Before: Everyone noting the improvement in Ripa - she goes from a premier pressure fighter in Dani Fishel to one of the sport's foremost technicians in Jen Connelly - confident strides by a blonde who seems to be coming into her own. "I definitely feel like 2004 is my year," says a confident K-Rip. "I'm getting the big fights now, and I'm winning them. Dani's never been stacked up and beat down like I did her - I broke out a little day-time smashmouth on her and she just wasn't ready for it. Jennifer's ripe for plucking too - when I work her over, the changing of the guard at bantam will be complete." Connelly also confident, poised at the dais. "Kelly's a fine fighter and a pretty face, but I don't think one win over Dani Fishel qualifies Ripa as an elite force at 120. I've gone over miles of tape on Kelly, and she's limited. She'll have trouble with my height - I'm going to make it the wrong fight for her, lots of angles and movement. I haven't seen anything in Ripa that says she can handle a strong finesse fighter in the ring." Jennifer in the infamous Welch red push up and panties from Bedazzled - Ripa in black push up and panties, white lace trim.

During R1: Jenny having her way, dictating with her feet, spicing Kelly up with crisp, straight punches. Lateral stepping to the left, Connelly working around her jab, keeping Rip at the end of the poke, dropping piercing right hands onto Kelly's durable chin. Midway through, Connelly's cross finally buckles Ripa's knees - blonde doing a gentle whip-saw through her torso as she staggers to her right. Connelly business-like on follow up - nothing wild - just stepping to a hurt blonde, thumping her waistline with strapping right/lefts, then back up top with straight one-twos to put Kelly ropeside. Ripa staring, facing into blows - Connelly bouncing mitt off face, deeply satisfied at the bell.

R2: Scrappy K-Rip won't be bullied. Connelly hooking off her jab, trying to work on Ripa's rightside ribcage - Kelly crouching down, keeping her elbows in, blocking shots on her arms, then answering back - tidy give and take as both girls set down. Ripa takes the play away in the second minute with saucy right hands - nice jolting pokes straight off the shoulder, bashing over Jen's guard and finding brunette jaw. Connelly backing up - Ripa able to step forward, weaving her torso side to side, hauling clubbing power shots into Jenny's flanks and ears. Connelly winds up ropside - hungry hungry Ripa belting away at her - staying compact, thrusting punches straight out and down into the body, looking for tight uppercuts whenever Connelly bends too far forward. Ripa with a happy glint in her eye, winks at Jen: Connelly muzzled by pain, sneers back with strained lips.

R3: Spirited trade, dictated by Jennifer's educated left, but stubbornly contested by a determined Ripa. Kelly coming forward, paying the price as her guard is routinely split up the middle by Connelly's drilling jab. Jenny turning into a stinging right cross and mopping up hooks in Ripa's ribcage - pretty 2s and 3s from the brunette as she pivots left around the hook. Kelly weaving her way into range and getting off in rapid bursts, elbows in tight as she twists her torso and hips, bashing away at Jen's torso.

R4: Kelly's got the timing on nice blunt little right hands over Jen's jab, turning brunette head with jolting impact, backing her up. Ripa imposing her will this round, coming forward, sustaining the offence better as she puts punches together - patiently whittling away on Jen's proud torso. Midway through, Rip steps in and carries a short right to Connelly's chin, Jenny rattles back onto her heels, K-Rip steps-with, puts another tidy right on target, steps and gets it again - Connelly spills ropeside with a stunned, open mouthed, shook up look. RIPA GOES JUG! Kelly finally gets Jen hurt and docile enough to romp to that bra, blonde hup-hup-hupping 'em home, rising lefts and rights as Connelly slumps woozy in the strands. Jenny getting it together enough to clinch, but Ripa's getting underneath her, shoving her off and sailing into her with nonstop aggression - plugging, plowing lefts and rights pour on past the bell as Connelly's legs threaten to give way.

