Posted by simguy on 11/27/2004

Before: Ryan showing her fighter's heart - she could have had anybody, but she demands the woman who has cost her the most over the years. "Cat Bell's definitely been a thorn in my side," admits the blonde with a rueful smile. "To turn her back in a title fight is almost more important than winning the belt in the first place. It's dangerous, but this is the stage I want to beat her on: all the marbles, me and Cat." Bell courteous as always, "I feel I deserve the title shot, but all the same, I'm very grateful to Jeri for extending it: a lot of girls wouldn't have. Jeri and I do have something special going on, and I know how motivated she is to beat me." Bell a bit of a Samdog killer this year as well, with Landry falling under Cat's mitts - she's public enemy #1 at that gym. Cat in electric blue Jag bikini - Jeri in crimson bikini.

During R1,2: Great start for Ryan, back to back shutouts. Jeri refusing to let Cat operate outside behind an orderly jab - blonde falling in off her right hand, wrestling up top with Cat, muscling her to ropes. Ryan working out of the wrap, holding Cat across the back with one hand while plugging away the free mitt - jugs and tummy brought under brutal scrutiny as Jeri goes to town. Bell bullied, trying to cover up, but being palmed open in Jeri's wrap - blonde just stuffing home the hurt in sloppy, sweaty early action.

R3: Cat gets a little distance, regroups behind a smashing stick - action more linear, tactical at midring. Bell dropping in right hands, coming back hooks to Ryan's body, then clinching - tying blonde up after scoring and walking her to ropes for the break. Ryan looking for right hands - skidding contact only as Cat's able to ride with it, partially block it with her shoulder.

R4: Cat with that jamming short right hand, leans in close and stubs it out on Jeri's ear - blonde undone at the knees steps in fence post holes early. Cat palming Jeri off for room, slicing the hook to ribs and waist, extending on the right cross up top - Jeri getting shelled, but bravely standing her ground. Dangerous two way develops late - both girls carrying forward with murderous rights, swaying back to collect swiping lefts - one mistake and it's lights out either way.

R5: More rangy powerpunching midring. Second minute - Cat scorches blonde ribcage that ringing hook, doubles it up to stoop Jeri forward hurt, then drives in a shock-right hand to the jaw to send Ryan ropeside. Jeri glassy eyed, legs stiff - she's swaying woozy as Cat marches in and GOES RACK! Cat hardhearted as she stamps away straight crisscrossing lefts and rights - shelling the champ's helpless jugs. Ryan soaking, head lolling - she leans forward to clinch, gets stacked up as Cat rope-pins Jeri for the break. Bell wades back in: MORE JUG! Ram-stamping lefts and rights, concussive, pancaking blows - Jeri groaning, dismayed by the assault, reaches to clinch again all broke-down and woozy. Similar pattern, Bell making Jeri feel the weight, pressing the blonde heavy to ropes for the break, then wading back on in for more. Bell POUNDING away leaves Ryan a throbbing-boobied beauty - champ hugging herself, grimacing on her stool during the break.

R6: Cat back on rack - tagging Jeri a long lead right cross, then swiping hook across cleavage, stepping to the right as Ryan dimly turns. Bell just taking Jeri apart from outside - Ryan can't get out of the way of those crashing rights and when they land: her jugs are forfeit as Bell collects mop up hooks for free. Midway through, slamming right behind the ear sends Ryan clattering across the ring - she hits ropes in swoon, staring hurt as Bell wades in once again. Bell operating out of the wrap - riding her left arm under Jeri's right, slumping blonde forward and pumping rights thick to jug and tummy. Ryan groaning, soaking up methodical abuse - Cat just laying 'em in there, palming Ryan's left shoulder occasionally to expose that torso.

R7: Jeri ramshackle - she's soaked up tremendous chin-checks the last few rounds, had it taken out of her body - champ's flat footed, loading up more and more as Bell goes about the grim task of breaking Jeri down. Cat looking to impose herself, but doing it smart - she'll sell 'rack', then step outside to pound Jeri's eyes the jab. She'll lead right hands to set up stroking hooks to rib. She'll slide in off the jab and ease Jeri into the wrap, plugging away righty until Ryan can clinch. Jeri fighting hard, but form degrading - down the stretch Cat bends in to beat Ryan to right hands and SENDS RYAN DOWN! Slobberknocking impact - Jeri tagged, right hand sailing over Cat's head, blonde corkscrews and sprawls dazed on her back as crowd roars to it's feet! Champion's pride saves Ryan - she shakes off the KO, twitches her way off her back and makes it droopy to the bell.

