Posted by Simguy on 11/15/2002

Before: Spears bringing the money to this bout, using her celebrity like a sledgehammer to win pre-fight concessions from Campbell. Crucial stipulation - Neve must make weight and hold it three consecutive days before the fight - unheard of. "It's outrageous," says an indignant Neve, "I've had BSE stooges at my open workouts, BSE lawyers bringing in their own scales to weigh me with, BSE chumps signing off on my hand wraps. Only Britney Spears gets away with this crap and she's going to pay for it." Spears nonchalant in her comments, "I'm not getting paid to fight a lightweight. Neve looked a little chunky to me when we signed and I'm just making sure she's in shape for this fight. As far as I'm concerned, I'm doing this kid a favour - she wants the fight, she'll do as she's told." Neve in jockey cotton two piece, blue top, red bottoms, Britney in green crop top, string laced up the front, yellow boy cut trunks.

During R1: Neve coming forward, hands at her cheeks, just pawing that jab to get a hand on Britney's shoulder, hold her steady for right uppercuts or clubbing rights in the ribs. Spears not cooperating, dancing around the ring, changing directions - she's throwing pretty lead rights off her thigh as she shifts weight, cuffing left hooks from the waist, then leaning out of range. Neve unhurt, but clearly outclassed - Spears sending a message with her legs.

R2: Britney having a fun first minute, circling her quarry, darting in, swatting wide hooks, bending into sharp right hands, pivoting and dancing away. All comes to a halt midway through as Britney swoops in with a lashing combination, leans out with hands down and gets caught a GORGEOUS hook as Neve explodes out of her crouch. Spears flattened on her back and woozy getting up - blonde wide eyed, groggy as ref wipes off her gloves. Campbell knows what to do: she's on Britney, shouldering her rough into the ropes, chugging away with hooks to the breadbasket and hip, keeping her body on. Nice crowding beat down at the ropes has Britney shabby - Campbell blowing hair off Britney's sleepy face with shouted taunts at the bell.

R3: Great grinding, hardhearted round for Neve. Campbell quick to get her body on a hurt and sluggish Britney - blonde pressed hard to the ropes and systematically worked over by greedy brunette fists. Neve using her left arm to trap Britney's right, then pressing up chest to chest, employing the right palm to shove at Brit's shoulder, opening up the torso for shoehorning rights. Belly and breasts - Britney sagging along the perimeter, suffering under Campbell's suffocating attack. Unable to struggle free or punch much herself, blonde cries out "GET OFF ME!" at one point - drawing howls of derision from Neve's friends and supporters ringside.

R4: Spears beat red with humiliation, storms off her stool and completely undresses Neve Campbell this round. Neve hunched forward behind her gloves, trying to guard-up on Britney and grind her, but Spears unleashes a beautiful, balletic assault to keep brunette covered up. Brit leaping in limber hooks underneath, jumping around Neve's right shoulder, hooking her in between the mitts, then bouncing out of range. Campbell, turning, coming forward, walking into punishment - Britney complimenting the whippy hook with razor right crosses and clipping right uppercuts. Down the stretch, a spanking Spears right hand bounces off brunette sternum, shaking Campbell up - biting hook on the temple sends Neve drifting to one knee. Shaky 8 - hard-eyed Spears wades in. BLISTERING volley of lefts and rights - Spears setting her feet wide and tearing into Neve with guns blazing - Campbell unable to counter, just folding forward, giving up her back to Spears indiscriminate sweeps. NEVE GOES DOWN AGAIN! Right at the bell, Campbell bludgeoned teary-eyed to her knees - Britney pushed back seething - normally sportsmanlike Spears willing to pile on late if she's not restrained.

