Posted by simguy on 5/14/2004, 6:47 am

Before: Testy rivalry revisited - duo building an impressive body of work on each other. "I think we've surpassed Theron/Bell," Jeri says in regards to the quality of the Ryan/Zeta Jones animosity. "The calibre of competition is a little higher overall. Nothing against those girls, but I'm more dangerous than Charlize, and Catherine's much more versatile than Cat, not to mention being one of the biggest stars in our sport. Plus, I think Theron's finally kicked the fight out of Bell," Jeri grins, "MY brunette's still wriggling!" Jones chipping in her own two cents - "I agree Jeri's more dangerous than Charlize - a sterner challenge - but she's also more limited. Jeri cannot box me to a decision, she must try for the knockout, and that is always her undoing." Interesting subtext for rumour mongers - Zeta Jones clearly uncomfortable with Kelly Brook attending conferences in the Samdog entourage. One Brit-beat scribe speculates, "They (Jones and Brook) were never friends, and indeed - Jones could be very cutting and unkind to Kelly - but Catherine did serve as a mentor of sorts to Brook early in Kelly's career. Perhaps there is resentment now that Kelly's found a new, more appropriate role model? It's always hard to tell with these girls." Jones in pale lavender bikini, Jeri in red bikini.

During R1: The old fade-and-counter works for Jones early as she baits Ryan into accepting a steaming cross on her chin - Jeri shook badly enough to draw squeals from the crowd, but Ryan showing real maturity in extricating herself. Ryan clinching rather than slugging hurt - clearing her head, then busting stick with renewed vigour. Jeri jabbing in 3 punch clusters - the first a pounding, point-scoring blow to the face, followed by chiselling, pestering prods against the skull while she steps around either side. Jones disrupted, held at bay, unable to land any more of those sneaky rights - Ryan using her legs, height and the ring to stave off a potentially disasterous first.

R2: Jeri continues to showcase the jab - banging away with it, using it to cover her movement, never staying in one place long enough for Jones to line her up. Catherine crouching, weaving, trying to get under it, but when she coils her body to unleash - Ryan glides to the side, nullifying the set up. Jeri content to spruce Jones up with stick, keeping her distance, frustrating the wily one through 2.

R3: Jeri really banging away jabs - doubling up and jamming it between Catherine's mitts, forcing Jones to raise her guard and hang back. Ryan coming forward, sticking high, edging in and depositing a blockbuster, thick right hand square to paunch - Jones with a breathy grunt, shunted backwards a step - she's still shaking it off when Jeri slaps face the covering jab while stepping left. Catherine really having trouble with Jeri's rangy attack - Ryan sticking, stepping, picking her spots to slide in and carry beefy rights into the body, always exiting behind a pesky jab to prevent the counter. Jeri happy, eyes taunting a puffy CZJ at the bell.

R4: Catherine upping the tempo, bobbing and weaving - she's given up on her old Ryan-beating counterpunching strategy - time to lead. CZJ able to negotiate the jab, get to Ryan's chest - it's greasy tousle rubbing inside as Jones snatches ribcage with clawing combinations, squirms to rip her right uppercut through the middle and visits puppy town with a swabbing shoeshine of gloves, forearms and elbows. Ryan worked in stages to the ropes, just trying to control Catherine's head, lock up her arm from time to time. Jones effective out of the pocket, thumping and bumping in close, hammering Ryan for a shutout.

R5: Jeri flat footed, jabbing to set up the booming right cross - NOW she's giving Jones the expected. Catherine able to fade, and either counter short right hands over Jeri's jab, or roll with Jeri's right, and come back with the short right hand on the chin. Ryan not using her legs, head stationary - she's routinely soaking up sock as Jones starts to dial in. Mix in some typical tidy, chopping body shots and it's a fine CZJ round of economical work.

R6: Jeri gets correction in her corner - back on her toes, using the jab AND her legs to create problems for Jones. Catherine able to dance out of range, circle out of trouble, but she can't close and attack effectively - Ryan really breaking out unexpected polish, executing a fabulous fight plan tonight. Jeri keeping her left in Catherine's face and it's setting up thumping right hands in the midsection - Jones grunting on contact, moving back from the blows - pale, smooth body not liking those shots one bit. Final minute - Jeri's depositing the firm right hand AND putting the hook on top - Jones in wide-eyed retreat at the bell.