R8: With her title in tatters, all but gone - Jeri brawls back. Ryan jabbing with Cat, trading short right hands with Cat, hooking with Cat to the body - Jeri refusing to give, gets the better of stroking, rangy exchanges midring. Bell wincing, stepping out and circling - she needs a breather and Ryan's not having it. Blonde walks brunette down behind a pulverizing stick late - Cat ducking to evade the chopping right, but Jeri sets up close and pries away at those bulging melons late. Ryan working Cat with beefy uppercuts, shoving 'em in close, bodying up to smother the receipts at the bell. Jeri forcing eye contact, letting Cat know there's still plenty of fight left as ref takes a hand.

R9: OH THEY SLAM AWAY! Feet wide, crashing overhand rights, ripping hooks underneath - tall beauties sway in and out on one another in high risk trade. Chins shaved, ribs raked - both girls looking for KOs with every punch. Midway through girls trade rights, back with hooks and CAT GOES DOWN! Bell sent sprawling as Ryan wins the race - blonde standing tall as brunette stretches out huuuuuurt on her back! Cat's head lolling side to side - she's tender, weak as she tries to roll to her side, finally twitching herself awake and scrambling to her feet. ON COMES JERI! Cat out on her feet, butt propped in the ropes - she's just swaying there as Ryan palms the shoulders and helps herself to greedy fistfuls of hulking Cat Bell jug! Jeri just standing Cat up and having at her: short lefts and rights off the face, pumping shrugs up into the jugs - Bell's eyelashes fluttering as curvy legs hold her up to the bell. Ryan bellowing in Cat's face - blonde sold her soul to get brunette out of there in the 9th and it didn't happen.

R10: Crippled beauties slouch to midring - mouths open, eyes hollow, forlorn, legs stepping stiffly, hands waist-high. No more snappy combos - girls just reaching out the left and leaning in with rights, laying against the other for a moment, then pushing off, resetting. They fall in and struggle chest to chest, holding and hitting each other in the back, ref pushing them apart and letting them tumble into one another again. End of minute 1, Bell jams a short right to the ear as they come together, bending Jeri's knees - brunette pushes off, sensing opportunity. Jeri with a parched expression, eyes blank - she reaches out the left and takes another right blunt to the ear, sending her stumbling to her left. Cat loading and walloping righty - another smashing blow to the neck, another on the jaw - Jeri battered in a wobbly semi circle as Cat pivots and claps, getting her body behind chopping hacks. Another short right - another and JERI GOES DOWN! Ryan loosey-goose, falling apart and finally bludgeoned to all fours. She's out but NO...Ryan beats the count. Jeri majestic in her shabbiness: reeling, mouth open, eyes closing as she lolls ropeside and HERE COMES CAT! Bell on her last legs - palming Jeri's shoulders back and DIGGING UP INTO RACK! Bell pumping away - Ryan slumping forward - reaching dimly around brunette's hips as Cat lifts in leather. Bell stepping back in good order, left/right/left/right, stuffing up into the overhanging ledge of Jeri's throbbing jugs, letting Ryan stumble forward and RYAN GOES DOWN! Jeri swooning to her face, cheek wet on canvas and it's OVER! Ryan in deep slumber - KO'd to the jugs - winner and NEW lightweight champ Catherine 'Cat' Bell!

Before: Bell sobbing in triumph, held up by Terry Farrel and Syren as legs give way after the fact - what a slobberknocker. Ryan brought around in stages - realization of a KO defeat to Bell has her breaking down in shuddering tears. Bell affected by the sight: "I know what she's feeling," Cat says. "She gave everything a champion could and she still came up short - it's a lonely, devastating thing when it happens. All I know is, she took me to my limits and beyond - she's a great, great champion and I know she'll be back." And what of the future - Charlize knocked off Jen Garner tonight. "Yeah, you know, I was surprised by that. Theron has really cleaned up her act - she's working hard, she's respectful to other fighters - she's not embarrassing herself with the ring card girls and I want to acknowledge that. I don't know what direction management's going to take near term, but I like what I see in Charlize and I respect her for what's she's done. She deserves a shot, but like I said - we'll see what happens."