Posted by Simguy on 7/28/2002, 9:06 am.

Before: Knowles getting her weight down, focusing on a rematch with a taller, more experienced foe—critics wonder whether fixating on Berkley a good move for Beyonce at this point in her career. “Beyonce doesn’t need Elizabeth, but she’s continually stubbing her toe on Berkley,” notes one commentator, “this is a must win situation of sorts for the kid. You don’t want to be known as Elizabeth Berkley’s whipping girl.”

Beyonce in retro bikini, green top, yellow bottoms, Berkley in red and black plaid string bikini, curly ponytail.

During R1: Slow paced round—Berkley using her long jab well, but not enough—Beyonce coming forward, being allowed on to thump the ribcage, then getting tied up as she bulls her girl to the ropes. Sloppy stop and go action with Knowles the aggressor.

R2: Beyonce pressing again, not moving her head much and taking jabs on the face, Midway through, Berkley potshotting Knowles on the way in, then clinching, NAILS Knowles on the break, staggering the blonde. Liz lands a walking barrage of straight lefts and rights to pummel Beyonce to the ropes. Knowles strong legs prop her up as she stoops forward, gloves at her cheeks, taking sturdy work to the breadbasket and ears from a busy Berkley to the bell.

R3: Beyonce plowing into Liz, reaching up under the taller girl’s arms and bellying her to the ropes—fighters tumble along the strands until Knowles can stuff her opponent in a corner. All Beyonce as Berkley’s entire fight plan seems to be to tie her for up—Knowles struggling to pull her arms free and work that body bell to bell.

R4: Fight opens up when Luz decides to box—Berkley doing a nice job with her stick on Beyonce’s pretty face, banging back that head and stepping around Knowles’ right shoulder. Beyonce showing her inexperience, following the taller woman around, walking into right hands, allowing Liz palm up and sidestep with impunity. Shutout Berkley.

R5: Beyonce crossing her arms, bobbin her head at last. Lands a thumping left across Liz’ waist and curls an overhand tight to the jaw that has Berkley stepping in fence post holes. Beyonce getting low on her foe, shoving in with the left shoulder, then clubbing away with tight rights and lefts—Knowles just breaking down her opponent’s body, then clouting the head as Berkley wilts. Methodical muscling at the ropes as Beyonce uses her head and shoulders well to prop and jostle her girl for openings.

R6: Beyonce with sumptuous body punching in the first minute—has Berkley groaning, pulling away in pain—veteran buys herself time at last with a thumping low blow off the ropes for which Knowles receives a breather. Grinding, stop and go action upon resumption—Liz able to walk Knowles into the right uppercut, then clinching, walking the youngster around, pinning her to the ropes for a break, Fouls, holding, frustration starting to wear Knowles down as she slumps in her stool during the break.

R7: Sturdy shutout Beyonce Knowles. Liz can box this girl but she has no confidence in the approach, preferring to latch on and hold tight whenever Knowles gets close. Beyonce unable to put punches together, complains bitterly about the clinching—fight getting rough on the inside as both girls start to maul and struggle. Berkley constantly bellied to the ropes and walked around—Beyonce too strong from the waist down.

R8: Similar pattern—Beyonce making the fight, trying to work I there but smothering herself by falling in with Liz. Opportunistic Berkley keeps holding, frustrating then taking advantage, either hitting on the breaks, or catching Knowles coming in with sneaky right hand, Beyonce shaken up—takes a great shot this round as Berkley labels her with anticipatory rights—Liz able to punch and clutch very effectively this round.

R9: Crowd booing as the girls clinch up high on one another, staggering around the ring in a tight embrace, Knowles actively trying to fight—it’s Liz constantly bogging down the action, even dragging both competitors to the mat in messy tangles, ref warns Berkley repeatedly for the outrageous swampage—Liz just doesn’t want to take any risks tonight.

R10: Perfect ending for this fight—girls pushed apart and Liz lands a cheap right hand on the break, immediately helping herself to trunk with the left hand as she falls in to ride Beyonce to the ropes. Knowles outraged, struggling to extricate herself—ref trying to separate’em—it’s madhouse. Knowles coming forward with punching intention, but she’s partially to blame for continually walking into the clinch—she’s not jabbing, not changing things up enough to discourage Liz. Girls just wrestling each other up top, trying to nturn each other’s back to the ropes—boos cascade down as Berkley successfully eats up the cloick. Comes back a dreary UD10 Beyonce Knowles.

After Knowles grinds I tout—good learning experience for the kid as she has to ndeal with a lot of veteran shenanigans in this one. “I just hope I’ve seen the last of her,” a tired Beyonce says in post fight. “I trained for a boxing match—not mudwrestling bout.” Berkley with her usual objections, “I destroyed her with my right hand. Count the power shots—it’s all me. What did she do, exactly, in this fight? It’s just more favourtism—the FCBA knows I’d tear this sport up if they ever took the cuffs off me but they don’t want to let a lioness loose on the sheep.”

Reposted by Archer 9/19/09