PHOTOS COURTESY OF BI PHOTO LABS

Posted by Simguy on 1/16/2004, 12:05 am.

Before: HBO rewarding Vanessa Marcil with commentator duties for this fight--she looks over rival flyweights and gives her honest opinion. “Basically this is a battle of have-nots,” smirks ‘Nessa. “You’ve got a couple of mediocre fighters who haven’t won in ages, and that can be entertaining--seeing desperate women scratch and claw just to stay out of gutter Both are pampered girls with fat promotional contracts that have obviously spoiled them as fighter. Both are cry babies--Gellar wishes she had the courage and fighting spirit of a Vanessa Marcil, Mish is this panicky, self-doubting mockery of the fighter she used to be--it’s really sad, I have to go with Gellar over Mish and I’ll tell you why,. Mish is still half knocked out from the punches I shellacked her with--she was ready to go during the weigh-in. TE will deny this, but my sources tell me Mish has been getting HANDLED in sparring and her confidence is shot--there, I said it. I know Claire’s a big proponent of wearing Mish down to the body, but I think Sarah should just go right at her. You go hard to Mish’s chin right now and she’ll quit--she’ll lay down at the slightest provocation, I can’t wait to see it.” Mish in zebra stripe bikini, twist tie top, SMG in slick ponytail, white silk bikini.

During R1: Gellar circling, feathering Mish early with bruising combinations, bending supple at the waist and pivoting to turn the heaver handed vixen. Williams staying composed, stabilizes Gellar with a spitting jab and stubs out a stern right hand on Sarah’s jaw midway through, scattering Gellar ropeside and putting a wide-eyed look of respect on her face. Sarah’s hurt, but cagey--she spins under a free swinging Mish left, opens up the canvas, runs the clock. Points to Mish, but Sarah gets out of the round in good shape, denying Williams a closing run.

R2: Gellar returns he favour, brisk-mitting it to Mish’s gut, spanking up-torso to cash in hook to chin--Williams’ knees buckle as she staggers back a few steps. Gellar darting in and out with potshot ting straight rights, tilt-away hooks--mostly slapping blows, but Sarah’s putting a constant lick and lather in Mish, punching straight up the middle to bounce Williams’ head, worrying that breadbasket with pesky flurries.

R3: Competitive two-way round, but Gellar in a nice rhythm with her legs--she’s wheeling around Mish, sidestepping her pretty, shining her with combinations as Williams tries to set and punch. Sarah not taking any chances--she’s just shoe-shining Williams’ tummy and tits, pivoting quick to the side--Mish can’t line her girl up and really trade hard with her, Williams unhurt, but outworked--Gellar smiling at the bell, ponytail bouncing with confidence after 3.

R4: Gellar setting the tone with deft footwork, quick hands, maddening upper body movement. Sarah circles outside behind her jab, steering Mish, keeping her midring. Sarah picks her spots to edge in close and low, hurrying to Mish’s midsection, then ducking/pivoting out to the side. Sarah feinting, shooting in quirky lead right pokes to Mish’s chin, surprising the ex-champ, And Sarah on Mish’s jugs: coming off the brisket to shoeshine with the backs of her knuckles, just scrubbing away on a bewildered Mish. Williams swinging back, but it’s ugly, shotgun stuff--Gellar making her foe look amateurish through 4.

R5: Mish finally gets her way--using her underrated jab to make Sarah commit, stepping in close to tuck a tidy right hand in under Gellar’s breast line--Sarah’s clinching, hanging on for breaks as the body blows slow her up. Stop and go action--Mish the boss--she’s able to body Gellar into the ropes and work her over steadily down the stretch.

R6: Mish has her best round, hounding and pounding Gellar all over the ring, Mish leaning in close to pull that slutty right hand into Sarah’s body--Gellar really wincing, cringing from the shot, clinching more and more as Mish starts to steamroll. Midway through, Mish propping and jostling Gellar at the ropes, jamming away with straight lefts and rights to her foe’s chest, occasionally turning over blunt right hands on the chin--Gellar;s knees give way suddenly and she’s wobbly butt! Mish pouring it ion I the final minute, trying to hustle Gellar out of there--Sarah covered up, bending, rolling, just trying to hustle Gellar out of there--Sarah covered up, bending, rolling, just trying to take the mustard off Mish’s nody work. Williams pumping her fist at the bell, nodding--she leaves Sarah humming after a bell to bell rub down.

R7: Sarah returns the favour almost punch for punch! First minute--Gellar undresses mish with a series of gorgeous little slip n’ pivots, rotating around Mish, making her mss, then tidying her up with slick, slashing combinations. Midway through, Sarah clips Mish a hook on the teeth, then leans in to fit a short right hand, all body, onto Mish’s chin as Williams loads up her own right--Mish put wobbly butt, staggering backwards into the ropes to prevent the knockdown. Gellar turns puncher to consolidate, pushing into Mish, getting low on her and driving into the belly and ribs with a pulsing torrent of pumping lefts and rights. Mish’s head lolling badly, mouth open--she issues her first tired clinches as she hangs on to the bell. Side by side for a moment during the break--Sarah reaches across, digs the point of her elbow into the pit of Mish’s stomach--drawing a cry from the ex-champ, taking a page from the Claire Danes’ psychological warfare handbook.

R8: Gellar piling on, Mish looking bullied at the ropes, not herself--hands are up, body vulnerable--she’s just sagging against the strands, letting Sarah pour it on, Gellar tidy around he ribs and waist, quick, snatching combinations, then twisting into short, brushing uppercuts tits and chin. Sarah responsible in there, opening up the offense a little, but still moving her head, rotating her torso and bodying up in between bursts to keep Mish under control, Williams nicely tuned up this round, swatted about her head, shoulders and midsection--Gellar salting away the cards with every determined punch.

R9: Gellar backing off a little, becoming almost knittable--poor Mish swinging over top tightening up, eventually just trying to poke her punches onto Sarah to make contact. Gellar wheeling, bending low, feinting, Down the stretch, Sarah cashes in with some gorgeous counter hooks and right hands as Michelle misses over the top--Gellar just fitting slashing  hooks and uppercuts onto Williams’ chin to leave her wobbly butt at the bell.

R10: Mish showing good stamina--she’s sopped up a lot of Gellar leather tonight, face showing the shine, but Williams’ still coming. Mish going back to the jab, step-in, tucking right hand amidships routine--very effective as Sarah slows down, gives ground an has to set up shop at the ropes. Good systematic work from mish in the final minute--she’s got Sarah bending and covering ropeside--Williams disciplined, ignoring the head to belt away to the flanks and arms downstairs, girls side by side for the decision--comes back UD0 Sarah Michelle Gellar!

After: Marcil standing, clapping, hooting in derision; Mish pale, shaken by another loss; Gellar beaming as her hand is held aloft--she adds to Michelle’s misery by halting her own slide. “You know, I just did what I do,” says a glowing SMG in postfight, :I gave angles, I outworked her ion the inside, I puncher her a bit--I just kept Mish off balance, because she loves to come forward and impose her will on you. I find the best thing with Williams is to make her miss--she gets so frustrated, and the openings just flow from there--I just picked her apart once she couldn’t find me.” And what about that cheap elbow in the 7th? “Just bullying the bully,” grins Sarah, “You’ve got to be the aggressor against mish--giving her that little gift really took the wind out of her sails mentally.” Slump continues--how the mighty have fallen.

Reposted by Archer 9/28/10