Posted by Simguy on 11/13/2004, 10:36 am.

Before: Intriguing welterweight showdown between two of boxing’s hardest hitters—both girls in line for a shot at the unified crown when it’s finally forged. “Some girls are addicted to chocolate,” chirps an upbeat Knowles in prefight. “Me? I’m addicted Kat Heigl’s CHIN! I can’t get enough! Any time I sign a Heigl fight I sleep like a baby through camp ‘cause I know I’ll be getting me another sweet KO baby! Yeah!” Heigl reserved—she’s been on the receiving end of shootouts with big-hitting Beyonce in the past and anxious to reverse the trend. “It’s frustrating,” Kat admits. “I’m greedy for Kos too and I’ve been burned getting into slugfest with Beyonce in the past, but I’ve always known I’m the better boxer—I don’t HAVE to wade in stupid with this girl. You’re going to see a more disciplined Kathy Heigl, a smarter Kathy Heigl, and I’m going to execute an actual fight plan on Beyonce when we hook up.” Kat in beige crochet bikini, Beyonce in green bikini top, ring connection, yellow full coverage bottoms, low ponytail.

During R1: Beyonce comes out slugging—Heigl smothers her for a tactical draw this round. Kat pre-empting Knowles with the jab—good shivering punch in the chest or mouth, falling in with the right hand and putting a belly on Beyonce—Knowles walks back into the ropes, pinned down for breaks as Heigl refuses to get wild n’ crazy early.

R2:  Patient, measured Heigl—using the jab to bang back Beyonce’s wide-open face and stall Knowles’ right hand on the launch pad. Heigl constantly edging inside off her stick, putting thick right hand clout on Knowles chin or paunch, wrapping up, walking Beyonce around, Knowles looking to extend on punches, normally just reaches around Heigl’s back to accept the clinch, hoping for a quick reset from the ref.

R3: Kat Heigl in charge—judicious jab banging away on Beyonce’s pretty face, step-in right hands thumping off Knowles’ lungs or chin, then Heigl’s squirming in close, practically fighting inside Beyonce’s own trunks. Knowles uncomfortable backing up—butt in ropes most of the round—Heigl swatting the pout of Beyonce’s paunch with either hand cuffing, swiping at chin, wrapping up to smother the receipts. Greasy inside maul frustrates Knowles—she’s still just reaching around back of Kat rather than contesting matters inside.

R4,5: Katherine’s found a real recipe: be first with the jab, step in close with right hands, outwork, hold, hit and walk Beyonce to the ropes in sweaty confines. B offering desultory swats and clouts inside, punching almost in protest: she really wants to extend and drive into Heigl’s chin, but isn’t getting the landscape. Katherine not too proud to hold Beyonce’s head in the crook of left arm, grab up on Beyonce biceps or glom behind Beyonce’s elbows—it’s goo old fashioned punching; clutch at it’s finest.

R6: Heigl just managing Beyonce beautifully—jabbing, crowding her, smothering her, outworking her, Knowles not letting her hands go, and when she does, Heigl’s blocking or getting underneath the shot. Late the round, Kathy bullying Beyonce in a clinch—ref issues a break and KNOWLES LANDS RIGHTY! Firm clocking chop on the jaw undoes Heigl’s knees—Beyonce hitting on the break and finally getting to her girl. Knowles wiping the hook across Heigl’s mouth, brushing Kat back and REAMING HEIGL THE CROSS! Searing blast to the chin—head snap Heigl and KATHY GOES DOWN! Crowd moaning in sympathy—Heigl in complete control of the fight suddenly vulnerable as a new-born puppy, flat on her back and punch-numb. KATHY EATS THE COUNT! Heigl struggling up, swaying goggle-eyed at the bell—she shakes off the KO, gets a minute’s rest as Beyonce struts and nods triumphantly.

R7: Great recovery for Heigl, No panic—Kat sticking to the plan, jabbing, erasing inside, working to the thick of Beyonce’s midsection with both hands swatting. Knowles pushed to the ropes—sullen, pushing rather than punching, petulant look on her face as she’s not getting what she wants, but isn’t doing much about it either. Heigl moving her hands, constantly worrying Knowles’ tummy, turning on clout to the chin—B lumping up nicely, crossing her arms and just posing for punches at the bell.

R8: Another drawn round—Heigl happy to simply negate Beyonce while Knowles is fighting frustrated, B can’t land from outside and inside, she’s not busy enough to beat Heigl down. Kathy so grabby, constantly pulling and clutching on Beyonce—almost a relief to Knowles when she DOES get cuffed. Kat turning away at the bell all business—she has to know she’s up on the cards, but treating each round like it’s the first.

R9: Beyonce swamped, bullied and molested along the ropes—she’s whining in frustration to the ref, yanking at her arms to free them from Kathy’s grip, suffering Kathy’s weight and scent upon her at all times. Heigl doing all the punching—nice short swat on the inside, using her head to grind Beyonce’s face to the side and work on swelling around B’s eyes. Kat reaching under Knowles’ arms and chesting her against the ropes—at one point, Heigl pushes Beyonce’s torsi horizontal over the top rope, slugging right hands down on Knowles like girls fighting in pool hall at 3 in the morning.

R10: OH. THE. PUNCHING. Heigl finally releases the hounds, swinging lusty from her hips, diving in with right hand heart punches—she’s been grinding Beyonce all night in hopes of stopping her late. BUT BEYONCE’S STILL SLUGGING! Knowles finally getting the chance to swing away and she’s TAGGING Heigl clubbing lefts and crashing rights. Heigl’s backside goes a-wobble—Beyonce’s backside starts to quiver—both girls stamping and stomping flat footed with hurt. Staggering around, reloading then going back in for more. Crazy punching action ruinous—Heigl finally comes to her senses and bodies up down the stretch. Final minute all Kat holding Knowles close, grinding her to ropes, bumping her a shoulder inside and swatting tidy to that straining gut to the bell. Comes back UD10 wide—Katherine Heigl.

AfterL Heigl beaming—she plays the take-away strategy to near perfection as Knowles waits most of the night for punching room that never comes. “Knowles can be outworked!” Gushes a pumped-up Kat on postfight. “I never really hit her hard till the last round—my whole thing was to get inside and pat her down, just keep at her, toe her up. She caught me cheap in the sixth, but I just said ‘NO—no way I’m going out like this’.  I must have won just about every round of that fight, and that’s exactly what we trained for, Just be consistent, smart girl, take it to Beyonce’s body and get the decision.”

Reposted by Archer 1/23/10.