Natalie Portman vs. Michelle Williams (Flyweight Title)

BEFORE:

Zero hype needed here. Zero. An eleven-time champion and Hall of Famer defending her belts against a long-time rival who just HAPPENS to be a THIRTEEN-time champion and Hall of Famer, and, oh yes, a stablemate. No need to do anything here but put Portman vs. Williams on the posters and sell tickets. But, as you might expect, both fighters have something to say.

"Thing is," the blonde says with a smile, "I've ALWAYS been better than Natalie, and she's never been able to handle that. And, really, she SHOULD be able to. Because, the fact is, I'm better than EVERYONE. And, that's just the way it is."

"Michelle," says the brunette with a shake of the head, "Has always had an inflated sense of her abilities. I've always been her better, though she refuses to admit it. As a result, tonight, I shall have to prove it yet again."

ROUND ONE:

No recon in this one. Ladies know one another well, so both get right to the fight plan. Mishy's is what you would expect. She's boxing at range. And, she's doing it well. She's got a bit of reach on the brunette, and she uses it brilliantly. It's all about the left hand. Williams so slick with it, gets it on again and again, touching Portman, holding her for just an instant so that she can drop in a hard, accurate right. Champion has moments, but they're only moments. For most of the round, we're seeing vintage Michelle. Slick, smart, in control, doing what she wants and forcing her opponent to adjust. Portman's never hurt, but she's definitely taking the worst of it from the opening seconds to the final bell. When that bell rings, Michelle's taken it wide and leads 10-9.

ROUND TWO:

Portman adjusts. Because, as great a boxer as Michelle is, nobody's going to take Natalie to the woodshed boxing for long. The brunette is a Hall of Famer, too, and for good reason. She's doing geometry now, playing angles, getting to spots where she can get off, and fouling Michelle's sights. This stanza, it's Michelle who has moments. There are times she's getting what she wants, but those times are too few and too far between. Mostly, it's the champion getting work done, putting punches together, slipping rejoinders, even snapping blonde head back a couple of times with hard right hands. Final thirty seconds sees Nat put together an absolutely dominant stretch that leaves Mishy covering up and taking right to the bell. When it rings, Portman has it wide and has evened things at 19.

ROUND THREE:

Now Mishy adjusts. It's subtle, but it works. She's dropping the right foot back, giving her an extra bit of space and an extra instant to get the jab on target. And, once again, Williams' left glove begins finding Natalie's lovely face with great frequency. And, that changes everything. Right back to where we were in the first round. Williams is controlling the fight with that jab. Natalie's able to get to her own spots on occasion, but not nearly frequently enough to counter all the offense the blonde challenger is able to effect. Nat's mostly on the defensive, mostly taking, sometimes even covering up, all while Williams gets into quite the rhythm, at times abusing the champion as if she's one of those callow teen Disney girls Michelle so loathes. At the bell, it's the blonde wide and back up 29-28.

ROUND FOUR:

Portman again puts that Harvard education to use, solving for "X" and figuring out the new geometry Mishy has thrown at her. Oh, Nat knows ALL the theorems and corollaries and how to use them, and, quickly enough, she's right back into the thick of things. This time, though, Mishy's adjusting as well, and, for the first time in the bout, we have a good, two-way round with both fighters getting some, but not enough of what they want. Portman's getting punches put together like she did in the second while Mishy's having moments of controlling things with the left jab. Add it all up, and there's not much in it. Final thirty sees both women turn it on to try to steal the points, but no one is able to create a ton of space. When the bell rings, it's Natalie by a cat's whisker, and we're even again at 38.

ROUND FIVE:

More of the same. It's good, two-way stuff with both fighters showing their excellent boxing skills. Everybody's getting stuff done, but no one is getting as much done as she'd like. There's almost nothing at all in it about halfway through. Then. BOOM! Right hook, PORTMAN and Mishy is HURT. Challenger wobbles, covers up. Natalie rips some vicious shots to the body doubling Williams over. UPPERCUT! DOWN GOES MISHY! Blonde dropped to her back by a right uppie and the champion hustles to a neutral corner. Ref counting over Mishy. Blonde rolls to her belly at five, to hands and knees at seven. Up to her feet at nine. Ref looks closely during the mandatory then waives on the brunette. Nat clinical, battering Michelle backward, trapping her on the ropes, going to work to both head and body. Williams hurting, reeling, hanging on desperately as the ref looks in. And, she's still hanging on when the bell, mercifully, rings. Natalie, 10-8 and now up 48-46 at the half.

