Posted by simguy on 11/9/2007, 7:22 am

Before: Quite possibly the most intense pre-fight press conference the FCBA has seen all year as the hordes of reports, officials, pundits and wags might as well have been on the moon for all the attention the Canadian rivals give them.

Taking the stand, Rachel ignores the queries of the chirping mob - addressing Neve directly, “Less than a year ago, you punched me out AFTER the bell and then you had the gall to promise to run me out of this business. When you did, a part of me thought ‘Good, let her come. Let the bitch come and I’ll pound her out every single time.’ But another part of me, the smartest part of me, replied ‘She’s not worth it.’ And ya know what Neve? That voice was right. As much as I would LOVE to see you out of this promotion, I realize you could do some serious damage in the process and I’m not willing to knock years off my career just to prove a point. To do so really would make me just like you and, no matter what you believe, I am NOT a Neve Campbell clone. Ever since you flattened me with that sucker punch, you’ve been saying you’re not the villain, that you’re a clean fighter and honor means everything to you. Well, I’m going to give you the chance to prove that. When this fight is over, whether it be in three minutes or thirty, win, lose or the loathed draw, I will be in the center of the ring and I will extend my hand. All you have to do is shake it. The question is, are you strong enough to return the gesture?”

Rebuttal: Neve ignores the sea of faces and flashbulbs - focusing 100% on McAdams. Deep breath, Neve, then: “I don’t like you. I don’t like the comparisons between us, I don’t like that the Mountees hid you from me and I HATE the fact that Foxfire chose you over me. But despite all that…perhaps, inspite of all that, you made a very good point just now. You said I wasn’t worth your career and I can tell you right now that the feeling is mutual. I could ruin you in that ring Rachel, I’ve proved that I can, better than anyone else in this promotion. But in ruining you I’d do the same to myself and no matter what YOU think, I’m not ready to pack up and leave just yet. There’s plenty of names left in this division that I need to check off my list. And if I expend all my energy on you, there’s no way that girls like Dani, Allison, Britney or Evangeline will learn what you already know. I’m the hardest puncher this division has seen in twenty years. You can deny that all you want, but I’ve seen your face when that hook to the liver connects and that’s all the proof I need…”

Campbell’s diatribe fades off as she and Rachel engage in silent staredown: nervous security guards edge closer, measuring the tension - then Neve continues: “As for your challenge…I’ll be there and I’ll shake your hand. But that’ll be the end Rachel. You beat me two out of three, I can’t change that. All I can do is beat you three times out of five and hope you aren’t stubborn enough to want to make the best of seven.” Rachel in midnight blue velvet bra and panties, white lace trim, small white workout gloves; auburn hair loose on her shoulders. Neve in dark crimson velvet bra and panties, black lace trim, Matching white workout gloves; dark hair freshly washed and tucked back casually behind her ears. During ref’s instructions, brunette offers her gloves to McAdams; redhead hesitates for a long time, quickly scanning Neve’s eyes for any telltale clues, then Rache brush-touches up and jogs to her corner.

During R1: No feeling out - Rachel doubles a jab to range-in, then dips left to pull a smashing right onto Neve’s left bicep. Rachel dips left shoulder, jerks the left uppercut into Neve’s breadbasket, then twists-right to swipe the left hook across breasts. Neve grunting tight-lipped - edging her lead left shoulder into Rachel’s chest - crowding close and twitching snug left hooks into McAdams’ breadbasket. Tight counterclockwise rotation as the girls grind in shoulder-to-shoulder - each straining against the other’s solidness when not actively pounding at it. Arms, flanks, torsos thumped pink this round in cudgeling tit for tat.

