Posted by Simguy.  Saturday, 19-Feb-2000 12:38:28

(Thanks to FightFan for this repost)

Before: Fight goes in Buenos Aries - Sabatini without a fight in years, comes back to the ring to face down the girl who has usurped her position as the sex kitten queen of sports. In her prime, Gabi was a stylish, very athletic fighter, but a little slow of foot and hand, with questionable stamina and poor defense. Kournikova in her fighting prime, sticks with the formula for picking opponents past theirs, leading some wits to joke that Graf hasn't been retired long enough for Anna to fight her. Open tennis stadium, heat could be a factor - Anna in black 2 piece adidas track gear, long braid, Gabi in red adidas track gear, Spanish ponytail. Small gloves for both.

During R1 Gabi on her toes early, lifts a lazy jab off her hip into Anna's cheek early, but Kournikova able to cut off the ring, begins to twist her lanky limbs into whip action lefts and rights to put Gabi on the defensive. Anna with the left low, the right at her cheek, stings Gabi with slashing combinations, driving the brunette to the ropes, and Kournikova sets up in front, twisting the left into the gut, chopping the right on the jaw, until Gabi goes wobbly butt. Sabatini in bad shape at the bell, grimacing and looking a little shiny from the leather.

R2 Gabi out behind that lanky, slapping jab, legs around Anna this round, scripting Kournikova as the stalker/slugger in this bout. Gabi able to keep up the pace for much of the round, but in the final minute, Anna jabbing with the taller brunette hems Gabi into a corner and once again is able to torque lefts and rights to beat Sabatini into compliance. Sabatini unhurt, but not looking sharp, clearly slower than her blonde foe.

R3 Anna out quickly spearing Gabi to the belly with lead right hands, then whipping the lanky left hook to clap Sabatini on the ear. Sabatini getting wrong footed, starting to slap and push her punches as Anna shows surprising aggression, bending her head down below Gabi's waist, then sweeping up with whip action blows to the body and head. Final minute, Kournikova has Gabi trapped in her corner, and Anna uses the double jab to pry open Sabatini's guard. Anna putting punches together, stands right in front of Gabi, turning her tanned shoulder into the left hook, following through to bend to the right, then cranking back with the whipping right hand as Sabatini begins to panic. Anna vulnerable to being countered as she gets off with picture perfect punches, but Sabatini can't pull the trigger. Anna shredding the former legend, bashing out Sabatini's mouth piece with a sweeping right hand, then going for the kill as Gabi swoons with her butt on the turnbuckle. Slashing lefts and rights across the face has Gabi out on her feet, face blank, and the ref jumps in to stop the carnage. Anna smiling, lifting her mitts in triumph, then takes a battered Gabriella by the waistband of her trunks and walks the girl around the ring as the crowd roars its approval.

After: Anna putting another beating on a soft and out of shape ex-athletic star, draws howls of derision from Hingis, and other girls who want a piece. Anna laughs them off, saying "They are too ugly. No one wishes to see them fight." Still, Anna showed good sense in turning slugger when she saw Gabi had nothing left - and many pundits came away impressed with the performance.

Sim Guy