Posted by Simguy on 8/5/2005, 6:10 pm.

Before: Katie know it’s a big fight: “Look--we’re both coming off tough losses to good fighters--people are looking at this as a test of quality and I want to make sure I pass. Unfortunately, that mean holding Maria back. She’s am exciting young fighter from what I’ve seen, but I’ve fought way better competition, I’ve had way more pro rounds, I’m better trained and I truly believe I’m the classier girl in the fight.” Menounos with a different take on the topic: “Katie freezes up against sexy or hot fighters,” Maria shrugs to murmurs from the assembled press. “Oh, come on--you know that’s what fighters have been saying off-the-record for years--I’m just putting it out there. Katie gets intimidated by hotties because deep down, she knows she doesn’t rate. It’s a self image problem. Fighting is confidence, confidence is sexy--Katie doesn’t have the chops for this business and everyone knows it.” Holmes flabbergasted as Menounos flashes her a dazzling, sweet smile--prefight TKO Maria. Katie in royal blue bikini, white shoes--Maria in hot pink bikini, White gloves both vixens.

During R1: Katie weight on front foot, right hand at her jaw line, left jabbing from her hip to Maria’s brow, Good stinging stick, Katie--she’s doubling up, pivoting left, dictating space to Maria. Menounos collecting poke on her gorgeous face, but stubbornly wading through it--when she gets close. Holmes unleashing a nasty, surprising body attack to back Maria off. Katie showing an Alba-esque dip n’rip rhythm, holding the right hand at her jaw while she twists her hips drops the left to thigh level and licks it up into Maria’s tummy: back the other way with the left held at her jaw, good hip rotation, stroking, slinging right pulled thick across Maria’s breadbasket--fist follows through to Katie’s left shoulder. Menounos breathless, forced back: it’s the best body punching of Katie’s career, re-establishing distance midring.

R2: Maria snarling, storming forward: stubby left jab with a little backhand motion, wide lapping hook, straight poking rights--she’s backing Katie up,. Holmes’ face getting scrubbed pesky--she’s right back into Maria’s breadbasket with licking lefts and rights, all supple hips, shoulders as she dips and strokes away. Torrid punching--neither girl really heavy handed, but both POURING leather onto the other. Down the stretch, crowd shouts in unison as Maria catches Katie a perfect hook on the chin, staggering Holmes wide-eyed to ropes. Furious batting beat down as Holmes covers up earmuff and grits her teeth: Maria tearing away flanks, arms, ears at the bell with egg-beater lather.

R3: First minute oressure, Maria--she’s hounding Katie, getting on her, not letting her breathe. Holmes reacting like a pro--dukes up, dipping her shoulders to lash Menounos to the belly, and backing up, she’s cleaning up Maria’s mouthwatering melons a tidy side-to-side scrubbing as Menounos walks in. Midway through, Katie walks Maria into a jolting left uppercut--all back and legs behind the shot--Menounos ,put wobbly butt, stops punching. Katie back to that body: hook, hook, hook, ANOTHER HOOK! She hammers a groaning Menounos o ropes--Maria stricken, Katie punching with her right hand at her cheek, turning her hips and torso into stroke, licking the left hand off Marias tummy meat and following through to her own right hip! Down the stretch, look at Katie PUNISH Maria at the ropes! Holmes bent in thee praying mantis style--feet widespread, dipping to get the left uppercut off the front foot ho0isted into Maria’s midsection; swabbing left hooks across Maria’s jumping jugs, pushing Maria’s shoulders to position her for thick right hands amidships. Cat Bell-like stuff from Holmes--she beats Maria into stupor, sends her rickety and hurting to her corner for a 10-8 without a knockdown!

R4: Maria proves a fighter--obviously hurting from Katie’s sustained body work, Menounos keeps coming forward, scouring Holmes a non-stop chopping batting lather of lefts and rights, Kate showing maturing defence--dukes up, stepping back and pivoting, or ducking in close, putting the left shoulder on Menounos and pivoting of her to come up outside Maria’s left shoulder--cute stuff. Holmes more selective, but still fitting lick to Maria’s throbbing tummy, piecing out the jab at times to Menounos’ shiny face, Maria busier, carries the round, but Katie’s ring generalship starting to dictate terms.

