UNIFIED MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE

Posted by simguy 2-28-04 (Thanks to Ginny for this repost)

"Let me get this straight," Loken chortles at the podium, shoulders shaking with mirth. "You go 10 with Charlize Theron, at WELTERWEIGHT, in a bare-knuckles bout that has nothing to do with technical boxing, and that makes you qualified to step in the ring with the most dominant woman in the FCBA? God LOVE ya, Nicole! You got brass, I'll give you that." Good business decision for Loken - smaller woman stepping up, Kidman a huge celebrity name, drawing in the peripheral fan just on name-recognition alone - Kristanna looking to pick up some easy money, pad her reign a little bit. Kidman sets the record straight during her podium stint. "First, I beat the daylights out of Charlize Theron in that brawl - a fight that's likely to be fight of the year if not the decade. Secondly, I've taken apart the biggest and strongest middleweight in boxing - Brooke Shields, and I'm more than qualified to do the same to you. Underestimate me if you want - just imagine how it's going to feel handing over your titles after the fight!" Catherine Zeta Jones, Brooke Shields among the girls irate at Kidman throwing her celebrity around to cop the title shot - both are present, fuming in the back row of the press conference. Kidman in peach camisol and panties from Eyes Wide Shut, hair up - Loken in white battle bikini.

Rd 1: Kidman stiff legged, turning to her left off a rigid jab, showing that characteristic precise footwork. Loken much looser, more relaxed - playfully helping herself to Kidman's flanks with juicy wide swings, stomp-feinting the Aussie, threatening her all around the ring. Loken the aggressor and carrying the round to the final minute when a sizzling Kidman counter right hand brings the crowd to it's feet. Loken stepping in fence post holes - never saw the short, drilling blow - Kris in shock at actually having been hurt, but it's her own fault: Kidman couldn't have missed that wide open jaw if she tried. Nik steals the first by being a professional - Loken gets a talking-to in her corner.

Rd 2: Competitive round, Loken tightening up defensively. Girls stepping left, exploring one another with long jabs. Kidman working her stick body and head, tarting Loken up. Kris using the jab to set up shock - big right hands sidearm to the midsection or pounding up the middle. Nik doesn't take a flush shot on her chin, but she's moved by the sheer muscle on Loken's rips. Round to the champ.

Rd 3: Similar stuff - tactical boxing midring for the first minute - girls probing for weakness, looking to establish the jab. Kris' swinging right hand to the flank starting to buckle Nik slightly - Aussie shying away from the crumpling blows, wincing on impact. Final minute - Loken pounding that right in above the hip, bouncing it off Nik's body then dipping to pull the right in over the top. Kidman caught on the cheek and stunned - she's put wobbly butt, staggering to the ropes to keep from going down. Loken cleaning up to the bell, swinging away lusty lefts and rights against Kidman's clamshell D.

Rd 4: Shutout Loken - Kidman respecting the power, skirting the perimeter, not risking anything offensively. Loken still smarting from Kidman's tasty right hand in the first - Kris not anxious to expose herself, content to pressure Nik around the ring, patiently swinging at the body in above hips, investing in Nicole's legs for the future.

Rd 5: Kidman covering up, leaning forward and getting systematically shellacked to the body - Loken able to get long, limber stroke on these shots, really shaking Nik up. Midway through - Kris just walking Nicole down, slicing and tearing at the waist and flanks - shaky-legged Kidman takes a veteran knee to relieve the pressure. Rest of the way Kristanna mop up - walking Nik down, leaning in to smoke that body, loving the tight hurt on Kidman's face. Nicole not to proud to clinch - she'll tie up rather than let Loken have a 3rd or 4th swinging in succession.

Rd 6: Kidman lands a searing long right hand early - Kidman sputtering to the ropes, then covering up hurt - another lopsided round for the champ as Loken goes to work on the ropes. All about Kris trying to beat down the defence, get Nicole vulnerable and take her out with something - Kidman trying her best to deny Loken serious finishing opportunities. Nik bundled up tight, hands at temples, elbows in - she'll bend forward to get inside Loken's wider swings, she'll twist her body to block body shots on her elbows and she'll wrap up tight whenever Loken strays to close. Kris just worrying away on Aussie - working in close with tight uppercuts, trying to split those mitts - constant ropey shots to the flanks - the occasional swinging right hand flat against the tummy.

Rd 7: Kidman back to midring, showing the jab, stepping stiff-legged to her left. Loken slightly perplexed - she's beating Nicole soundly, but unable to really pour on and annihilate what's left - Nik deceptively clever in avoiding the worst of the punishment. Another workmanlike round for the champ - she's the aggressor, clearly stronger, harder hitting and busier - but Nik's still there, surviving.

Rds 8-9: Back to back shutouts Loken - you'd think she'd be happy. Fact is, champ's increasingly flustered - she's enjoying long sequences at the ropes, strapping Kidman's flanks, beating her arms, snuggling in close and trying to wedge home uppercuts - but Nik staying composed, blunting the big shots, soaking up the rest. Kris shaking her head on her stool, taking on water and strategizing with Janet - Kidman takes this thing into the 10th.

Rd 10: Loken gives it her all - shoulder-cycling her jab at Kidman as Nik sets up ropeside, then leaning in with gobsmacking power on withering right hands body and left ear. Nicole shook, sliding along the ropes, grimacing under the wallop - but she's maintaining that rigid blocking defence, not opening up enough to give Kris any chance. Kidman employing a maddening clinching strategy as well, reaching under Kristanna's arms, wrestling her into the ropes for breaks - Kris whining at the ref to take a point for holding. Midway through, Loken finally breaks through, shaking Loken a right hand in the body, then catching her jaw clean a swinging hook - Nicole finally sprawls wounded along the ropes, wide open. Pure gut check time - Kidman's hurt, has to rely on her chin and heart - champ takes it to her with huge lefts and rights up and down the flanks, cashing in on jaw with heart-stopping fury. Nic ragdolled, beaten senseless in the dying moments, but she doesn't go down and she doesn't quit. Nik Kidman swaying, out on her feet but defiant at the bell as Loken stamps her foot in frustration. UD10 wide Kristanna Loken.

After: Kidman continues to surprise, matching up with some of boxing's hardest punchers and finding ways to compete. Aussie beauty lumped up and visibly worn by the end - but she soaked up shellack, strung this thing out and generally gave Loken fits if not a real stern physical challenge. "It takes two to tango," shrugs a defensive Loken, who expected an early night. "She just fought to survive and she's a very smart fighter - if Nicole Kidman wants to go rounds, she'll go rounds." Kidman tired, but upbeat in her comments. "I've gone the distance with the very best American fighters from 120 to 140 - I think I've proven the fans and media over here wrong. I may not look the part, but I can fight, and I'll face anyone - Cat Bell, Jeri Ryan, Cindy Crawford and of course Catherine Zeta Jones - anybody, anytime."