Posted by simguy on Sunday, 07-Feb-99 13:00:46

Before: Most highly anticipated celebrity bout since Kiana Tom/Janet Jackson 3 years ago, spawns an almost Super Bowl level of hysteria in Las Vegas on fight night. PPV show runs one hours career highlights of both women beating up all comers from 120 pounds on down. Electra promises in pre-fight conference: “Everyone knows I could box Salma and take this fight easy. I’m not going to do that. I’m going to climb into her trunks and take it to her body. I’m going to fight Salma’s  fight and force her to quit, That’s a promise to all her Mexican fans - you are going to see a war.” Odds makers install Electra as 2-1 favourite, obviously assuming that she will box and use her legs the way she has her entire career. Electra is the Fox Bantam Queen, Salma the Telemundo, HBO, Bally’s and Hilton Bantam champ - the winner of this fight will be considered the undisputed celebrity bantam champion of the world. Salma wears red aerobics two piece and gold arm bands, Carmen purple aerobics two piece with high neck look.

R1: Jabs? We don’t need no stinkin’ jabs! Carmen makes good on promise, immediately putting her mouth on Salma’s shoulder - and just as immediately getting a tune played on her gut that brings the mostly pro-Hayek crowd to it’s feet. Salma bulls Electra to the ropes, slugging her right hand around Electra’s left, and digging hard to the midsection with her left inside. Carmen doesn’t punch, in fact she sits on the ropes with a grimace on her face, catching exclusively, with her hands behind Salma’s back. Hayek batters Electra, and midway through the round, Electra’s legs bend and lock - she’s hurt and hanging on! Hayek immediately steps to the left and pounds that digging Mexican left hook repeatedly to the liver, gouging it underneath Electra’s elbows. Carmen survives, but Hayek peels away from the cringing brunette with an intense look of bloodlust on her face. She’s sent a message with this pulverizing round.

R2: Again Electra walks inside, and the girls lean heads on chests and shoulders as they slug inside. Banging blows from both women early give way to a steady beat from Hayek only, as once again, she walks Electra to the ropes. Electra more mobile in defence this time, bends at the waist as Salma digs away with left hooks. Salma wastes the odd swatting blows at Carmen’s chest, bringing the fight all the way to gutter level as the bad blood comes to the surface.

R3: Carmen comes out strong again, but after the first minute it is all Salma Hayek. Grinding her head against Carmen, Salma’s relentless body assault shuts the dancer down, and plowing right uppercuts to the chest followed by a string of low left hooks prompt a warning from the ref. Salma burrows in again and pounds Electra’s taut midriff AND ELECTRA TAKES A KNEE!!! The stunned crowd goes insane as a shaky Carmen Electra takes an 8 count to collect herself. Salma rolls to take a 3 rounds to one lead in this fight.

R4: Carmen’s best round sees her show a Shane Mosley look inside, finally using her leg and handspeed to embarrass Hayek. Electra uses a wide right round punch to set up left hooks and nimbly steps around Hayek to get her body from angles. Shutout Electra as she spins Salma and finesses her for points.

R5: Hayek didn’t like the flourish Carmen showed in the fourth, and she comes back with a three punch combo of low blows to get another warning from the ref. Salma walks in and pulverizes Carmen’s side with that digging left to the liver AND CARMEN GOES DOWN AGAIN!!! Electra dazed, sags against the ropes, desperately slugging back as Hayek pushes and mugs her to be the bell.

R6-7: Salma takes both rounds, inevitably walks Carmen around the ring and finishing up strong in the corners or on the ropes. Hayek has the fight won on the cards at this point, and is clearly enjoying dishing it out to Carmen, taunting her on the breaks. Hayek also continues to indulge in cheap shots to the chest, drawing protests from Carmen’s corner, despite the legality of the blows.

R8: Carmen guts it out, going toe to toe and finally getting the better of Hayek. Electra’s fitness may be coming in to play as Salma seems to fade in the final stages of this round. For the first time in the fight, a round ends with Hayek’s back to the ropes, with her soaking up lefts and rights to the midsection.

R9: Carmen pours it on, her best round of the fight and a shutout as Hayek has faded badly down the stretch. Salma’s high punch output early has left her sucking wind, and Carmen TANS her body with smacking lefts and rights. Electra seeks out Hayek’s liver with that digging left, and punishes the Mexican with a dose of her own medicine to take a very convincing round.

R10: IT’S ALL ELECTRA. She walks into Salma and sets up shop with her cheek on Hayek’s shoulder, PUMPING body shots with body hands as Salma seems to wilt. Hayek hanging on, taking punches AND SALMA IS HURT!!!! Drilling lefts and rights finally send a tremor through Salma’s legs and Carmen opens up, punching with abandon around Salma’s arms as the Mexican tries to clinch to no avail. Carmen scoring with short right uppercuts inside and murderous left hooks to the body. Carmen finishes the stronger fighter, but it’s a case of too little, too late. The early knockdowns and rounds scored by Salma give her the win - the biggest of her career, and Carmen’s most disappointing defeat.

After: Hayek dismisses her late fade and points to her early dominance. “When she finished all her talking,” Salma says in post-fight, “She couldn’t take it inside. I’m glad she fought the way she said she’d fight and didn’t run. Now we know who the better woman is.” Indeed, Electra’s decision to fight and beat Salma on her own terms proved disastrous, and seriously derails what had been this most meteoric rise in celebrity boxing history. Whether or not Carmen will have the character to come back from this disheartening defeat will remain to be seen.