Posted by Simguy on 10/11/2002, 6:53 am.

Before: Williams sees the writing on the wall and doesn’t like it: “They think because Halle got over on me, that the way to build their fighter is through Vanessa Williams. That’s a big mistake. Berry’s got skills: this kid’s just a banger in there. I’m going to take her apart. Vanessa Williams is not the way, Beyonce.” Knowles chopped up  in her last outing against a boxer in eventual champ Jen Garner—Beyonce needs to rediscover that seek and destroy style if she wants to look good here. Knowles in green retro bikini top, yellow bottoms, slick blonde ponytail, Vanessa in long highlighted ponytail, metallic blue lamme bra style bikini.

During R1: William showing off that Larry Holmes jab early, stepping left, shooting it off her stomach to spike between  Beyonce’s eyes. Knowles constantly coming forward, moving her head with little side to side jerks, arms crossing and uncrossing. Midway through, Knowles just hurling vicious hooks and crosses, finally NAILS Vanessa in exchange—Williams staggering away, shaking her head and Knowles is ON her! Beyonce tackling her girl sideways to the ropes, palming up and beating down with gale force punching! Hamhanded rights up underneath, blockbuster shots in the ribs and belly—Williams screaming behind her gumshield as she stoops forward crippled. Knowles in her element, jiggly with fury as she bodies Williams repeatedly into the strands, chugging away to the torso and tits, clouting Van along the jaw. Beyonce sometimes cradling Vanessa in her left elbow, anchoring the woman for bashing rights upside the head—ref busting up the blatant holding and hitting as Williams swoons out on her feet. Final  minute—Vanessa skidding helpless along the ropes—Beyonce stepping with, palming or bodying on, then lavishing in the hurt—Williams groggy to one knee near the bell to relieve the awful pounding. Beyonce skipping away with the 10-8 round—Williams cradling throbbing ribs during the break.

R2: Veteran guts it up, digs into her bag of tricks this round. Beyonce rampaging forward, Williams setting up shop for Ali style rope-a-dope. Knowles wide and lethal to the flanks—Williams blocking with her elbows, pulling down on Beyonce’s head, tieing up her arms. Knowles getting bogged down—she wants to brawl—Vanessa bogging the action  down, clipping her girl with nifty little counters before and during the clinches.

R3: Vanessa gets her groove back. Nice stabbing sticks early, Williams turning her girl midring, keeping her back off the ropes, Knowles just bobbing, crossing her arms, batting at Williams’ stick but unable to close in the early going. Midway point, Williams retreating to the ropes, continues to sharpshoot—poking Beyonce’s face the short right hand, then immediately tieing up head and arm. All Williams until Knowles, stubbornly squaring up and refusing to be discouraged turns on a whistling hook that catches Williams leaning away into the ropes. Vanessa’s legs give way—she swoons into Beyonce’s arms—Knowles drapes her back and gets brawny. Brutal shellacking strokes SHAKE Vanessa as she slumps forward—punches bursting off the woman’s shoulders, clubbing their way past the guard. Williams out on her feet once again, dazed and trembling at the bell—Beyonce’s punching is RUINING the pageant queen.

R4: Vanessa just won’t go away. Cute on the ropes early, she rolls and dips, picking a wide open Beyonce Knowles apart with deft little right uppercuts and short left hooks—by the midway point, Knowles looking stung, backs off. Vanessa gets on top with her jab—Beyonce now in full retreat, youngster not the same fighter going backward. Beautiful last minute for Williams—teeth bared, wounded eyes glaring, she breaks Knowles down with the stick and lands several chopping right hands flush on the jaw as Knowles’ buttocks give a shake at the bell.

R5: Vanessa gritting her teeth, boxing these rounds out. Early Knowles pressure sucked up and dissipated as Williams lays on the ropes, grabbing , clinching and mauling for breaks. Knowles getting clipped and confused by counters, back offs—once again Vanessa able to keep her foe off balance with that stabbing jab, stepping Knowles back, Down the stretch, those blistering right hands, pounding blows off the jaw as Van lines Beyonce up with the jab and tees off. Textbook boxing midring--Williams circling, fighting her fight and marking the kid up nice.

