by Simguy on 03/05/2005

Before: High contrast bout - curvy, heavy handed Britney vs lithe, whippet-fit Knightley. Spears has matured into a solid pro - efficient footwork, setting down on her punches, but ironically, her evolution might have made her more vulnerable to girls like Knightley.

"It's funny," notes one BLONDE! columnist, "but the 18 year old Britney might have had an easier time with Keira. Knightley's long lines and tireless legs can really dog a girl, especially one who's looking to place shots and be economical in the ring. Keira can't punch a lick at bantam, but she's a gnawing, pesky type who can surprise you: she's got midfielder endurance with a striker's nose for the main chance. Stylistically, Britney's got a fight on her hands."

Neon green bikini Britney, pink shoes - neon blue bandeau bikini Knightley, white shoes. Small gloves both vixens.

During R1: Keira loose, gangly, bouncing on her toes as she bops in, dances outside on Spears. Knightley rotating to her right, pestering Brit with a chiselling, slapping left hand, just keeping it in Spears' face - Britney bending at the waist, reaching her left to Keira's body to fix position in hopes of leaning into a go-home-limey right hand. Exact opposite happens midway through, Knightley poking her left into Britney's cheek, steps in with a short right hand on the eye to crowd in close, clawing Britney's belly a licking left hook to get Spears backing up on her heels. Britney faltering straight back - Knightley drifting her a long right hand on the mouth to send Spears clattering to ropes in disarray. Young Knightley pounces: flapping, batting flurry of straight-arm lefts and rights - Britney ducking, covering as pelting blows rain down head and shoulders. Keira switches focus, batting to flanks and ribs, gouging small gloves into firm Britney lats, then stepping out with a prim smile, cheeky forget-me not jab in the mouth. Spears grimacing, cut in the mouth and getting tarted up in a Keira Knightley first.

R2: Britney opening up her stance and hopping to her left to cut off Knightley's rotation, blonde bouncing, hands at chest, showing she's still got hop. Keira refusing battle, melting away rather than engaging, skirting the perimeter. Spears landing some thudding shots to the ribs but unable to pile on as Keira palms up, scoots and spins her way off the ropes to stay nimble, elusive in the second.

R3: Keira bopping in, gives Britney a shoulder feint, then chops a sneaky lead right to cheek, landing before Spears can roll it. Clawing double hook on the mouth bats Britney upright; right hand on the left eye stuns blonde; rangy left uppercut jagged on the chin picks Britney up, cuffing hook paws her face into receiving a cracking right on the mouth - Spears sent staggering away from Tic-Toc wallop. Knightley hops in like a happy puppy - hooking Britney's stout tummy, hooking it, hooking it - fighting off Britney's left shoulder and hacking down at her head tomohawk rights. Spears ropeside, bending at the waist and trying to hook out of the crouch - Keira effortlessly bounding back from the swats, then stepping back in with that rangy, Keibler-esque two-hand batting. Brit swarmed, crossing her arms and trying to weave it, but too much volume - spirited British attack piles up points as Keira flashes a confident grin at the bell.

R4: Keira all over Britney: no other way to put it. Lithe girl unafraid of curvy girl's sock - Keira keeping up a steady batting lather, stepping in and out, rotating right and turning Spears midring. Britney like Kong atop the tower - bending, rolling, swatting hopeful hooks - she's a confused beauty, not thinking in there, just reacting. Keira pelting Spears' curvy shoulders and biceps, swatting her temples, occasionally leaning in close and galloping both arms underneath to ribs and tum, then stepping clear of danger as Spears tries to answer. On occasions when Britney comes forward - Keira's bopping outside and utilizing her jab, patiently chipping away at Spears' puffy left eye and cut lower lip. Maddening smile from Keira at the bell - bounce in her step, high-fives in her corner: Spears grumpy after absorbing a pesky-punching shutout.

