BOXING AFTER DARK

Originally posted by Simguy on 10/28/2001, 7:12 pm.

(Kreuk the new little brunette on Smallville, Appleby the established little brunette on Roswell).

Before: WB notorious for developing hot young talent, and encouraging competition between it’s various prospects. Smallville’s Kristin Kreuk and Roswell’s Shiri Appleby just the latest pair of WB starlets to be pitted against each other by back stage politicking. Appleby, with some justification, feeling Kreuk’s a cheap knockoff of Shiri’s look, but Kristin unapologetic, “Shiri’s already looking old to me. If I’m the ‘new’ Shiri Appleby—I’m new and improved.”

Appleby’s in very pale pink bra and panties, Kristin in baby blue bra and panties—both girls with very small white gloves.

During R1,2: Both girls well schooled in the house style—hands eye-brow high, feet set, dropping the jab hammer style, then leaning out over that front foot to bat hooks at the opponent’s ribs, rocking back to hook chin on the way out. Tic tac toe back and forth—both girls busy, anxious to be first and last, but it’s Kristin doing most of the work. Newcomer takes both rounds comfortably—nobody hurt, but Kreuk smiling her little smile at each bell know she’s taken the lead.

R3: Girls get closer, pushing up on each other behind their guards, then taking turns snapping away downstairs. Kreuk once again prettier with her combinations, busier, little fists making smack-smack noises against Shiri’s tight midriff, then coming up sharp between Appleby’s gloves to score uppercuts in close. Shiri mirroring the action, just not as much of it—drops the third straight round in competitive action.

R4: Shiri finally outworks Kristin this round—girls still crowding in behind their guards, staying in close to dig hooks and uppercuts, each mixing up body7 and head like old pros. Nobody’s back touching the ropes, girls just rotating slowly midring, taking turns getting off, keeping guards high and tight. Appleby smug at the bell, but she’s got some catching up to do—both girls starting to shine up nicely after plenty of contact through 4.

R5: Kristin gets back outside, opens up with a flaring hook to the waist that seems to freeze Shiri—Kreuk takes command. Kris light and breezy outside, weight on that front foot, reaching in to bat hooks to the body, then spiking the crisp straight right, straight left up the middle to back Shiri up. Midway through, Kreuk with a nice series comes off the body and riddles Appleby’s stiff defense with a burst of straight rights and lefts between the mitts—Shiri getting her head knocked back stumbles to the ropes in the fight’s first form break. Kreuk finishing up sweet at the ropes, jabbing to pre-empt Appleby, hooking her body to weaken her, and scoring to the face with those straight, poking combinations to lump Shiri up at the bell.

R6: Kristin at play—smiling openly now, outjabbing Shiri, stepping back with perfect anticipation to make Appleby miss, then leaning back in to catch her off guard. Kreuk with a nice slide step back, picks Shiri up on the way in with a cuffing hook along the jaw that has Appleby stepping in fence post holes. Shiri getting outclassed at this points, drops her fists and starts slugging from her hips—Kreuk calm, cool and collected, sticks with the high guard, working her combinations off the block as Appleby unravels.

R7: Oh, pretty stuff from Kreuk. Appleby out ragged, embarrassed, and desperate, telegraphs badly as Kris weaves back, then leans in on that front foot with a short lead right, strokes the jaw with a brushing hook, then dips her shoulder to dig the left hook hard up to the sternum—Appleby sinks to one knee with eyes brimming—perfectly placed plexus shot takes her heart out of this fight. Shiri up at 8, but bandy legged—chopping right hand on the face and the cuffing hook along the jaw—Appleby swooning, dips to one knee again with a dazed, hopeless expression.. Shiri takes 8, stumbles forward into a series of biting hooks to the breadbasket that all but end the fight—Appleby swaying on the spot, ashen faced—Kreuk steps to the right with a little come-along hook on the jaw, drops her right hand onto Shiri’s eye, dips her shoulder and pokes that fish-hook uppercut sweet underneath Appleby’s chin. Little lead pop Appleby, and Shiri wobbles to take her third knee of the fight and it’s over! Ref waves it off as a badly beaten Shiri Appleby can’t get off her knees—K07 Kristin Kreuk.

After: Tiny brunettes put on an old-fashioned slick display of solid skills, bucking the trend amongst junior flyweights to wild brawling for the sake of TV ratings. Mild surprise as Kreuk breaks Appleby down and stops her with an accumulation of well placed, well timed shots—clinical beating reminiscent of early Sarah Michelle Gellar. Appleby distraught with the loss—never good to let a girl beat you up in your own back yard. Kreuk with more than a touch of catlike self-satisfaction in victory—lack of power seems to be the only thing missing from the pint-sized package.

Reposted by Archer 4/17/09.