R6: Vanessa having a nice first minute, but the stubborn Knowles won’t give in. Beyonce able to walk through the stick, body up, and step her girl to the ropes—Vanessa’s legs straining to hold ground, face pinches with exertion but Beyonce  too strong, Up against the ropes, it’s no contest, Knowles all bright eyed and attentive clubs Williams I the shoulder with a series of bludgeoning hooks sending Van skidding to a corner, Palming and shoving, Knowles bullying Williams, rough with her forehead across Williams’ beautiful face, Knowles pulling at Williams’ defenses, then rocking her with Neanderthal clubbing strokes—Van staggered repeatedly, digging in to weather the final minute, Williams woozy and concusses at the bell—Knowles lifting her mitts and bellowing-she’s just battering the fight out of game Vanessa Williams.

R7: More Beyonce pressure—Williams open mouthed, doesn’t have the legs to control the center of the ring—she’s giving ground to the ropes, covering up, looking to clinch and counter very selectively. Knowles glorying in her strength advantage, smiling as Vanessa tries to bull her way off the ropes, only to be stacked up hard. Knowles just squaring away, moving her head well, pressing up with crossed forearms on Van, beating her down in the body and arms, occasionally clouting Williams’ head to the side with clubbing blows, Knowles all grins at the bell as she puts more mileage on the aging beauty—Williams stiff and hurting on her stool.

R8: More Beyonce Knowles cudgeling, Vanessa just laying on the ropes, getting banged sideways, face in gloves as she lolls forward, riding out the punches, Knowles beefy in the gut—taking huge sidearm swinging at Williams’ breadbasket, palming her back as she pitches forward, and loading up again, Heartbreaking stuff but down the stretch, Williams pulls the trigger on a pre-emptive right dropping it onto Beyonce’s face as the kid swings wide and KNOWLES IS HURT! Beyonce staggering back—Vanessa pouncing with straight lefts/rights up the middle, banging a shellshocked Knowles the length of the ring. Beyonce hits the ropes, drooping forward as Vanessa REEFS at her shiny ribcage. Knowles ragged at the bell as Williams helps herself—Vanessa steals an important Beyonce round late.

R9: Vanessa with some sharp one twos early, bangs back Beyonce’s head, scoots to the side to make the kid move her feet, then it’s prevent defence the rest of the way. Williams showing her veteran sensibility, scoring early, then running shamelessly. Clinching whenever Knowles hounds her to the ropes, Beyonce shrill as she whines to the ref about Vanessa’s frustrating tactics—Williams unrepentant on her stool.

R10: Vanessa tries it again: quick, slicing one-twos in the face, backing Knowles up, then legging along the perimeter, but Beyonce won’t have it, Knowles gathering her girl in with raking hooks, then tackling Williams into the strands—Knowles reaching under Vanessa’s right with an anchoring left, holding her steady for stuffing right hands monstrous to the body. Williams draping herself over Knowles, legs threatening to give—Knowles greedily helping herself to more as she stacks Van up and pours it on. Hellish Knowles punching late as she abandons the hold and hit, squaring away to let’em rip. Williams face in hands, rolling and turning slowly with the incoming—Knowles getting Tua-esque torque as her gloves bash loudly off her foe’s shoulders and aching abdominals. Comes back decisive UD10 Beyonce Knowles.

After: Vanessa ashen faced, badly beaten, disconsolate. Veteran gave all, showed a variety of looks, got Knowles’ respect with right hands, but in the end, just didn’t have enough. Beyonce shiny with punishment, showed she’s still a bulldozer at lightweight, punishing a master boxer so badly that Williams just couldn’t fight her fight consistently. Beyonce with too much respect to walk Vanessa despite the crowd’s chants, but warning her, “Vanessa, I’m letting you walk out of this with your dignity intact. Don’t be pushing me, don’t be talking tough 3 weeks from now when your face gets back to normal. You know I gave it to you bad tonight—don’t make me be the one to end your career.”

Reposted by Archer 10/25/09.