Posted by simguy 11-20-04

Thanks to Ginny for this repost.

Jewel up to her poet tricks in prefight, trying to get in between Spears' ears with cunning insight - dredging up Eliza, the pop-singer stigma - all of it. Britney rock-solid, voice calm, almost sweet - she shoots back: "There's no nice way to say this, so I'm just going to put it out there: I'm better than you. I'm sorry, but it's true. I'm going to kick your ass like it's never been kicked before, and that's all there is to it. See you fight night." Kilcher not generally given to anger towards her opponents but no mistaking the look in her eyes as Britney dismisses her: glacial hate. Jewel in metallic blue strapless tankini, slick ponytail, getting right up on Britney during stare-down - Britney in pink poolside bikini. Spears exercising her celebrity, demands same-day weigh in: Kilcher's not going to balloon up in size the way she normally would.

Rd 1: Jewel strong to midring, met by a rifling tap-tap double jab on the right eye - Britney scooting left, pre-empting her foe. Kilcher wants to come forward, but Spears nullifying aggression with her feet - she's turning Jewel's right flank, Kilcher has to step back just to keep Spears in front of her. Britney's being first, has Jewel moving backward - now Spears drops in short, pounding rights off the jab - smashing back Jewel's face with pinpoint accuracy. KILCHER GOES DOWN! Shocking right hand on the face catches Jewel stepping - she bounces off backside, gets up quick more embarrassed than hurt. Spears: left hand low, right at her chest, stepping and sliding side to side, pointing the left shoulder at Jewel - she's got Kilcher mesmerized in the first.

Rd 2: Britney economical, judicious with her feet - moving more than we've seen her lately, but not too much - she just wants to give Jewel angles and keep her off balance. Unpredictable jab spitting out from Brit's hip - PAK! PAK! off Jewel's right eye, busting it up. Tidy right hands chopping out and down from the shoulder, spanking flush off face and leaving Jewel staring. Final minute - Spears managing distance beautifully, sliding back from a Kilcher rush, cuffing her a biting counter-hook and JEWEL STUMBLES DOWN! Kilcher on all fours, punching the canvas in frustration - she's up, shaking her head at the bell.

Rd 3: Kilcher CHARGING across the ring - Britney in the closed stance, bends low, eases in under reckless Jewel punching, sidesteps with a hand at Jewel's back and guides her chest first into a waiting turnbuckle. Kilcher whirling out of the corner, fists flying - Britney stepping back in good order, slips the right, turns away from the left, ducks under another right and CASHES IN CHIN! Sudden chin-clipping hook out of the torso roll catches Jewel storming forward - KILCHER GOES DOWN! Jewel up quick again, but wobbly butt - she's getting timed to perfection, really tagged clean. Britney walking to her right, scowling over her left shoulder, letting Jewel come off the ropes - Spears backhands the jab, steps right, feints and DRILLS JEWEL A TIDY RIGHT ON THE CHIN! Jewel loading up her own right - punch sails as she gets smoked - DOWN GOES JEWEL! Kilcher Korkscrewing, rolling onto her back - NOW she's hurt, struggling to get up off her hip. Woozy 8 Jewel - again, Britney hangs back in the closed stance, tempting Jewel forward. Kilcher busted up, slugging weakly - Spears rolls, rides out the Kilcher right, twists to slip a left, slides back to fade another right as Jewel falls forward with too much punch. RIGHT HAND BRITNEY SPEARS! Bingo on the chin - Spears just easing Jewel onto a short, shocking blast and DOWN GOES JEWEL! Kilcher rolling onto her back, legs up in the air for second as she finishes up on her left side - she's ramshackle, writhing on the canvas as Britney stalks to neutral corner. It's over - stunned Jewel Kilcher can't get off her back - KO3 Britney Spears in heart-stopping fashion.

After: Britney breezy, calm as her gloves are removed - you'd never guess she just dropped a pretty blonde umpteen times en-route to one of the gaudiest wins of her career. Opposite corner, opposite story - dagger-eyes flashing from Theron, Jones, Stone, Jewel herself - icy destruction of Kilcher on top of mean-spirited pre-fight comments puts Britney in Krusher crosshairs. "BSE will hear from us," warns Jones ominously on camera. "If they're not going to control their fighters - they're going to get what they deserve." Cryptic - in so far as Britney was just punching hard to the chin - pretty much what you're supposed to do, isn't it?