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BEFORE: "This is where I break Christina for good," a hard-eyed Witherspoon promises in prefight. "I beat her last time; this time I'll roll over her, break her spirit, and move on. She's tough - she's the most combative of those RiRy wenches - but she's over-reaching with me. When we look back, we'll see this is the fight where I started to back up my Oscars in the ring!"
Ricci enflamed by talk of Witherspoon's Oscar: Christina won't take that from Reese. "I can't wait to punch her stupid face and bring her down off her high horse," Ricci seethes at podium. "I know I'm too strong for her: this time she'll feel my strength, and know that I'm too much for her!"
Ricci in purple bandeau bikini; small black work out gloves; black pixie-cut hair. Reese in baby blue bikini; small white work out gloves; blonde hair long/loose.
During R1: Ricci collapses Reese's defensive jabs - getting to Witherspoon's chest, backing her up under heavy belly-pounding lefts and rights. Witherspoon grimacing, overwhelmed: her butt touches ropes, motivating Ricci to pour in extra reserves - Chrissie's hup-hup pummeling bounces off blonde biceps/breasts. Witherspoon gasping - Ricci on top - pushing on 'Spoon's inner elbows to sort out her defence, then chugging at the guts/ribs/breasts...it's all too much. Midway through, grimacing Reese takes a veteran knee: Ricci steps back, chest heaving, eyes blazing with satisfaction at the sight of trembling Oscar-winner. Final minute a brutal clean up at ropes for Ricci: she's pushin' and a-punching - pounding her foe's lats/arms as Reese covers up, sits in ropes to soak. Bell: Ricci overjoyed - yelping with delight and raising her fists: ref has to pull her away as cranky Witherspoon shrugs up off the cables.
R2: Energetic Ricci wants more - plowing her way up the middle in hopes of rushing Reese into defeat. Witherspoon clear-eyed - jab-jabbing the onrushing Ricci freight train - giving a little ground to draw Ricci forward - more jabs, then pivot-left to blunt the angle of Ricci's attack...as Chris turns into her blonde, Witherspoon engages with both fists churning, tearing up Ricci's belly-breasts. Ricci trading-with, muscling her way to parity, but just as she's slugging even, Reese disengages, jabs Ricci as she's advancing, gives ground to restart the process. Masterful stuff from Witherspoon: classic series of fighting retreats and hup-hup flurries from angles stabilizes blonde front, beats the points out of hyper-aggressive brunette through 2.
R3: Same thing from Reese: 1.) She's quick to take midring, then defend it with stubby jabs. 2.) She doesn't stand ground, sliding back from Ricci while jabbing her, making Ricci take punches for real-estate. 3.) Reese turning well before the ropes - keeping her back free while sidestepping Ricci, then engaging her in peppy hup-hup exchanges at forehead-on-forehead range. 4.) Reese disengages before Ricci can overhaul her, drawing brunette onto the jab, touching her up, wearing her down as Chris commits to expensive frontal assaults. Bell: Ricci banged up, breathing hard; Witherspoon's tummy and ribs pink with hurt, but she's the fresher vixen, giving Ricci a quick once-over to check status.
R4: Same again: Ricci determined to bull right through Witherspoon, but there's that knock-knock jab; the gap-creation; the pivot-to-angle; the murderous flurries toe-to-toe. Ricci wading through it all...even if she holds her own in the toe-to-toe, she's getting touched up on the way in. Midway through - girls fighting with heads and hands closely grouped - each shrugging stubby uppercuts or swatting close-in hooks. Reese suddenly opens up a tremendous pumping barrage of left/right uppercuts to Ricci's breasts! Chris momentarily awestruck, staggers back to ropes: Reese stepping-with, pummeling those puppies almost clear of the bandeau before coming up top right uppercut/left hook! RICCI'S HURT! Li'l Chris stiff-legged at ropes - hands extended to push her tormentress off...Witherspoon leans in with short right hands over Ricci's left shoulder, jamming mitt-to-jaw, slumping Ricci's right side in ropes. Christina in swoon, eyes blinking: Witherspoon whirls a left hook from just behind Ricci's presented left shoulder, taking Chris on her left eye. Ricci's legs give way...she falls awkwardly onto left hip, supporting herself on left hand as Reese takes a playful extra swipe with the right, just missing Ricci's scalp. Christina blubbering/snivelling on the spot...trying to push her way up off her haunch, but the legs won't respond! KO4 in decisive fashion - Reese Witherspoon!
After: 'Punching' Reese goes back to back on Ricci - employing near flawless ring-generalship in trading canvas for position and initiative. "I beat her with this," Reese says in postfight, tapping her temple with right index finger; grinning like the smartest girl in class. "The ol' noodle! The big potato! The noggin'! Ricci's strong like a little bull - I almost blew it in the first trying to stand in with her - but even when she knocked me down, I was sewing the seeds of her defeat. I set traps, made her come to me, frustrated her, and when I was happy with all conditions, THEN I slugged for respect - not before. Look at her bawling over there - she's STILL trying to figure it out. I'm right at the vanguard of A-listers who are out to reclaim this division. You put me with Johannson and Miller, Ricci, Pene when she feels like making weight, Knightley, Jolie, Kunis, Portman...it's not all about the Disney and CW girls anymore. Now the real stars are shining - movie stars are making TV girls cry again - and that's great to see!"
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