Posted by simguy on 3/2/2002, 10:29 am

Before: Two promising girls with loads to prove - Ledoyen trying to claw her way back into contention, living and dying by the knockout - Alba with all the tools in the world but apparently none of the discipline - harnessing the tempestuous brunette more of a chore than expected for new management. Virginie coming to the States for the opportunity to put Jessi down - Alba resentful of all the KO talk coming out of the French camp. Virginie in black bra style leather bikini, Jessica in sporty red aerobics two piece.

During R1: Wild slugging erupts - both girls winging and lashing, leaving themselves WIDE open as the fight careens around the ring - crowd loving the whirlwind action. Midway through a sensational exchange of clobbering lefts and rights ends when ALBA GOES DOWN! Clocked hard on the face, Jessica goes blank for a moment and drops to her butt - dazed and suddenly moving in stiff slow-mo as she gets to her feet. Ledoyen pours it on with that clanking side to side work, bashing away as Alba covers up, moves her head, retreats in good order. Jessica showing terrific defensive form under pressure, rolling, twisting her shoulders, slipping punches and down the stretch she LABELS Virginie a shocking right hand counter on the face that has the French girl wobbly butt. Alba taking over as Virginie stops punching - Jessica licking her right uppercut across Ledoyen's torso, bending into a slashing left hook - Virginie stupid with shock as she backs up at the bell.

R2: Jessica stays in counter punch mode, letting Virginie outwork her, but Alba picking her spots, placing her punches more cleanly and effectively. Ledoyen rocked once again by a sweet right hand counter - Alba rolling and slugging out of her crouch has Ledoyen ragged as the French girl continues to lash punches like an automaton.

R3-6: This is what Alba's management group paid for: sleek combination punching to body and head, deft footwork, defensive responsibility and brilliant ring generalship. Jessica turning her girl, punching in between Virginie's predictable clouting blows, escaping down low as Ledoyen misses over the top. Virginie never stops coming forward, but she's getting picked up hard and isn't landing much herself - Alba able to blunt much of the French woman's assault by changing up angles, distance, or just blocking up high.

R7: This is what Alba's management group dreads - lapses in concentration from the young phenom. Inexplicably, Alba gets back to slugging, apparently doing well early as she spanks Virginie's face side to side, steps out, steps back in to hammer her right hand off Ledoyen's rib cage - but Virginie soaks it all up, keeps moving her hands and once again bashes Jessica stupid when the two trade savagely toe to toe. Alba reeling hurt away from the contact, gets it together and once again does well sitting in the ropes, rolling with the wide stuff, picking Ledoyen apart up the middle. Virginie steals an Alba round with power - Jessica staggering to her corner for a riot-act lecture from her trainer.

R8: Shutout Jessica Alba. She goes back to the belly jab and scoot offense, turning LEdoyen midring, not trading with her, walking the French girl into a gorgeous right hand off the face that has Virginie stupified. Ledoyen pushing out punches with nothing on them, all it's doing is leaving her wide open for Jessica's merciless counter combinations. Alba helps herself, smiling smugly at the bell as she plays her fists up and down Virginie at will.

R9: Shutout Jessica Alba. Ledoyen trudging forward, pouting, still reaching and pushing and sweeping her punches but Alba's taking her apart. Jessica really mixing it up well, dragging harsh counters underneath to spank off Ledoyen's body, stepping out to leave the calling card hook on LEdoyen's cheek, and dropping the right hand inside Virginie's wide left almost at will. Ledoyen shiny and wobbly butt at the bell as Alba's all grins.

R10: Jessica Alba closes the show - going to Virginie's body with whip armed rights and lefts, sweeping in on the French girl in a blatant attempt at stoppage. Ledoyen pale from the bodywork, but defiant, she stands her ground, continues licking back and midway through ALBA GETS CAUGHT! Jessica's mouthpiece sent soaring as a clapping Ledoyen hook explodes on the youngster's face - Jessica suddenly ashambles as Virginie takes over. Ledoyen loading up, getting her long arms and torso into biting, slashing haymakers in the horizontal plane - Alba hits the ropes in a daze, now taking punches flush as Ledoyen pours it on. Down the stretch, Alba in terrible shape, Virginie palming with her left and bending into shattering right hands to pulp up on Jessica to the bell. Somehow Jessica Alba goes the distance - beaten senseless by the end and immediately taken to a seat in her corner for a quick physician's exam. Surreal decision as Jessica gets the duke - she's basically out on her stool as Virginie struts the ring, gesturing for crowd noise as boos cascade down. UD10 Jessica Alba.

After: Late surge from Ledoyen taints what had been a brilliant performance for Alba to that point - Jessica looking like the equal of a Liu, a Dushku, a Pressly, but still having lapses that brought her down to the level of a Virginie tonight. Ledoyen tongue in cheek during prefight (in translation): "They whine and complain about the judging in MY country! Let me ask you - does that look like a winner to you?" (gesturing to the swooning Alba). Unfortunately for Ledoyen, this wasn't fought on a playground after school - this was a professional boxing match - a good tenth round doesn't get it done in any country.

Thanks to Apollo for this repost.

Archer 10/19/09.