R5: Katie won’t leave Maria’s body alone. Every time Menounos wants in, Katie dips down and gives her shrieking hell down there--suppole licking lefts and rights precutting to thr sternum and tummy; sidearm little clubbing rights in behind the elbow. Maria backs off open-mouthed and hurting: now she’s getting knocked the jab --Katie on her front foot, popping stick from her hip. First time in the fight, Katie  starts dropping right hands up top, turning over her back (right) foot prettily--she’s banging away on the left eye, coming back with a jagged left hook as Maria takes on her face Shutout Holmes: Maria shiny, telling the ref she’s fine--but what a Katie-pasting she’s taking!

R6: Maria does what she does: comes forward, lathering. Katie getting touched and scraped, but more and more, she managing it. Holmes beating Maria SAVAGELY amidships--uppercuts through the middle, tucking hooks and right hands behind the elbows--Menounos is bogging down in body work, unable to sustain her pressure. Katie walking Maria into gritty left uppercuts in the chi as well, stopping Menounos in her tracks, leaving her shabby: Holmes often swipe-swiping those jugs a crisp left/right before pivoting away to work her jab. Round to Holmes--she’s ringing Maria up with an unprecedented punch output, murdering the body to set up the head like an old pro.

R7: Menounos just won’t stop competing. Early trade in hooks goes Maria’s way as she beats Katie to punches, steps-with as Holmes retreats and labels chin several times en route to ropes. Squirming and pushing inside, Maria gets room to work and rips awaty left uppercuts, clubbing right hands to momentarily dazzle Katie. Holmes covering up earmuff, tilting forward off the ropes: she sacrifices her rib cage and tummy this round as Maria squares away, sets her hips and rips payback amidships. Menounos not forgetting Katie’s tender jug: licking stroke applied--Maria digging side to side, fist biting in, then swiping off meat to set up the next punch--Holmes bravely taking as Menounos romps to bell. Hot words exchanged as tempers flare--both beauties lumping up--ref pushing ‘em apart to enforce the break.

R8: Katie starts Maria out of the short, intercepting left uppercut on the chin--Menounos freezes and takes a withering series iof stroking lefts and rights off her body, Maria can’t fight backing up--she retreats groaning, ashen-faced to ropes--Holmes stepping-with and licking every inch of the way. Holmes not smothering herself--she’ll jab Maria at ropes to reset distance and balance, then tag the right cross up top, mopping up left hooks or uppercuts. Maria ramshackle, no defending herself--face, breast and tummy are on sale as Katie goes bargain hunting. Never seen a finishing run this from Holmes--long body slick with sweat as she punches, punches, punches--long rigid limbs shivering as nearly every blow finds its intended target. Goes on and on and on--Maria just staring into punishment, sitting into ropes--she’s helpless, too proud to go down--crowd screaming for fight to be stopped and KATIE’S PILING ON! Ref not doing anything, Holmes just working her combinations like it’s hard-sparring only Maria’s not got head gear. FINALLY ref steps in with seconds left--Menounos breaking down into exhausted sobs at the ruinous punishment she’s absorbed, TKO8 Katie Holmes!

After: Holmes dazzling in victory--strutting happily, hands high--beaming and congratulated in her corner. Katie making up for lack of pop with highest work rate, best leverage of her career. Easily her best, most professional, hardest working fight to date--she fought like a true A-list beauty defending her turf tonight. AND HOLMES WANTS MORE! De-gloved, running a hand through her hair Katie strides over to a downcast Menounos, reaches under Maria’s arms and hugs her blubbering to her feet. HOLMES WALKS MENOUNOS! Katie welcomes Maria to the FCBA in style--Menounos choking back tears, wishing it all away: Katie’s right arm strong around her battered foe’s waist, left hand waving to raving fans--fight scribes scrambling to make sense of it all. “It’s easy,” Katie explains in the face of Tractorpull pestering when it’s all over. “Maria sealed her fate in ore-fight when she got so personal with me. Right then I promised myself I would knock her out and I would walk her out, and that’s precisely what I did. You know, I’m not as cute and harmless as you all seem to think I am: I’m not about to let girls like Maria talk to me like that and get away with it.l And you know what else? I would have beaten a lot of good fighters tonight--Maria’s just a stepping stone.” BSE girls staunchly behind their stablemate on this one: “If she hadn’t walked Maria,:” says Nat Portman, “I would have!”

Reposted by Archer 7/12/10.