(PHOTOS COURTESY BI PHOTO LABS) 

Posted by Simguy on 2/6/2004, 6:22 pm.

Before: Important positioning fight for two classy boxers looking to rebound, “Sarah Michelle and I are pretty closely matched,” admits Kelly. “we’re always looking to establish ourselves with a win against the other--we’ve been in this exact same situation many times. Everyone knows that it’s a high-skill match up: the winner’s going to be hit.” Gellar also realizing it’s a key fight. “We both know HBO, promoters, even other fighters compare us and look to see who’s got the upper hand at any given moment. When flyweights want yhat fight against a classy technician, they’re gonna call either me or Kelly--it’s important to be able to point to the last time we fought and say, ‘look, I kicked Kelly’s ass--I’m better--you should pick me.” Kelly in black bikini, Sarah in silver/white bikini, slick ponytail.

During 1,2: Tactical, tactical, tactical. Gellar more lithe through her waist, bending low, pivoting around her front foot, emphasizing upper body moves and head movement. Packard leggier, sliding forward while dragging the back foot, sliding backward while dragging the lead foot. Gellar more apt to drop her hands and rotate her torso. Packard fairly upright, hands up, fading back and batting at Sarah’s punches to parry, Not a lot of heavy contact, but Gellar generally in better position, landing more consistently along the ribs, on the belly. Both women spitting out jabs-Gellar probably with a slightly higher connect percentage, seems to be directing traffic a little better.

R3: 2 more minutes of cagey chess-play, Packard using the ring, Gellar changing her height and distance. Final minute though, rare exchange sees both girls trade rights, comeback hooks and PACKARD STAGGERS AWAY HURT! Kelly all lit up, wide-eyed---she covers up at the ropes as Gellar steps-to, claws at those slender flanks with clubbing rights and lefts. Flurry at the bell gets the crowd into it--Packard managing to escape without further damage, but Gellar slowly building an imposing lead on the cards through 3.

R4: Another hard to score round--defensive styles cancelling each other out--neither really taking any chances offensively, Gellar gathering points with some savvy flurries--brushing away on Packard and escaping to the side. Kelly unhurt, but not diligent enough about getting her fair share of touches--hard to find Packard points in the first 4 rounds.

R5: Nothing obscure about this round: it’s bell to bell Kelly. Packard on her toes, much more constructive with her jab, shooting it down from a raised position, doubling it up, making Gellar commit, then lining her up with sturdy right crosses. Nice stitching one-twos from Kelly as she wheels to her left and picks Gellar apart. Midway through, one of those Packard rights slams hard against Gellar’s left ear as SMG lays over on her right side--Buffy’s legs give way in a momentary scramble as she staggers to regain balance.

R6: Back to back shutouts--Packard unable to drift Sarah again, but she’s established tactical air supremacy with her legs, circling, cutting Sarah off, negotiating her to the ropes. Packard head hunting with one-twos, but conscientious about cleaning up in Sarah’s head with that follow-on hook--Gellar hard to hit, but Kelly’s doing the work through 6.

R7: Packard breaks up a stubborn Gellar rally at the minute mark, fading Sarah’s pressure, parrying punches, then walking Gellar into a tidy counter hook--Sarah sent sputtering sideways all shook. Kelly takes over, but doesn’t go crazy--she’s patting Gellar down with jabs, throwing the right up top and either landing it, or missing but setting up that business-like left hook firm against Sarah’s ribs. Packard righting the ship, doing it with power in the last three rounds to prove the puncher tonight.

R8: Gellar gets back to that swivel-pivot, getting under Packard punches, getting around her her and tearing up that gut with chewy lefts and rights, Slapping, slicing connects from Gellar, but it’s a pretty consistent lather--Packard looking a little stiff, turning, covering up, accepting the slashes against her tummy as the price of doing business. Sarah able to outwork her girl in the 8^th--anybody’s guess who’s the boss at this point.

R9: Packard breaks through big time, hurting Sarah Michelle Gellar over and over and over again in a wild 9^th! Gellar bobbing, making moves in the opening moments, but a Packard right hand tracks her down and POUNDS off the left eye, scattering Sarah to the ropes and putting her wobbly butt for the rest of the stanza. All Kelly P from that point on--a relentless, slender-limbed hungry-eyed onslaught that visits all four corners, Sarah Michelle getting ripped every step of the way. Packard showing incredible fitness mounting sustained fury so late in a fight, walking Gellar down, lathering to her gut, batting at her ears, dropping right hands on the jaw and picking up chin in the left uppercut. Gellar reeling, careening along the ropes, windblown, ramshackle, but surviving--she’s hurt repeatedly but SOMEHOW manages to slip the one punch that would put her out every time Kelly throws it. Bell sounds, Gellar sags into the ropes horribly busted up, out on her feet--Packard chest heaving, eyes blazing--she’s exhausted, but happy: it’s 10-8 Packard without the knockdown.

R10: WAR! Shifty cuties don’t have the wind or legs to box smart anymore--they go at each bother with tagged limbs, shaky legs, licking and lashing away toe to toe as crowd roars to life! Gellar shaking off Packard right hands in the first minute--Kelly’s scoring, but arm weary, can’t get movement out of Sarah now. Second minute--Gellar crumpling Kelly with body punches, buckling the classy blonde forward, paralyzing her. Packard just leaning forward, open-mouthed--Sarah curls her punches to bat at that pretty gave, just clouting it back and forth as Kelly laps up the hurt. Gellar putting Kelly wobbly butt, busting her up and seemingly having her on the verge but SARAH’S arms grow weary and PACKARD STARTS TO PUNCH! Kelly shaking off a series of lefts and rights against her cheeks, sliding back a half step and walking Sarah into that sneaky check-hook--now GELLAR’S hurt! Sarah stepping in fence post holes, hands down, eyes forlorn--Kelly stalking her with a pawing jab and drilling right hands--Gellar’s sprayed hurt to the ropes. All Kelly P to the bell--mindless slugging action--she’s hurt, Sarah’s hurt--it’s just one nubile little blonde going at one another with lathering punches from the waist. Bell sounds, girls fall into an exhausted embrace, then struggle to gouge at each other with close-in work as the ref takes a hand. LONG delay as cards are tallied and retallied, comes back a heartbreaking, razor thin UD10 for Sarah Michelle Gellar!

After: Packard crying out in shock, cringing as Sarah’s right hand is lifted--Sarah sobbing exhausted tears--emotionally draining fight became a life and death struggle in the last 2 heats as neither woman held back. Packard outraged by the decision, and with just cause--she landed the majority of power shots and the 9^th round was a masterpiece of hungry pursuit punishment that had done enough damage to merit a stoppage. Gellar forged that early lead, then hangs on, does just enough to scorch her bitter rival--you just can’t have a closer, more controversial decision than this.

Reposted by Archer 4/15/12.