Before: Hu taking on her third Oscar diva this year, having previously scrubbed the lustre off both Kim Basinger and Halle Berry - Kelly taking perverse pride in the accomplishment, what with her own tour de force in Surf Ninjas getting completely snubbed by the academy in the year of its release. Connelly hoping to mimic Courtney Thorn Smith's relative success against Hu - Smith attacking the body, turning puncher on Kelly - thought is that Jennifer's power added to the equation could make the difference. Kelly in black bikini top, dark tinted leopard print boycut trunks - Jennifer in navy sports bra, red boy cut trunks.

During R1: Hu in closed stance, low left, right hand at her mouth - she's leaning to her right away from Jen, pointing that left shoulder at the opponent. Connelly with her guard high and tight, she's stalking forward, trying to put her right hand on Kelly then twist into the hook, but Hu's not cooperating this round. Razor sharp boxing from the champ as she circles left, touches up her jabs to the bra and belly, stamps screened lead right hand, hooks the right eye with dizzying accuracy. Down the stretch, Hu punctuates a shutout with a drilling straight right between the mitts - Connelly rocked off balance, sent reeling backwards several steps off the pinpoint shot.

R2: Connelly doesn't fold - she's back out hard, coming forward, pawing the right hand, really setting down on the hook and getting nice spank out of Kelly's ribs this round. Hu taking to her heels somewhat, opens up the ring, forfeits the points while she keeps her distance.

R3: Both girls get their agendas across. Hu controlling the center of the ring, turning her girl, touching Jennifer the hook, right hand, and jab in sharp, staccato burst. Connelly coming forward, making the fight and finally sinking in the hook with the force she needs to, to have some hope of draining Kelly's legs for the long haul.

R4: Jennifer has her first moments of glee at the ropes - Kelly putting her left shoulder on Connelly, leaning to the right into the strands to slip and parry, but Jen raking away with hooks starts to rattle the champ's cage. Hu fighting flat footed, set piece battles, relying on upperbody reflexes and a darting right hand deflector to minimize the damage. Down the stretch, Hu starts to counter with vicious intentions, blocking, slipping and NAILING Connelly with stabbing, in-out right hands on the face. Jennifer finally backing off with a hollow look in her eyes - Hu coming forward vindictively, bouncing combinations off Jennifer's drowsy face to steal the round.

R5,6: Kelly Hu outboxing her challenger. Connelly doing her thing, but not getting off enough - Hu circling clockwise, making the brunette pick up her feet - it's enough to keep Jennifer off the scoresheets. This is classic midrounds Hu - touch your opponent enough to make it look like work, bank some easy rounds and take a lead into the homestretch, forcing Connelly to open up, take chances.

R7: Connelly up to the challenge. She's coming forward very aggressively, shooting a nice straight right lead, then turning over the hook - batting Hu to the ropes and scoring to the body before Kelly can spin out. Hu blatantly running at points - knows she can waste a round here and there - crowd lets the champ hear it with first boos of the night.

R8: Jennifer bags another round and it's not because of Hu's evasions - Kelly trapped and harmed on the ropes for the first time - Connelly getting her body behind some batting hooks up and down Kelly's right flank that have the Asian stooping forward. Girls exchange words after the bell - Hu throbbing, looking pained as Jen lands her most consistent leather of the night.

R9: Connelly building something late. Hu looking a little shabby, not legging out the minutes, but standing in flat footed, pressing up against Jen, then trying to slide off her to the side, influence stuff not entirely effective as Connelly stays busy. Jennifer banging away at Kelly's body and right arm, staying close to Hu as Kelly appears listless in the exchanges. Hu's counters prefunctory - she'll roll in tapping uppercuts or cuff sneaky little right hands as she bends to her left - but Connelly's brushing it off.

R10: Kelly obviously coasting in the last few, comes out for real and leaves Connelly choking on dust. Hu just too damn quick - batting combinations burst across Jennifer's face, chest and arms - Hu getting off in 2s and 3s, stepping to her left, turning Jen into punches. Midway through, Hu stabs that in-and-out right hand to the mouth, stunning Connelly, then gives it to her again to drive Jennifer back in disarray. All Kelly down the stretch - Jennifer's butt in the ropes, brunette covered up to soak - Hu relaxed, bending to her left to slice the short right, bending to her right to clip the hook, resting with either shoulder against Connelly as the brunette seems resigned to her fate. Comes back UD10 Kelly Hu.

After: Hu strutting it up with a systematic, crowd dis-pleasing effort - champ choosing to control Jennifer rather than attempting to break her down - nice to have surplus talent. Connelly chagrined, but upbeat in defeat, "Kelly Hu ran from me the entire night," Jen says simply, "I just couldn't get on top of her the way I wanted to, I mean, it takes two to tango, right?" Courtney Thorne Smith hotly critical of Connelly in the aftermath, "The fight went exactly as I predicted," boasts the blonde, "Kelly didn't run - she boxed Jennifer's ears off. Connelly doesn't have a clue how to cut off a ring or force a skilled fighter like Hu into exchanges and I think it's sad that promoters continue to pander to Jennifer. I rate Connelly no higher than middle of the pack at bantam and a lot of us are sick of the attention she's been getting."