Posted by Simguy on 1/15/2005, 9:06 am.

Before: Payback on Natalie’s mind? “I’d be lying if giving Simpson a little of what she gave Lohan HADN’T crossed my mind,” Portman smiles mischievously, “but I Haven’t let it effect my focus for this fight. I’m going to box Jessi like she’s never been boxed before. Plenty of angles, lateral movement, I’ll feature the jab, but I want to get into that body of hers, too--I want to be sending ber back to her corner grumpy, every single round.”

Simpson vaguely aware Portman’s the opponent--young Krusher more intent on denouncing Jenny love Hewitt’s :disappointing” JMD maneuvers. “I told her not to do it anymore because it’s my thing,” explains Jesica with furrowed brow, “:and she just keeps doing it!”

Portman just shaking her head--can’t decide if Simpson is really this clueless or just hamming it up.

Jessica in pink t-shirt twist tied ‘neath the jugs, tanned midriff, pink bikini bottoms--Natalie in navy bandeau bikini, hair in battle-bun--small gloves, both vixens.

During R1: Nat popping stick, stepping left, gauging Jessi’s reactions, defense. Simpson getting face-patted, but surging forward--hard right hand on the temple, left on the mouth as Natalie’s sliding backward, pursuit right hand on the temple, clubbing left on the chest--Portman hits ropes wide-eyed, back and forth like this--Portman spitting stick, trying to dictate to Jessica, settle her down--Simpson crouching, waiting, then exploding into Portman with walking barrages. Nat skirting perimeter, very defensive down the stretch--Jessica’s furious punching earning some respect along with the points.

R2: Jess trying to storm the gate early--Portman jabbing her back, shaking her head and mouthing “No.” Natalie building on the jab: straight right hand, hooks in the ribs--small gloves sounding out “Pak! Pak!” as Nat gets her touches. Final minute, Natalie weight on front foot, hooking savagely at Simpson’s chin--Jessica soaks it up, answers back a clobbering right on the eye, hook on the chin and PORTMAN REELS INTO THE ROPES! Natalie gob smacked, staring--Jessica hurtles in head and shoulders--comes up SCROUNGING! Simpson gobbling up Portman breadbasket with pumping hustle-punching: Nat desperate to hang on head and elbow. Bell: Jessi still taking rib and tummy, Portman slumped in the ropes--ref has to haul kinetic blonde off her prey. “Hey precious--you like that?” Jessica shouts as she’s bundled off her feet by ref and carried away all wriggling and struggling.

R3: Natalie frowning, stepping left, doubling up the jab pop-pop between Simpsonb;s eyes, sliding to the right hand and falling off to the elft side. Jessica getting tagged but soaking it up well, walking portman down. Second minute--Simpsy bravely forward, chopping right hand: she’s got Portman stomping in fence post holes from a pinging temple-shot. Nat woozy to ropes, covering up--Simpsy barging in again, splitting defense with her skull, piston-punching that tidy gut as Natalie slumps hurt again. Jessica working her way up-torso--FEASTING on pleasing Portman jug, bumping her off--sheer blonde exuberance has Natalie in a funk. Natalie sliding to her right along the strands, arms extended, eyes staring: Jessica just stepping with, spanking lefts and rights across Portman’s stunned face. Round ends with a woozy Portman clinch--Jessica struggling to free herself and taunting “Give? Presh--you give?”

R4: Natalie grim, determined, pah-pah--popping that jab, scooting to her left. Simpsy turning, all too willing to take stick on her face, but coming up short this round with those chopping rights as Natalie fades in anticipation. Nice combos from portman as she gets her range this round--chipping jabs off the front foot and dropping the right hand in; hooking tidy to chin off the front foot, easing onto her back hook and getting the check-hook as well. Good news Portman fans: Natalie boxes Jessica midring and controls her. Bad news: Simpsy taking it all without complaint, still coming forward, still eager to engage.

R5: Natalie jab-jab-jabbing, stepping right, measuring jess then kissing her clean right hands on the chin,. Simpsy freezing, showing her first signs of distress--Portman able o collect rigid, rising hooks off her front foot, really wearing out blonde chin this round. Jessica wobbly butt, stumbling sideways--she’s not answering, she’s hurt and confused--Portman pours it on. Natalie hooking the bejesus out of Simpsy, scoring repeatedly to the chin, leaning in close and tucking in behind Jessica’s right elbow. Bell: Portman hard-eyed, surveying the damage, she’s taken some of the steam out of Jessica at last.

