by Simguy on 02/25/2005

Before: Ledford licking her lips at prospects of another HMK scalping - she can't wipe the grin off her face in prefight. "It's money in the bank, sugar!" Brandy breezes. "I've made a fortune off these punks and I can't believe Kate's back for a second helping. I don't know what she thinks is going to be different this time around - if anything, I'm sharper and more focused than I've ever been."

Bosworth refusing to be baited or bullied, calmly stating her positions, take 'em or leave 'em. "Brandy's a good fighter - a solid fighter, but I firmly believe she didn't get my best when we fought last time. Yes, she's the more experienced girl, but you can't compare our reflexes, our handspeed, our conditioning. While respecting her skills, I'm demanding victory of myself. Brandy's bullying days are over, because I'm ending them."

Ledford in taupe leather bikini, soft-soled boxing moccasins - Kate in surfer chick bikini - navy blue bottoms, green and white tie-dyed top. Small gloves, both beauties.

During R1: Kate announces herself tart n' tangy via the hook, tugging Brandy's jaw with rapid repeat swat, driving Ledford ropeside at the stagger. Bosworth shoots in short right hand to gut, tucks down low to avoid receipts, up out of the crouch with another hook on Brandy's sexy mouth. Ledford enraged, slugging back out of a tight stance - SHE torques short-arm hooks to Bosworth's youthful jug, backing Katie up. Hammer and tongs at close quarters - girls shoulder to shoulder, bumping and ripping tidy left hands while keeping rights taped to cheeks - Katie the quicker-mitted, more determined blonde, turns on cougar chin to get respect in the first.

R2: Bosworth showing the kind of aggression, fast hands that discouraged tough Evangeline Lilly - she's taking the fight to Ledford. Both girls like a short, close-range hook - small backswing, turning the shoulder into tight swatting shots - but Bosworth sharper, quicker, doubling and tripling up to startle Ledford. Kate flashing an unpredictable right hand - just a straight, chopping shot, scoring to Ledford's cheek and jaw, giving Brandy something else to think about. Again, Ledford finishes up back-on-ropes and she's not happy about it, eyes glaring dangerously at the bell.

R3: Kate jumping in close, hooking tight, getting into Brandy's bosom brazen. Minute mark, Ledford frustrated, shiny from punches, getting outhustled - she reaches into her trick back, dips the left shoulder and gets healthy spank off Kate's crotch, courtesy snatching hook. Bosworth: moist groan of protest, doubling forward - while she's leaning, Ledford tidies up in the flank, now opening up the hook, reaching down Katie's body. Bosworth wounded, stumbling sideways to ropes - Ledford hardhearted in pursuit, chopping righty to ear, digging up waist the left, curling left uppercuts through to chin - it's a classic cougar mauling as Kate tries to cover up. Packing right hands prove too much late: Ledford working out of the wrap, using her left arm to trap Kate's right, plugging away to Bosworth's struggling breadbasket stuffing right hands and KATE TAKES A KNEE! Bosworth relieving pressure like a veteran - smoldering glare of satisfaction from Brandy as she gazes down.

R4: Kate shakes it off, goes back to the attack. Younger vixen smart - using her youth like a weapon - she's deliberately setting a blistering early pace to push Brandy's legs to the limit. Ledford dukes at temples, hanging back and relying more on timing now rather than trying to outslug Bosworth toe to toe. Kate's hand position more relaxed - right at her cheek, left at her chest - she's feinting, stepping in and out, starting to undress Ledford a little with footwork. Midway through, Bosworth operating behind a spitting little jab, fixes Brandy's position, pivots rapidly 45 degrees to the right and hooks Ledford's left eye from the angle! Brandy's knees give way - deep bend, then she holds in a hurting crouch - Bosworth lets her hands go. Ledford getting plastered, creeping forward behind her guard as Kate's slicing flurries carve to ears, stroke jaw, tuck in thick behind elbows to the bell. Bosworth colour high, chest heaving - healthy glow on youngster's face as she posts her best round against Ledford in two fights.

