Posted by Simguy on Thursday. 24-Feb-2000 08:15:43

Before: Who could have predicted Eleniak being handpicked for another fighter’s splashy debut? Former headliner now merely “bikini meat” as Byrne calls her—Teri very confident despite her opponents credentials. Erika looks to be in good shape, but last serious fight was almost 2 years ago. Byrne in stars and stripes bikini, Eleniak in pink string number.

During R1: Byrne very agitated, anxious during staredown, swaying side to side, glaring at Eleniak who looks at her opponent’s stomach the whole time. At the opening bell, Byrne bolts across the ring and begins hammering away at Erika’s torso, often punching in twos: two left hooks, two right hands, two uppercuts etc. Eleniak on her heels tries to punch with the redhead with mixed results in a big round for Teri.

R2,3: Teri with a pair of pounding shutouts, pins Erika into the ropes with sustained output. Byrne very reminiscent of stable mate Raitano, figuring a good punch right hand now is better than a great punch in a minute. Volume of punches exposes openings as Erika seems to block and toll with a lot of incoming, but gets caught on the 3^rd and 4^th shot in sequence. Erika just not quick or confident enough to trade, sits on the ropesm and soaks it up.

R4: Teri sitting down on left hooks in behind Erika’s elbow, pays off as the blonde crumples, legs going wonky from the concentrated barrage. Teri hooting as she punches now, really pouring it on, taking little hops to either side of Erika to bang from a good angle to the body. Teri using the shoulder bump to set up a short right uppercut inside, starts to get good head movement on Eleniak as the former “Baywatch” star looks numb, dazed from constant bombardment. Erika sent back to her corner wobbly butt, cut in the mouth, and the ref takes a good look at her on her stool.

R5: First sign of inexperience from Teri as Erika digs down and fights through the pain to steal a round. Even with her legs not there, Eleniak manages to get off first this round, beating Teri to the punch and putting punches in bunches onto the redhead’s face and chest. Byrne unfazed by the damage, takes a good shot this round, but is wading in and not moving her head like she was—Eleniak able to work, get into a rhythm.

R6: Teri slams the door, using a Mosley-esque wife right hand to the body to set up jolting left hooks on the jaw or ribcage as Erika’s form breaks down. Erika’s guard lowering, elbows in tight, and a nice double hook on her chin has her hurt, set up for the finishing hook to the liver Eleniak drops to her knees as if shot, and barely beats the count as Byrne grins in the distance. As Teri to the bell as she muscles Erika to the ropes, nudging the blonde back with shoulders and forearms to dig into that sweet gut with both hands.

R7: Eleniak starting to go, defences weak, her body spasming every time Teri’s gloves find the stomach or ribs of the blonde. Erika leaning forward, eyes dropping shut, tries to smother the redhead, but Teri likes the range, able to turn her shoulder and find Eleniak’s stomach or sides at will. Teri relaxed, allows Erika to fall forward onto punches, stepping back and walking Eleniak onto heartbreaking right uppercuts into the belly—Eleniak spitting out her mouthpiece late in the round is on the verge of being stopped.

R8: Beating continues as Eleniak no longer competitive, Byrne muscling Erika into the ropes, taking great pleasure in sheer dominance of just pressing the other woman back, showing up Erika’s leg and body strength. Teri taunting the semi-conscious blonde in close, twisting into savage left hooks, right hands across the waist, and by the final minute, Eleniak is hanging on Teri, clutching pathetically as Byrne slugs methodically. A crisp left across the stomach, left uppercut on the teeth bounces Eleniak up against the ropes, and she lolls back into Teri, out on her feet. Byrne shucks the blonde with a contemptuous shrug, and Eleniak spills sleepily to the canvas. Teri drinking in the sight, stands over Erika with the blonde on her back, the ref struggling to push Byrne away as officials flood the ring. KO8 Teri Byrne.

After: Byrne couldn’t have hoped for a better debut TV Land gets a good long look at her form, capped by a monster beat down that left Eleniak used up on the canvas. Byrne dodging pesky questions about what would happen if she were to face Raitano, and one wonders whether one stable will be big enough for these two dynamos.