WEEKEND PPV

2 TITLE SHOWDOWN ( Ice Hotel Queen vs Lightweight Champion in Winner Takes All )

Posted by simguy on October 5, 2013, 10:20 am

BEFORE: "This is going to sound really bytchy, and I don't mean it to," Rachel warns in prefight, "but Missy's not good enough." Pause for crowd gasps; Foxfire publicists making frantic "tone it down" gestures from the wings. "She's not good enough to be lightweight champion, and frankly, in my book, she's not a legit top 10 light either. I know that sounds harsh, but to me, she's a great bantamweight who's mostly hype up here. Only Kaley and Jess have moved up from bantam with any long term success - it's the hardest transition in boxing. And I just don't think Missy's pulling it off. I'm here to beat her, to take her title, and expose her. I don't intend to sound mean or snarky or anything - I'm just saying what's what."

Missy looking a little face-slapped: Rachel not known for unprovoked podium aggression. "You know what guys?" Missy asks from podium. "I'm not going to take that from Rachel Nichols. I respect her - she's definitely a top 10 light in my books, and it's very crappy that she wouldn't extend the same courtesy to me. But doubters have fueled my career every step of the way. People thought girls like Allison Mack and Evangeline Lilly would eat me up. When I stumbled against Ali Larter on my first move up - haters said 'that's it for Missy - she can't take lightweight heat'. But check the record guys: I'm slowly but surely beating every single girl they put in front of me. I'm not here to be a 'pretty good' lightweight: I'm here to be a DOMINANT lightweight fighter. Rachel doesn't think I'm there yet and that's fine - I totally get that. But when I beat the ever-lovin' TAR out of Rachel Nichols, I hope she has the class to admit she was wrong. After. Once they bring her around."

Missy in white sport top; white sprinter's briefs with red stripes on the hips; white boxing booties to midcalf; dark hair in frisky high pony with world's scrappiest gym-bangs; small white mitts. Rachel in baby blue sport top; baby blue sprinter's briefs with white stripes at hips; small white gloves; dark auburn hair loose and tangly behind the ears; white boxing booties to midcalf. Girls touch gloves like pros, but no love lost in mutual hard glares.

During R1: Girls wheeling clockwise in springy pivots, taking turns initiating via 3-punch straight-poking left/right/lefts: none of this early stuff getting through. Missy gradually gets the better of things: setting down a firmer, stiffer left jab to jug; tossing in strong one-twos - the right hand ticketed for chin; hooking-with Rachel as girls try simultaneously for chin - Missy rocking Nichols out of her stance in exchange. Bell: Peregrym making meaningful eye contact..."not good enough" girl just banged out the hard-working shutout.

R2: Rachel regroups, gets after Missy via the jab - scoring against Peregrym's brows; steering Missy around the ring. Rachel taking canvas from Missy, walking her down behind the howitzer poke, then leaning in sudden right hands off the shoulder: Missy hopping to her right, showing great respect for Nichols' lithe power. Down the stretch, Missy cleverly walks Rachel in, hooking off the back (right) foot to catch red-head unawares...Nichols takes the shots well, but can't claim the answer-shutout as a result.

Foxfire trainer asks Rachel if she can, "taste her ribs for me," during the break.

R3: Nichols back out with that pulverizing jab - scoring heavily on Missy's face, forcing her into an earmuff front. Nichols begins "tasting" Missy's ribs via straight, downward slanting rights that SPANK sternum, or supple, stepped-in hooks that swing in behind Missy's right elbow. Rachel recovering behind her jab to prevent counters: Missy grimacing, suffering some rangy shellack to torso. Down the stretch, Rachel tosses a loose right hand at Missy's guard, rolling torso-left on follow through, covering up as Missy bangs back one-two, then Nichols uncoils, STRAPPING Missy's breasts a vicious, clapping left hook with sleek torso-rotation behind the shot. Peregrym: eyes shut tight; mouth open in shock as she stumbles back on her heels. Bell sounds before Rachel can pile on, but everyone in the building sees the hurt on Missy's face!

