Posted by simguy on 4/21/2006, 7:11 am.

Before: Neve tired of hearing about Jennifer's class in prefight: "You know, Jennifer's got two arms and two legs - same as any other girl," Campbell laments. "Every girl is classy until they get hit: I'm going to give Jenny beef and see how she handles it." Connelly taking the high road, avoiding tawdry pre-fight squabbling, at least directly. "Neve's a fine opponent," Jennifer admits, neatly qualifying Campbell. "I'm not sure she's up to the task of boxing me, but she's obviously in great shape and she looks great. She's done very well against me in the past, so we'll just have to see if she can put it all together on fight night. I pretty much have her figured out - all I have to do is execute cleanly and I anticipate turning her back in style." Neve in cerulean blue bikini, French braid; Jen in white string bikini, hair tied back off her face. Small, crushed velvet fighting mittens, both vixens (white for Jen, powder blue for Neve). Padding in these gloves about the consistency of a blackboard chalk brush.

During R1: Campbell attacking briskly, surprising Jen with a spitting jab, scuttling footwork to quickly cut off the ring. Neve putting spirited combinations together - short right hands flowing off blunt left jabs; tuff left hooks taking Jennifer in the side. Connelly stepping back, pivoting to the left, walking Neve into counter-left uppercuts and sharp shooting one-twos - but Campbell's weight of shot and volume prevailing. Connelly's legs serve her well - she's keeping her back off the ropes, minimizing the damage Neve can do with constant retreat/lateral movement. Solid round of pursuit, Neve Campbell.

R2: Jennifer gets the jab pumping - scuffing oncoming Neve with a dry thudding noise as mitt takes Neve in the mouth, cheek. Connelly establishing distance with a banging poke, dropping hot right crosses, clipping left uppercuts off the jab, then wheeling to her left. Campbell still coming forward, but unable to get off - she's crouching forward, dukes at temples, getting peppered. Midway through, Connelly plants her feet, gets her hips into a ripping left uppercut off her left (lead) foot: Neve cracked to chin, soaks it well, but she's put wobbly butt, eyes misting up with hurt and disappointment. Connelly circling, tarting Campbell up with crisp combination punching - small mitts thumping away against Neve's head and shoulders to the bell. Shutout Jennifer Connelly - Campbell visibly rocked weaving back to her stool.

R3: Jennifer concentrating, in her zone: establishing distance with the jab, extending on sharp right hands, hooks and uppercuts in pleasing sequences. Connelly stepping to the left or right, easing around either Campbell flank, keeping Neve's feet moving. Campbell flustered, hands at temples as she stoops forward, trying to get underneath the jab, but Connelly's tracking her with pinging radar-like pulses, jabbing Neve in the forehead to maintain contact. Connelly's punches sharp, stinging, but not devastating - she's deliberately sacrificing power to keep Campbell on the defensive with speed. Best punch of the round - little dip-n'-rip left uppercut - Connelly taking Neve in her sternum and cramping her up: real nice bite on that punch as Campbell grimaces on contact.

R4: Neve jabs-with, problematizes the fight for Jen - spirited exchanges erupt midring as both girls vie for control. Connelly able to lean back from Neve's heavy right hand, but Campbell's hooks are taking Jen in the flank with thumping heft. Jen dragging her front (left) foot, pivoting left and getting up into Neve's midsection with stern left uppercuts and shoveling right hands - Campbell grunting, grimacing a little as Jenny gets some digging done. Down the stretch, Jennifer salts away a close round with her jab - scuffing Neve with doubled and tripled up poke while pivoting clockwise: Campbell outclassed at the bell, drops narrow points.

R5: Jennifer with quick-mitt one-twos up top: Neve partially blocking, but posing behind her mitts - Connelly able to mop up that evil left uppercut to solar plexus that has Campbell panting. Neve still coming forward, but she's labouring - Jennifer's really putting a lot of mileage on Neve's world-class gams with a steady patter of punishment. Campbell landing hooks to flank and shoulder, but Jen's movement carrying her away from the punch, absorbing much of the shock of the blow. Meanwhile - Neve's movement carrying her into the teeth of Jen's punching, adding to the effect Connelly's having. Bell: Neve shiny-faced, moping a little - she's getting touched up, taken apart by a very consistent Jen Connelly.

R6: Connelly's had something going to her foe's solar plexus all night - she commits to it wholeheartedly early and has Neve crippled, gasping moments in. Neve in dire straights - ripping, accurate body blasts have her stooping forward and hurt: Connelly starting to rip the left uppercut hard to chin, turn the hook over to ear, and drop right hands up the middle as Campbell's defenses wilt. Poor Neve stiff, cramping up - no head movement means Jen's able to put 3 and 4 skidding punches to withering effect - pounding away on face and skull with thudding force. Neve stumbling forward, following Connelly around - Jennifer wheeling easily into positions, waiting on Neve, then lighting her up as she comes in. By the end of the first minute, it's a shooting gallery - Jennifer pelting Neve with every punch in the Connelly arsenal - feet well balanced, hips turning with shots, fists punching sharp, straight, skidding off Neve's slackened features. It's all too much - poor Campbell brave, but badly beaten - trudging forward but not punching back. Ref lets it go 2 minutes, then steps in waving his arms, cradling Neve away. Numb resignation from Campbell as she coughs up a meek TKO6 to Jennifer Connelly.

After: Neve bleary eyed, scuffed up, hurt to her body from umpteen solarplexus shots and scrubbed raw to her face - she's downcast from a thorough trouncing tonight. Connelly continuing to click on all cylinders, outclassing and punishing a woman who has given her hell in the past: when Jennifer's on, she's tough to stop. "I felt I could have continued," a puffy Neve Campbell offers in postfight. "She was very sharp tonight, but she's not a real heavy handed girl - I was taking her punches pretty well. I don't know - it's frustrating. Jennifer Connelly is nothing special, but she really performed at her best tonight and got the better of me. Maybe if they'd given me the last four rounds to craft a comeback, we'd have seen a pretty good fight." Connelly smirking prettily at Neve's assessment of the fight. "The only thing we'd have seen in four more rounds," Jen grins, "is an ambulance. Neve couldn't possibly have withstood much more of that and I'm glad they stopped it when they did."