R2: Rachel stepped-to - showing Neve the jab in the chest to set up tomahawk right off Campbell’s temple. Neve shook - stamping to her right: Rachel snaps off a hook from her right foot, pounding Campbell’s face back and sending Neve reeling to ropes, Rache scoots in, thumps right/left to waistline, bodies up to drape Neve heavy in the ropes, then (while riding the left around Neve’s back), Rache shoves a brutal right hand up into Campbell’s sternum. Shout of pain, Neve - she pitches forward into Rachel’s arms, gets ragdolled back into ropes as Rache squares away, opens up. SLAMMING bombardment of rights and lefts - Rachel shelling roundhouses to arms, chest, skull - Neve sitting stunned in ropes, dukes at temples, going numb but ANSWERING BACK! Campbell wobbly butt when she gambles on a short-chopping right to chin, beating Rache to a right - then winning the race with the other mitt to hook Rachel’s mouth. McAdams chin-toggled, wide-eyed - she’s back on her heels as Neve slouches forward, buries a right hand deep to paunch, punching a sigh of pain from breathless Mac. CLAMBAKE! Rachel gagging, steps back, rips the right uppercut from her right foot, picking up Neve’s head. Campbell toppling forward into punishment, but grimly soaking, standing her ground hooking Rachel’s head hard to port. Fight staggers to midring - both girls open-mouthed, stunned - swinging away mindless from the hips as wide stances attempt to hold both swaying beauties upright. NEVE’S PASTING RACHEL! Rache going limp - just waving her punches at Neve as Campbell gets much better of it - brunette’s lefts and rights belting redhead back and forth, back and forth as Mac’s sturdy legs hold her up. Bell: Neve on autopilot, pounding away at helpless Rachel - ref pushes in, sending McAdams wandering away while Neve bellows in exultation.

R3: Rachel forms - locates Neve with a pair of stiff left jabs, pivoting left. Mac still too shaky-legged to make stick-and-move a viable option: Neve bobbing/weaving, aggressively forward in a McAdams-hunting crouch - looking for hooks as Rache backs way. Sweeping, strapping hooks from the crouch chase Rache ropeside - she’s digging in spellbound - dukes at her mouth, elbows in close. Neve snarling, measuring distance to Rache with a prodding right, then TORQUING on the hook to waist. Campbell grunting as she twists torso-right, dragging the left hook home, digging it deep to beef, twisting it off the hated tummy-meat of Rache, pulling the punch back to Neve’s chest on ripping follow through.

Repeat.

Repeat.

Rachel takes a knee.

McAdams paralyzed on her right knee, face stricken - Neve looming above, panting chest heaving as ref pushes her back. Ashen-faced 8, Rachel Mac - she lolls wounded at the ropes, grimacing from deep, deep body hurt - and here comes Neve! OH, THE BANGING! Neve’s got Rachel hurt to the body and it’s a stampede of hooks as Campbell widen stance - uses the right hand as a measuring prod and turns into the lustiest, torquing left hands of her career. Neve shrieking as she twists to her right - right foot skidding off canvas with the violence of the blasts. Rachel sobbing out loud, sitting into ropes and suffering: she can’t get out of there. RACHEL GOES DOWN! Mac beaten in stages to all fours - shuddering with agony; ref bodying Neve back as Campbell shows every sign of wanting to pile on. Mac fights her way off her knees, but she’s wretched with pain, sitting in the ropes, elbows together at her tummy, guard forming a tight V with her hands upside her head. Neve hungrily forward after 8, squaring away and POUNDING what’s left. Poor Rachel grimly sloping forward butt-in ropes, absorbing hellish hooks to the right flank and ringside paunch. Neve finishes up heartless on Rache’s lower back, shelling away hammerfist at the shiny white expanse drumming to the bell. Ref issues warnings to Campbell for taking a tire-iron to Rachel’s kidneys: Mac steadies herself with left hand on top rope, throbbing.

R4: Neve’s got more, gives it to Rachel. Rache skidding to her right along the ropes, butt back, heads forward, arms forming that protective V. Neve forced to dig lower with the hook to find meat - catching the top half of Rachel’s trunks: Campbell arching her back and grunting with the effort of it. Neve putting useful hooks in behind Rachel’s right elbow, fit’em loud and moist above right hip, then bodying up to stack Rache, disorganize that V defense. Rachel’s eyes glassy, lips parted - she’s bludgeoned wobbly butt in a brutal first minute, but she grimly firms - finding Neve with a short little right uppercut to body inside, nagging at Campbell’s sternum. Punch becomes more than a nuisance down the stretch as Mac fits several gouging rights up into the left lung, solar-plexus - Neve forced backward, mouth open as Rachel’s able to get her weight forward and put some leverage on her shots. Brutal mouth-on-shoulder slogging late - shoulders rotating, arms thrashing back and forth as these girls take it with hate to one-another’s pain-wracked tummies.