R4: Missy hard-eyed, determined off her stool...girls stride to midring and swing away robusto! Belting rights, swinging lefts - crowd roaring as elite lightweights throw caution to the wind and DOWN GOES RACHEL! Shattering hook finally ends the free-swinging melee - swiveling Rachel's head, sprawling her on her back in shock. "BOOM!" Missy shouts down, batting mitts together and jogging to neutral corner all ponytail a-tossing. Rachel up hurt, blinking for 8: ON COMES MISSY! Peregrym pushing her head into Rachel's raised guard, hands touching and pawing at Rachel's arms/hips to measure, then OH, the body-lash administered. Missy grunting loud as she pops hips this way and that, ripping either hand into Rachel's ribs/waist. Peregrym pushing on Rache to reset - it's all about feeding Rachel Nichols the most leverage on every shot. Nichols grimacing, cringing...she's getting ROCKED to body, unable to answer back with authority. With Rachel biting back tears, sagging in ropes, Missy goes systematically to rack - reaching in under Nichols' arms, wrestling apart the guard, then hacking hatefully at exposed jug. Poor Rachel just sick about it, but she's getting ass-kicked, can't get Missy off, and has to soak it up. Bell: Missy with an outrageous push-off, really making Rachel take weight...Foxfire attendants hollering protests from the corner as Missy struts away all blazing eyes.

R5: Rachel shows her pride, shaking off the beating to get after Missy this round. Nichols first with the jab, punching Missy between the eyes, knocking her noggin back. Rache quick-pivoting clockwise around her poke, turning Missy midring: flashing right hands off Nichols' shoulder streak to Missy's face, adding to her woes. Rache picking spots to hop close off a tart one-two, dipping and ripping the left uppercut to Missy's body: Nichols rewarded by grunts of pain/cringing stoops as Peregrym sponges the shots. Missy defiant however - outboxed and shocked at times, she answers back hot with the hook, easing weight to back (right) leg to catch Rachel leaning in.

R6: Missy jumping in off her right hand, batting straight-arm hooks against Rachel's body...excited crowd starts chanting: "HERE COMES MIS-SY! (clap clap clapclapclap) as Peregrym starts pushing forward. Chant turns to squeals of distress midway through: Rachel catching Missy a tight-swiping hook to cheek, then buckling her knees via clean-up right uppercut...Peregrym suddenly unhinged and Rachel takes over! Brutal pasting administered at ropes...Missy with hands up, shaky on her feet as Rachel jabs her, cuffs hooks at her head, extends the left hand to measure...then DRILLS the straight right through to face. Missy taking cracking connects, visibly breaking down as Rachel stays on face, patiently breaking Missy down. Bell: Rachel looking Missy over with a bruising gaze...Peregrym staring, battered as her guys rush to gather her up.

BREAK. Rachel on her stool, asks trainer: "Green light to finish her?"

Trainer: "You got it."

R7: Missy blinking, walking on her heels, but SO brave...she's engaging from a dukes-up look, trying to catch Rachel right hand/left hook combos. Rachel's legs springier - she's darting in and out, sometimes jabbing, sometimes slapping her left hand at Missy's gloves. Rache with the right at her shoulder, coiled and deadly...midway through, she's just touching her left hand at Missy, screening her eyeline and BOOM: RIGHT HAND, RACHEL NICHOLS! Drilling blast knocks back Missy's head, sends her reeling backwards...she drops to her buns at ropes, eyes all wide and stricken. Missy bravely up for 8, but swaying on the spot...she covers up face-in-gloves, helpless at ropes a Rachel steps-to. Oh. The. Beating. Nichols squaring away strong, mitts loosely grouped under her chin as she stoops forward, knuckling at Missy's guard, then RIPPING her to body. One thick shot at a time - Rachel popping her hips, rolling her shoulders, getting her back and legs into gorgeous, body-busting haymakers. Poor Missy sobbing out into her mitts, sagging into ropes upon receipt, lolling forward as Rachel's reloading. It's all too much...sustained, rangy body shellack finally cuts power to Missy's legs...she drops to all fours in agony, trembling as Rachel towers over her, muttering: "Stay down, Missy." Not only does Missy NOT stay down, but when Rachel wades in to clean up the last few seconds: PEREGRYM PUNCHES BACK! Missy sloppy, desperate, but wildly effective - she brushes Rachel back, forcing Nichols to disengage as Missy proves a wounded badger at the bell!

