Posted by simguy on 9/26/2007, 7:55 am

Before: Neve looking right through Jennie to shinier objects on the horizon. "I've said all along - I want a title shot by year's end, and I want McAdams out of the sport. Nothing's changed - I should have had a title fight months ago: hopefully Evangeline will be a more even-handed champion than Dani was. As for Rachel, I've started the hard work of breaking her down, but I'm a couple of beatings away from driving her out of boxing - that's still definitely on the agenda. Jennie's a means to those ends - you want to call her a stepping stone or a stay-busy fight - fine." Garth unfazed - Neve always plays rough in prefight - Jennie's seen it before. "We've tangled before," Jennie says at the podium. "We know each other pretty well as fighters. I think it's a little unworthy of Neve to dismiss me as a stepping stone - she knows I can give her hell. I'm not looking for any surprises: Neve's going to punch to the body, try to be big-girl on me - I'm going to box her and take advantage of her mistakes. Best woman will win, and there's a very good chance that'll be me." Jenny in midnight blue velvet bra and panties - silver studded bordering; small white gloves; feisty puncher's ponytail. Neve in scarlet velvet bra and panties - silver studded bordering; small black gloves; choppy tousle nice n' wet for the fight.

During R1: Pleasure to watch two real pros take the ring: no wasted movement; good blocking defences; punches short, crisp, hard. Dukes're up - blocking shots; right hands being used to parry jabs. Both girls doubling jabs into raised guards - driving the other lass back a step - then seeking to hook exposed ribcage. Jennie looking to turn on her dependable right cross off the jab: Neve edging her way in close, thumping away to Jennie's waist via the hook. Pace: methodical, thoughtful - girls placing shots, taking no chances in a hardworking first. Neve the aggressor, usually coming forward after exchanges - she muscles out a close round.

R2: Spirited fencing continues midring. Girls flat footed, but sliding laterally, bending at the waist, keeping dukes up: nobody presenting an easy target. Frequent shoulder-to-shoulder exchanges as Jennie challenges Neve to hook-war downstairs: both beauties thumping diligently away. Bossy pushing as girls separate to walk counterclockwise: eyes fierce - Jennie's lips curling back off her teeth at times. Late the round, Garth's right cross squirts in between Neve's mitts, clipping chin: Campbell baby-stepping to her right, rattled; just enough to give Garth the round.

R3: Same workmanlike pace - both girls cute enough to step to an angle, jab, feint and change levels - but both just want to get off and do damage. Jabs/one-twos up top mostly blocked - both girls relying on follow-on hooks to breadbasket for the firm touch in any exchange. Girls edging in with left shoulders - lots of sweaty rubbing contact as strength-negotiations take place. Jennie mixing in a cute come-along hook as she's stepping out - getting the odd extra touch to separate herself in another hairsbreadth heat.

R4: Scowling faces, strong stances, hard punches: girls are opening up. Jennie scoring rigid one-twos up top, toggling Neve's chin: Campbell stands firm against it, crouching and advancing as Jennie looks for mop up hooks. Neve doubling up the spitting jab - scraping a right uppercut off Jennie's guard; scraping the left uppercut off guard, then DIGGING that left hook to liver: instant cringe, Jennie G as she cramps up. Neve stays with it - crowding close: she cuffs Jennie's right ear a swat-hook, then DIGS hook to liver downstairs - mitt gouging in behind Jennie's right elbow. Garth groaning, backing away as she's bending forward at the waist and JENNIE TAKES A KNEE! Jennie gasping, right knee down: Neve cruises past with smouldering satisfaction in dark eyes, chest heaving prettily with job well done. JG takes 8, but she's shabby, electing to earmuff up, dig in at apron to withstand Neve's finish. Campbell squaring away - good methodical drubbing dished out: she'll clout away rights and lefts against Jenny's head and shoulders, then dip down to place that vicious left over and over to Garth's right side. Bell: Jennie ashen faced, hugging her midsection and looking shocked; Neve stomping back to corner all business.

R5: Jennie stabilizes - working behind her jab, using a bit more of the ring. Garth stepping left (away from Neve's hook), keeping the jab on Neve's chest. Potshotting rights traded from outside - Jennie bouncing mitt off face, normally slipping under the Campbell right. When Neve crowds close - Jennie's quick to tie up: left arm snaking behind Campbell's head, right arm tucking in around Neve's left elbow. Stop and go action as ref breaks 'em up - Campbell frustrated with Jennie's survival tactics through 5.

