Post 9/30/16 11:20 pm

IFFI RETURN TO THE ASYLUM PPV

BEFORE:

"Yes," says Alexis with a shake of the head. "I came to the FCBA late. And, lots of people wonder what would have happened if I'd started in my early 20s. But, none of that matters, really. Because, I'm here NOW and I can fight with these girls, and I'm going to prove that by beating Dennings tonight."

"Look," says Kat without a trace of a smile. "I don't have anything against this girl, so, what's about to happen in there isn't personal. It's business. I need to take care of business. And, that's exactly what I'm going to do."

ROUND ONE:

O'Dell: "Back at ringside and that's 'She's Gonna Break Soon' by Less Than Jake..."

McCarthy: "Less than what now?"

O'Dell: "Less Than Jake..."

McCarthy: "Wasn't that that old sitcom that Sara Rue was on?"

O'Dell: "No, that was 'Less Than Perfect'..."

McCarthy: "Are you SURE? That Puddy guy from 'Seinfeld' was on it. And Julia Roberts' brother..."

O'Dell: "Again, that was 'Less Than Perfect', Less Than Jake is..."

McCarthy: "And Sherri Shepherd and that 'Chuck' guy..."

Tess: "Are we really talking about a sitcom that was cancelled ten years ago???"

Cassie: "Sounds like we are, BFF..."

O'Dell: "No, we are NOT. We are talking about the GROUP Less Than Jake..."

McCarthy: "I always liked that show..."

O'Dell: "Oh, FOR...the SONG is 'She's Gonna Break Soon' a favorite of Alexis Bledel who is even now climbing into the ring to be helped off with the robe by her corner crew. She's wearing a black number tonight..."

McCarthy: "Not bad. A little skinny for a Playmate. Doesn't have a rack like that Sara Rue, that's for sure..."

O'Dell: "Aaaaannnnnd speaking of racks, that's 'I Don't Feel Like Dancing' by Scissor Sisters you hear booming through the arena, and that can only mean that Kat 'The Rack' Dennings is on her way to ringside..."

Cassie: "Dennings having a good 2016 so far, and she needs to keep doing so to keep up in the Front Street bantamweight division, which has gotten even deeper with the year Leven Rambin's having..."

O'Dell: "Kat into the ring and helped off with the robe. Wearing that curve-hugging black two-piece she likes, and we're about ready to go. Time for some picks. Tess likes Kat. Mac?"

McCarthy: "Dennings is trained by that fraud Campbell. But. Bledel is the typical Dancing Hooker opponent. NO FCBA wins. Even Dennings can beat her."

O'Dell: "Cassie?"

Cassie: "I agree with Tess!"

O'Dell: "It's unanimous. Let's see if our ladies are correct. Dennings not wasting any time closing with Alexis and going to work body. Bledel has the reach here, but Kat having little trouble working past her left hand, getting in tight, and thumping away downstairs. Alexis tying up, shoving off, trying to get some space here..."

McCarthy: "And, that's what she needs to do. Dennings is no boxer. If you can get the space to box, you can beat her."

O'Dell: "Kat all about pressure right now. She's not overly busy when she gets inside, mostly because Alexis is doing a good job of tying her up and slowing her down, but the Front Streeter IS getting work done in there, and it's the kind of work that can pay off later in a fight. This is grinding work on the chassis..."

Tess: "No surprise this girl is trained by Neve Campbell, is it?"

O'Dell: "I see plenty of similarities in style, though Kat's got a long way to go to match her mentor's successes, no question about that. Final 30 seconds now. Bledel tying up, shoving Dennings off, Kat right back in close to work the midsection and ribs. Ten seconds to go in the first. Good right hook to the head Alexis. Kat thumps some more meat, and there's the bell. First to Dennings."

Cassie: "And, she's up 10-9."

ROUND TWO:

O'Dell: "Second underway and either a light went on or some rust flaked off for Alexis, because she's getting in rhythm right away in this round. She's range-finding very well with the left jab, slowing down Dennings, keeping her out on the end of it. She's moving the feet very well, enforcing her distance, and scoring well..."

McCarthy: "This shows what kind of a fighter Dennings really is. Just looking clueless right now against a girl without an FCBA win!"

O'Dell: "I think 'clueless' might be a strong word, but the fact is that Alexis is getting the better of things this frame. She's boxing very well right now, putting punches together, landing a good percentage of her shots. Dennings far from panicking. She's continuing to work forward, banging some body when she gets where she wants to..."

Cassie: "But, she's not getting there nearly often enough..."

Tess: "Something I'm sure NEVE will make her aware of in the corner between rounds."

O'Dell: "Down the stretch in the second. Nobody hurt. But, definitely a change in the complexion of this fight over the last two plus minutes. Bledel not only in this thing, but, again, having the better of it in the second. Confidence has to be mounting by the punch, and there's one more solid combination at the bell. Bledel, and fairly wide, too."

McCarthy: "19-19 after two, and poor Kat has to go back to that corner and take advice from two people who know NOTHING about boxing!"

ROUND THREE:

O'Dell: "Dennings making a level-change to start the third. She's in a quarter crouch now, keeping the gloves high, moving the head and shoulders as she works past Alexis and then gets to the body. Bledel immediately tying up when they're in close, looking to force breaks and get back to range..."

Tess: "Effective adjustment. And, since we're right beneath the Front Street corner, we could clearly hear that Neve Campbell...shall we say...SUGGESTED this between rounds..."

McCarthy: "ANY idiot would have known that. I'D have told her that myself..."

Cassie: "I have nothing more to say..."

