Originally posted by SIMGUY 12/29/00.

BEFORE: Connelly spurning Jaime Pressly at the last moment to move up against the more durable, but hopefully more predictable Ryan--strategizing from Jen revealing a cautious outlook in the wake of her loss to Kelly Hu. Promoters quickly hype this one as the "battle of the bulges." but it's a fight that could easily stand on its own technical merits--cigar chomping stuffed shirts appealing to the lowest common denominator as always. Bastards. Jen in sleek black volleyball bikini, Jeri in navy sports bra, red stretch shorts.

RD1: Ryan using her underrated footwork, spanking a jab, doubling it, giving Connelly a little lateral movement in the first minute--people forget Jeri can box when she wants to. Jen works her way inside during the second minute, jerking some short left uppercuts to the jugs, or snatching at Ryan's side with the compact hook, but down the stretch, Ryan steps outside, pops the jab, cracks a sharp right cross on the eye and twists her hips into a hammering left uppercut to the chin and DOWN GOES CONNELLY! Crisp precision from Jeri cuts off the power to Jen's legs and leaves her sitting on the canvas--Jen up and reeling at 8 eats a punishing jab between the mitts to the bell.

R2: Jen shakes it off and comes in steaming as Ryan gets caught flat footed. Connelly nestled inside, getting her head on Jeri's shoulder, cranking her hook to the midsection or tagging those melons--a sudden cracking right on the cheek sets up a gouging left to the sternum and DOWN GOES JERI! Ryan groaning, turning away to sink to all fours--she takes her 8 in turn, sucks it up with plenty of time on the clock. Connelly bodying up, muscles Ryan to the ropes and systematically goes to the wasp waist, reefing left hands, then using that left shoulder and elbow to prop Ryan up. Jen showing her incredible resolve, soaks up a withering pounding to her right sidem gets clocked repeatedly across the jaw from Connelly's cranking left, but Ryan gets out of the round--punished to be sure--but intact.

R3: Ryan sluggish off the stool--legs still vibrating from the hellacious beating she took in the third. Connelly the boss this round--really chopping at the midsection as if to snap Jeri in two. Ryan covering up, occasionally steps back to walk Jen into the uppercut, but not doing enough offensively to discourage the brunette.

R4: Ryan back on the balls of her feet, moving better this round, re-establishes the jab and starts to turn Jen midring. Jeri really surprising Connelly with a drilling left hand from her waist stepping in and out with it, hooking off of it--Ryan showing another dimension that Jen hadn't counted on. Connelly's output falls this round as she is repeatedly beat up on the way in--Ryan starting to turn on that short right hand, but hasn't quite dialed it in yet.

R5: Pendulum swings back the other way as Jen bends her legs, gets in under Jeri's arms, chesting her back, stepping in with fearful hooks to the midriff that bunch Jeri forward in pain. Connelly letting her hands go, uppercutting the ledge of Ryan's chest, bouncing her fists off Jeri's ribcage as the blonde leans forward. Ryan responding up underneath but getting outworked--brutal action round goes to Connelly.

R6: Similar round to the fifth--girls leaning in on one another, lifting fists up into extended ribcages, each twisting her hips into shattering body shots and neither taking a backward step. Connelly just the more compact, more determined puncher inside--Ryan laying in for long stretches just taking--Jen getting off more frequently, happy to hit anything as long as she's pitching. Ryan soaking up tremendous punishment through 6 and looks flushed, but unfazed, although she's slugging flat footed more often now.

R7: Jeri with the right hand at her chest. left held low, snaps out that Louis jab as she bounces economically around Connelly--Jen unable to do anything when Ryan shows her this look. First minute all Ryan circling and breaking Connelly down, then she starts to step in with the right hand. Jen taking some glancing blows across her brow does a little stutter step--Jeri sees it and pours it on. A sinking right hand to the stomach has Connelly wobbly butt, a short left hook jerks her on a quarter turn to the left--Jen staggery--spills to the ropes and the crowd roars as Jeri piles on. Ryan putting punches together--another jamming right to the belly, another hook to the top, a right back across the mouth--Connelly in desperate trouble starts hefting punches back into Ryan's belly when a booming Ryan right paralyzes the brunettem spinning her head and leaving Connelly out over her feet. Ryan steps back, allowing Jen to slide to the canvas--Connelly out cold, kneeling on her haunches with her face on the mat--KO7 Jeri Ryan.

AFTER: Plan backfires as Jen ducks one hard punching blonde for another and pays the price. Blistering first couple of rounds saw both women hurt, but Ryan kept her game together, boxed consistently and built a KO on her jab and footwork against an opponent who really needed Ryan to stand and trade. Jeri showing headiness and skill, reaffirms herself as a top contender at lightweight. Connelly with back to back whacks not slumping yet, but there's blood in the water.