Posted by simguy on 2/20/2002, 6:56 am

Before: With mega-fights on the horizon, some girls are still fighting for table scraps and self respect. Blue Horizon action out of Philly, ESPN2, two trial horse bantams, no hype, no pre-fight shenanigans, just women desperate to use one another to climb one lowly rung higher. Pressure especially on Thiessen - Carteris supposed to be the girl Tiffany can finally muscle for a W to jump start one of the most bewildering careers in the sport. Gabrielle a thinking man's fighter, best known for hammering out a bloody upset over Dani Fishel early in the fireplug's career - she'll need the same sort of pluck to offset Tiffany's advantages tonight. TAT in pale blue bikini top, snug white cotton panties, blonde highlights - Carteris in white bandeau tankini lingerie, short blonde hair pinned back.

During R1: Carteris out with a visible agenda. Own Tiffany's hips: hard strokes across the belly for Thiessen. Beat Tiffany to the punch. Walk Tiffany back. Punish Tiffany on the ropes. Carteris going through the checklist, keeping her head on Thiessen, moving her hands downstairs, bodying the blonde to the ropes - shutout Carteris.

R2: Tiffany gets over Carteris' unexpected aggression - two way fighting breaks out as Thiessen stands her ground. Crowd pleasing spank-spank midring - girls laying in mouth on shoulder, taking turns jamming away to belly and breast, each using the left elbow to push off with, each jerking in tight lefts or rights to the jaw in close. Tiffany takes over the agenda - it's Carteris retreating, Tiffany getting off first, Tiffany punishing Gabrielle on the ropes at the bell.

R3: Shutout Tiffany Amber Thiessen. TAT has a cooperative Gabrielle Carteris in front of her - no angles or lateral movement from the heavy set bantam - Carteris crossing her arms and laying in with Thiessen, conserving energy as the younger woman stays busy. Hungry punching to Carteris' flanks, in behind the elbows as Thiessen lays down a methodical swath of leather. Shoving and slugging up against the ropes - Carteris sullen, right hand at her left cheek, left hand across her belly, she's just bobbing and turning, looking to block and slip at the bell.

R4: Gabrielle clearly preserving her legs, very sparse punching from the older woman as Carteris goes into counter punch mode. Good hound and pound from Tiffany as she stays on top of Gabrielle, busying herself to the breadbasket, working around the sides, coming up the middle with jerking little uppercuts, and constantly jostling Carteris backwards. Gabrielle languishing in the ropes with her crossed arm defence - she can spike Tiff on occasion with sharp counter right hands on the cheek, or short little left hooks to the right side ribs - but the accurate power not enough to offset Thiessen's bludgeoning workrate.

R5: Tiffany piling on - another shutout as Carteris sags into the ropes, crosses her arms, turns her torso or clinches instead of punching. Thiessen really digging in - she's finding Carteris' head difficult to hit flush as the veteran picks up punches on her right glove or left shoulder, but the body is there all round long. Sumptuous digs downstairs have Gabby flushed, reaching around the waist to hang on - Tiff banging away around Gabrielle's outstretched arms until referee's breaks.

R6: Gabrielle fading back to the ropes, grimacing and playing hurt early - she walks Tiffany into one of the all time great sucker counter right hands. Carteris bending into the sweetly timed shot, drops Thiessen to her backside in a heartbeat and turns the fight around. Tiffany wobbly butt after 8 - Carteris goes to work with hard-eyed determination. Gabrielle takes the fight to Tiffany, beating the blonde's middle, then takes a half step back, walking Thiessen into a vicious hook to the trunks, doubling off the crotch with a left uppercut to swivel Tiffany's head back. Thiessen floundering, stumbling forward - she's getting mauled now as Gabrielle retreats in good order, picks up the tummy or trunks with a fishhook left, then bangs the chin with a snappy left uppercut. Carteris able to body up and turn Tiffany to Thiessen's left - Tiff can't get off as Gabrielle heaps on the abuse. Tiffany swooning, whining to the ref during the break - Thiessen clearly cringing from Gabrielle's hard hearted trunk work.

R7: Carteris crowding Thiessen back into her corner, getting underneath the blonde and jamming her into the turnbuckles, making Thiessen feel the strength. Carteris smothering Tiffany, then jamming in punches - Thiessen struggling to muscle Gabrielle back in a sweaty, hard working first minute. Carteris stuffing rights and lefts into Tiffany's smooth underbelly and bulging breasts - punishing sack attack has Tiffany mewling in pain as the ref starts to issue breaks. Gabrielle continues to set the tempo, touching Tiffany's brow with a stubby jab on the way in, dipping her shoulder, licking the left hand off the crotch, then doubling the left uppercut to the chin - Thiessen starts to unravel as the searing attack wears her out. Midway through, flush, savage punching as Tiffany heartbroken - she crumbles to all fours, panting and looking forlorn - somehow coaxing herself to her feet. Carteris patient with a minute left, prodding Thiessen with the jab, pushing up, then stepping out to allow Tiff to fall forward, then bang-bang to crotch and chin as Thiessen is powerless to stop the beating. Tiffany finally crumpling from a borderline hook hard across her beltline, swoons to all fours and sits back sobbing on her haunches - KO7 Gabrielle Carteris!

After: You don't see this every day - Gabrielle Carteris taking a girl for a wobbly-butt walk of shame - drawing boos from the pro-Thiessen crowd who had expected the opposite result tonight. Gaby unrepentant in post fight, "They brought me in here to lose, and I fought to win," says CArteris simply, "people don't like that they can lump it. I don't really believe a lot of those shots were low - I think if you review the tape you'll see I was placing punches strategically below the navel because Tiffany's very soft there. It was the uppercuts that finished her off anyway - the body shots were just decoys. Yeah - I think I've got lots of fight left in me - a lot of the younger girls really don't know how to box and there's room for a real ring general in this division. I know my limitations - I'm not going to fight Kelly Hu or some of the taller girls, but I know I can still give Dani a fight, I'd love to test Britney's body, maybe Carmen who's slowed down a lot. Basically, I'm available."

Thanks to Apollo for this repost.

Archer 10/19/09.