Before: "All I know about her," says Jen in prefight, "is that she called me out on Regis and Kelly, and big-mouth Ripa thought Maria could handle me, so I guess we're going to find out. Bello's one of those indie-circuit chicks - I haven't seen a lot of tape on her. We heard she hurt Demi with hooks last year in an unsanctioned bout, she's supposed to be a good body puncher, but again, it's hard to say. She beat the hell out of Deb Unger onset of Payback, so the chick can definitely fight. I'll probably take a couple rounds to suss her out then take her apart from there." Connelly the favourite but battling a stablewide skid AND the hunger of a blonde veteran who's never gotten her due from the FCBA establishment - could be interesting. Jen in the infamous Raquel Welch red push up and panties from 1967's 'Bedazzled' - Maria in black push up and panties, white lace trim, slick ponytail.

During R1: No feeling out period for Connelly after all - she bangs out a couple of hard jabs, slaps a wide hook to the ear and drops a pounding right onto Maria's chin - fist bouncing sharply down after impact - Bello sent tottering ramshackle into the ropes. Connelly making a statement, stepping to her girl and working her over - wide stance, batting lefts and rights to the body, malicious jug-mugging, hooks and crosses shredding Bello's guard to bang back that head. Bell to bell Connelly - she savages Maria, turns sharply on her heel at the break - poor Maria staring, busted up: welcome to the big-leagues blondie.

R2: Maria's a fighter - she shakes off some premium Jen Connelly punishment to get a little back this round. Second minute - Bello straightens Connelly up with a Hello left hook: Maria torquing the punch out of a crouch - forcing Connelly to backpedal a couple steps, shake her head to clear it.

R3: Jen a little wary, fighting smart - she dresses Maria up with jabs, gives her a little stepping lateral movement to keep this thing midring. Bello forced to come forward - she's getting to Connelly's chest and working to the ribs in spots, but Jen's doing a superb job maintaining distance, controlling affairs, lumping up Maria's face with stick.

R4: Maria breaking down Jen's rangy tactics this round - blonde negotiating the jab with head movement and whistling hooks out of the crouch, setting up inside and outworking brunette cheek to cheek. Bello a busy little blonde in the trenches, nice crisp, curling delivery, thumping combos amidships. Connelly consistently edged backwards - final minute, Bello catches Jen backing straight up with that shocking hook on the chin - JC spills shabby-legged to the ropes. All Bello to the ropes, and she wants jug, standing up in the stirrups, pumping up short, shrugging punches in Connelly's bra, ponytail dancing happily with the work. JC stunned, a little demoralized: this thing's a fight after all.

R5,6,7: Jen Connelly shows the maturity that's made her a champion over the last year, fighting the right fight, beating Bello with tactical acumen as much as physical force. Competitive rounds - Maria not shutout and she IS getting inside often enough to excite the crowd, but minute by minute, Jen's imposing her will on this fight. Starts with the jab - Maria can't go anywhere without getting tapped and banged. Jen light on her feet, circling to the left - Maria can't come straight in and bang. Connelly choosy but effective with the right, dropping it onto Maria's face, putting the hook on top - blonde constantly rocked back, forced to regroup. Jen not working the body much, but that's by design: doesn't want to get close enough to let Bello get her hook off, blonde doesn't seem to have a second weapon, so it's easy to neutralize.

R8: Bell to bell Jen. Prior 3 rounds were competitive, but Jen obviously putting the pieces into place for this classy shutout round. Maria a confused beauty, crossed arms, bending, taking punches off her face, stepping back in disarray - unable to press forward or get out of the way as Jennifer patiently worries away at her from outside. Connelly sacrificing power for speed - looking to outclass Maria rather than get her out of there.

R9: Jennifer still doing it from outside - discouraged Maria fades to the ropes, eyes puffy, mouth open - she waves Jen on in and Connelly obliges. Jennifer muscling up, getting her left shoulder into Maria to open her up, then banging away - nice clubbing, sweaty trade as the girls take turns clouting each other's waists and chins. Girls just banging away methodically in a little patch of canvas - Jen doing well, but giving Maria the landscape she needs to compete. Bello tearing up the gut on Connelly, getting wince and stoop out of the brunette and down the stretch, a shattering hook numbs Jennifer from the waist down! Connelly stepping back, hands dropping, face blank - she turns away as Maria thrusts a right hand to the cheek - blonde rampaging off the ropes as brunette staggers back. Furious punching from Bello - straight lefts and rights as she storms forward - Connelly leaning away as she stumbles, trying to get out of the way and JENNIFER DOES DOWN! Connelly scattered to her hands and knees - Bello hollering in triumph - brunette takes 8 and is saved by the bell.

R10: ON COMES MARIA! Jennifer's DONE, still woozy from that howitzer hook she soaked up in the 9th - she slides hurt along the ropes, batting Maria's punches out of the air, just trying to survive. Bello's eyes bright, gloves at her chin as she dips, jabbing to Jen's chest, pounding the right in and turning over hooks upside the head - heartpounding stuff as Connelly gets clipped, staggers, but won't go down. Jennifer attacked and smeared all along the perimeter, but she's surviving, avoiding the worst of it until a SHATTERING hook swivels her head in the dying moments. Crowd on it's feet - Tech suits pulling at their hair as Bello tucks into Jennifer in Connelly's corner! Bello plunging into Jen with both mitts, POUNDING away at what's left - poor Connelly out on her feet, head jerking back, then lolling forward, slumping, slumping - but she REFUSES to drop. Bell sounds, Maria's chest HEAVING with effort - Connelly immediately helped to her stool as this thing goes to the cards. Comes back UD10...Jen Connelly.

After: Tech slide broken at last - Jennifer Connelly comes through with a gusty performance to survive a savage Bello rally late. Maria lumped up badly courtesy Jen's jabs, but blonde's the one strutting the ring hands held high: Connelly slumped on her stool, too exhausted and battered to accept the victory midring - she simply willed herself to make it to the finish line tonight.