Posted by Simguy on 6/10/2001, 5:29 pm.

Before: Rightly or wrongly, Britney’s taking Halliwell’s slim new look as a deliberate slap in the face—it’s a grudge match all around. Geri dropping 15 pounds comes in lighter at 112 than her teen foe, but harder—every pre-fight session that puts the two together ends in near brawls as Halliwell not shy about showing up Britney’s abs, pinching an inch at Brit’s hip so on and so forth. Stare down during ring instructions incendiary—Spears vibrating angrily as Geri smirks and goads like a seasoned pro. Red crop t-shirt, red addidas terrycloth trunks for Geri (see outfit on newsstands now)—Britney in pabk bandeau tankini.

During R1: Britney looks like she might have leaned the lesson of her last few disappointments—she using her wonderful legs and supple underbody to potshot and get out as the much more compact Geri tries to initiate a ground war. But by the midway point, Britney’s squaring up shoulder to shoulder—giving in to Geri’s taunts, and the cagey Brit has the youngster slugging to disadvantage on the inside. Halliwell sharper than she’s been in quite some time—reaching in to push at Britney, then bashing away at the belly and jugs as Spears leans forward, still angry. Halliwell gets the better of the high octane trading—Britney has to be bodied back by the ref at the bell as her temper has her fighting the wrong fight.

R2: Brit responding to pleas from her trainer: “Baby, you gotta box this b###h”—Spears jumping in some quick lead right hands to the face to start blood from Geri’s nostrils—jumping back out, Brit leaves a snappy calling card hook on Geri’s chin that has her stumbling forward slightly. End of the first minute however, they’re back in each other’s arms, bullying and struggling, and Halliwell is tearing it up toe to toe, Spears’ bubble butt hits the ropes—Geri jamming in very quick fisted lefts/rights under and around Brit’s arms to get at that ribcage and tummy. Britney still snarling and punching back, but she’s showing signs that Geri’s getting to her—slightly glossy in the eyes, breathing through her mouth—Geri leaning in and letting her hands bludgeon back and forth into Spears tanned belt line.

R3: Geri wasting no time—she bodies Britney into the ropes, clinching arms riding high as bellies are pressed together and Brit is bent over the top strand in murky struggling early. They settle down to work and it’s all Geri—she’s grinning as she crouches in on Sears, clubbing tough lefts and rights across Britney’s belly—Spears looking shopworn, taking more abuse now, coming back with less, just seated on the ropes and soaking it up. geri opens uop—she’ll dig the hook to the waist, then double up the middle with the left uppercut—Spears taking flush and breaking down badly. Final minute is a meanspirited jug-mugging from Halliwell—she palms at Britney’s shoulders and turns her torso into short, brutal shots to the breasts on the inside—Spears left reaching helplessly around Geri’s arms as Halliwell twists in the heartless punching at the bell.

R4: Spears gutshot—listless—she fades to the ropes with a sullen expression, covers up as Geri wades in with a bully’s confident swagger. HAMMERING hooks shake Britney from the lower right side—Geri able to set her feet and get her hips into these gorgeous touches as ringsiders whoop it up. Halliwell punching without fear of reprisal, bashing away with combinations, then using her chest and forearms to budge the teary-eyed American into the ropes for more work downstairs, Everything working off the belly as Brit can’t take it—as soon as the arms drop and Spears leans forward, she’s there for short clubbing blows to her jawline or curling uppercuts up into her hurting melons. Geri working out of the left hand across Britney’s shoulders and she’s just ladling in the punishment, pumping up and in with chugging right hands to the jugs as a sobbing Britney Spears lays in and takes. Ref’s seen enough—he literally pulls a grinning Geri Halliwell off her battered foe as Spears sinks into the ropes with a forlorn expression. TKO4 Geri Halliwell,

After: Spears in a real tailspin—and it doesn’t have to be that way. Britney controlling things when she boxed from the outside, but she’s getting cajoled into brawls that she doesn’t seem to have the stomach for. Halliwell in her glory—strutting the ring with hands held high—that had to be a tasty treat for her to put down Spears like that. Geri looking forward to 110 and a possible Dushku date—pundits like Geri’s fitness, but Eliza’s looked awesome against walk-in girls like Halliwell to this point.

Posted by Archer on 10/22/09.