Posted by Simguy on 7/19/2003, 8:01 am.

Before: Teri, the Debbe Dunning of the sleek set--in a familiar situation for aging, still popular sexpots. “Teri’s in that Carmen Electra space,” notes one renegade Tractorpull freelancer, “her bread and butter is putting down this year’s model, whoever it might be, because Teri doesn’t want to give up that youth fan base. Hatcher doesn’t have any other constituency--she can’t afford to get beat up by girls like Keira and for Keira Teri’s-- an important stepping stone for credibility in America right out of the chute.” Knightley hyped as the smoothest skilled assassin since Hurley to come out of Europe--US pundits have heard it all before, prefer to see it play out in the ring as Hatcher a known ingénue buster of the first magnitude. Photo shoots for the bout are telling--hours of the girls face to face, posing off--Teri visibly rattled by her foe’s flawless complexion and lithe beauty. Teri in beige underwire push up, black boy cut trunks. Black shoes--Keira in navy nautical sport top, laced up the front, sporty bottoms (shades of blue in horizontal bands, also laced.) navy shoes.

During R1: Nod to Hurley as Keira comes out southpaw, puts Teri ill at ease right from the get go. Knightley limber, lithe, slapping the right hook body and head, leaning into straight left pokes, pivoting smoothly in a counterclockwise glide. Teri left at her hip, right at her chest, trying to hop, set and slug--Keira never in one spot for long enough for it to work. Easy breezy shutout Knightley--little smile on perfect lips as she struts to her corner, shaking out her hair.

R2: Similar look--Knightly using her legs on Teri, circling, now orthodox, now southpaw, Teri concentrating, trying to cut off the ring, looking to center her jab on Knightley’s chest. Keira with pretty habits in the ring--she’ll step and feint to her left a few tomes before popping the jab, then swing step around. She’ll lick and lash her punches, turning her shoulders sexily into the shots, bending with them. She’ll extend the left to measure on flat feet, then roll forward into slinging rights, bending down low on follow through to avoid the counter--good supple action. Not much contact--Hatcher anything that comes no problem--Knightley flashy, stylish, but not packing pro-wallop through 2.

R3: Keira still taking Teri apart with the legs, circling, angling in--Brit sets down a little more this round. End of min.1--Keira with a brace of screening jabs steps in, licks a right hand tight off Teri’s abs, twists her hips to snap the left hand off, dips down and steps out as Hatcher’s knees give a quiver, Keira at range, jabs, jabs, drops a straight right hand on Hatcher’s face, knocking back groggy American head. Keira steps top the right, right hand pretty at her chin, left out by her side--she’s taking a look--Teri’s frustrated, frazzled. Another Knightley shutout--Keira victimizing Teri’s midsection with hard, step-in rights/lefts, getting swiping hooks in the way out, getting overhand rights from outside--Hatcher staring back, gritting her teeth and getting embarrassed as Knightley flashes a winsome grin at the bell.

R4: Keira brazen with disrespect, coming to midring, doing a series of high-stepping knee raises--hair tumbling, smile beaming. It’s a classic “My Legs Are Netter Than Your Legs” taunt and tired Teri blushes angrily at the sight. Hatcher rushes in to break up the scene--Keira backpedaling like an acrobat, batting and slapping at Hatcher’s face with limber lefts and rights,, finally spinning at the ropes, helping Hatcher face first into the strands with a hand at the back, Knightley’s grin never wavers the rest of the way--comfortable enough now to be flat footed on the outside, just inching and sliding away, stooping to slap-jab Teri’s belly, easing her torso back to make Hatcher miss and countering over American jab slinging rights to jaw. Insult to injury--Keira with a nice little step right, putting hook across the jug--she’s hitting Teri where she lives and Hatcher can’t stop it. Shutout Knightley.

R5: First minute another Keira Knightley exhibition--she’s loose, supple, extending her knuckles to touch and measure, slapping in rights and lefts, bending at the waist as she circles. Midway through--the real Teri Hatcher shows up. Hatcher sullen, jabbing off her hip, suddenly steps in wide, arches her back, rips a hook to belly, gets it again, steps left and gets a licking left outside-in uppercut as Keira bends forward and drifts a chopping right hand hard onto Knightley’s right ear.  KEIRA’S SHOOK! Knightley staggered for the first time, grin gone--she legs to the ropes wide eyed, juking left and right to get Hatcher off her, Teri punching hard but falling into the ropes again--Knightley’s off to the races. Good job Keira, stung, she takes to her heels, runs the clock, minimizes the danger as Hatcher’s on the board.