R6: Jenny roaming clockwise, jabbing stiff: Neve encroaching behind raised gloves, crouching forward. Garth jotting the right hand to Neve's hairline, hooking Neve thick in her right side ribs; pushing Neve in her shoulders: Garth keeping her distance. Midway through, Campbell sick of being nickle-and-dimed rushes forward: Garth walks brunette into a clanging right cross to chin and NEVE GOES DOWN! Jennie just sneaking the right onto oncoming chin - sidestepping as Campbell clatters past to all fours: Neve up immediately, blushing crimson as Jennie's eyes flash triumphant. Brace of spitting jabs backs Neve to ropes: she shows earmuff, grunting as Jennie whacks the waistline hooks. Garth finishes up big on Neve - pushing her shoulders, beating her body either hand with zest to bell.

R7: Jenny circling left, using her jab: Neve's lumping up. Campbell looking grouchy: chin's tucked, dukes eyebrow-high - but Jennie busy poking body, breasts and guard to good effect. Garth walking Neve into rude right hands - finding a home for the blows on Neve's chin: Campbell opening up a bit as she comes forward, getting herself clipped. When Neve gets close - Jennie's beating her to the punch downstairs, hooking Campbell's stubborn paunch, then tying her up before the receipt. Good smart round of Jennie Garth boxing: Neve cranky on her stool for break.

R8: Jennie chips away. Jab vexing Neve, turning her: Campbell's own jab nowhere to be seen as she walks Jennie down, but doesn't cut off the ring. Jennie hooking Neve to tummy and ribs, tying her up: Campbell complaining to ref while clinched, "Look how she's holding! Break ref, BREAK!" Garth able to extend from medium range, leaning in on stiff one-twos - she's placing the right hand upstairs or down - just spanking away on Neve. Campbell's nose bloodied - worrisome mouse purpling into view beneath left eye: Garth starting to pick apart the D through 8.

R9: Neve doubles up her jab, gets close, HAMMERS Jennie to body via thick left hooks. Garth ties up breathless, walking Neve around - ref's break buying Jennie just enough time to gather her wits. Jennie firms, fitting Neve for right crosses as brunette's weaving forward: strong, driving Garth right hands bounce off Campbell's face, forcing her to pay chin-tax for the priviledge of hooking Jennie's midriff. HAMMER AND TONGS! Fight blazing out of control as both girls wobble the other and try to pile on: terrible, batting hooks shake waists; reaming, drifting right hands graze chins. One girl gets the better of it, coming forward step by agonizing step to force the other ropeside at the bell. It's Jennie: Neve's seated in cables, covered up earmuff, gritting her teeth and suffering as Garth reefs hooks to firm Campbell midriff - ref has to pull Jennie off as she's punching after the bell.

R10: Jennie crisper, more aggressive, fresher, morale higher: she gets after Neve to really pound home the message. Hot, spitting poke find Neve in the body, breasts and face, driving her backward. Jennie leaning in off jabs to crack the right hand across, tossing Neve's head hard to starboard: when Campbell crouches forward behind mitts, Jennie's ripping her hooks behind right elbow. Fight drifts to ropes, Neve at apron: Jennie edging in close, ripping repeat right uppercuts short n' jarring, trying to wedge apart Neve's guard. Brawny left shoulder bumps keep Neve pinned down: JENNIE STOMPS NEVE'S TOES! Blonde's heel stamps atop the pinkness of Neve's toes; Jennie cashes in a pair of short hooks to chin as Campbell's loosening. Down the stretch, Neve dug in strong at ropes, but stooping very far forward: Jennie heartless as she bounces hammerfist blows off tight lower back, buckling Neve's knees and earning warnings. Jenny snarling, baring her teeth - she goes bell to bell - outworking Neve for a hard-fought UD10 duke.

After: Neve drained, puffy, disconsolate: losing to Jennie Garth definitely not in the business plan this year. Garth jubilant - beating Neve a bit of an upset for well-traveled gate-keeper - but she's done this sort of thing before. "Yeah - this is probably my biggest win since knocking off Krista Allen," a beaming Jennie gushes in postfight. "Krista had the same attitude - like I'm just here for girls to walk on - and I took her apart. Same as Neve. You know what - maybe I'D like a title shot. Maybe I'D like a McAdams payday. As far as I'm concerned, Neve can line up behind me for the goodies - not the other way around."