Posted by simguy on 1/28/2005, 7:12 am

Before: Katie coming off a haunting KO loss to Jennie Garth at St. Barth's - no intention of shying away from Megan's challenge however. "I'm drawing a line in the canvas against Megan," promises Katie in prefight. "She can't just step to me and call me out - I can't believe her gall. I may not be Jennifer Garner just yet, but I deserve some friggin' respect from someone just starting out. I'm winning this fight: I guarantee it." Fox blatantly insolent - refusing to show any deference at all to her more experienced foe. "I take what I want from girls like Katie," explains the tank-top wearing phenom. "She wants respect? How 'bout she actually earns some for a change? I'm going to have fun slapping Katie around. People call this a step-up fight for me, but I'll be honest with you: to me, it's a showcase." Katie in lemon bikini, Fox in punching horizontal-bar pink bikini.

During R1: Fox wide with her shots - Katie sharpshooting behind her jab slides a clanging right to chin to buckle Megan's knees moments in. Katie dutiful on follow up - right at her cheek, hooking Fox in her shoulder and lats as Megs covers up to recuperate. Holmes backing off to re-establish outside - she's jabbing stiff, keeping the right tight to cheek - Megan shaking off the cobwebs, coming forward near the bell, getting a facial from Holmes in the first.

R2: Fox pressing behind a thumping jab to Katie's chest - Megs coming forward, imposing herself, collapsing distance on taller beauty. Holmes bending forward, getting forehead to forehead, both girls with dukes up at jaws - trading clip n' swat with each other toe to toe. Crowd pleasing stuff - Fox more compact, heavier handed in close, really clubbing Katie's ears - Holmes stubbornly hanging in there to show heart.

R3: Girls scrubbing forehead again - dukes at jaws, taking turns. Katie bobbing slightly, looking for short clipping uppercuts, bringing her mitt back quick to reform the rigid guard. Fox really settling in - she's more comfy in the trenches, keeping her head on Katie's while swing-hooking the hip/ribs, shifting weight and getting thick right hands up underneath. Fox moving Katie even when punches pound Holmes' arms - Katie grimacing, giving ground. Midway through - Fox punishing the body comes up top a vicious hook - Holmes put wobbly butt, staggers into the ropes for support. Good pounding follow up: Megs squaring away, snatching and snapping at Katie, bringing the hands back to her chin to reset, always bobbing, moving her head in a compact slugger's rhythm. Bell: Megan snarling, punches Katie a late left hand in the stomach, drawing howls of protest.

R4: Katie smart behind her jab, creating a little distance - she's the classier vixen out in space. Stick starting to mark Megan up a little - she's better at moving her head when she's in close and punching - outside she's a bit of a target. Holmes circling, staying in constant motion, just chipping and chiselling away, piling up her points on Megan's face this round.

R5: Fox pouring the pressure to Katie along the ropes - fighting off Holmes' chest. Katie dug in back to ropes, huddled forward, keeping her head in close to Megan's - but Fox doing all the punching. Short, savage ripping action - Megan digging hooks to body, snapping at ear, dipping to either side to jerk whistling uppercuts. Holmes blocking a lot of shots, but getting scuffed up - really outworked by Megan in a shutout fifth.

R6: Katie back outside: different fight. Holmes doing yeoman's work with that stick, twisting it into Megan's cheek, busting up her eyes: cruel satisfaction on Katie's face as she gets the better of Megs in these minutes. Holmes keeping the right at her cheek, but occasionally dropping it in behind the jab - when she extends, turns that back foot over and drives through Fox's chin? Megan gets hurt, staggers away from contact with resentful eyes. Shutout Holmes, hard eye contact as Katie throws down a gauntlet of her own in the sixth.

R7: Katie holding her own when girls lean in close and work, but clearly separating herself on the outside. Holmes boxing as well as she ever has: stepping lanky to the left, spearing the jab, doubling it chippy and dropping right crosses. Mitts bouncing off Fox's skull and face, but she's taking it well - she'll back off a step or two, but instincts are to come forward and pitch.

R8: Katie outclassing Megan again. Jab keeping Megs at range - Holmes fighting at her pace, using the ring. Katie hooking off the jab, getting it short and tangy to Megan's jaw and pivoting to the left - pretty looking shot, shows Katie's loosening up, getting better leverage on average than she has. Fox still coming forward, but rushing, taking too much punishment for too little gain: face is puffy and sore after 8 rounds of Katie.

R9: Katie keeping her back clear of ropes, scrubbing Fox with brushing left/right combos to keep Megan off. Fox constantly pressing, busting up, but she's very aggressive - stepping in to jab Katie to the body, looking for hooks and right hands whenever she gets to Holmes' chest. Down the stretch, Holmes laying in with Fox and taking a stroking right hand on the ear as girls fall together - Fox in snug, comes up digging to Katie's ribs! Holmes groaning, belted back into the ropes and reaching for Fox to tie up. Megan won't have it, keeping hands free, hooking and uppercutting to leave Katie knock-kneed at the bell, stealing late points.

R10: Katie ramshackle, legs a little rubbery - she motors uncertainly to her left along the ropes - Fox in hot pursuit. Megan's dukes at her chin, eyes alert as she steps-with - bobbing her head under Katie's jab and looking to harm Holmes with hook-receipts. End of minute one - Katie trying to skip to her left at the ropes - Fox leans in a caroms a spanking right off Katie's brow - KATIE'S HURT! Holmes sagging into the ropes as she staggers to her right and KATIE'S DOWN! Holmes dazed, devastated - she pounds the canvas in frustration, coaxing her long limbed frame back upright for a swaying 8. ON COMES FOX! Katie hurt, but dug in stubborn - it's hammer and tongs at the ropes. Katie - Megan - Katie - Megan - girls taking turns toe to toe. Holmes with dukes at her temples, torso forward - she's scraping left uppercuts, leaning back into the ropes to slip, then leaning forward with lead right hands. Fox pinning her ears back, pounding the ribs and shoulders - winging wide, but fearless, showing no respect for Holmes' punching power. Bell - girls still brawling - ref breaks 'em up. Comes back UD10 close...Megan Fox!

After: Megan bursting with emotion at the announcement, shouting "YEAH!" pumping her fists, giving Katie a hearty shove in the shoulder to nearly precipitate post-fight brawling as officials move in. Holmes drained, devastated - she's staring at the canvas, brow furrowed as she runs the fight over and over in her mind, clearly obsessing. Actually one of Katie's best performances overall but doesn't look like she's giving herself much credit in the immediate aftermath. Megan winning hearts and minds one fight at a time: once dismissed as Cuoco-fodder, TV brunette looks a proper scrapper after a couple of hardnosed outings.