R5: Ledford settles Bosworth down with a quick-snatching hook to crotch, doubling up healthy to breadbasket, then bodying Kate to ropes to operate on her. Ledford grinding her forehead on Bosworth, making kid feel the weight. Brandy's fists roaming: packing in thick to waist, clawing and tucking into flanks, clipping the overhanging chin uppercuts whenever Kate leans forward. Bosworth crossing her arms, bobbing, raising her elbows to ward off punches - she's getting all chopped up as Ledford stays on top, moves her hands and cleans up bell to bell.

R6: Ledford jabbing Kate in the mouth, pre-empting the kid's jump - Brandy steps in with hook-off-the-jab action, clanging away to jaw and backing Katie up. Bosworth sullen, in one of her funks - she's just torso-rolling, covering up, rolling and blocking shots without firing back in anger. Ledford able to square up, get her body on Kate, use an aggressive tousle scrub. Bosworth ribs and tummy targets of choice, but Brandy taking the opportunity to scrub perky young jug in sweaty confines, just pulling hooks across cleavage with a tight little shoulder-shrug. Bosworth smeared and mauled for another shutout - getting taken to cougar-school through 6.

R7: Kate using her legs again, showing that darting, clever left jab - she's catching Brandy on the mouth, startling her, stopping her in her tracks. Bosworth able to hook off the stick to good effect - putting Brandy wobbly butt in the first and second minutes - Brandy gunshy, hanging back behind her guard, now worried about where the next punch is coming from. Kate smart as Ledford takes away the chin: ingenue stooping and jabbing at weary cougar midriff, getting nice cringe from Ledford as Brandy takes to her body. Late the round, Brandy in a rare loss of composure barrels forward winging punches: Bosworth calmly stepping back as she dips and rolls her torso - she makes Ledford miss half a dozen shots before stroking a triumphant hook clean to Brandy's chin, shaking Ledford's legs and nearly producing a buzzer-beating knockdown.

R8: Kate with that jotting, non-anticipatory jab, stabbing it to Ledford's face and freezing her - Brandy just leaning forward behind her mitts, waiting her turn. Bosworth stepping in close to hook Ledford's liver, pivoting with the left shoulder on Brandy - Kate really starting to polish the veteran up. Bosworth picking Brandy up cute right uppercuts from a screened stance, sampling the gut, bulging jugs and creaky chin at will. Ledford starting to sputter: stumbling forward but getting chopped and cuffed; hanging back and getting raked. Midway through, accumulation suddenly visible as Ledford's form goes ragged beneath a torrid squall of Bosworth lefts and rights. Ledford caught in her body, jaw, temples, stumbles windblown into ropes - extending her hands plaintively in classic don't-hurt-me pose. Bosworth heartless - tearing in without restraint - immediately swipes 3 bossy hooks to Ledford's jugs, then RIPPING it up combos! Furious gattling gun delivery - lefts and rights bouncing off Brandy's head and shoulders, then tattooing her ribs - she's helpless, drooping forward forlorn and THE REF STEPS IN! Brandy teary-eyed as the man hugs her to safety - hard glare from Kate Bosworth as she lifts her smoking guns, taking a well deserved strut. TKO8 in payback fashion, Kate Bosworth.

After: Bosworth too quick, too fit, too relentless, she took a good shot from Brandy, didn't get discouraged and poured it on to overwhelm the aging blonde. Discouraging loss for Brandy - she's dejected, listless as hands are unwrapped, left eye swollen shut, body all banged up - always tough for a cougar to get her head handed to her by a younger, more dynamic blonde. "Brandy's a myth," Kate shrugs in postfight, running a hand through sweaty locks, "A boogey-girl trainers use to frighten young fighters into observing curfew. I just decided not to believe in her tonight. I set a pace she couldn't match, I took her early shots, then it was all me. We definitely saw a turning point tonight - I think Brandy knows what'll happen if we face off again." Warming to her topic, Kate takes a controversial stand as cameras keep rolling. "The truth is, all older fighters are over-rated. I don't care if your name is Jennifer Garner, Cat Bell, Courtney Cox or Teri Hatcher - the FCBA should institute mandatory retirement at 30. And that's no disrespect to those girls or any other older fighter - it's just that none of them are as good now as when they were 25. A good, focused younger girl beats a wily old fox any day of the week. There: I said it."