#6 Best of 7 (Final Bout)

Posted by Simguy on 6/9/2006, 7:19 am.

Before: “I can’t let this series go 7,” a somber-faced Jenny O’Dell tells assembled press. “Ali rose up last time out--I finally got her best game and she beat me. Now I have to rise to the occasion, take away her swagger, and finish her off. it’s been agony--weeks of nonstop training--facing Ali again and again--I’ve never known anything like this. Focusing on her is keeping me from my family, from my life--I eat, drink and sleep Ali Landry and it’s torture. I’m all-in boys--I’m not holding anything in reserve: this fight is going to be my game 7!” Landry buoyant, smiling, upbeat--she’s got a head of steam coming in off a strong UD10 victory last time out. “I’ve got Jenny on the run,” confident Ali assures reporters. “She’s crumbling, She had an easy lead, but it’s all melting away and she’s going to get exposed at last as the cheap, off-the-rack little tramp she’s always been. it’s startling to dawn on her: she’s in with Ali Landry. The weight of that is crushing her spirit--I can feel it!” Ali in royal blue bikini; Jenny in baby blue--white gloves, both vixens.

During R1: Ali up off her stool…and jenny pancake-tackles her into the Landry corner! A moments worth of jostling, then Jenny’s got her feet beneath her, arms pumping, fists beating into Ali’s paunch, forcing stunned Landry clinches. Ref’s breaks--Jenny pouring back in--all-out blonde blitz stacking brunette up at the ropes, smearing her along the apron as Landry slides to her right. Second minute: RIGHT HAND JENNY! Booming overhand blast catches Ali’s temple over her outstretched arms, spasming brunette legs--Landry slumps heavily into ropes, covering up face-in-gloves as Jenny BOMBS away! Lugging left hands deep to throbbing midsection--Jenny shifts left, then it’s lugging repeat rights. JUGG! Jenny muscling in where Ali doesn’t want her--shoulder-shrugging away at Landry’s hulking rack to force another breathless clinch. Landry grimacing, in swoon--she toes up around Jenny’s arms and won’t let go--forcing ref to physically pry beauties apart. Rest of the way stop-and-go--Landry back-to-ropes, ducking  under Jenny’s furious assault, then coming up to embrace blonde hips, pulling Jenny into ropey clinches for more breaks. Bell-to-bell Jenny--she STOMPS angry butt to her corner, scowling, nostrils flaring: Ali looking shell-shocked as trainer tries to right the ship with pure Dale Carnegie psychology.

R2: Jenny aggressively forward, but smart-she took her shot last round, doesn’t want to get nailed charging in now. O’Dell operating behind a firm and scolding stick--jabbing to Ali’s chest and chin, ducking down in follow through, stepping to either side, Landry squinting in concentration, absorbing hard poke--she’s stepping away from it, trying to get her legs into the equation. Rangy stuff--Jenny potshot ting right hands down into Ali’s body, keeping Ali occupied with heavy, shelling jabs. Landry looking to chop righty over O’Dell’s stick, jabbing back at jenny’s rack to keep her honest. Round to Jenny, she outboxes Ali midring.

R3: Both girls settling down--stepping to spots, going flat-footed, looking to do harm. Both crouch while jabbing, looking to come forward and step into right hands--both falling into one another’s clinches, walking each other around muscular embraces, ref issuing breaks, cautioning both girls for slapping and flailing at each other in the grasp--already starting to get cheap n’ chippy in there. Jenny the stronger vixen, walking Ali backing the clinches, out jabbing Ali in the set-piece battles. Landry looking disheveled, frustrated as she slumps on her stool, down rounds to love at the break.

R4: Ali in closed stance, pointing the left shoulder at Jenny--she rolls an early O’Dell right hand, comes back a blunt right hand bingo on the chin and SITS JENNY DOWN! O’Dell shunted to her backside with a startled expression--spanking punch off the face has her gob smacked! Landry jogging to neutral corner, dark eyes sparkling--licking her lips as Jenny gets gingerly o her feet, legs all tingly, Achy 8 jenny--she covers up at temples, stepping forward: Ali prods lead right to guard, jerks a VICIOUS left uppercut between the mitts to jackhammer Jenny’s head back! O’Dell wobbly-butt, staggers back into ropes: Ali steps-with, stepping in with a CRASHING right hand between the mitts, smashing Jenny’s head violently back, draping blonde over the top rope, O’Dell a-swoon, topples forward and DOWN TO ALL FOURS! Ali devouring the sight of humbled Jen, strutting to neutral corner as O’Dell takes another 8. ON COMES ALI! Landry stepping-to, jabbing to pin swaying O’Dell on the ropes, then Ali goes to work…

Right/lefts thick and methodical against the waist, Jenny drooping forward, open-mouthed, panting in gutshot agony.