R6: Simpson njot much for jabbing, but stubbily effective when she uses it, pawing at Natalie’s chest, chopping righty over the top, coming forward and collecting walking lefts and rights as Portman gives ground. Natalie in retreat, bouncing and spinning off the ropes, sidestepping Simpson, not enough Portman punching though--judges see an implacable Jessica Simpson walking her foe down, nota classy Nat managing the ting. Simpson lifting her mitts and nodding like she gave Portman a beating that round--Natalie shaking her head: irritating blonde’s getting under Portman’s skin a little,

R7: Natalie sets down, carves into Jessica like a Christmas turkey this round. Spiteful jabbing has Simpsy turning midring, left eye slowly closing. Straight right hands off the shoulder slicing in, cracking off Simpsy’s face--Jessi not moving her upper body the way she was. TORRID hooks under Simpsy’s chin--Natalie getting them off her front foot, really picking Jessica up, landing double, sometimes triple. Jessica breaking down, staggering--on occasions where she can’t take the face punching and covers up--Portman leans in on the front foot and hooks those rightside ribs. Masterful stuff--bell to bell Portman busted Jessica up, leaves her wobbly butt and ragged, but cant get stubborn blonde off her feet. Judges like it 10-8 without he knockdown as Simpson totters shabby to her corner.

R8: Vicious Portman punching continues. Simpson no longer pressuring Nat out of her stance--Portman able to jab hard, pushing off her right big toe, stay in her front foot to stroke ringing hooks under Simpsy’s chin, ease onto the back foot as Jessica topples forward and pick her up right uppercuts or check hooks. Second minute--SAVAGE flurry of rising lefts and short right hands clean on the face stuns Simpsy--she tilts forward groggy, dukes at her temples and Portman REEFS hooks to liver underneath. Sobbing groan Simpson--she FINALLY takes a knee after absorbing Natalie’s best shots over the last 4 minutes. Portman breathing hard, lifting her shoulders as she walks away--she’s a little rocked to see Simpson rise at 8. Rest of the way bitter hardhearted fare--Portman attacking Simpson in waves along the ropes, bathing her in hooks, crosses, body shots and uppercuts, stepping out to reload as Simpsy sways hurt in the wind, Natalie shelling Simpson senseless, but can’t get her out of there--Portman chest heaving--Jessica wandering, getting a wet t-shirt as trainer throws a bucket of water on her during the break.

R9: Natalie chopping away at what’s left, motoring left, spitting the jab, drilling home the right hand, but it’s just tapping contact compared to the venomous slugging of the last two round. Simpsy walking through it, reacting late, punchy, crossing her arms, but still coming forward--by the final minute she’s able to get her head on Natalie’s shoulder and go to work. Portman finishes up butt in in ropes, just laying in, trying to smother: she’s punched herself out, mouthbreathing during the break.

R10: Jessica chopping the right hand, moving her hips through her hooks--Portman fading back, hitting the ropes, covering up and leaning forward: she’s a tired fighter. Simpsy battered, but still punching hard--she tap-taos a stabilizing left/right up0 top then POUNDS a shivering straight arm left off Portman’s flank, earning a drowsy groan from brunette Jess pushing on Nat’s shoulders, hooking her savagely to the waist, sweeping a clouting overhand right to the ear, Portman not answering back, just bending forward and back, sluggishly rolling punches. Midway through, a glorious Simpson hook in the ribs buckles Natalie’s legs and earns her an instant clinch: Natalie exhausted, mouth open, eyes wincing, just hanging on for breaks. Jess keeps it up, punching till she’s clinched, pushed back by the ref, then wading back in as Portman sits on the ropes, bell: Natalie draped around Jessica’s neck, drained--Simpson tying up in exhaustion around the hips--long delay on the scoring but it comes back 1 point duke: Natalie Portman!

After: Jessica pounding out 5 rounds of this fight, but Natalie’s hellish punching in the 7^th and 8^th gives her the margin on all cards. Simpson earning plenty of respect at 110--feisty little slugger leads with her jugs and never stops trying--she gives Nattie P all se could handle tonight. “It took me five rounds to get comfortable with her,” a shopworn Portman admits in post fight. “I really didn’t start getting what I waned till later on and even then, she just kept regrouping, She takes a lot of shots and that’s not good longer term. She reminds me of Shakira--really tough early in her career, but you can’t just keep gobbling chin-checks and be the same girl.”

Reposted by Archer 12/9/12.