R7: Jeri pitching long one-twos - Catherine dipping side to side to slip, roll and THERE'S that stubby right hand! JERI GOES DOWN! Blasting cap shot out of Catherine's tight guard pushes Jeri's chin down, locks up her legs, topples her scooting to her backside - Jones with a superior smirk as she swishes to the neutral corner. Ryan up, eager to continue, but those legs aren't back and both girls know it. ON COMES CATHERINE! Jones dipping her torso side to side as she wades in, spitting the jab on approach, snuggling in against Jeri's bulging chest and going to work in close. Tight n' tidy - CZJ ripping it up - slick double hooks on the waist, shearing right uppies in close, a juicy, thick right hand in under the left breast - Ryan's reeling. Final minute - Catherine working at a steady pace - digging at the body, looking for the chin whenever Ryan droops and suddenly, blonde starts slugging back! Jeri catching a second wind, bumping hard with her shoulder to get a little room - she's trading crazy with Jones as straight punches shoot back and forth. JONES GOES DOWN! Crisp lefts and rights exchange - Jeri's right hand skidding off the tip of Catherine's chin - brunette's legs unhinge and she whipsaws almost gently to her knees. Ryan resplendent, bellowing down at groggy Jones as the ref pushes her back - brazen blonde slugging converts a beefy 10-8 to a pedestrian 10-9 Jones.

R8: Jeri back with her jab, and not gentle like before - POUNDING away to Catherine's shellshocked face. Jones rarely tagged by stick like this - gorgeous face beaten to pulp, head rocking back, knees knocking as Jeri stamps away - it's sensational stuff. Ryan dropping the right hand, but shooting it to Catherine's chest instead of head hunting - she's moving Jones, shunting her off balance, then coming forward - Catherine counting on blonde to miss a head shot so Jones can roll and counter: it's not working. Catherine forced to suck it up at the ropes, left arm across her gut, right at her cheek. British veteran shows her mettle as she twists into tight arcing punches from this stance, fending off a determined blonde at the bell. All even after 8, but Jeri's eyes are dancing, legs are fresh - Jones looking shopworn, busted up down the stretch.

R9: Look at Jeri jab! Look at Jeri move! She's showboating now, affecting a Terry Farrel look as she slaps long backhand lefts at Catherine's care-worn face. Jones weight on her right foot, arms crossed as she shies away from these licks - blonde able to place right hands in the body whenever she wants to see Catherine suffer. Ryan controlling distance now, circling, stabbing away at what's left. Jones just staring, discouraged, unable to answer Ryan's style adjustments at this point.

R10: Jeri's been throwing hard right hands to the body all night long off the jab - she shows it early, crosses Catherine up and twists instead into a tight licking hook! Jaw-stroked Jones put wobbly butt, stumbling forward to clinch - Jeri neatly sidesteps, pulling down on Catherine's head and sending her sprawling to her knees face first in the ropes. Ruled a push, but it's demoralizing - Jones flustered as she stands, comes forward only to be beaten back by a phalanx of bashing Ryan jabs. Jeri stepping forward, spearing stick, getting her weight behind heartless overhand rights to the chest and ribs - Catherine crying out at one point as she turns to take the blistering punch off her exposed left side. Final minute, Ryan pressing Catherine at the ropes - once again, brunette digs in, makes the most of a compact crossed arm stance to punch with and get the better of Ryan to avoid the shutout. At the bell, Ryan exuberant, climbing the corner ropes and raising her mitts - Jones dejected, resigned to defeat. Comes back UD10, Jeri Ryan.

After: Ryan aglow, boxing smart, sweeping the final two heats and taking a classy, hard-fought duke from a livid Catherine Zeta Jones tonight. "I had an unbelievable jab tonight," beams Jeri, dabbing at glistening forehead with a white towel, "just unbelievable - it set the tone for everything I wanted to do. I knew Catherine thought I'd be going for the knockout, and I know she thinks I can't box - this time we deliberately came out to undress her and I'm just so pleased with the results. I'd love to lay her out, but it's crucial to be flexible - she had read the old Jeri Ryan book cover to cover and it was time to show her something knew. Now it's dawning on her - she can't slug with me and she can't box me. I'm finally putting my foot on this girl's throat!" Book on Jones has always been 'beat the body', but when she sees the work Jeri did on that regal, haughty face - real psychological trauma follows. So much for forgive and forget.