PHOTOS COURTESY BI PHOTO LAB

Posted by Simguy on 3/25/2005

Before: Claire Danes imperious, pulling strings to make rivals fight like a strawberry-blonde puppet master - making Portman/Kreuk almost as delightful as battering either girl first-hand. "It's hard not to look past Kristin," Natalie admits in prefight, "but I can't afford to. Too many people take Kris for granted, but she's the best boxer the WB system has produced and she's got a little edge to her - I don't want to get surprised by her."

Kreuk relishing her role as spoiler. "HISC has already invested the proceeds from Portman/Danes - but if I have my way, that fight's not happening. I think Natalie's the weakest of the top 5 girls and I'm scalping her in this fight. I think I'm stronger, I'm better technically and I'm sure as hell hotter - I'm going to take it to her in this fight."

Black push up, red hipster bottoms, low ponytail Kris - floral print bandeau bikini, low ponytail Portman. Small gloves both vixens.

During R1,2: Portman operating midring, spends six minutes working over Kristin's Noxzema-perfect face: jab, jab, jab. Natalie stepping, eyes alert, left hand darting to Kreuk's face: nothing Krissy can do about it but take, glare back in frustration. Kreuk turning, lifting her hands, blocking and parrying, but Portman threading her punches in, circling, pecking away. Unpredictable patterns, sometimes doubled, sometimes feinted, straight poking shots, no warning off the shoulder. After two, Kristin's nostrils bloodied, face shiny with a dull patina of hurt: classic Portman laying down the law. Danes nodding thoughtfully at ringside, appreciating the precision.

R3: Kris unpacks her own jab - not as educated or destructive as Natalie's, but it's disruptive, allowing Kreuk to close - more toe to toe rapid lather as flyweights show off combination punching skills. Vigorous two-way body lather - girls hup-hup-hupping to offending breadbaskets, ribs and breasts - faces taut with concentration, breath exhaling hard through pursed lips, arms licking and lashing. Wonderful stuff - non-stop punching brings out the slugger in both petites - both consumed with establishing authority, both abandoning cutey-pie instincts in favour of tart, tangy shellack. Bell: chests heaving, ribs nicely pinking, faces flushed - hard working third goes to the slightly busier, more constructive vixen: Kristin Kreuk.

R4: Natalie still thirsty for more brawling, but doing it on her own terms, channelling and stabilizing Kreuk jabs first before tearing into her. Portman slanting right hands straight down into the body, twisting hooks against Kristin's ribs - Kreuk's on her heels when a sneaky hook up top claps her mouth, swats her head aside and buckles her knees. Similar misdirection second minute - Portman dressing Kreuk up jabs body and head - head feint freezes Kreuk, hesitation right clean on the chops pounds her face hard to starboard. Natalie placing bombs, rattling Kreuk, busting her up - Portman smiling mean as she leans into shearing right crosses, really opening up late as Kristin starts to break down. Nat upbeat at the bell, smiling, doing a little strut-dance towards her corner.

R5: Portman up tempos, aggressively backing Kristin up with the jab, hounding her to ropes, strafing her long right crosses and snapping back into pale tummy a whip-snack taut hook. Portman smiling, humming with efficiency - straight punches, licking punches - small, hard gloves cracking off Kreuk's perfect cheekbones, rip-digging up her tummy. Kreuk snivelling, sliding along the ropes - covering up in frustration at times - taking a shelling - stepping away with moist, forlorn looks at others. Portman strong bell to bell - turning away with a happy grin, hopping to her corner hungry for more Kreuk.

R6: Natalie on strong - right missing up top, follow-up hook shivering off Kreuk's trembling guts - Portman eases back to reset and TAKES A SWEEPING HOOK ON THE CHOPS! Kreuk lunging out of a deep defensive crouch with a wounded snarl, torquing into a crashing chin check - head-swivel Natalie and PORTMAN'S SPRAWLED! Natalie spread out on canvas like butter on toast - foggy, stiff as she tries to roll to her left - she twitches off the KO and SOMEHOW beats the count shabby. ON COMES KRISTIN! Nat somnambulant - dukes at temples as she sits in ropes - Kreuk steps in close, fitting a right hand snug to trunks, reloading and wedging it in there once more as Portman simply sags, gasps. Kreuk's dark eyes flashing, lips pulled back in a feral snarl - she's pouring her heart and soul into this finishing run, pulling lefts and rights into Natalie with reckless hatred. Woozy Portman together enough to chip away counters - offering back pesky from a tight guard - but she's taking a tremendous lathering in there. Kris leaning into Portman, pushing up on her, grunting as she heaves punches into Natalie's trembling midsection. Kris walloping at the head, sweeping lefts and slicing rights - Portman getting shelled, staring bleakly into the hurt. Down the stretch, crowd screaming as a panting, heaving Kreuk redoubles her efforts. Back into those trunks - Kreuk wading into Nat's britches SO deliberately, heartlessly - she needs Portman loosened up and it's the quickest way. Natalie sobbing, guard falling apart - punches pouring in, pasting her face side to side, tucking in wet behind her elbows and THE REF JUMPS IN! Portman sobbing as she sags nerveless in the man's arms - Kreuk leaping away with shocked tears of exultation. TKO6 Kristin Kreuk.

After: Pitiless Kreuk proves a spoiler - meanspirited minx digging into Natalie's trunks, shovelling on a torrent of punches to follow up the knockdown - she hustles Portman to the sidelines with a terrific upset, come-from-behind effort. Kris removes gloves in a hurry and rushes to a battered Portman on her stool, ruthlessly tugging Natalie up, holding her by the right wrist and ponytail, muscling her to the ropes directly in front of Claire Danes. Devastated Natalie forced to kneel as Kreuk makes glacial eye contact with Claire - symbolic delivery of conquered Portman brings a tiny smile to Claire's face, barely perceptible nod: Kristin's made her point tonight. Portman quivering with humiliation: being presented to Danes worse than being walked in some respects.