ROUND SIX:

Portman battering Williams around the ring. Mishy's legs are rubber and the veteran brunette knows JUST how to take full advantage of that. She's digging some body but mostly banging away upstairs, lining up the blonde then dropping in hard right hands. Williams taking and taking. Ref looking in closely again. About a minute in, Mishy begins firing back in spots. She's still taking the worst of it, still not able to stabilize her front, but, at least she's able to do enough to keep the referee from putting an end to it. Final minute, the blonde manages a bit more. Again, it's Portman in charge, piling up points and punishment, but Williams moving better now, able to get at least some work done. At the bell, there's no doubt. It's another wide round for Portman, who now leads 58-55, but Michelle may well have ridden out the storm.

ROUND SEVEN:

Into the seventh, and, amazingly, we've had one truly competitive round in the bout. Well. Make it two. Williams has shaken the damage, and she's back to work with the jab. Natalie angling, looking to slip it, get to spots where she can get off in combination. Both Hall of Famers getting their offense going, but neither able to take any sort of control or, really, gain any sort of an advantage. Two plus minutes and there's nothing in it. Then, Mishy gets off a couple of nice flurries that force Natalie to cover up. Williams takes that ball and runs with it, suppressing the brunette, even backing her up once late in the round. And, those final 45 seconds or so play. Michelle does enough in just those ticks of the clock to grab the points narrowly and cut Portman's lead to 67-65.

ROUND EIGHT:

More two-way action. Portman angling, Mishy boxing behind that left hand. It's, frankly, great stuff, the kind of action purists love and even the casual fan has to appreci...BOOM! Right hand, MISHY and Natalie is HURT! Portman stumbles backward and Michelle steps in a DROPS HER WITH ANOTHER RIGHT! Portman down on her back as Michelle does a leaping pirouette before heading to a neutral corner. Portman wide-eyed looking up at the ref. Gets to hands and knees at six, climbs the ropes, manages to make it to her feet just before the count of ten. Ref watching closely as he gives the brunette the mandatory, but he waives on Mishy! Williams all OVER the champion, battering her into a corner and then giving her a PASTING. Portman hanging on, covering up, tying up, trying to run clock. She manages to do so, but is looking a wreck by the bell. Meanwhile, Mishy's won it 10-8 and evened things at 75.

ROUND NINE:

Williams rampant. The blonde is smelling yet another flyweight title, and she's going all in to get it. Pax Portmanica looking to be in ruins as the brunette gives ground, gets battered around the ring, looks ready to go several times. But. The Queen is the Queen. There are lots of reasons she's in the Hall, and one of them is determination. She hangs on, desperately, doing just enough to prevent the alert referee from putting a stop to things. Late in the round, Natalie even begins banging back solidly in spots. But, it's still Michelle who's in control, who's dominating the proceedings, who's rolling toward the gold. When the bell finally rings, there's a defiant stare from Natalie. Michelle responds with a smirk. Three minutes from the gold. Williams now up 85-84 with just one round remaining.

ROUND TEN:

Williams in control. She's getting that jab on, holding Natalie with it, then dropping in hard right hands that force Portman to back and cover. Natalie game, but can't get on the front foo...BOOM! Right hand COUNTER PORTMAN! Williams staggered! LEFT HOOK, PORTMAN! DOWN GOES MISHY! Crowd going NUTS! Natalie slowly back to a neutral corner while the blonde tries to push up off her right side. Referee counting down. Is this it? No. Williams up at seven. Ref gives her the mandatory, then waives on the champion. Natalie burning everything left in the tank as she wings away, forcing Michelle back against the cables. Williams in a tight guard, being buffeted along the ropes. GOOD right hand, Natalie that shakes the blonde and IT'S OVER! Ref leaping in to bundle Williams to safety, and your winner by TKO10 and STILL Unified Flyweight Champion is Natalie Portman!

AFTER:

Bedlam. Williams incensed! She's after the referee. HISC personnel trying to restrain her. Then restrain Natalie, who's seen about enough of Michelle's act and wants at the blonde. Now HISC folks are shoving one another and this thing is about to blow. But, security hits the ring, and, while they struggle mightily to restore order, resorting, finally, to scooping an irate Michelle up, lifting her over the ropes and handing her down to HISC corner folks to be carried back to the dressing room. When that's done, a breathless, fire-eyed Natalie grabs the mic from the in-ring interviewer. "She thought she had me," the Queen fairly spits. "She thought it was all over, that these belts were hers. Well, Mishy, look who's wearing them! Your BETTER. That's who. YOUR BETTER!"