Posted by simguy on 12/8/2007

Before: "I respect Kelly," Taylor admits at the podium. "Any girl who fights her way to a championship has earned that. And THIS girl dismantled Jessica Biel to get those belts - that really showed me something. Make no mistake: I'm fighting with too much confidence and aggression now to be turned back - I WILL have those belts. But Kelly's no joke, and I'm going to have to commit 100% to get her beat." Brook similarly gracious - both girls recognizing a little Cinderella in the other in prefight. "Taylor and I both paid our dues on the beach," Kelly reminds onlookers, "we were hardened by the sun, and I know that makes her an uncompromising opponent. I look back to those days and see how far I've come - and I know now how important those fights were back then. Taylor's beach-hungry - like I am: I believe I'll have to stop this girl to beat her. There's no middle-ground with fighters like us." Kelly in racy crimson bandeau - asymmetrical skirted bottoms; stiff white gloves. Taylor in royal blue bikini; hair in slick low ponytail; stiff white gloves.

During R1: Kelly steppin' left around a nasty poke - thrusting the left out straight and strong to Taylor's face. TC feeling the jolt, starts moving her head, crouching, weaving - by the minute mark she's slamming rights and lefts onto Kelly's ribcage, closing distance. Brook bringing elbows in, grimacing - she's stepping back in good order, looking to walk Taylor onto short uppercuts: Taylor stepping-with, hacking a vicious, chop-right hand in above Kelly's left hip. Round finishes up with Kelly against ropes, hands at temples - shipping a beating to hips and flanks from robust Taylor at bell.

R2: Taylor continues to come forward - hands at chest as she weaves in - stiff, stamping jab preempting Kelly, keeping champ's weight back. Cole establishing to ribcage again: batting licks thick to either flank; short, gouging left uppercut to sternum inside; hacking right hand chopped atop left hip. Kelly grunting, giving ground, but turning at the ropes: Brook doing a good job of keeping her back clear this round. Down the stretch, Kelly being punished, but stepping back in good order: she finally walks Taylor into a rugged right uppercut in tight. Cole rung up - stops punching - dukes at temples as she's momentarily shook: Kelly over to offence. Brook wades in - chin out over Taylor's right shoulder - arms lapping in heavy strapping strokes underneath, winning back some of those body punches by the bell. Kelly glancing back over her shoulder to check Taylor out as girls separate: yep - Cole's visibly wobbly-butt.

R3: Bitter hammer and tongs. Girls flat footed, angled into each other via left shoulders: nasty, hacking give and take in close. Both punch, then dip to the right - right hands at cheeks, lefts across guts. Punching is swatting, cuffing - girls pivoting around left feet, always in range. Gorgeous, strapping licks sounding out loud from opposing midsections - both stroking the hook home to tummy while looking for cruel right hands to hips and backs. Bludgeoning, brutal fare leaves both women shaken by the bell - judges like Kelly's work just a smidge better than Taylor's in mirror-image brawling. 

R4: Kelly eschewing her sterling jab to angle-in, shoulder-up: champ convinced she can reduce her strong young opponent with direct pressure. Same as the third: brutal, spanking give-and-go as girls swap shots - each dipping to the right, bending at the waist to change level on strongly planted, flat feet. Oh those hooks amidships! Exquisite thump being deposited to firm tummies here - both girls popping hips-right and dragging those babies home. Kelly trying to get a short right hand up top as Cole bobs-and-rolls: Taylor back with right hands in above Kelly's left hip - drawing warnings for catching a bit of back in the bargain. Cole beginning to hook Kelly's jugs: Brook responding with harsh, snarling reprisals - hammering away in strapping combinations to bash out more points by the bell. 

R5: Kelly edges shoulder-in, more determined than ever - but Taylor's starting to find her groove. Cole strong-planted, left shoulder bumping Kelly's left shoulder - challenger grimly slamming away in tidy swats, beating Brook's mouthwatering torso. Huge investment in jug over the first minute and a half - virtually ever Cole hook ticketed for rack, thumping home and loosening Kelly's stance. Brook shying away at last, sliding her lead (left) foot while retreating - she's disengaging, but still in position to walk Taylor into shots. Cole encroaching, head down as she turns into that vicious right hand to Kelly's hip: Brook grimacing, torso warping a little around the punch - she's in full flight after 2 minutes. Ropes: Taylor pressurizing Kelly - stiff jabs from Cole's crouch startle Kelly to mouth, setting her up for bang-bang right/lefts to the waist. Kel woozy - sliding to her right, dukes up but loose: Taylor scowling, stepping-with, keeping her jab in Kelly's chest to locate her, then bashing away strong, strapping clout from either hand. Bell: Brook swaying slightly, blinking rapidly - she's hurt and both girls know it.

R6: Taylor steps in a huge, stiff jab as girls meet midring: Brook's face rocking back - Kelly sent tottering on her heels. Taylor forward, crouching, weaving - she pulls a series of savage right roundhouses into Kelly's waist on the approach, driving Brook breathless to ropes. Cole jabbing stiff and smart - shelling the target to prevent Kelly's counters - then slamming away to waistline: Brook gasping, folding forward, looking frazzled. Cole bodies up, stacks her girl, pushes off with the extended left-elbow then HAMMERS those jugs. Lustiest wallop of the fight beats a cry of pain from outraged champ: Brook distressed, being pushed and mauled at the apron. TAYLOR'S ALL IN! Cole flipping out the left to Kelly's right shoulder, just brushing her, but BURYING the roundhouse right to waist: another push-and-stack, then Taylor twists the other way, dragging that fearsome hook into Kelly's breadbasket. Another push-and-stack, more jug harvested, more tummy-meat: Cole standing Brook up out back the woodshed here, giving her what-for. Kelly tilting, eyelashes fluttering, torso sloshing about on her hips - she's helpless, not punching back and THE REF STEPS IN! TKO6 in hamhanded fashion - Taylor Cole!

After: Poor Kelly - so pretty and bludgeoned in defeat - she blinks in astonishment, staring over the official's left shoulder as Taylor leaps away in exultation. Cole raised shoulder-high and carted around the ring - handing out the kind of no-nonsense beating that reduced Cat Bell and Jen Garner en route to the title. "Oh man," Taylor enthuses in postfight, "this girl punches HARD! She seemed determined to stand in with me, so I was comfortable with the way things were going - but she busted me a lick in the second round that took me a few minutes to recover from. Kelly's a good strong champ - I congratulate her on fighting such a feirce fight - but make no mistake.If you fight Taylor Cole's fight, you WILL lose. Nobody stands tummy to tummy with me and finishes!"