Originally posted by Simguy on 7/7/2001, 9:36 am

Before: Liz Berkley paid step aide money to make way for Knowles/Spears, as Beyonce puts it: “Why would I fight some has-been skank for peanuts when I can lay a beating on Miss Britney Spears for millions on international PPV?” Even Spears impressed with the whisper-numbers for this fight, potentially her most lucrative to date. Knowles makes a splash in prefight—getting up in front of Britney, singing a few bars of “Bootylicious” (“I don’t think you’re ready for this, my body too bootylicious for a ya babe”—and so on and so forth) while gyrating said booty until Spears almost jumps the table. Both girls naturally bigger women, artificially making weight at bantam, Knowles maybe with the edge in size. Both utilize a supple club-scene style—if Beyonce is as good as she says she is, this is a toss up.  Beyonce in pink bandeau top, pink boycut trunks, Britney in pale blue bandeau top, boycut trunks.

R1, 2: Identical rounds, bit of a feeling out period. First minutes, girls get loose, hands down, jumping in at one another from well outside, trying to make strafing passes at each other—Spears learns that Beyonce’s legs can thrust, change direction just as well as her own—Knowles with the knack of landing as Britney’s backing out forces Spears to go flat footed and seek work inside/ Shoulder to shoulder, girls all supple and relaxed against one another, often carrying lefts at their sides and just whipping the right in on the other’s hip or jamming it into the belly. Beyonce also with some nice right uppercuts out of this posture gets good head bounce out of Britney to carry both rounds.

R3: First minute Knowles—she’s cutting off the ring, establishing air superiority as Britney runs out of ring. Beyonce bodies up, girls wrestling for position, and Spears lands a cheap elbow/forearm out of the lockup to the soft gut of Knowles, buckling the blonde’s muscular legs. Britney with her first moments of glory makes the most of them—Beyonce huddled forward, arms in—Spears looming tall, reaching into the girl’s side with vicious digs—fists often skidding across Knowles’ back on follow through—Britney just shining up the hips and kidneys of her foe. Knowles come through tough—weathers the storm, and she’s back on top in the final minute, walking Britney to the ropes, cramming a few short right hands into the gut as she holds Spears in her left at the bell.

R4: Knowles’ face betrays her—she’s still hurt and Britney goes right back inside to do some damage. First minute all about wrestling Beyonce onto her heels, getting her arms out wide then going to work on that delicious gut—Brit curling her punches in and connecting with forearm as well as Beyonce starts to crumble. From the halfway point—Knowles is glassy eyed, seated on the ropers, hands up, palms out as she sullenly takes a steady beat down from her foe. Whenever a weary Knowles bends forward—Spears goes to town—big splashing punches across the back, or shivering sticks in underneath the elbows at the sides—Spears getting her hips and legs into these bombs, arms all loose and whippy in delivery, Knowles shutout and banged up at the bell—Spears presses her against the ropes chest to chest to force eye contact as the ref get involved.

R5: Knowles using the ring early, lifting the jab off her hip to run Britney onto the punch—Spears walking through it, continues to apply pressure in this bout, Once Brit cuts off the ring, she’s singleminded—she gets her shoulder on Beyonce, and starts dragging loose-limbed leather up into the breadbasket, curling around those sweet hips to spank kidney and scoring with hurtful elbows to the belly every chance she gets. Brit finishes up punishing Beyonce on the ropes—Knowles clearly rundown, breathing hard—try to block and roll, but often too late, and she’s giving up too much too much of her torso in defending her head. Another hamfisted rounds for Spears---she’s loving it on Beyonce’s body.

R6: Britney outside, dancing to her left with an exaggerated lean, poking leasd rights as she moves—Beyonce turning, jabbing when Britney stops and ranks a lethal left hook that claps the mouthpiece off Knowles’ teeth and leaves her swaying helpless over her feet. Spears comes in hard with a shoulder butt to send Knowles sprawling, then walks in, bringing the right off her thigh to place it into Beyonce’s chin—blonde girl turning sideways against ropes covered and hurt. Tactical error from Britney as she backs off and incredibly allows Knowles time not only to recover, but to score a little—last half of round is intense competition with Beyonce holding her own toe to toe, girls pressing in on one another, turning each other and cramming gut to the bell.

