Before: Both girls stealing curious glances at each other during prefight: tension flavoured more by nervous anticipation than outright hostility. "When Jennifer started beating Eliza, I knew it was only a matter of time before we hooked up," upbeat Danes says at the podium. "Jen's bigger - but don't be surprised to see me take the fight to her and be strong on her: even in her losses, Dushku's always had success roughing Jen up, and I will too. I'm really looking forward to the challenge, and I'm very confident that - body and mind - I'm the better woman." Connelly poised at the dais - she's been getting unsolicited intel from the likes of Dani, Britney and other bantams who've had to deal with Danes, either sparring or prize-fighting. "I'm hearing a lot of the same things from people," Jen says, "how quick Claire is, how sneaky, how hard to hit clean. The main thing for me is to stay patient: I know I'm the favourite; I know I'm better - I just can't make the mistakes that might allow her to squirt by me. I've got to pay attention to detail in this fight, because Claire Danes just might be the best pure boxer I've ever faced, and it's not as though she's a midget. I'm naturally bigger, but not so much so that I can count on that. I can't just physically dominate this woman: I have to break her game down, break her footwork down, frustrate her mentally and get into her head a little." Claire in scarlet bra style bikini top; white/red horizontally barred bottoms, small red work out gloves. Jennifer in black lace bra, leopard print bikini bottoms, small black workout gloves; shoulder length curls ala Blood Diamond. Smouldering eye contact during ring instructions; girls reading each other right up to the opening bell.

During R1: Claire: closed stance, left shoulder pointed at Jen; left hand tummy high, right hand at chin; constant bobbing torso movement/clockwise pivots out of the crouch. Jennifer: dukes up, elbows in, eyes wide with concentration - she's stepping-to Claire, being the aggressor. Danes dipping and spitting jabs to tummy and breast; rolling shots and looking to answer-back quick-strike rights up the middle. Jen pumping an authoritative stick - really dousing Danes with it - peppering blonde skull, left shoulder, upperchest - whatever's available. Connelly taking advantage of Claire's deep crouches with swiping right hands across blonde back - drawing warnings. Claire retaliating when she works in close - flurrying to Jen's flat tummy, then escaping with a forget-me-not elbow across the ribs: that's a warning. Smooth give and take traverses most of the ring as advantage ebbs and flows. Jen separates herself throughout with a nifty little step-right, exposing Claire's back/left flank to tidy right/lefts.

R2: Similar looks and geometries. Claire mixing in a little muscle - getting low, crowding in with left shoulder, head and open right hand against Jen's chest - Danes looking to claw a hook when she sneaks back outside. Jen calm, alert, keeping her guard forward and rigid - she's willing to give away a strip of hittable waistline to maintain a high blocking defense. Jennifer patiently working over Claire's left side - scoring consistent right hands in above Danes' left hip, stiff-jabbing left bicep, left side of head. Claire frowning as round progresses - she's getting hit a hard jab much more often than usual. Down the stretch, Connelly in control, pulsing out the poke, suddenly hooks off the jab to clip Claire's mouth, straightening blonde up for a shearing right cross. Crowd-pleasing crack of small-mitt against pretty face- Danes' head tossed hard-right - legs buckling: she crouches deep, dukes at temples, inviting Jen to swipe away to kidney. Connelly heartless as she cleans up on Danes' supple lower back - harsh swabbing threatens to put Claire on her knees at the bell. Jen looking things over, nods in satisfaction at the trace wobble in Claire's trunks as Danes gingerly steps to her corner.

R3: Claire back, and back, with a vengeance. Up tempo attack has Jen on her heels, blocking a series of flicking, spitting jabs from Claire's crouch. Danes aggressively punching for Jen's face via right hands - Connelly leaning back to evade them, but Claire stepping with, able to wade into Jen with lefts and rights. Ropes: Jen in good form, dukes up, well organized - but Claire tattooing tummy lefts and rights, then coming up top hooks and uppercuts. Claire pushing in with left shoulder, head, right hand to press Jen at ropes: Connelly frowning at the supple strength of Danes in close, often grabbing at Claire's wrists and holding them down while leaning in chest to chest with blonde. Midway through, sustained body attack pays off as Claire fits a glorious right uppercut into Jen's solar plexus, pushing a blurt of hurt past Jen's lips: quick left uppercut picks up Jen's chin; quicker left hook tucks in PAK! to liver, buckling Jen's knees. Clinch from Connelly - she's hurt: Claire writhing in the grasp, bodying up to make Jen take weight as ref moves in. Connelly on her toes, circling off the ropes - she's in full flight, just legging out the round: Claire in hot pursuit - eyes blazing - looking to pounce-in off her jab in hopes of checking brunette chin. Eliza D standing, clapping at the break.

R4: Flat footed exchanges midring - Connelly standing her ground, blocking behind a rigid guard, punching out straight one-twos; Claire slipping with sleek torso moves, biting back counters. Connelly's jab still punishing Danes' left eye/cheek/jawline - but Jen's not landing the follow ups. Claire slowly but surely tattooing Jen in rangy toe-to-toe - clever blonde hands finding Jennifer with eerie precision...
Claire slips under a Connelly right; buries the left hook TUP! in Jen's ribcage

Claire feints - Jen flinches: Claire pokes in a hesitation right between Jen's mitts PIK! While Jen's blinking - Claire doubles it PAK!

Jen's nose starts to bleed at 2 minute mark; eyes narrowed in frustration as her connects dribble off to zero.

Down the stretch, Claire picks Jennifer apart - blonde just tracking every defensive move, switching into abrupt lefts or rights to tap and bite at Jen, scoring against Connelly's face. Connelly barely throwing back - very discouraged by Danes' elusiveness. Bell: Claire practically purring, smiling demurely as she passes Jen en route to corner: how many times have Gellar, Packard, Portman, Williams et al been vexed by that smirk?

R5: Jen lumping up nicely, digging in flat footed to punch-with, looking to impose will - but Claire's not having it. Danes wiling to stand right in front of Jen, but so slick and cute with her torso bobbing and weaving, she's making Jennifer get off tentative. Danes scoring off Connelly's misses - but more and more, blonde leading, penetrating blocking guard with hesitation rights off feints; hooks off jabs; sneaky doubled-up punches with either hand. Claire basically flat footed - but she'll pivot round or step out on occasion, just to keep Jen guessing. Danes busier than normal - bringing flyweight volume to the bantam. Little tap-tap-tap-tap right/left hammer drop combos knock at Jen's guard, punctuated by the occasional loose-limbed hook on her ear. Lead right hand short n' choppy; left uppercut nippy; left hook clouting jaw. Easing to right foot, rolling Connelly's shot with the left shoulder - quickly poking her back a stabbing right in the face. Danes changing up distance with step outs, but also by crowding in suddenly and pushing Jen backwards, hitting off the bump. First minute all about making Jen defensive; second minute Claire's backing Jen up; third minute - Claire's digging to the body, coming up top, issuing a bit of a bit down with Connelly against ropes. Bell: Claire turns BEAMING, punching her right hand in the air; Connelly shaken, a little wobbly butt, shopworn through 5.

Connelly/Danes conc.

Posted by simguy on 7/12/2007, 6:02 pm