Merciless, scrubbing jug mugging, Jenny stooped forward, bulging helpless in front of Ali: Landry sneering as she gets in there, scrubbing side to side, following through with bruising forearm work. Pouting jenny clinches: her cheek wet against Ali’s brawny shoulder, eyes closed,

Patient stack-ups--Ali just easing her left shoulder into breathless Jenny, pushing her upright at the ropes: O’Dell’s eyelashes fluttering, lips parted, swaying as she tries to keep her hands up, Then it’s more Ali--thudding to the body compact combinations to the head, Extra jug whenever Jenny loosens and sways on the spot.

Bell: Ali steps back to admire her handwork, chest heaving, Jenny bleeding from the nose, hair obscuring her eyes. Blonde shabbily trying to stand upright, groggily keeping a chest-high guard in place: Ali evens up the cards by handing O’Dell one of the roughest 10-7 rounds of her entire career.

R5: Ali…DENIED! Resilient Jenny digs down yet again--answering a brutal round of punishment with stubborn determination. She jabs Ali to a standstill--the women glaring at each other over no-man’s land between them, right hands protecting left cheeks. Jenny hooks Ali tight-to-jug while hopping forward, then clinches--tieing Ali up and smothering the receipt, Jenny rough on the inside--warned for butting Ali and shoulder-bumping her--Landry grimacing, giving ground as O’Dell takes canvas from her foe. Hard work shoulder to shoulder--both girls just leaning in and letting lands go underneath--both come up for air long enough to clout overhanging jaws short, clubbing shots in close. Fight takes on a grueling, plodding air of give-and-take--Jenny getting out the points, making  defiant eye-contact at the bell.

R6: Ali rallies, out-jabbing Jenny at last, punching blonde head back with stinging rebukes. Landry stepping clockwise around her poke, leaning in occasionally to slant straight right hands into tanned blonde midsection, or parting those majestic jugs. Jenny staring slack jawed--that jab has her stunned--she’s turning, reacting late as Landry penetrates the guard and lumps up that gorgeous high-browed blonde face. Real pageant basics--Ali keeping the right hand up as she gets up as she gets off with explosive lefts--thrusting poke doing wonders to break her foe down this round. Shutout Landry: Jenny busted up as she wanders back to her stool.

R7: Landry defensive, skirting the perimeter, showing Jenny new looks. O’Dell walking her girl down, trying to fix Landry’s position with a reaching jab to the midsection--Landry accepting the blows against firm brown tummy, bounding to her left or right to shake the pursuit. Jenny the aggressor, but late the round, Ali times her blonde for an exquisite counter-right, Ali chop-dropping the right over Jenny’s jab, ringing up the O’Dell chin: Jenny’s legs tested as that right knee nearly touches down. Ali over to the offense, punching her way into Jenny’s midsection with a robust walking barrage of lefts and rights: O’Dell bunching up, butt pushed into ropes as she desperately reaches ‘round Ali’s hips to tie up, Landry feeling the grasp, gets her left forearm up to wedge against the left side of Jenny’s neck, then chopping the right hand down against O’Dell’s eye to break the hold. Quick chest-up stack from Landry, pressing Jenny breathless against the ropes, then a solid, unforgivable pounding of O’Dell’s breasts. Ali mugging out the clock, taking all the helpless blonder rack she can handle. Just a beefy, methodical chugging, nothing too frenzied: O’Dell slumping against ropes, eyelashes fluttering--she can’t stop Ali from doing what she wants. Bell: Ali chesting up, breathing hot from flared nostrils into Jenny’s woozy face. O’Dell stiffening instinctively, pushing against Landry in protest--ref steps in to enforce the break.