R5: Kelly roaring to the attack, stepping in those bludgeoning right hands, all shoulder behind 'em - stepping-with as Connelly falls back - it's brilliant blonde pursuit pressure. Jennifer hustled to the ropes and mauled - Connelly covering up, bending forward, suffering as Kelly digs in behind the elbows, or pumps up underneath to work the overhanging ledge of jug. Connelly spins out - Kelly tracks her down - fight progresses around the ring as blonde ruthlessly hunts brunette. Final minute sees Connelly restore order with her jab - steering Ripa, easing the pressure somewhat as blonde can't take a straight line anymore.

R6: Connelly pounding away the stick, slowing Ripa up, dropping an early right hand behind that puts Kelly wobbly butt in the opening moments. Connelly coming forward now, leaning close to carry a left hook thick to Ripa's midsection, using the left shoulder butt and clipping Ripa the left uppercut as she clatters backward. Shoe on the other foot - now it's Ripa staggering in retreat, covering up, trying to shake off the hurt - Connelly stepping-with and sapping her opponent with wicking body blows, tough shoulder-bumps and chopping right hands in behind the ear around the guard. Shutout Connelly - both girls lumping up nicely through 6 bruising heats.

R7: Crowd loving the stand-and-deliver - both girls choose to plant toe to toe and try to drain the other with sheer attrition. Beauties taking turns - Connelly will cover up earmuff and give Kelly her aching ribs and taut tummy. Ripa will cover up and pose as Jennifer digs her midsection hooks, or clips her chin left uppercuts off the front foot. It's Kelly's fight - she's the more compact puncher, less cerebral in there, more instinctive - she's loving the brutal give and take, definitely wearing Jennifer down late. Bell sounds, Jennifer drops her mitts - Kelly helps herself to chin with a clouting right hand - blatant late cheapshot draws boos - Ripa proud of herself as she struts back to her corner.

R8: Jenny back to stick and move - prettying Kelly up bell to bell. Jennifer taking a little off the fast ball - just a speed jab up the middle, doubled up saucy, spanking back Kelly's face while Jenny pivots left. Connelly fitting in short right hands, not really turning into the punch, just popping it off Kelly's face, then jabbing her, turning her. Quick one-twos, stamping jabs, 90 degree pivots to the left - it's a textbook boxing shutout as Ripa can only turn, cover, wait her turn.

R9: Ripa showing some savvy - dipping under Jennifer jabs, throwing the short right hand under Connelly's stick into her side. Kel gets Jen bringing her hand back low to protect - Ripa finally steps inside the jab, carries the right hand short to the jaw and puts Connelly wobbly butt, staggering hurt straight back into the ropes. Kelly grinning, hopping in, POUNDING away to jug with crisscross blows - Connelly desperately protecting herself by turning her shoulders side to side, trying to parry Kelly's thrusting fists with either hand. Connelly does a nice job rest of the way: she gets off the ropes, circling to her left, unpacking the jab and keeping Ripa off her. Jennifer unable to hurt Kel or get the points back, but she avoids a serious mauling - Kelly can't trap her again as clever brunette boxes out the round.

R10: Kelly with some gut-busting short, plowing rights amidships in the opening moments has Connelly flat footed - Jennifer forced to shoulder-up and trade with Ripa in crowd-pleasing 10th. Shattering back and forth, both girls emptying their tanks - pulsing body blows followed by jarring uppercuts or clouting right hands to chins - it's thumping fare. Neither girl takes a backward step, but Kelly's getting the better of the constant hard work - right hand systematically pounding the left side of Jen's face into hurting putty. Bell sounds - girls trade hooks to chops, follow up rights - ref has to take a hand as neither beauty wants to back off. Ripa bounding away, climbing the ropes in celebration - she knows she's won it. Comes back a DRAW! Ripa in open-mouthed shock!

After: Kelly stamping her feet and demanding justice - Connelly cool, professional as her gloves are removed. Ripa with selective perception - remembers all the times she hurt Jennifer, all the times she poured home unopposed to helpless Connelly jug, but Jennifer answered these moments, boxed brilliantly at times and actually won the majority of minutes in the fight. Still, Ripa obviously competitive, proves she belongs in the upper echelon of boxing's deepest division with this fiesty performance.