Cassidy Freeman (5'8”, 32yo) v Cat Bell (5'10”, 44yo)

Lioness Club of America vs Ginny's Academy
(Result: Lookout/words: simgrrl)

Before: Freeman, the #2 ranked welter in FCBA with a career mark of 14-10-1 (including 10 KO's) faces Hall-of-Famer Cat Bell who has slipped to #28 (career record, 107-72-4 w/50 KO's). Bell's nearing the end of a long, and illustrious, career that saw her inducted into the Hall of Fame two years ago. But since induction, her record is a lack-luster, 7-7. Bell now works full time as a trainer for the Academy, fighting at welterweight if/when she can find work. Since “back-stabbing” Theron in The Crusade, her relations with Ginny's Academy, and especially Theron, have been frosty at best. Still even her relations with Charlize are better than those with Ginny who appears to be making it her mission to get Bell beaten and humiliated as often as possible. Tonight should be no exception!

Cassidy Freeman is a former welter champ (in 2014 with four defenses) and skeptics see tonight's bout as simply her way of “staying busy” rather than a serious threat to her ranking. Bell, although a former champ, hasn't had a belt around her waist for anything except holding her skirt up since 2004! Freeman's recent run up to and including her welter championship and four successful defenses, was built around her redheaded power. Back in the day, Cat Bell would feast on power punchers who thought they could pound her puppies into submission. Those days are long gone. These days, Bell's hooters are an “all you can eat buffet” - and opponents have been helping themselves by the handful! Ginny's made no secret Bell's available for JMD bouts whenever and wherever there's a check. (She's even tossed Cat into several wrestling and MMA bouts.) So far, Bell has remained steadfastly opposed to doing topless mud or oil wrestling matches, but it may only be a matter of time until Ginny gets around to those too. She seems determined to humiliate Bell and force her to retire, something Cat has said she won't do as long as she is competitive. Others think Bell is just hanging around for one more big payday - or simply to be a stone in Theron's shoe. Ginny's recent signing of Bell's long-time nemesis Jeri Ryan may signal a new tactic on the part of the wily stable head.
* * *
Cat in blue JAG bikini, red gloves, black shoes, short cropped brunette hair. Freeman in the same black lace push up bra; boy-leg panties and white gloves she wore winning the welter crown from Righetti; long red hair braided in loose, curly/messy bangs. The referee for tonight's bout is the legendary Pam Grier who's making her debut as an FCBA ref.
* * * *
During R1: Two big women in the ring both out loose and lanky, the slightly taller, far older, Bell working in a crouching peek-a-boo stance, elbows tucked in to protect “the goodies” while Freeman in an upright, classic punchers stance, left hand extended, right tucked at her chin ready to strike. Cassidy expected to flash her KO power tonight. Bell's been more “hittable” into her forties than she was in her early career when she was one of the top lightweights in the FCBA and could wear down opponents with a withering body attack. Now a days, Bell's body attack only postpones the inevitable but, like Theron, Bell, Henstridge, and other former stars, she refuses to accept the inevitability of “father time” and soldiers on in hopes of once more catching the brass ring. Freeman, hoping to get through the night without breaking a sweat, pumps her left in Cat's face several time, then comes straight up the middle with the right hand. BELL IS SHOOK! Caught by the right hand, Cat recoils to the ropes, gloves high, as Cassidy closes the distance and sets up in front of the brunette. THUMPING IMPACTS SEND RIPPLES THRU CAT'S CURVY BODY as Freeman digs her right fist into that lush mid-section. Bell clinching defensively, straining to tie up Cassidy's arms and buy some relief. Freeman shrugs off the buxom brunette and GIVES CAT'S BLUE JAG BIKINI TOP A SHOE-SHINE before she bounces away grinning, motioning for Bell to “come off the ropes and play” at center ring. Bell cautiously steps forward, circling left but Cassidy cuts her off and pops her twice in the face. Bell is forced back to her right, but again Cassidy easily intercepts her and pops her twice again. Bell has no choice but to stand and trade with her tormentor in the center of the ring. FREEMAN LIGHTS UP BELL with a furious flurry of left hooks to the body and right hands dropping over Cat's left shoulder, the endless barrage of punching forcing her back onto the ropes once more. At the bell, Cat seemingly has no response for the speed of the redhead as Freeman easily wins the first round by a wide margin, showing her complete dominance.