R5: Eyes blazing, chests heaving - somehow, these girls have gotten under each other's skins and this isn't normal slugging. Neve just BASHING away at Spears - Britney standing right in front and trying to punch with her, but Campbell's heavy fists are moving the blonde off balance. Spears backed up by walking lefts and rights to the body - Neve lowering her head, pumping her fists and using that tanned bodkin up! Midway through, Spears looking shopworn, reaching to clinch and NEVE WON'T HAVE IT! Neve pounding away on the gut, arms chugging, then heaving Brit back into the ropes, getting under the blonde's arms to shove her off. Britney ragdolled and a clubbing right hand catches her flush on the jaw - SPEARS GOES DOWN! Britney dropped to her knees, dazed, forearms pushing lightly against Neve's hips and CAMPBELL KEEPS PUNCHING! Brit defenseless, absorbs a rain of blows down upon her skull as the ref's a little late taking action. Campbell backed off, warned, but she wades on it and mounts up again, stacking Britney up against the ropes, wrapping up that right arm and jamming away to the body to the bell. Neve raising her mitts, bellowing at the crowd - Spears ashen faced as she slumps on her stool.

R6: Neve on the attack. Britney boxing early, but unable to wrong foot Neve the way she was earlier: Campbell's fighting her fight. After the first minute it's face on face, girls leaning in on each other, taking turns belting each other in the body, shouldering for room and clocking chin with crisp work in close. Horrific give and take as neither girl backs down, but in the final moments - Campbell beats Britney to a hook on the chops - blonde shuts down, takes a short right hand on the eye and another hook! Spears drifting back into the ropes, right hand at her chest, left at her belly, she turns sideways as Neve squares up and bashes away with free swinging lefts and rights to take the round.

R7: Spears isn't finished. Britney all banged up, grits her teeth, stands her ground, and gets right back into the trenches with Neve. Crowd roaring as girls take turns - vicious, ripping 2 and 3 punch bursts spank off taut bodies, heads are turned by crisp, tight chinshots, girls are hurt, but recover to dish it out in kind. Down the stretch, murderous trade finally goes Britney's way as she takes a half step back, walks Neve into a perfect right uppercut - Campbell wobbly butt as she goes numb from the shot. Spears turn to wail away unopposed - Neve wilting to the ropes, staring as Britney pumps in leather to the bell.

R8: They can't keep this up...but they DO! Forheads and temples bump and rub, shoulders and elbows push for room, hungry, hungry punches tear it up downstairs and both girls are getting their shoulders behind right hands to the chin. Staggering back and forth, girls never losing contact - they're just on autopilot, slugging mindlessly, willing their legs and bodies to resist. Campbell digging a brutal hook over and over to Britney's smooth gut - Spears achy, hugging herself at the bell. Neve tells her corner triumphantly, "She's giving!"

R9: Britney with a little shoulder feint, steps out, steps back in and drops a booming overhand right on the cheek that has Neve stupified seconds in. Spears hooks gut, hooks gut, swivels right and chops down again with another bashing right hand - Neve wobbling sideways, unfocused as Britney walks her down. Blonde with a walking barrage belts brunette to the ropes - Campbell digging in, tilting forward with her butt in the ropes, it's all Spears. Britney spiteful as she works the body, bashing in behind either elbow, pushing down on Neve's head and whalloping her lower back with hurtful kidney shots. Campbell throbbing from punishment but refusing to punk - she takes a bell to bell beating and straightens defiantly as the ref hauls Britney off.

R10: Spears fans flabbergasted as she wades back in, goes mouth on shoulder and continues to trade heavy leather on the inside. Both girls booming to the gut, shaking each other's knees, but Spears using a little savvy. Brit turning her girl on the inside with a push behind the elbow, taking advantage of Neve's tendency to lean forward at the waist to either pick her up with uppercuts or stroke her back. Not one word from the ref about these kidney shots from Spears - they've taken a horrible toll on Neve in this fight. Close round but Britney finishes up strong - Neve's not punching back, lolling in with Spears, letting the blonde punish her tummy at the bell. Comes back maybe the hardest fought DRAW since Wilson/Janssen I.

After: Weary warriors badly beaten, but have to be separated in the post-fight mill - talk about bad blood. "I lost my focus," Spears admits, "I don't know what it is about her, but I hate her attitude. I was handling her easy on the outside, toying with her, but I just wanted to hurt her. It was stupid, but at least I proved I could fight her fight." Campbell with a different take, "I hurt her, that's why she couldn't box. After I got to her body, those little legs wouldn't dance no more - she had no choice about how the fight would go. She's so overrated, it makes me sick. Seriously, I think I had an off night. If I were on, she never would have gotten up."