R8: They crouch on flat feet, pawing jabs, then fall in with power shots, They struggle I one another’s arms, bellying one another back into the ropes, They hold and hit, taking turns riding the left arm across the other girl’s back, stuffing her tummy and jugs full of plugging rights, ref issuing a steady stream of complaints and warnings, slapping at restraining arms to break up the slugging nuzzle. Hooded eyes glisten with hate; lips part in bitter exhaustion, but both beauties continue to take the fight to their tormentress. Down the stretch, working out of a shoulder-to-shoulder scrum, Jenny takes a half step back, walking Ali into a tight-clouting hook onna chops: delayed reaction as Landry falls in, then staggers away with a forlorn look. Jenny reads the hurt, pounces with a pushy jab to Ali’s breasts, and a strong right hand over the top to jerk Landry 90 degrees to her right, sideways to the ropes, Ali covers up groggy earmuff, presenting her left flank: Jenny hooks the paunch; pushes up greasy on Ali’s shoulder, then resets her feet; Jenny hooks the paunch; hooks the paunch; hooks the paunch; pushes up greasy on Ali’s shoulder, then resets her feet; Jenny hooks the paunch; hooks the paunch; resets her feet. Landry groaning, shuddering--Jenny just reefing at pageant-winning brunette midsection, pushing to reset, then punishing. Landry rolls into her back at the ropes, tears tracking down her cheeks and JENNY SCOOPS JUGG! Savage payback to rack--Ali helpless to stop it--O’Dell just in there shoulders rotating, lips tight with effort as she hup-hup-hups hard to the bell. Jenny stays on those hooters mindlessly clubbing away until ref hauls her off: Landry hugging herself, mortified, trembling through 8 tortuous heats.

R9: Jenny hurts Ali with a right over Ali’s jab early, steps back in good order to clip Landry hooks as brunette staggers forward. Ali dazed, looks ready to go, but she rallies, punching Jenny to a standstill as blonde tries desperately to clean up. Slugging, shoulder to shoulder donnybrook drifts back to midring--Ali backing Jenny up: Landry able to  impose a little order, a little distance between that dependable jab. From second minute on, Al’s stepping right, jabbing jenny hard between her mitts, dropping right hands to ear, mopping up hooks in Jenny’s chest as O’Dell can’t come forward constructively. Bell: Ali forces glaring eye contact--showing a little O’Dell-like heart in refusing a blonde finishing run in the 9th.

R10: Jenny: left eye closed, face puffy and sore--she’s ramshackle, stepping flatfooted, Ali busted up, but brighter-eyed--stepping purposefully left, she bangs out the jab, punching Jenny’s face over and over, bashing it back as brunette penetrates blonde guard. O’Dell pursuing grimly, but not cutting off the ring--she’s following Ali around at a shuffling pace, taking stern poke every step of the way. When O’Dell does close, Ali ties her up behind the elbows, accepting jenny to the chest and backing her into ropes for the break. Landry imposing her will, gets her way, ties up the cards, and forces this fight into sudden-death overtime!

On round. Ali 3 minutes away from coming from 3-1 down to force game7. Jenny O’Dell badly battered, but firming as her trainer lays out the situation for her. “3 minutes Jenny--give me three hard minutes baby. Break this girl’s heart, Jen.” Exhausted vixens stand, gulping deep breaths, staring across the ring into one another’s souls.

R11: Ali’s head busts back from Jenny’s jab: O’Dell getting it from a low crouch, bringing the left up off her hip and jamming it between Ali’s mitts. Jenny stalking to her right, now moving the jab to smite Ali amidships, now stamping into her jugs--Jenny snarling, reviving, winning the first minute clean. Ali jabs back, steps back, steps in a hook: Jenny greets her with a hook and both beauties absorb shock. Jenny instinctively ducks: Ali tosses a right hand over top; Jenny comes out of the crouch hooking and BEATS ALI TO THE PUNCH! Shattering blast swivels Ali’s head: Landry’s hook sails as she nearly corkscrews to mat--only Ali’s championship heart prevents her from going down! Ali totters to ropes, eyes bleak--she’s desperately hurt and HERE COMES JENNY!