R5: Rachel steps-to jabbing, turns on a short right between Neve’s eyes; hooks Neve’s tummy, then extends left elbow to shove Campbell back. Neve off her heels, pushes an ill-conceived right; Rache leaning in, POUNDS the right home to chin, swiveling Neve’s head to win the exchange. Campbell’s clattering backwards, hits ropes, fits a desperation underhand right to Rachel’s tummy as redhead comes hurtling in. Mac gut-busted, but tagging Neve the blunt right hand up top and hooking off her ribs: Rachel determined to start banking the extra touch. Short gouging hook thumps off Neve’s tummy - then Rache doubles the left hand into a tidy uppercut, flipping Campbell’s head back: Neve slumps against the ropes, eyes glassy, lips curling back off her teeth as her legs get challenged. Rachel lowers her head, goes at Neve’s waistline with a rampaging burst of pumping rights and lefts: Campbell grunting, cringing forward with right beneath chin, left across her body to help block the incoming. From there, clanging give and go - Rachel imposing her will on Campbell’s stomach; Neve sitting in ropes, sopping up shock, then swiping back tight n’ tart with either hand. Bell: Rachel lands thudding rights and lefts late against Neve’s protective left forearm - Campbell shouting in protest as ref jumps in.

R6: Neve mouthbreathing: Rachel catches wind. Rache knocking her jab off Neve’s forehead, then catching Neve a drifting right to mouth - Campbell jerked a quarter turn to her right, staggering away as Rachel walks her down. Neve pushed to ropes, jostled and bumped - then Rachel’s up and thumping, muscular right hands over and over to midsection. Neve gasping, reaching to clinch: Rache wriggles her elbows down inside Neve’s embrace, bodies her roughly to ropes, then squirms to crowd ion while jamming away fresh right hands. Campbell groaning, struggling to push her way clear, but Rachel won’t have it: McAdams smearing Neve against ropes, beating at her stomach, lungs, and ‘plexus with thudding repeat rights. NEVE TAKES A KNEE! Campbell breathless, wincing: Rachel staggers back, staring, chest heaving - she walks head-down to neutral corner as Neve creaks to her feet for 8. ON COMES RACHEL! Neve bleak, knows what’s coming: she sits in ropes, earmuffing up, trying to deny Rachel midsection. Mac reaching in under Neve’s arms, bodying her to stack, then jamming away righty to midsection, plowing at Neve until Campbell can squirm to tie up. Over and over - Rachel stoops, reaches in, stacks Neve upright - plowing away righty while leaning atop Neve, Rachel’s left hand riding casually about Neve’s lower back. Ref not issuing breaks as Rachel’s able to consistently break Neve’s clinches and maintain work rate. Bell: Campbell visibly shaken, sniveling, hugging her midsection; Rachel staring, searching for signs of quit as ref’s easing them apart.

R7: Both girls ramshackle, legs jittery as each rises from respective stools. Shopworn boxing first minute as girls attempt to step around groggy jabs, poling each other in open mouths. Neve leans in blunt right cross, tossing Rachel’s head aside:  redhead totters on her heels, hands at her tummy, face stunned. Neve steps in, hooks Rachel’s jaw: takes a hook in return as Mac stabilizes her front, Campbell flaps out a backhand left jab, drifts a right hand across: Mac absorbs it sullen, clouts Neve a swiping hook to spoil Campbell’s follow up hook. Groggy, stumbling stuff - both women catching each other with heavy, sandbagging lefts and rights to face, but neither able to get the other off her feet. They fall in, clinch, walk each other around - ref pulling exhausted brawlers apart and restarting them as both are determined to stay off the ropes in a grueling 7th.

