Posted by Simguy on 7/19/2003, 8:14 am.

Before: Shakira with some new people on her staff, Mexican consultants, fight doctors—consensus is she needs to retool to compete at the highest levels of a tough flyweight division. “You saw something similar with Mish Williams,” notes one small girl pundit. “Mish broke in a two fisted TE brawler with a heart the size of a Buick, had some success, but got carved up by the best in the division and needed to add sophistication. Shak has the things you can’t train a fighter to have—now she needs to learn her craft and apply it to the ring.” Stevens a good test—if it’s the same old Shak going punch for punch until someone goes, this could be a toss up. Shakira in a sporty black bra style bikini, ponytail—Rachel in tan snake skin bikini.

During R1: Shak showing discipline early—obviously trying to translate some of the gym work to the real world. Shak circling, giving Rachel an angle, then moving in behind a sharp, up-jab from the hip and a quick right hand on the mouth. Stevens covering up, posing—Shak’s able to rip off a sturdy 3 punch combo up top, mopping up a hook in the liver and step around to the left, leaving Rachel cramped up, Good stuff—Shake a little robotic, obviously thinking in there, but Rachel waiting her turn, letting Shak get off and move—easy, busy shutout Colombia. 

R2: Rachel stepping to Shak, getting pre-empted, covering up and letting Shakira splatter punch with abandon. Shak getting off with pumping, solid work, nothing wild, actually placing rigid shots between and around the guard, going to Steven’s waist. then stepping around to negate the receipt. Shak’s work rate high, but not wild, attack is busy but thoughtful—she’s not sticking around to let Rachel have her go and it’s a rare back to back shutout Shakira.

R3: SHUTOUT SHAKIRA! Shak really getting comfy with Rachel, embarrassing the Brit at times. Early on, Shak in a wide flat footed stance, nudges her jab at tentative Stevens, taps it again, then drives a straight right down into the sternum, stepping back triumphantly as Rachel groans, hunches up. Shak with nice double-tap hooks in behind Rachel’s right elbow, banding the S-Clubber’s frame, tiring her spirit. Shak mixing it up head and body, tic-tac-toe combination and getting good leverage from solid legs—she’s really putting it together through 3. Big beaming Colombian smile at the bell—discouraged, hollow eyed Rachel. 

R4: Steven finally moving her hands, punching with Shak—Rache just pushing out a  short right hand from her shoulder, catching Shak in the face and disrupting blonde’s early combo attempts. Shak stepping out, circling, regrouping and getting back in charge as the round goes on—Stevens not punching when she’s forced to move her feet. Rousing trade punctuates the stanza—Shak standing in for flush right hands on her chin, but eager to get at Rachel’s tender liver with more hooks at the bell. 

R5: Rachel coming forward more effectively now, leading with the short right and screwing up Shak’s deliberate timing. Shakira in retreat not as effective—Stevens able to step-to, bang away with tight licks, shoulder bump and cajole her girl ropeside. Brawny action along the strands, girls head I close, hands digging and scrubbing away to chests and bellies. Stevens getting the better of mauling trade, muscling Shak into the ropes, occasionally really cranking in wide shots on the jaw. Durable Colombian soaks it up—but she’s not making the fight as easy as she was at the start.

R6: Great sign for Shak fans—she gets back to the lateral movement, combination punching, working in and out that had given Stevens so much trouble early on. Discipline evident—Shak not allowing herself to body up on Rachel and prove her dominance—she’s chipping away, discouraging Rachel methodically rather than trying to blow her away. Stevens eyes betraying her—she’s taking the shots, but her body’s throbbing, legs looking sluggish, eyes forlorn—she’s being taken apart and both girls know it.

R7,8: Rachel looking hounded, shopworn—Shakira just keeps gnawing at her at the same high, measured pace, same in, and out around attack. Shak’s combination punching never better—she systematically banging away on Rachel’s guard, beating it down and scoring with the final punch or two, backing Stevens isn’t taking it well any more, face pinched, backing away to breathe. Rachel’s still getting the odd contact right hand on mouth and stubby little hook in the belly, but she’s being hustled into defeat through 8.

R9: Steven with a good lead right hand on the mouth, hook in the tits freezes Shak—Rache able to dip, dig a hook to paunch, hook the flank, hook the ribs and Shak wilts to her left a little shook up. Rachel banging foreheads, sensing an opening—she pulls Shak’s head down into tuff right uppercut, then steps into a gouging hook to the pit of the stomach, locking up Shakira’s legs. Shak in trouble, drifting woozy to the ropes—she bends forward, covered up as Rachel has her way. Stevens keeping her forehead grinding on Shak’s, seeking hooks to the rightside, eyes intent. By the final minute, the storm has passed—Shak starts picking up Stevens’ tits on the inside, backing the Brit off and makes it out of the round in good shape.

R10: Shak timing Rachel’s lead right with lead rights of her own, Stevens face bangs back twice in quick succession, legs give a shimmy as Shakira solves the puzzle. All Shakira the rest of the way—backing Rachel up with shivering gancha hook, riddling her defense up top with jagged, sticking combination punching. Stevens on her heels, drifting off the ropes, wilting around the perimeter—she’s a sad, beaten girl by the end, Comes back UD10 wide, Shakira.

After: Shak hoisted high, big Latina smile—not quite a perfect 10-0 rout but exactly the kind of disciplined, consistent performance her handlers needed to see. Stevens: eyes swollen, staring at canvas—she just never got the standard swap-fest she expected tonight and didn’t have any answers. Remains to be seen if Shakira can do this sort of thing against division elite just yet, but it’s an obvious level of progression type fight.

Reposted by Archer 12/11/09.