O’DELL GOES FOR BROKE! Straight lefts and rights smash in, caroming off Ali’s forehead, clanging against chin, stamping against upper chest and shoulders. Landry leaning back into the ropes, arms up to ward off punches, but JENNY’S TOO STRONG! O’Dell sobbing aloud as she pours punishment to Ali, punches from the shoulder heartlessly bashing back Landry’s head, Ali dim, swooning, but curvy legs holding her up--Jenny wins the second minute hugs but visibly slows down the stretch. Ali clinches: jenny leans in, pushing Landry deep to ropes, making her feel the weight. Ref’s break: deep breath Jenny, mouth open, hands at her sides--she steps in, lashing a rising right from her right against Ali’s guard; swinging a looping left from the hip as Landry falters, Ali’s eyes glassy, lips parted, damp brown curls in eyes--she’s trying to ward off mindless blonde punching, looking to draw Jenny into clinches. O’Dell forcing herself ion Landry--constantly punching into her, then bodying up as Ali grabs on: Landry starts to cry with seconds left in the round, At the bell, it’s jenny: hooks and right hands, hooks and right hands--stroking away at shell-shocked Ali as Landry slumps into stupor, face in her gloves, shoulders shaking, it’s over: Ali stands with head bowed, arms limp and dangling at her sides--she’s just shuddering with devastated tears. Jenny falls in on the verge of collapse, hugging Ali around her arms, weeping in triumph, holding Ali half in sympathy--half as trophy.

11th round: Shutout Jenny O’Dell.

UD11, single point: O’Dell.

Decisive series victory, 4 wins to 2: O’Dell.

After: Krista Allen prowling to the corner-steps all Siamese-cat-eyed, when Charisma Carpenter taps her shoulder, says “Krista?” to get Allen turned around…and CC BURIES a short, thrusting right deep into the unprotected , unsuspecting gut of the ne’er-do-well brunette. Throttled cry, Krista--she doubles over, hugging her gut: Charisma soothing Krista, easing her gently to a nearby seat. “Deep breaths, Kris,” Charisma coos, rubbing Allen’s back. “Atta girl. You just sit this one out, ‘kay?”

Badly battered Jenny gathering herself for ring interviews--shiny-faced and puffy, but delirious over-the-moon: Nancy O’Dell (no relation) holds the mike as reporters scream out questions.

“I can’t…I can’t tell you how important beating Ali Landry is to me,” Jenny says, fighting back fresh tears, “My whole career, even on the beach--I was always following Ali’s act--I was always the ‘poor man’s Ali Landry’. I promised myself that if I ever got to the FCBA one thing I would do is show her, and show everyone that I was the better woman. I’ve done that now, You look at our records, you look at this series, and there’s no way anyone can deny me this. Ali’s a great fighter, a tremendous champion…but I’m better.”

Jenny, Jenny:  was this the Fight of the Year in your books? “I don’t know about that,” jenny chuckles, wincing, “Eva and Mish took each other to a place few of us ever go, but I’d hope this fight in particular gets some consideration.”

Jenny, Jenny, Jenny: Is Ali finished after this? First Dunning, now Landry? Both ruined by your hand? “No, not at all,” Jenny’s eyes narrow, looking for the BLONDE! Mag muckraker who posed the question. “Ali Landry is far from finished, look, you may not like hearing this, but that woman had me out on my feet in the fourth round. She’ll never know how close she came to stopping me, I won this fight by a single point, and it took every fiber of my being to use up every fiber of hers, When I said that I was better than Ali, I meant that to be between the two of us. Ali Landry will still beat a hell of a lot of fighters at 130.”

Does that mean to you can put this fight behind yourselves and be friends? “We’re not going to go to dinner any time soon,” Jenny smiles. “I’ll be honest with you--we were very brutal with one another in this series. We had to be. And when you compete on that level, you don’t really ever get past it. But I’d like to think that when we meet in public, we can be cordial, yes. Despite some of the things that were said and done--I have tremendous respect for Ali as a fighter. I don’t want us to be like Natalie and Sarah, or Charlize and Cat. I’m not bitterly opposed to her at all.” Yeah, but you win. “Well, that’s true.”

Jenny, Jenny--what’s next? How do you top something like this? First: rest! See my family. Not hit anybody for a couple of weeks. But then, you know, the sky’s the limit, I’d love to get the winner of Cole/Nolin. I’m right at 130 now, maybe a pound or two under: I’d love to take on one of the new lightweight champs. I owe Erica Durance a beating. I love the regular work I’m getting at the Mirage and will continue to turn back challengers who try me there.” What about Jennifer Garner? “Yeah, Garner’s the next mountain maybe, A whole different kind of challenge from Ali. But the thing is--I hope I can get those fights. Say what you will about Landry, but she puts it all on the line against me. Maybe she underestimated me, but not every fighter is willing to back up talk with mitts like she was.”

Reposted by Archer 2/13/11.