Posted by simguy on 10/23/2004

Before: Fight carried on closed circuit at the Star Trek Experience in the Vegas Hilton - battle of Trek vixens an 'event' fight with a built-in audience the world over. Ryan glowing during press conferences, smiling more, signing autographs - clearly loving her role as reigning lightweight champ. Farrel looked upon in some quarters as the 'bum of the month' - but don't tell Terry that. "Jeri's a terrific champion - I'm really happy she was able to break through and take those belts - she deserves them. But Jeri is not a dominant champion - there are a lot of things I can do with her. I've given my body a good long rest - I needed it, but I'm in shape and ready to go. I'm not like a lot of these kids who need constant activity to stay sharp - I know how to fight, I know how to beat Jeri - I just have to execute on her." Jeri in red bikini, white shoes and socks - Terry in royal blue bikini, white shoes and socks, slick ponytail.

During R1,2: Respect all around. Slow clockwise rotation, girls stepping, staying well away, right hands at cheeks as both look to operate behind long, stiff jabs. Ryan commands two sleepy stanzas, but girls still too far away to really sting one another - both just trying to find an optimal range, taking no chances. Some surprise in seeing Jeri flat outbox Terry in tactical action.

R3: Farrel sliding in off her jab and clinching - older gal going to punch n' clutch early, gets her body on Jeri walks her to the ropes for breaks. Farrel able to fight and win a few light engagements on the inside - finding the right uppercut, putting hooks to good use cheek and flank on Jeri.

R4: Ryan doubles up the jab, drops her first clean right hand in behind it and THERE GO TERRY'S LEGS! Farrel stamping, hopping, ponytrotting around like a spastic - she ragdolls hurt into the ropes, gloves at temples as Ryan walks her down. Jeri standing tall, strong, pounding Terry's defenses with jabs, then sitting down on vicious rights - searing shots at the guard or slanted down to the chest. Ryan riding in with the rights, but palming up and shoving off rather than smothering herself - she's keeping Terry in front of her and with enough distance to extend. Farrel just propping herself up, trying to see everything through her guard, blocking up top, hunching forward to take away her body. Just a patient, baseball bat beating from Ryan - she leaves Farrel grimacing and tender as judges award 10-8 without a knockdown.

R5: Syren upbeat, telling Terry that Jeri had her chance for a KO and blew "Now go get her." Good advice - Ryan not expecting Terry to come out swinging - moments in Farrel's landed a pair of short right crosses to the chin, backing Jeri up and a third PUTS HER DOWN!! Ryan scooting to her backside, astonished at the ropes - she's up quickly, shaking her pretty head as Farrel sends a message. Shaky 8 Ryan - Terry steps-to, jabs, leans into another short right hand, swivels Jeri's head. More of it - Terry using the jab, leaning in to get her shoulder and body behind clouting rights and she just can't miss. Ryan soaking up shot after shot on her chin, left hand low like it's got a sandbag tied to the wrist - Farrel able to bang away as a result. Late the round - Ryan staring, not answering, not moving her head - Terry workmanlike as she wears out that chin SITS JERI INTO THE ROPES! Crowd screaming as Ryan seems hurt, but she gets to the bell with Terry pounding away for a return-of-serve 10-8.

R6: Terry did damage in the fifth - proof is a shutout sixth. Farrel back outside in the first minute, circling, busting up Ryan's face the jab. Terry slides inside in the second minute, landing the short right hand again and immediately clinching, walking Ryan to the ropes and holding her down for the break. Big woman using her weight well, making Ryan feel it - Terry getting away with a little holding and hitting as she rides her left casually over the shoulder or around Ryan's head, stabilizing her for kissing rights.

R7: Terry still the fresher vixen. She lumps Jeri up with thick, stiff stick in the first minute, eases on in, bodies up, walks Jeri back and works her over on the inside. Ryan firming up, skull to skull with Terry, girls rub-bumping left shoulders inside, looking for tidy hooks and uppercuts at close quarters.

R8: Terry's formula working: changing distance and looks - now outside and stepping, now inside and slugging, holding, mugging. Farrel more comfortable at in-fighting, hands relaxed, shoulders turning to anticipate Jeri's punches, hands digging in to tender Jeri belly and jug meat. Ryan being backed up either from punches or in the clinch - not at her best fighting in reverse, as Farrel well knows.

R9: Jeri resumes that snapping jab she had in the early rounds, discouraging Farrel from edging inside - good spicy stick from the blonde keeps things at arm's length. Midway through, girls slant lancing right hands down into the body, come back the hook and Jeri gets there first. Ryan immediately reloading, putting a short right hand hard to the guard upstairs, partially blocked but moving Farrel back into the ropes. Terry squaring up rigid - she's shabby - Jeri goes to work. Ryan patient, wide stance - she'll tap the jab, tap it, then turn on that short right, come back a long hook to the body, finish up the tapping jab as Farrel stoops forward.

R10: Hook, right hand Jeri - Terry sent jitterbugging to her right - brunette getting her chin tagged and legs aren't liking it. Farrel in ragged retreat for the first time, clearly running - Jeri stalking, chin tucked, trying to find Farrel with an extended left and nail her the coup de grace right. Farrel's legs weak, age/fatigue becoming a factor late - she starts shamelessly draping herself on the champ for ref's breaks. Down the stretch, Jeri hooks Terry to the ribs, chin-checks her a tidy right on the mouth, comes back a skidding hook off the temple and Farrel nearly sits down as she stumbles backward. Ropes save Terry from splash-down - she covers up hands at temples as Ryan strides in. Jeri breaks out the crowbar - big stroking whacks loud to Terry's long pale flanks - Farrel just riding it out, shuddering to the bell. Comes back...DRAW! Where's Tractorpull when you need them?

After: Girls shake hands, but it's frostier than prefight - draw brings out the competitive instincts of two legit warriors. "I let her off the hook," Jeri says, shaking her head. "I should have put the hammer down after the fourth and chased her out of there, but I got kind of lulled - it was really a pretty easy fight for me early and I got complacent." Farrel has another explanation. "She's lost a step - seriously. She's probably not aware of it, but I think the workload has really caught up with Jeri Ryan. I was catching her easy - I mean, we would have mapped out a KO fight plan if we'd known how easy I'd be able to grease her right hands. I feel good, strong - the rest has been great for me and I went the distance with the best lightweight in boxing - I'm pretty happy about that."