time or the space to punch. Instead, she takes leather from every imaginable angle. The former champ on her back foot, trying to find a way to solidify her front. But, she can't do it. This is total domination by the younger, faster fighter. Graham beating Natalie to punches and beating her up. This, finally, is the girl in the Front Street brochures, the slick, ridiculously fast boxer with fast-twitch muscle fiber that's the envy of just about every fighter in the FCBA. This is the girl everybody in Philly has been waiting for. And, at the bell, she's shut out a scuffed, puffed Natalie Portman to grab a 49-46 lead at the half.

ROUND SIX:

What happens next is no surprise. Queen Natalie adjusts. You don't get where Portman is by not being able to do that, of course, but the speed and effectiveness of it shows, again, why Natalie is a Hall of Famer. Portman changes the geometry on Graham instantly. Instead of giving ground, she gets back to taking, but, this time, by playing the angles instead of trying to cut them down. She doesn't want to square now, she wants to be off square, forcing Graham to adjust, and, as Kat does so, she steps in and gets off. It's brilliant stuff. Classic boxing from a superb boxer. And, still, Graham holds her own. She doesn't get frustrated. She doesn't get sloppy. She's no longer romping, but she is giving as good as she gets in yet another good, two-way round of boxing. Well. Almost as good as she gets. Because, when the bell rings, Natalie's stopped the bleeding and claimed the round close to cut Kat's lead to 58-56.

ROUND SEVEN:

Graham finds yet ANOTHER gear. It's like she's flipped a switch. The pace increases immediately and Portman's geometric adjustment is put to rout. Graham's again backing Natalie up, making her take lots of leather, grabbing control of the round. Queen's forces in full retreat as she's slowly backed to the ropes by flurry after flurry. Graham piling up points and piling on the hurt as Natalie's in an ear muff on the cables trying to ride out a storm that shows no signs of ending. So. The queen ends it. A keyhole right hand counter that comes, seemingly, from nowhere changes the complexion of the round. Graham staggers, Natalie steps forward and rocks her with a three-punch combination that drops Kat to a sitting position! Kat pounding the canvas in frustration, realizing what's just happened. Natalie calmly waiting in a neutral corner for Kat to rise and take the mandatory. Then, she goes to work, cleaning up on the wobbly Front Streeter to the bell. Graham was less than a minute from having a 68-65 lead. But. We're now even at 66.

ROUND EIGHT:

Portman looking for the finisher. Kat still a little wobbly, and Natalie taking full advantage. She has the younger woman in trouble and on the run, and, quickly enough, she as her on the ropes. Portman pouring it on now. Nat nothing if not a finisher and she well knows now is the time. To her credit, Graham defends well, ships the punishment and even manages to fire back on occasion, but Portman clinical here, finding openings, filling them with leather and DROPPING GRAHAM TO HER KNEES WITH A RIGHT HOOK! Brilliant stuff from Portman, who, again calmly watches as Graham gets to her feet and takes the mandatory. Kat shaking her head. It's all gone sideways so quickly. And. On comes Natalie, pouring it on looking for the finish. Again, Graham shipping tons of shell and staying on her feet, trying to bang back when she can, but the referee has seen enough! He leaps in between the fighters and it's OVER! No protest from Graham, who just walks back to her corner bereft, and your winner by TKO8 in comeback fashion is Natalie Portman!

AFTER:

Queen has a kind word or two for the pretender. "She's very quick, and that took some getting used to," Natalie says with a nod. "But. I'm the best flyweight in the FCBA, because I have answers for girls like Kat. No offense meant. But, that's just the way it is."