R6: Teri getting something done now. She’s out jabbing Keira, pounding away to that beautiful face with some authority and setting down on whistling rights that Knightley’s just barely turning away from Hatcher able to get the hook to Keira’s toned body from a wide stance--cranking blows bringing Brit to heel--she’s standing in front of Teri more this round. Knightley flat footed, shows heart--she’s getting off lanky at closer ranges, shrugging her shoulders, licking her mitts in rolling bursts off Teri’s tummy and tits, trying to stand her ground and out-work Hatcher inside. Teri doing the same--fans of lanky limbed inside work getting feast as the girls take turns. Final moments, back and forth trade ends suddenly as Hatcher dips left, pulls a slashing right across Keira’s chin and KNIGHTLEY GOES DOWN! Keira spilled to her butt at the ropes, eyes agog--Terri giving her a superior glare as the bell sounds.

R7: Keira boxing the first minute, but eventually graduating back inside--Teri’s hooks in the breadbasket starting to change the look and pace of this fight. Knightley nice and slick on the inside however--she’ll knuckle up, use little pushes and turns, slap and cuff her shots while rolling to cover up--it’s pretty. Hatcher palming shoulder hen packing in lanky right/lefts to the stomach, looking to shake Keira downstairs, then drop the hammer up top--Knightley seeing the rights well, rolling with them and letting Teri fall into clinches.

R8: Terri showing late jump--old gal jabbing limber, throwing the right hand over as a decoy, then looping in that gorgeous left hook underneath to lock up Keira’s legs. Knightley in trouble nearly, bent forward, trying to change distanced by easing in and out--Hatcher swinging  away to the hips and back of her girl, pouring on the hurt. Keira’s showing veteran wiles beyond  her age--she bogs Teri down in a series of sloppy clinches, gets her legs back, and runs the clock down the stretch, forfeiting the round, but never giving Hatcher the chance to finish. Close fight through 8--both girls with cards to play.

R9: Girls feinting flat footed mid ring--Keira steps to work and Teri bends into a slinging, screened right hand off the jaw! KNIGHTLEY’S WRECKED! Keira caught cold, bending as through she might take knees, then stumbling forward--Hatcher swinging and missing awkwardly as she turns. Knightley reeling to the ropes, eyes awash--Hatcher storming in, prepping with cold-hearted jabs, leaning into whistling rights with hateful intentions. Knightley desperate, bending left and right on A framed legs, making Hatcher miss then COUNTERING LEFT/RIGHT! Bat-bat shock off the ropes--Teri stumbles to one knee--Keira skipping away to the side--huge turnaround as Hatcher clambers up hurt on the ropes and takes a lolling 8. ON COMES KEIRA! Knightley squaring away and going after Hatcher for the first time, treating Teri to slinging lather of lefts and rights against the flanks and jaw lines. Hatcher numb-butt in the ropes, hands up, leaning into the storm--she’s busted up and dazed at the bell as Keira is pulled off the ref.

R10: Tactical blunder Knightley? Keira on her toes, keeps her distance and there’s no way the aging veteran can bring decisive combat if Knightley doesn’t allow nit. But Teri’s the aggressor, coming forward, savvily stopping and shrugging her shoulders, inviting Keira to stand and fight--Hatcher wooing judges with her obvious intentions while Knightley works the clock. Teri takes the 10th, but it’s a grand UD10 debut--Keira Knightley.

After: Scattered boos from the Hatcher faithful, but it’s Knightley’s night--hands high, big smile as she gets over on bantam grim reaper. Keira impressive--not a lot of raw power, but she’s got sting off the counter, she embarrassed leggy Teri below the waist, outboxed her, frustrated her, punched a bit to the body, Hatcher landing the bigger shoits, but went down when caught sneaky off the ropes--it’s a discouraging outing, getting shined up by a beautiful newcomer on her way up.

Reposted by Archer 7/22/10.