Before: Only one reason a young beauty like Samaire makes an abrupt exit from a show like the OC. "Yep," Armstrong admits with a wry grin, "kicking Rachel's heinie. Producers told me to lay up - 'we want you to work Rachel out, not work her OVER' - but I just couldn't. I knew she was the star, but when you're so dominant over another girl in the ring, it's hard to lay down for her." Jennifer Connelly not even bothering to attend press conferences - apparent lack of respect just fine with Armstrong. "Hey, from her last fight, if any one should be looking past this bout it's ME. Jen got old against Keira - everyone saw it, and I'm no soft touch. I've been fighting Pac Rim for years, I know what I'm doing in there and Connelly's going to get the shock of her life when I treat her shabby. After Jen, the whole Tech stable looks tempting to me - Doherty, Keira. Way I look at it, I'm going to audition on Connelly, and make me some money on these girls." Jennifer in the hot red push up and panties Raquel Welch wore in Bedazzled, Samaire in black push up and panties, white lace trim.

During R1: SAMAIRE GOES DOWN! Innocent approach, girls just taking a look - Jen just twitching the jab, stepping into a rising hook - Armstrong lifted off her feet and set down rudely on her rump for a quick, startling 8. Rest of the way competitive - Samaire showing good resilience, but on the run - Jennifer with the right tight to her cheek, strong stepping jabs, looking to hook and tidy up straight rights to the bell.

R2,3: Armstrong shakes off Jen's hook, shows some slick, cute moves in bamboozling Connelly for both these round. Samaire fighting with the right under her chin, left low - she's very supple at the waist, bending and moving her head, turning her shoulders to the left, dipping and tucking hooks in under Jen's ribs - turning her shoulders to the right to ride with Jen's right, answering back with blunt straight rights up the middle. Samaire's fists very quick, surprisingly sharp - nice doubled up hook head and waist, snapping up-jab off the hip, dart-and-retract right hands and constant upper body movement - Connelly flustered in pursuit these rounds, basically nibbled up by sly, busy counterpunching from Armstrong.

R4: Connelly abandoning Samaire's elusive head for the nonce - shooting jabs to shoulders and upperchest to locate blonde instead. Good move - Jen able to fix Samaire, find her with glancing rights and score with healthy hooks strapped across the ribs - blonde in retreat, feeling the weight of Jen's mitts. Down the stretch, Armstrong shows that lithe class to turn it all around. Jen misses a right cross as Sam twists her shoulders left, dips under it and licks hook to liver with a shivering stroke. Jen cramping up - Samaire with a nice little shoulder bump in close, spaces brunette out, hooks her mouth, puts a tidy right on the chin, then tucks that hook back in snug above the trunkline. Connelly staring, on her heels and Samaire keeps at her - Armstrong dipping, twisting, punching as she bobs and weaves - it's wonderful stuff and Jennifer's pelted and poked to the ropes. Jen covers up meek - Armstrong releases - pretty-mitt blonde beat down as Samaire lathers hooks, digs up belly meat, clouts ear and chin with clubbing rights and right uppercuts. Connelly all rung up at the bell - Samaire with a catlike grin as she bops back to her corner - she steals the round and takes the lead going into the fifth.

R5: Jennifer not looking herself - sluggish, discouraged - she's having trouble locating the kid and meanwhile, Armstrong's sampling Jen's goodness at will. First minute - Samaire really embarrasses former champ - slipping the jab and sliding her hook in on Jen's teeth, dipping under the right and tucking her hook into Connelly's tummy and ribs. Jennifer's legs buckle for the first time - by the second minute Armstrong's moved from counter to lead and backing Connelly up. Armstrong very cute - always dipping and twisting as she punches - even though she's right in front of Jen, she's not easy to tag and meanwhile, she's very busy, very accurate with her little fists tearing up choice brunette rib, tit and chin. Down the stretch, Sam torques into a hook that straightens Jen at the ropes - quick right hand, follow up hook puts Jen wobbly butt and crowd roars to it's feet as Armstrong unleashes. Connelly all cramped up, face in her gloves, stooped forward hurt - Samaire romping to the bell, face sunny and happy, fists tidying up downstairs, clip-clip-clipping chin - nice tight curling arcs from Armstrong as she shuts Jen out and beats her ass in the fifth. Scored 10-8 without the knockdown - Connelly staring, in emotional turmoil as the kid takes veteran's lunch money this round.

R6: Samaire going at Jennifer with NO respect - Connelly just doesn't have any answers. Blonde with that compact, cute delivery, dipping and tucking in either side, putting punches together, making Jen miss with little shoulder turns and bobs - Connelly virtually shutdown offensively, she's so discouraged. Jennifer covering up, laying on the ropes, stooping forward - she's listless, sullen, more than hurt - Samaire dressing her up, but not heavy handed in doing so. Breezy Armstrong shutout till the final minute - Jennifer bending low, soaking up tapping body shots, when she sudden comes out of the crouch with a that thunderclap hook and SAMAIRE GOES DOWN! Armstrong dropped to her back this time and not bouncing up from it - blonde cutey is HURT, eyelashes fluttering, mouth parted - Connelly glaring down as she stalks to neutral corner. Armstrong gutty enough to beat the count, but nearly pitches forward after ref wipes off her gloves - ON COMES CONNELLY! Jennifer wading in like a pro - punching Armstrong to the body with bloodcurdling savagery, then bumping her upright to hook her chin. Feeding frenzy - Connelly working upstairs and down, propping Samaire, working her with hooks and straight right hands as blonde's defence crumbles AND THE REF STEPS IN! TKO6 Jen Connelly as Blonde breaks down into weary tears in the man's grasp.

After: Connelly relying on power to salvage what had been an upset in the making. Surprising blonde taking 4 straight rounds from Jen, outworking her, outfoxing her, tidying up on her every which way - Connelly and her corner breathing big sighs of relief as Jen's gloves are removed. Jenny downplays Armstrong's moment in post fight, "I don't think you want to make too much of it," shrugs Connelly. "She was a little crisper than I imagined, but I could see right from the first minute when I dropped her that she couldn't take my punch, so yeah, I was looking for the knockout. I didn't bother matching her blow for blow because most of what she was throwing was negligible. Really, guys - that was an easy fight for me. Don't get carried away." Still, nice classy outing for Samaire - drawing some comparisons with Claire Danes for her slick ring management and sassy punching.