Posted by Simguy on 6/28/2002, 7:06 am.

Before: Britney sullen, uncommunicative with the press—Spears still stinging from the Danes defeat and looking to make someone pay for it. Enter Reid—Tara with the kind of ticket selling ability that would make her a likely BSE stable candidate were it not for the Kournakova-like doubts surrounding the willowy blonde. Reid a solid bantam but hits light, hasn’t shown the kind of heart it takes to really survive at the highest levels. Still—posters for this fight selling at huge premium on EBay—that’s good work if you can get it. Tara in her stars and stripes bikini, low ponytail, Britney in lime green bikini top, yellow bikini bottoms, fine gold belly chain.

During R1: Close, tactical first—Tara with her hands high, scooting to her left, looking to chop lefts and rights off her eyebrows to Britney’s face out of the block. Spears putting her jab in Tara’s chest, trying the right hand up he middle or lopping it wide to the ear. Reid doing a nice job block-and-rolling on defence—Britney relying on that supple upperbody movement, often dipping low, coming up with her shoulder in Tara’s chest to nudge the blonde back—just getting a feel for Reid’s weight and rhythm. Spears takes the round.

R2: Tara was competitive in the first—stops throwing, gets too defensive this round as Britney turns yup the heat. Reid leggy, but can’t turn Spears’ flanks—Britney cutting off the ring, banging straight combinations up the middle and as Tara falters back—Brit’s jumping in with the wide loose-limbed haymakers in pursuit. Tara looking uncomfortable, clinching for breaks and down the stretch, Britney shocks her a sudden one-two across the mouth, steps out as Reid crouches forward hurt and NAILS the blonde a tough left uppercut, popping Tara’s head up out of her guard at the bell. Reid sent to her corner with a bloody nose and panicky heart—corner already working hard to settle her down.

R3: Reid wants to run—Britney won’t have it—Spears cutting off the ring, letting her hands go and forcing Reid to fight or be battered. Tara using her fear well—she’s punching with Britney, digging the body and head even as Spears is landing in hard clusters herself—crowd pleasing give and take as tanned blondes polish each other up. Down the stretch, girls standing, punching in criss cross lefts and rights simultaneously—Britney beats Tara to punches, swivels the beautiful face and puts Reid wobbly butt in the ropes. Spears getting big at the bell, ,helping herself to mittfulls of Tara’s aching right side as Reid slumps forward—Britney just arching her back and cranking in the hooks with a hardhearted smile.

R4: Tara with her hands up, lips quivering a little bit, but she’s keeping it together, , changing directions and tapping out little lefts and rights from her guard. Spears tracking her girl down, right hand at her chin, left low, in front, circling in the air like a cobra’s head as she stalks her opponent, Stabbing, sudden exchanges as the girls get close, move part, bounce around the ring.

R5: Britney pushing her jab into Tara’s chest—Reid suddenly stops backpedalling, stalking all on a slinging right hand and catches Britney flush on the cheek. Spears’ butt shoots back—she’s momentarily dazed—Tara steps inside, stuffs a hard right hand to the face and BRITNEY GOES DOWN! Spears scooting to her butt, HER nose bloodied—she takes 8, belly trembling, eyes moist—ON COMES TARA! Reid missing over the top with a hopeful right hand, but she catches Brit leaning into the ropes with comeback hook, Spears slipping, weaving, leaning back and forth, getting low to put her shoulder into Tara’s waist—Reid spraying punches all over, not landing flush. Final moments, Britney’s got it together again, finding Reid with compact counters off the ropes, getting her shoulders in behind thudding lefts and rights to back off. Rousing stanza draws a standing O—girls glare each other down with flashing eyes, heaving chests as the ref takes a hand.

R6: Tara wants Britney now—sight of Spears on her butt last round brigs out the fighter in Reid. Tara committing to that sharp, whistling right hand from her shoulder, jabbing and snapping hooks from her high guard to back Britney up. Spears closing up her stance, dropping the left to her side, right at her mouth—she’s bending at the waist, slipping most of Reid’s offerings, but not doing much offensively as she slide-steps away from the blonde. Tara getting her cheek on Britney’s shoulder late, thumps away to belly with tough left hooks—Spears groaning, clinching up under the arms in sweaty embrace at the bell.

R7: Tara off her stool, trying to back Britney down with that high guard, but Spears shocks Reid with a ripping left/right across the abdomen that has the blonde shouting in pain, Reid buckled up midring and Britney piles on—digging hooks in behind that right elbow, stuffing right hands to the belly as Britney leans in close to her foe. Reid reaching to tie up that golden body, wrestling with Britney’s arms, trying to wrap her up chest to chest, but Spears is fighting through it. End of the first minute—Reid with her back to the ropes, feet square—she’s pushing out panicky lefts and rights from her chest and gets NAILED a sweeping right on the face that slumps her dazed in to the ropes, Tara out, arms stiff in front, hands low and Britney helps herself. Tragic punching done to Tara’s breasts and sleeping face as Spears s allowed to romp—ref finally moving in after Reid accepts a dozen uncalled for wallops from a seething Britney Spears. KO7 Britney.

After: Shaky start for Tara but she turns it around with a knockdown, roughs Britney up and then it’s over. Spears unleashing pent up fury, beating Reid senseless and pouring it on—no question Reid has Danes and HISC to thank for that little something extra. Spears back to her old smiling self in post fight, yukking it up with Alba who’s caught on film mimicking a helpless Tara in the ropes.

Reposted by Archer 12/25.09.