"Caesar's Palace Presents"

Posted by simguy 1/16/2002   (Thanks to Ginny for this repost)

Before: Caesar's Palace loves classy dames and features two of the classiest in Basinger and Zeta-Jones. Jones back after a long lay off, looking to capitalize on Kim's recent limelight - some feel this could be the break Basinger's been waiting for. "Jones isn't exactly a gym rat," says CP's chief book maker, "while she's been off working on her tan, Kimmie's been in tough, getting sharp and staying ready for this kind of opportunity. If Jones doesn't come back in prime form, Basinger'll will eat her lunch." Caesar's dressing the girls up for this one - hair pinned up pretty, black toga style one piece with gold trim for Kim, white toga one piece with gold trim for Cathy, bare feet for both.

During R1: CZJ rusty early as an upbeat Kimmie B peppers the brunette with poking jabs, straight right hands from the high guard. Basinger using the ring, getting off with straight bursts, then stepping off, Jones unable to pull the trigger. Tic-tac-toe shutout Kim Basinger.

R2: Kim has another good minute working on Catherine's beautiful face, but it all goes awry at the half way point. Jones finally unleashing right hands, catches Basinger flush on the cheek and has the blonde stepping in fence post holes with jolting counters. Jones merciless on follow up - rattling Kim with thudding hooks to the breadbasket, tight left uppercuts on the chin and whistling right hands that slice in and down on Basinger's face. Kim ropeside much of the round, hands up but loose - she stoops forward and takes a vicious beating head and body to the bell. Basinger stupified, stumbles to her corner - Jones awarded 10-8 without a knockdown.

R3: Jones imperious with a hurt blonde in front of her - going to that breadbasket to begin her flurries, working her way up Kim's torso to cash in on chin with either hand. Basinger stoic as she squares up to the punching, refusing to give ground, and by the final minute, a puffed up Kim Basinger starts firing back. Jones fielding some tough lead right hands on the left side of her face stops punching, bails out rather than continuing the stubborn trade.

R4: Blistering action midring as each girl tries to steal the other's heart. Girls leaning in cheek to cheek, reefing to the body with shivering lefts, twisting into short right hands on the face - both women staggered in furious action. Down the stretch, Jones beats Basinger to a hook and unhinges the blonde's knees - Kimmie wilting into the ropes with a lost look - Jones feasting on tender midriff to the bell with chugging two gun delivery.

R5: Jones fighting with an angry look - she wants Basinger out of there. Kim's form a shambles, but she's hanging in there, answering back in spots and making it difficult for Jones to roll the blonde up. Catherine beating Kim non stop against the ropes, doubling and tripling up on hooks to the liver, but the blonde won't go. Cathy switching emphasis to Kim's face, shoeshining upstairs and trying to chop the right hand pay off, but Basinger always answers back just as it looks like she might be breaking down. Kim getting the better of late trade - it's not enough to take the round, but it's got Jones shaking her head in frustration.

R6: Spiteful punching from Zeta-Jones - withering left hooks to the liver have Basinger frozen in pain - blonde sitting on the ropes, looking forlorn, but refusing to submit in any material way. Punishment reaches a crescendo midway through as Jones lands a devastating flurry to batter Basinger's face to and fro - Kim reels sideways, rights herself and starts punching back! Final minute all Basinger as she beats Jones to right hands, backs the brunette up with stiff left hooks on the jaw and finally has the brunette up against the ropes at the bell.

R7: Basinger gambling, punching with Jones and it pays off early. Girls dip in to hook at sternum - Jones legs give way as Basinger gets there first. Kim shouldering the brunette off, stepping right and dropping the right hand over Jones' left shoulder - Catherine jerked a quarter turn to her right goes wobbly butt for the first time in the bout. A shabby Catherine Zeta-Jones clinches and grabs shamelessly, getting her legs back into the game, and chisels out a nice save the rest of the way with savvy hold and hit techniques. Pounding low blows have Basinger sobbing aloud at the bell as Zeta-Jones drops down with the right hands - stern finger waggle from the disapproving ref.

R8: Basinger has some luck with a short overhand lead right, chopping it to Jones cheek and putting the brunette on her heels. Kim follows it up with another right hand, steps in and nails the same punch again as CZJ falls apart. Jones hits the ropes in sorry shape as Basinger squares up to have at her. Slashing left/rights across the abdomen, tough uppercuts through the middle tear into Jones as Kim goes for broke. Jones guts it out, covering up tight, blocking well, bobbing and taking a hell of punch as Basinger dominates the first half of the stanza. Second half - blonde starts to punch herself out - Zeta-Jones starts to pick her spots, clipping the chin with counters off the ropes. Down the stretch, Catherine victimizing Basinger with crisp left hooks, jolting right hands on the chin - Kim staring, staggering back from the punishment and finishing up groaning on the ropes as Jones bodies up and hammers away at the body to the bell. Both girls in shock from damage this round - ref pulls the two apart to reveal slackened expressions, hollow eyes.

R9: Midring, flatfooted, tired, but determined warriors hack and slash at each other without mercy. Jones zeroing in on Kim's battered face, doing terrible damage - blonde's head really starting to snap back from the brunette's still-shattering delivery. Kim changing focus, has some success to Catherine's suspect gut - often stopping a Jones rampage in it's tracks with a well timed hook or scooping right uppercut to the stomach. Once again, ref must separate exhausted beauties from mutual embrace after the bell.

R10: Crowd roaring - girls trading vindictively midring. Both hooking off the jab, taking whatever they want - belly, breasts and head. Early turn-taking gives way slowly but surely to Jones scoring with right uppercuts or chopping right crosses in the late going to leave Kim swaying in hurt, unable to answer. Down the stretch, Jones crowding in close with her left shoulder, turns into a series of tight right hands across the mouth to drive Kim the length of the ring. Basinger hits ropes in swoon, gloves limp at her mouth as Jones pounds away with a joyous final flurry to close the show. Kim out on her feet at the bell, but an enraged Jones can't put her down - comes back UD10 Catherine Zeta-Jones.

After: Basinger beaten horrifically yet again, but once again making her tormentress earn every stroke. Time and again Jones had Basinger on the verge, only to see the blonde's reserves kick in and propel her to the bell. Jones badly battered herself - for two well rounded boxers, this was a blunt-edged, high contact affair that saw little in the way of sophisticated defence.