R8: Rachel turns jug-mugger, driving Never backwards under a chugging barrage of short-pump rising lefts and rights to rack. Neve hits ropes, head sloshing back and forth, eyelashes fluttering - she’s awestruck, stunned as Rachel hammers away to offending bra with big, meaty clouts. Mission accomplished - Rachel pushes Neve in her chest, pivots right, then hooks Neve’s face from angle. Campbell spluttering, hands up, but disorganized: Rachel’s able to clip the outside-in right uppercut to chin, splitting the mitts on Neve. Quick-push bounces Neve gently off ropes as Rache pivots left: right hand sweeps sidearm into Neve’s breadbasket, bunching her forward with a shout. Rachel stoops, reaches in under Neve’s arms, chests her into ropes. Rachel getting big-girl on Neve here, making her take weight. Mac settling into methodical rhythm - beating Neve to her waistline with thrashing lefts and rights as Rachel’s leaning her chin out over Neve’s left shoulder - then it’s a muscular stack-and-jostle to prep Neve for bicep and jug work. Pulverizing the body, Rachel’s able to loosen Neve’s defences: uppercuts and hooks clout and belt Neve’s sweet face, pounding her into a stupor. Ringsiders screaming for fight to be stopped: Neve’s curvy legs holding her up as her torso sloshes forward, then gets stacked back: Rachel applying steady, strapping beatdown has Neve swaying out of her feet at bell.

R9: Neve all busted up, grimly plodding forward off her stool - tragic to watch her pawing her jab to find Rachel as Campbell’s swollen eyes can’t locate the target. Mac shabby with hurt as well, stepping flat-foot to her right - her jab’s a little stiffer, more useful - still punching at Neve’s mouth with authority. Rachel able to step in and sweep the right roundhouse to Neve’s ribcage at will; big spanking single shot blasts bouncing off Campbell’s torso, wrenching blurts of hurt from Neve. Campbell turning, swaying on the spot, but refusing to give in: she’s still finding Neve with vicious hooks to the body - prepping the shot with a caressing left on the ear before digging in downstairs. Stop and go action as battle-groggy vixens fall in mouth-on-shoulder - each starting to accept clinches and wait for breaks rather than fighting their way.

R10: Heart wrenching stuff: both girls reeling - firming only long enough to get off still-hateful punches, then staggering round, trying to rally for the next salvo. Rachel bouncing Neve off ropes with blunt right hands to face; Neve doubling up her left hand - clipping a quick uppercut, then gouging at Rachel’s liver. Rachel crouching as she paws the left jab - squirreling her left hand in under Neve’s right arm, then edging in close to get the right hand up into Campbell solar plexus. Neve using her left arm to trap Rachel’s right, then clipping Rachel nagging little right uppercuts to face until ref steps in. Back and forth - mindless slobberknocker being applied - girls embracing tummy to tummy and stumbling into ropes, wrestling sleepily with each other as ref pries’em apart for restarts. Bell: they’re in there cheek to cheek, writhing, jamming away tired body bows as cranky buttocks and used-up legs stubbornly refuse to quit. Comes back one point duke - Neve Campbell!

After: THUNDEROUS ovation as decision is announced: Neve battered beyond recognition, looks as though she didn’t hear the call, then starts to shudder with tears. Rachel bleak, busted up - she wanders away destitute, looking lost: she falls to her knees in her corner, head bowed, as tears flow. Neve’s legs finally give way as she sprawls into arms of her trainer and cornermen - sobbing deliriously with triumph as she bests Rachel by the narrowest of margins - long moments pass as gloves are removed and congrats/condolences shared. Then: Rachel stands in midring - press and entourages making a clearing. Neve slowly emerges from her corner, steps to Rachel - battered beauties regarding each other. Finally Neve says: “Shaking was your idea - if you don’t want to, no big.”

Rachel purses her lips, wounded, She extends her hand.

Trace of a smile on Neve’s battered lips as she takes the hand, knowing what it must have cost. Rachel’s grip tightens, face hardens: “I want seven,” Mac says, squeezing.

“Fine,” Neve whispers, then more firmly. “Talk to your people.”

No word at press time as to whether or not Rachel’s management team would ever agree to committing their fighter to remaining fights which would make the decisive best of 7.