Posted by Simguy on 9/24/2004, 6:23 pm.

Before: Danes on barnstorming tour at 110--skillful blonde fighting anybody, anywhere because, “That’s what you do when you know how to handle yourself.” Bilson not nearly as polished and giving away virtually every physical stat, brunette throws a TON of punches, and that’s critical against Danes. “if you’re not going to box with Claire, then the thing to do against her is swarm if you can,” says flyweight beat reporter with Celebrity Ring, “Bilson’s got that party-brawler mentality where it’s ‘just wind me up and point me at her’ and actually, that’s not a bad way to be against Danes. Claire in red bikini, bra straps. Big white polka-dots--Bilson in baby blue push up, snug navy boy cut trunks with baby blue lacing up the front.

During R1,2: Bilson jumps out to the 2-love lead with a veritable stream of non-stop lefts and rights. Claire loves to close up her stance, ease in close while swing-pivoting t the left and punch from the fresh angle when she straightens--but Bilson’s tracking the pivot, missing over the top but connecting as Danes sets up punch--Rachel bouncing tidy rights and lefts off Claire’s surprised mug these rounds., Claire unhurt, but getting tagged with shocking regularity--she’s trying to manage Bilson with footwork, negotiate Rachel into position for lead rights and slashing curl-hooks off the pivot, but classy blonde’s rhythm clearly disrupted through 2,

R3: Claire the bigger beauty--fights lie it this round to get a little breathing room. Danes engaging toe to toe at closer range, nice and tight as she crouches in the pocket, straightens to pick up the Bilson chin tidy little uppercuts, Rachel still chugging, gathering Claire in with a raking hook, shooting sharp straight rights to the head--Bilson connecting more than most early in this fight. Claire rolling her torso, separates herself late as she tears up Bilson’s tummy down the stretch--licking lets and rights finally convince Rache to pull her elbows and stop working.

R4: Claire putting the pieces together--getting a little distance with her jab--stepping right, stepping left and scoring to Bilson’s chin the lead left uppercut off the ropes-turning and spinning the brunette. Midway through, Claire potshot ting lead right hands, slides back as Bilson charges, turns on a perfectly timed short, short left hook on the jaw and BILSON GOES DOWN! Rachel tagged to perfection, scattering to all fours--eyelashes fluttering as she shakes off a KO and takes an 8n instead, Danes making notes on the fly--goes back to ripping up the gut while stepping around Rachel--looking to sap the vigor from those eager young  legs.

R5: Rachel spitting punches: straight rights, clawing hooks, stepping with and turning as Claire pivots--Rache missing, then lighting Danes up and CLAIRE IS HURT! Smashing right hand square on the face jars Claire’s head back, unhinges her knees--Claire shaky-queasy to the ropes, gloves at her cheeks, pointing her left shoulder at rampaging Rachel! Bilson squaring away ak bright-eyed--she gets a lesson in counterpunching as Danes puts on a clinic. Claire hurt, but eerily composed--she rolls her torso, gloves at her cheeks, eases her shoulder into Rachel’s hips, then leans back into the ropes all cute--SO slick, Bilson pinning her ears back and spritizng punches--absolutely nothing land flush--glancing blows only off Claire’s turned shoulders, top of the skull or upper back,. Meanwhile--Claire snatching opportunities at gut: licking little hooks, tasty right hands--fists clawing against Rachel’s belly meat, sticking on the flesh a moment, then returning to Claire’s guard position. Rache’s round, but Claire proving the classier vixen through 4.

R6,7: Claire imposing her will, Consistent body punching has Bilson’s output flagging--blonde bringing both the volume and intensity of Rachel’s punching down in systematic fashion. Claire turning he attention to task of lumping up Rachel’s beautiful face this round, now working slap n’ slip to perfection. Chiseling jab doing wonders around Rachel’s eyes, hook on the ear freezing Bilson as Claire pivots clockwise--pretty stuff. Seventh goes as a shutout Danes--she’s getting the hesitation right hand clean on Rachel’s tired face: clear sign that Claire’s feeling comfy at last.

R8: Rachel digging down, proving scrappy--she forces Danes back into a defensive mode much to this round with determined shotgun punching: straight lefts and rights, looping shots wide, hilarious uppercuts, Difference from earlier: Bilson’s not connecting as much--Claire shut down offensively, but making Rache miss, sidestepping and turning Bilson’s flanks, taking the round off to some extent.

R9: Claire back on Rachel’s face--chipping away jabs, feinting, then dropping that hesitation right, then posing a little as she lays on the left side to admire shots. Bilson lumping up awkwardly, impudent punches bouncing off Claire’s usually pristine face. Danes’ round, but Claire’s corner using enswell n heir girl’s brows and under the eyes--you don’t see that every day.

R10: Bilson got away with naked rushes early on because of volume--now she’s still charging in, but the output’s not there: big mistake. Danes sliding back, marking Rache the jab, channeling Bilson into right hands and check-hooks--Rachel coming forward but taking her worst shellacking of the fight, Midway through, Claire ducks low, eases her left shoulder into Rachel and heaves her back, pivots left, slides back and walks Bilson into that glorious, tight counter-hook on the jaw! Rachel sprawling as Claire sidesteps--brunette struggling up off her knees, then crashing sideways back to the mat--Clair pacing angrily in the neutral corner as the 10 count passes Rachel by. KO10 Claire Danes!

After: scrappy effort from young ingénue--Rachel wins a lot of rounds and minutes and most impressively: look at Claire’s face! Danes all puffy and lumped up around the eyes and cheeks--unusually emotional Claire triumph proves how hard-pressed she was in this fight. Bilson dejected at being stopped--she knows it was her mistake which opened the door for the KO. “I dropped her that same punch in the fourth,” analyzes Claire in post fight, “but she was fresh and she shook it off. So I stored it away (tapping her temple to indicate ‘brains’), whittled her down some and went back to the punch when she was used up, I’m not going to kid you--stopping one of these WB tramps is extra sweet--I mean--I was going to dominate anyway, but getting the punctuation marks uis always special.”

Reposted by Archer 1/16/11.