R2: Back to back. Second verse, same as the first, except Bell putting up a little better defense this round. Cat still having trouble getting to the more nimble Freeman, but when she can reach her, Bell still showing flashes of the old power and Freeman dials back the showboating - a measure of her respect for Bell's power potential. Freeman's legs dictating the fight; she's able to step in and help herself to Cat's body on her own terms while Bell is reduced to taking what she can whenever Cassidy is within reach, but on those occasions, Bell lands several good power shots. Cat, acknowledging her inability to get to Freeman and force the action, hangs back, staying on or near the ropes where she can't be turned, forcing Freeman to come to her. Fans grumble, a few catcall, but a wily veteran like Bell isn't concerned about the fans and her focus stays on Freeman. Cassidy's less impressive when she has no choice but to come straight at Bell, her mobility limited by Bell's strategic decision to force Freeman to fight on her terms rather than dictate them. Still, it's clear to everyone - especially the three judges - that even fighting on Cat's terms it's still Freeman's round “close but comfortable” as one scribe described it.

R3: Freeman, not happy in her corner between rounds in a heated discussion with her trainer, comes out more aggressive, forcing Bell off the ropes by sheer force rather than tactics. Several times, referee Pam Grier has to “warn” Freeman, telling her “This's boxing, not rasslin', hon.” Bell taking advantage of Cassidy's frustration, lures her into aggressive mistakes and takes advantage, showing her counter-punching prowess, stunning Freeman once in the opening minute with a picture perfect left hook to the right eye, and rocking her again with a right uppercut in the second minute. Still, Cassidy with unrelenting pressure, has Cat fighting backing up much of the time. Late in the round, however, things change dramatically. Freeman coming forward lands a left hook to Cat's right bra cup, then comes over the top with a looping right - that Cat sees and ducks to avoid. Bell comes up inside with another right uppercut that puts FREEMAN BACK ON HER HEELS. Cat turns into a left hook, then twists back to slam a right hook flush on Freeman's leftside jaw. FREEMAN'S KNEES BUCKLE and she is forced to clinch, tying up bell as she rides her back into the side ropes. Cat, bent back over the top strand, can't punch and can't wrestle free and she's forced to lay back with Freeman's face in her cleavage while Grier untangles them. Before either can land another telling punch before the bell sounds, ending Cat Bell's best round of the fight so far! With Cat halving her deficit to a manageable 2-1, Freeman finally realizes she's got a real fight on her hands!

R4: Like the Cat Bell of old, Bell comes out to fight instead of backing off as she had in the previous rounds. Cassidy surprised initially, gets hit a couple of times before realizing Cat's serious about this. Trying to get untracked mentally, Freeman rocked a couple of times by the same sneaky Bell right she's been using for almost twenty years to win fights. Slight cut above Freeman's left eye opened by a Bell right hand puts a look of urgency on the faces of Team Freeman. Bell showing the best left jab of the night this round, keeping Freeman at bay while setting up that right hand. Midway, Cassidy has settled down and is looking more like herself. She's again able to circle Cat, staying at long range until she can dip in to pound a left hook in under Cat's right elbow. Bell wincing, not at all happy with the constant pummeling of her right breast by Freeman's left fists, dropping her right elbow to protect. Freeman scoring time and again to the body with the left hand and she finds she can snap her right inside Cat's left whenever Bell extends and leaves her arm dangling in the air. Bell growing anxious, tries to up her tempo but everything goes wrong. Off balance, Bell allows herself to continue forward, reaching to clinch, but Freeman slide-steps and pounds her right in over Cat's left shoulder. The punch half turns Cat, the movement carrying her away from Cassidy who then hooks Bell's bra again. Shocked briefly, Cat's chin is exposed long enough for Freeman to drive another right down over Cat's shoulder, clipping her on the side of the jaw. Bell spills forward, staggering, then dropping on all fours as Cassidy bounces happily away with both arms raised. Bell sits back on her haunches, shaking her head, then tugs her top back in position and gets to one knee, listening to Grier tolling the count. At eight Cat is on her feet, gloves at her chest, nodding that she's alright. Grier looks into her eyes and waves to Freeman. Cassidy charges in and pounds away at Bell's body, hammering her back onto the ropes where she doubles her over with a withering body attack. But Cassidy can't find the 'off' switch and Cat Bell survives to the bell. Still, it's another dominant round for Freeman who jumps out to a 3-1 lead after four rounds.

