Posted by simguy on 3/2/2002, 10:28 am

Before: Spears uncharacteristically belligerent during prefight - Carteris taking the high road, oozing mature superiority getting under the kid's skin. Gabby banking heavily on her smarts - every conceivable physical advantage lies with Britney - Carteris has to find ways of slowing the fight down, working the body, and frustrating the youngster into making mistakes. Britney in black crop top muscle shirt, black bikini bottoms, black ankle warmers over white shoes and white gloves - Carteris in white sports bra, light blue adidas terrycloth track trunks, white shoes and gloves.

During R1: Carteris bewildered early - she keeps her right hand at her mouth, left across her body and crouches as Spears leaps in and out from all points on the compass. Gaby just turning, getting potshotted, trying to block and roll with minimal success as Britney's hit and run proves effective. Carteris adjusts by retreating to the ropes, at least inviting Britney to come head on - Carteris able to bounce a counter hook off Spear's tummy late to avoid the shutout.

R2: Britney fighting angry, but controlled, arms are loose, hands low, she's using a very supple upperbody, bending at the waist, turning her shoulders to baffle Carteris. Brit fighting out of a crouch, suddenly popping up with a right uppercut that's all legs and back and DOWN GOES CARTERIS! Gaby blasted to her back by a perfectly timed clip, takes a groggy 8 and the wheels are coming off. Britney marauding on Gabrielle midring, lunging in, pivoting out - Gaby just blocking, looking for counters, but the veteran doesn't panic. Carteris recovers well in the middle minute, timing Britney's rushes, getting low and despositing a glove in Spear's tummy as Brit punches, but down the stretch - Brit feints a lunge in to get Gaby flinching high - goes low to the right side with a whippy hook and DOWN GOES CARTERIS! Gaby gutshot, elbows drop reflexively as she groans, turns away and sinks to her haunches - Carteris gets out of the round but Spears getting savage leverage on these circus punches.

R3: Spears with right hand at her chest, left at her stomach, stands in front of Carteris, makes Gaby miss with liquid hipped weaving, then drills the elder blonde between the mitts with a shocking lead right hand - Gaby stomping back on her heels wide eyed, hits the ropes in trouble again. Spears wading on in, snarling as she rips away to the soft underbelly of her foe - Britney just rolling her shoulders, twisting her hips into lefts and rights - she's keeping her hands low, chin seemingly there for the counter, but Carteris under siege can't deliver. Beating is dreadful and sustained - Gaby defensively sound early on, but the body work has her in a bad way and by the final minute, Spears sharp combinations are tearing the veteran up. Seconds left to go - Carteris turns sideways into the ropes, turtling pathetically and the ref steps in to push a seething Spears away. TKO3 Britney Spears.

After: A fired up Britney Spears heaps it on and draws what amounts to a verbal surrender out of Gabrielle - you don't see submissions in boxing very often. Carteris saving herself disasterous punishment, but getting booed in the ring afterwards - crowd unappreciative of the veteran's good judgement. Sense in the aftermath is that Carteris might be talking her way into paydays then lying down, although she didn't get out of this fight easy. Gabrielle all busted up and worn in post fight: "Well, you know, she did a number on me tonight," Carteris admits, "I thought I handled her speed ok, but she hit harder than I expected - I thought I'd be able to punch with her and catch her. She's a bad match up for me, but I still think I can make good fights in this division - I see Diane Lane, Gillian Anderson, Cheryl Ladd - a lot of girls that I can mix it up with. Of the top tier girls, I think the only one I could really be competitive against is Dani Fishel, just because of her style and she's not much of a thinker in the ring."

Thanks to Apollo for this repost.

Archer 10/19/09.