(BY REQUEST)

Originally posted by Simguy on Saturday, 20-Feb-99 10:46:54

Before: Huge fight between Top Ten Celebs at the peak of their abilities. Shue a little more limited, fights one way, but commits to the body as well as anyone. The problem is Jackson’s versatility: she has proven she can box, brawl, slug inside, do whatever it takes to win bouts. Jackson not the most durable fighter, has been known to go down in fights, but still one of the best ever produced by the music industry. 

 Black jockeys for Elisabeth, black two piece aerobics suit for Janet, with spaghetti strap look up top.

During: R1 unfolds as expected, with Elisabeth trying to bore inside, Janet circling and looking to score with flurries, Shue comes in a little too tall, allowing Janet to mark her up with jabs, and although the blonde bangs to the peerless abs of her foe on occasion, it isn’t the sustained barrage we’re accustomed to. Jackson’s legs dominate the round as she works Shue like a sparring partner.

R2: Elisabeth comes forward again, this time bobbing and crossing her arms, but Janet’s cat-quick fists time her perfectly. Janet on the balls of her feet, stings Shue with a swatting left hook, then chops at her cheek with a right, moving away as Elisabeth is topped in her tracks, Janet circles back in, taking the fight to Beth with a wide right round punch to the body and a left uppercut curled to the chin. Janet starting to flow now, is loose and relaxed, popping her combinations and busting Elisabeth up. Again, when Shue gets to the body, it is with single shots from outside—she still hasn’t been able to plant her cheek on Janet’s shoulder.

R3: Jackson stuns Elisabeth early again, this time with a quick left uppercut to the teeth. Jackson scores with meaningful flurries then steps away. Always an inch outside of Shue’s increasingly desperate punching. Janet jabs at Elisabeth’s face this round, doubling the punch and whacking Shue’s head back. It’s boxing lesson to this point.

R4: Jackson continues to roll—her hand and footspeed, coupled with brilliant ring generalship are making this a surprisingly easy fight. Easy until the middle of the fourth: Janet backpedals, hands low, judging herself to be out of range, when Elisabeth lunges, stepping in to the leaping Frazier left hook which slices through Janet’s surprised jaw. Jackson crashes to the canvas, eyes swooning AND JANET JACKSON IS COUNTED OUT! Jackson can’t beat the count and Shue scores a huge KO at 1:45 in the fourth.

After: Elisabeth’s leaping left catching Jackson as she moved backwards is a classic. The punch makes highlight reels for a week. It’s almost as if the vibrant, dominant Jackson had been switched off like a lamp—so focused and in control one second, so dazed and hurt the next. Shue looks as good as she ever has.