Posted by simguy on 2/16/2007, 6:13 am

Thanks to FightFan for this repost

Before: Classy veterans struggling to regain traction in the slipperiest division in boxing - each knows beating the other would do a world of good here. "I need this," Sarah says - dark shadows under her eyes revealing a slump-haunted vixen. "Kelly's tuff and smart - it's never easy getting past her, but I just need to focus and finish her. It's not so much about technique now - both of us know exactly what the other's packing - it's about aggression and hunger at this point." Packard upbeat, sensing doubt and worry in Gellar - powerful allies for Kelly coming in. "People have been saying Sarah's shot for some time now, but I don't want to go that far," Kelly allows. "She's struggling to find her game - maybe she's lost a step as far as keeping pace with some of the younger girls goes - but she's still a legend at this weight and can't be taken lightly. I'll get on top early - maybe hurt her or even drop her - then when I've imposed my will, I'll take her apart. I'm the better boxer and my right hand is the dominant punch in this fight: I don't like Sarah's chances here." Gellar in slick blonde ponytail, black bandeau bikini with white trim, small black work out gloves. Kelly in lavender sport bikini, long low ponytail, small black work out gloves.

During R1: KELLY GOES DOWN! Sarah sending a statement early, pouncing on the first jab she sees with a sweeping counter-right over top - Packard dashed to her back, stunned from a hard punch on her left eye. KPack struggles up, but she's rickety-kneed: Sarah pouncing, tearing at her foe's ribcage and tummy as Kelly sways upright, hands loose in front of her face. Down the stretch, Kelly sliding hurt along the ropes with a glassy-eyed expression: hardhearted Gellar pursuit sees Sarah stalk, jab, then lash rights and lefts as Kelly reels. Huge 10-8 Gellar prompts no celebration from Sarah: she's all stomping feet, angry buttocks, flaring nostrils and hard frowning to her corner.

R2: Sarah continuing to punch with authority, shaking Kelly with murderous right hands over Packard's jab. Kelly taking a great shot though - rocked, and stumbling at times, she stays committed to the jab, fending Sarah off and imposing order to some extent as Gellar head hunts. Kelly warned for using her small gloves to grab at Sarah's biceps, or tug her top - wily Packard using every trick in the book to buy her legs some time.

R3: Kelly's piston poke starting to take effect: offensive-minded Sarah very hittable tonight, eating jabs like they're M&Ms. Gellar bogging down at the end of Packard's left hand, left side of Sarah's face smudging up pink under constant tapping leather - Kelly starting to find her stance a bit, pushing off her back (right) big toe for sticking leverage. Right hands from Kelly late shave the Gellar chin: Sarah covering up, crouching low after these near misses cause some alarm.

R4: Kelly keeping Sarah out on the end of the jab - Packard starting to extend on punches, utilizing her lithe physique to utmost advantage. Gellar stroked a long, strong, Dushku-beating right cross at the minute mark - Sarah's legs give a shimmy; she steps away with a concerned scowl. Moments later - Kelly walking Sarah down behind the jab steps-in and hooks Gellar viciously in her stomach PAK! Sarah all cramped up, stooping forward behind her mitts: Kelly scours the rightside ribs a brace of lathering hooks, weight on the front (left) foot as she digs in. Gellar shaken, looking harmed, backing away now: Kelly's hunting Sarah at the bell.

R5: HARD Sarah Michelle Gellar punching - she's catching Kelly that sweeping overhand right, adding to the mayhem with a saucy double-hook while shifting weight to back (right) foot. Packard put wobbly butt, staggered once again - Sarah retakes the offensive as Kelly staggers away cringing. Gellar marauding, pulling out all the stops - she's lunging more than she usually does, gambling on Kelly's chin with looping power. Packard ragged, but composed - hands're up, she's still blocking shots, has enough leg left to get herself out of range as Sarah headhunts. Kelly repeatedly warned for grabbing at Sarah - veteran Packard making the most of her small mitts, tugging and tieing up when she can.

R6,7,8: Sarah changing tack, jabbing her way inside and committing to Kelly's body. Long, wandering sequences of Sarah gnawing at Kelly inside, scouring her, digging at her. Kelly frowning groggily, right hand slipping past Sarah's left hip in a partial clinch: Gellar just slugging around and inside that arm, tearing up the midsection. Nothing fancy - just Sarah grinding up Kelly's reserves, stealing Kelly's legs, walking her back onto her heels. Packard grimacing, suffering, getting outworked: after three rounds of sustained Gellar body attrition, Kelly's just not the same girl who started the fight.

R9: Sarah takes a round off: Kelly's able to fill the void with that pounding stick. Packard able to complete work on Sarah's left eye this round, tapping it shut with jabs - soon thereafter, right crosses start to land with frightening accuracy. Shopworn Kelly tagging Sarah the money punch, but doesn't have the snap she had earlier: Gellar walking through it, still applying pressure with her feet even if she's not moving her hands as much as she had been.

R10: Sarah stalking, Kelly mouthbreathing, retreating but keeping Gellar at bay via the jab. Minute mark: Kelly catches Sarah coming in a GORGEOUS right cross - Packard leaning in, driving it through chin to swivel Gellar's skull. SARAH'S STUNNED! Gellar swaying on the spot, knees buckling, then locking: PACKARD RIPS THE RIGHT UPPERCUT! Vicious shot clips the mouthpiece off Sarah's teeth, rocking Gellar's head back - she's tottering on her heels, hands outstretched pathetically as she retreats. KELLY'S POUNDING AWAY! Walking barrage, Packard to Gellar, smashes at Sarah's drowsy face, driving her dreamy to ropes - Kelly squaring away hungry, sensing total system collapse in her opponent and POURING it on to finish. POOR SARAH! Gellar getting ripped and shredded, sagging into ropes, staring as Packard's fists dig to body, toggle chin. Gellar bends forward deep, rotates her torso, comes up with an oily hook from her knees and PACKARD'S HURT! Kelly caught blind - SHE staggers back all wobbly butt and loose - HERE COMES SARAH! Walking barrage, Gellar to Packard, drives Kelly back under a gamine limbed strapping of lefts and rights: vixens hit far ropes all gangly and hurt, heads lolling on loose necks - each just trying to outlast the other. HAMMER AND FREAKIN' TONGS! It's totally mindless - both girls wrecked, out on their feet - they're just clapping away to faces, flopping and whaling exhausted haymakers with the last of their reserves. Both girls facing into fight-winning blasts, knees buckling, but holding - incredibly this thing goes the route, with both vixens lashing away on autopilot late. Comes back UD10 Sarah Michelle Gellar!

After: Gellar breaks the curse at last, falling to her knees sobbing as her name is announced. Kelly - ears still ringing, eyes swelling shut - wanders away in a battered fog. Brutal, sustained body work probably won the fight for Gellar in those pivotal middle rounds, but the finale's all anyone's going to be talking about. Tenth round an all time gamine-lass classic and a probable round-of-the-year contestant - both vixens effectively ruining each other down the stretch, ladling on the hurt in senseless fashion as neither had any science left in her. "I knew I had to win one of these," Sarah says of the mindless brawl - just the latest in a series of such contests for her. "It always seems I start out with the best of intentions, but I finish up trading gobsmack - I'm just glad I had too much for Kelly tonight. I felt I set the tone early with Packard - knocking her down, really being aggressive with her - I just didn't want her to get into that comfortable boxing rhythm she likes - I had to make it a street fight and I succeeded."

simguy

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