R5: After the break, Cat Bell back out with renewed energy, her jab pumping like a piston in Freeman's face, shocking the redhead who's forced to retreat under duress. Bell coming forward, throwing a right that lands on Freeman's forehead, jolting her head back. Freeman forced to (briefly) clinch, then she angrily shoves Cat back. They circle mid-ring, Bell's jab disconcerting Cassidy who clearly doesn't like it; the distracted redhead rocked by another Bell right hand to her left ear. Freeman shaking her head to stop the ringing as she circles away to her right. BELL IS HURT! Cat, in pursuit, walks into a right cross...her knees buckle and she reaches out to clinch. Cassidy left hooks Cat's right breast, then hooks it a second time…Cat grimacing in pain, reacts late to a right hand that sprawls her against the ropes. Hard left, hard right. Freeman has Bell ready to go. DOWN GOES CAT! The left hook is what seals Bell's fate; Cassidy turning her hips and getting everything behind it crushes Cat who rebounds off the ropes and timbers facefirst at Freeman's feet. Cassidy looks down at Cat's slumbering backside, then steps on it as she saunters confidently to a neutral corner - blowing on her gloves - where she stands and watches as Pam Grier counts to six and then waves off the rest of the unnecessary count as Bell hasn't so much as twitched since she hit the canvas!
* * * *
After: Freeman classy in victory, when asked her opinion of Cat, she replied with apparent sincerity, “I have respected Ms. Bell for as long as I've been in the FCBA, both for the way she carries herself in the ring and outside it. That's why it was so disheartening to see the way she turned on Charlize Theron in the 'Challenge' but then, I wasn't privy to the goings-on inside the Academy so there may have been things at play those of us on the outside didn't know about.”
Asked if “fighters like Bell, Ryan and Theron should recognize their time is past and step aside like Halle Berry and Teri Hatcher did recently?” Cass hesitated, looking around hoping one of her “minders” or somebody...might step forward to throw themselves on that grenade. When nobody made a move, she inhaled deeply, straightened her shoulders and said, “It's not MY place to tell anyone when they should, or shouldn't, retire. I'd hope most have the good sense to know when their time...their 'fifteen minutes of fame'... is over and step away.

“Whether it's for their own good, or the good of those waiting in the wings for their turn to perform in the limelight is a decision only they can make.” Pressed to specifically address those three women, Cassidy sighed and shook her head. “You all saw the same things we all saw tonight. Would I pay my own, hard-earned, dollars to sit ringside for another Bell-Ryan or a Bell-Henstridge fight? Hell yeah, I would! But if you're asking if I want to pay to sit thru watching any of them struggle against a woman half their age - who probably has the same talent in the ring they had when they were twenty-five - then no, I don't want to have to see that, even for free.

“Theron's another thing entirely, however. First, she's still got some reflexes and some skills... remember, she's five or so years younger than Bell and Ryan. Plus she seems to be fighting for herself, not chasing titles. I don't know what's driving her, maybe she wants to get to 400 fights before she leaves; maybe it's X number of wins; maybe she has a top secret 'bucket list' of women she wants to beat. Whatever, as long as she looks as great fighting as she still does in a bikini, and doesn't embarrass herself in the ring, then I don't have a problem with her hanging around a while longer.”

Asked about her own plans, Cass grinned and said, “As long as Jeri Ryan wants to keep fighting, I want to be one of her opponents. I've been a fan of her for years and I admit, Jeri's name's on MY bucket list. When the time comes for me to walk away, I'd love it if people look back and say, 'Wow, she beat Bell, Ryan and Theron in addition to Righetti, Nolin and Upton. She must've been really good.”

Then a curmudgeon in a fedora dared to point out, “But you haven't beaten Charlize. Remember? You lost to her in twelve rounds.” Freeman bristled and snapped curtly, “Neither of us is retired, yet. Like I said, I've got my own bucket list and Theron's name is right there on top. My day will come, trust me!”
* * *
Bell disconsolate in defeat, understandably. Nobody wants to admit to themselves they don't have it any longer, but if she's not there yet, Cat Bell has to be getting close to that point. Fights like tonight won't encourage her to hang around for another title, that much is certain. But to listen to her....

“I was competitive with Freeman in the rounds I was able to dictate to her, but she's clearly in a class above me. I don't have illusions about winning another title - especially at welter, and it's unreasonable for me to try to make the weight to fight at light any longer... but there are other things to fight for. Money is certainly one, but I don't need that as long at my “Good Witch” franchise is doing alright. What drives me now is the desire to show people who denigrated my talent all those years when I was beating Theron and Bell and Nolin that they were wrong. At an age when those women, and others from that era can no longer 'get it done', I can still go into the ring and compete...not just with them, but with women ten, fifteen, or twenty years younger. I'm in the Hall of Fame legitimately and I intend to stick around until everyone admits they were wrong about me.”