R7: Beyonce bouncing, sliding away—Spears in stomping pursuit, almost exact opposite of what pundits were predicting for this fight. Knowles hopping to her right into a corner hands at her waist, inviting Britney in—Spears obliges, and Beyonce tomes her for a slinging right from the hip that puts Britney face first into the ropes! Spears a-swoon—Knowles piles on, hands low, using her shoulder and chest to bump Spears back, then licking up with both hands at the trunks and golden belly of her foe, Spears crumpling forward with a sick look of hurt—Beyonce goes to that shiny back with slinging, slashing blows, fists bouncing hard off the flat surface as Knowles gets hungry. Harsh beat down gets Knowles back into this contest—Britney shoved and slugged,  popped and pulped along the ropes and in a neutral corner as Knowles beats her ragged about the hops, waist and back.

R8: Britney mounts some effective strafing runs—diving in on Beyonce fro outside, dragging the right fist into the gut, then pivoting off the Booty-girl as Knowles covers to take. Fight progresses inside, Spears continues to do well—leaning her chin over Beyonce’s shoulder, keeping her hands low and just hoisting punches up into the supple midsection and ribs of her foe. Girls often wrapping lightly with the left in order to dig in a few right hands, Britney stepping with Knowles at the ropes keeps her more or less under control to the bell.

R9: Knowles stooping and backhanding a jab at Britney’s tummy early, brings down Spears’ guard and sets up a chopping right hand in the opening moments—Spears jerked sideways covers up heart as Knowles takes over. Beyonce chesting up, bringing punches up from the hips to swat Brit upside the head, draping Spears against the ropes and now it’s Britney’s turn to protect herself at all times. Beyonce playing some juicy licks on Britney—loose and limber downstairs, using her forearms and chest to prop Britney back into the ropes then jerking in payback elbow/forearms to the gut that bring shouts of pain from the blonde. Spears ragged—clinching around Beyonce’ shoulders, cringing up against the ropes—there’ no place to hide as she turns her battered body this way and that, Knowles’ lashing, clubbing fists bouncing hard off stomach, hops, back and occasionally piling onto jaw as Spears defense breaks down. Britney’s curvy legs keep her up this round-Knowles leaves her trembling come the bell.

R10: Close fight—who wants it more? Mid ring, girls body up. leaning in, palming at each other’s arms underneath, licking punches up into hurting midriffs--it’s a staggering waltz as the girls stick close and take turns laying blockbusters into one another’s tender guts, pace slows as girls marshal reserves to make each punch count. Beyonce goes right handed, keeping her weight on Britney, staring over Spears’ shoulder as she gets her legs behind driving, short right hands to the belly-Britney can’t take it. Spears punched and walked to the ropes—Beyonce reaching in under Britney’s arms to heave her back into the ropes, the bodying up to slam the forearm/elbow into the gut, laying on top of Brit to disguise the foul and drink in her opponent’s pain directly through her pores. Spears gurgling, out on her feet and getting bullied—Beyonce resetting—heaving Britney up into the ropes, driving back in with that murderous short forearm smash into tender belly. Bell sounds—Britney’s a shambles—Beyonce fighting on groggy autopilot, continues to plow away until the ref peels her off. Decision come back after a long delay—DRAW! Both girls seem shellshocked by the decision.

After: Almost comical scene as both beauties try to take one another for a walk—nearly precipitates another brawl as entourages separate the exhausted singers. Both had their moments in this one—Knowles finishes strong, but Spears landing the big power shots in the middle rounds did horrific damage as well. Both had opportunities to finish the other and didn’t do it—really the key to the whole bout.

Reposted by Archer 7/31/09.