R8: Rachel just doing the math - she knows she's fresher, knows Missy's desperately hurt, even ragged, certainly exhausted...redhead closes pate-to-pate, willing to swap shots in grim battle of attrition. Methodical push-and-punch as girls rub foreheads/bump shoulders to prep, then get off brawny at close quarters. Workmanlike right uppercuts and compact left hooks - girls punishing each other's ribcages, then belting away on chins when available. Missy a battler - always in there diggin', but Rachel's getting the extra touches, being the boss, pushing Missy around in the scrum. Bell: Missy mouthbreathing, tragically busted up around the eyes...she's unbowed, but there's no question Rachel's grim mathematics are adding up.

R9: It's up to Rachel how they fight, where they fight: she's got the fresh legs, can work outside or in as she pleases. Rachel elects inside - going pate-to-pate, shoulder to shoulder: all about using Missy up now. Peregrym gritting her teeth, grimly grinding away: she knows damn well what Rachel's up to, but it's as effective as an anaconda. Nothing fancy - two fit, well conditioned athletes taking turns getting off strong on one another - Rachel just with more in the tank, letting Missy spend herself up in trade.

R10: Rachel steppin' to Missy as Peregrym retreats. Sporadic trading as Rachel closes, makes Missy work, then walks her down as Peregrym withdraws. Peregrym systematically punished - she's taking more than she can give, fighting little holding actions, then stepping away to regroup. Midway through, Rachel leaning in, just a little over-anxious...Missy shifting weight to right (back) leg, walks Rachel into a CRUSHING left hook to chin! DOWN GOES NICHOLS! Rachel's knees give out, spilling her haunches-and-hands...she's a tottering wreck getting to her feet! Crowd roaring - Foxfire girls all stunned and alarmed...Rachel takes a shabby 8 and ON COMES MISSY! Lightweight champ goes right at the Ice Hotel Queen, pounding away methodical, short, muscular lefts and rights to head as Rachel covers up and takes! Missy belting away one bludgeoning wallop at a time, really clobbering Rachel's ears, but Nichols starts to time the pattern, fitting a short hook in between and DOWN GOES MISSY! Peregym hooked to her back as Rachel times a beauty off the ropes...red head staggers wobbly-butt to neutral corner as Missy tries desperately to get off her back! MISSY takes 8 - Rachel wades in - ALL GROGGY HELL BREAKS LOOSE! Fighters open-mouthed with hurt, just twisting into slobberknocker rights and lefts, hoping for the best. Staring, dazed fighters pitching from their hips...bell rings...they collapse into one another's arms, bawling and hugging. Comes back UD10 Nichols...she has a good long chat with Missy in the ring as interviewers get set up. "I just told her I was wrong, and that I'm so sorry for the way I dissed her," Rachel says earnestly in postfight - face bearing the hard marks of Missy's worth. "She's definitely elite - both her skills AND will. Biel never would have survived what I hit Missy with tonight. Ditto Cuoco, I mean...when I dropped Peregrym the first time, I thought 'that's just about the hardest I've ever hit a woman,' and then she got up! Hat's off to her. Yes, I beat Missy Peregrym, but I didn't expose anything about her except how great she is!" Kind words, but Rachel strips Missy of the lightweight belts and adds 'em to her Ice Hotel crown...Nichols building quite the treasure chest of baubles these days.