O'Dell (sighing): "The level change definitely effective, but Bledel's own adjustment to the pressure, tying up, is working as well. Kat getting where she wants to be and scoring when she gets there, but Alexis able to at least keep the exchanges short, and that's definitely a benefit, as the frequent breaks force Dennings back outside..."

Cassie: "They also break Kat's rhythm. So, it's a win/win for Bledel."

O'Dell: 'And, Alexis making no mistake when she has Kat at range. She's getting her own scoring in under those terms, staying right in the round as a result. Final 20 seconds of a close third. Dennings again inside and tenderizing meat. I think she's thrown about half a dozen punches at the head this entire round. And, there's the bell. Close. Kat."

Tess: "And, Dennings back ahead 29-28."

ROUND FOUR:

O'Dell: "Fourth underway and we're seeing the pattern set now. Dennings working forward in that quarter crouch, picking off punches, getting in tight and thumping body. Bledel tying up, forcing breaks, getting the jab in and working the right at range until Kat can close again and thump the midsection in tight."

Cassie: :"And, like you said, Jenny, this is the kind of work that can pay off later in a fight. Dennings really investing in the body right now."

O'Dell: "Again, Kat doing very little work upstairs. Meanwhile, Alexis almost all head-hunting, though she is doing a little slugging to the frame while they're in tight. Definitely a conflict in styles and in the terms the fighters want, and, at this point, the fight's coming down to who gets more of what she wants."

McCarthy: "If I'm Bledel, I'm pretty happy with this. I'm right in the fight. I'm finding ways to score. This is all good for me."

O'Dell: "Same could be said of Dennings, though, of course, Kat's the favorite. so she ought to have expected to be right in this thing..."

Cassie: "So should Bledel have. You can't win fights if you don't THINK you can win fights. I fought HAYDEN in my fifth FCBA fight. I was NOT happy to just be IN the fight. I planned to WIN the fight. And, that's EXACTLY what I DID."

Tess: "February 20, 2010. Some people mark that as the beginning of your Reign of Terror..."

Cassie: "I have NO idea what you're talking about, BFF..."

McCarthy: "Can we concentrate on the RING, please?"

O'Dell: "Did YOU just...neverMIND. We're down to the final seconds of the fourth. Good, two-way stuff, no question about that. Both fighters scoring. Nobody hurt. Dennings thumping more body as we head to the bell. Bledel ties her up, gets a break, lands a good combination at range, and that's it. End of the fourth. Close. Bledel."

McCarthy: "And, we're even at 38."

ROUND FIVE:

O'Dell: "Right back to the same terms to start the fifth. Dennings working forward and working body. Bledel tying her up in there, trying to slow things down and force breaks and THERE'S A RIGHT HOOK FROM KAT! Alexis wobbled by that right hand! Dennings going upstairs in a big way now, backing a wobbly Bledel to the ropes..."

Cassie: "Kat has a TON of power, and you just saw it there. Short right hook. Didn't land flush, but she got enough of it to buzz Alexis but good!"

O'Dell: "And, Bledel covering up, keeping the guard high, but that means leaving the body on sale and Kat buying up everything she can find. She's HAMMERING away at Alexis' ribs and midsection, absolutely ABUSING already tenderized flesh. To her credit, Bledel willing to take the punishment..."

Tess: "She has guts, that's for sure, but they're going to be very sore after this one..."

O'Dell: "Dennings upstairs, then back down. Romping toward the bell as she's simply taking what she wants from Alexis right now. Bledel hanging on, though, doing enough in counter so the referee isn't tempted. Ten seconds to go. Good right hook from Kat sends sweat flying and there's the bell. Dennings and wide."

McCarthy: "But, it's still only 48-47 at the half."

ROUND SIX:

O'Dell: "Dennings after Alexis immediately. She's sitting down on her punches now, getting very physical. Bledel's legs looking a bit iffy and Kat taking full advantage. And, Mac, I wonder if the problem with those legs was caused by last round's big right hook or all that body work, and I'm guessing a combination of the two..."

McCarthy: "Probably. Most fighters, you can get into their legs through the body if you invest enough. Not ME. MY body's too awesome..."

O'Dell: "Dennings as aggressive as we've seen her. She's smelling blood in the water right now. Alexis giving ground, jabbing, trying desperately to keep Kat off, but she's not having much success doing it. Dennings determined to end this thing and quickly, despite all of Alexis' game efforts to hang in..."

Tess: "This is Neve Campbell stuff if I've ever seen it. Use power and body work to wear a girl down, then go for the finish."

O'Dell: "RIGHT HOOK, KAT and DOWN GOES ALEXIS! Dennings with that short right hook and this time she sends Bledel crashing to her right side with it! Kat to a neutral corner. Count at three. Four. Five. Six. Alexis rolls to her back. Staring up at the ref. Eight. Nine. TEN! It's over! And your winner by KO6 is Kat 'The Rack' Dennings!"

Cassie: "Set that right hook up really well a second time. and, this time, she landed it cleaner. Wasn't much question it was over at that point."

AFTER:

O'Dell: "Let's go up to the ring and Tess Valmore!"

Tess: "I've got our winner, Kat Dennings, and, Kat, once you had her hurt, you were on a mission in there..."

Kat: "In the FCBA, you've got to finish. You can't let girls hang around. Do that, and you might end up on the wrong end of a decision or worse. You get them in trouble, you take them out of there, and that's what I did."

Tess: "What's next for you?"

Kat: "Just continue to work hard and get better. Continue to work toward a breakthrough and being a contender in this division. That's what I do. Every day."