R5: Much better round for Britney. First - the jab: Spears shooting it to body where it can land, fixing Keira's position, then hooking her hard in the ear - Knightley sent sideways to her left, not where she wants to go. Spears cutting off the ring, unleashing overhand rights from her closed stance - Keira stepping away in time, but again, being forced to react. Spears enjoying moments at the ropes when she can palm Keira's slender arms, beat her about the ribs and hips, muscle her back. Britney pounding body like an old pro, really sinking in behind the elbows - finally taking a little something out of Keira's springy legs.

R6: Knightley wincing, slowing down just a notch - Spears closing behind her jab, getting to Keira's chest more and more often. Keira tieing up around Spears' elbows - round sloppier, muggier than the others, but Britney the stronger vixen able to walk her girl to ropes and get work done. Britney methodical, punishing Knightley's slender arms, beating her body to bring Keira's hands down, then looking for tight uppercuts on the inside. Give Knightley credit - her backside's lit up on several occasion, long legs buckling, but she hangs in there - chin and writhing clinches enough to get out of the round.

R7: Keira bopping right, fading, walks Spears into a breathtaking sucker right cross - crowd gasping as Britney's knees bend, blonde momentarily freezes - Knightley retakes initiative. Keira hopping to turn Brit's left flank, batting at the head, breasts, upperback - stampeding Spears to ropes. Keira getting into Spears with galloping body shots, punching her way up-torso to pancake those mouthwatering melons - Spears gritting her teeth, bending and bobbing in an effort to relieve the pressure. Keira tarting Britney up - constant lather punctuated by sneaky, sliding right crosses as Knightley turns on her hips and drifts 'em home clean. Spears wobbly butt, busting up - she's taking more Knightley leather than anyone ever anticipated.

R8: Britney grimly walking Keira down - blonde puffy-faced, left eye getting ugly - Knightley bouncing left and right, hooking Britney while wheeling clockwise on firmly planted left heel - pretty stuff. Spears bobbing, weaving, steps her right foot forward in a crouch, coming up with a RIGHT hook to Knightley's ribs out of the southpaw stance: somebody's been watching old Mike Tyson tapes! Keira shook, crumpling slightly - Spears rips a series of short, clubbing lefts and rights against temples and shoulders BLASTING KEIRA TO HER BACK! Spears looming over sprawling brunette, glaring down as Knightley stares up in astonishment - Britney's bodied back by the ref. Wonky 8 Knightley - she covers up gloves at temples, feet rooted to the spot and BRITNEY POUNDS AWAY! Spears jamming her head between Keira's mitts, RIPPING short rights and lefts to ribs just below the breastline, then arching her back to jerk uppies through the middle. Knightley's mouthpiece sent skyward as she's picked up clean, head snapping straight up and back, body slumping limp n' lanky against the strands - SHE'S JUST STARING INTO PUNISHMENT! Spears leaning in on her toes, sweeping away rights and lefts to Keira's slackjawed face - Bell! Ref jumps in! Britney's chest heaving, eyes smoldering - poor Keira's swaying like a crack addict, oblivious to all.

R9: Knightley tragically hurt, staggering off her stool, hands up, eyes blank - stomping little steps as legs look ready to go. Britney collecting gloves at her mouth, weaving side to side, patiently pressing as Keira waves sad, pushing jabs and poking rights. Minute mark - Britney's seen enough: she dips side to side with a weary Knightley one-two, then answers a shattering hook upside the head to spill brunette to ropes. Knightley hunching forward earmuff - Spears REEFS hooks behind the elbow - throwing her hips into the slugging motion. SPEARS HAMMERS KIDNEY! Tech suits leaping up and pointing accusatory fingers BSE suits' way: Keira's slender legs bennnnnnding, then straightening under thumping harm. Spears beefy, getting underneath and stacking Keira up, settling in on lanky vixen's chest and ripping her short, muscular blows to biceps, chest and waist. Where's the ref - Keira's done, drifting out on her feet, body accepting the jerk and smash of Spears' vicious ripping blows. FINALLY British girl slides off Britney's right flank to plough into canvas, lieing still on her face as Spears bellows down in triumph. Brutal KO9 - Britney Spears.

After: Spears relying on her power to bail her out of what had the look and feel of a slick upset - Ms. Knightley pasting her curvaceous foe, winning a lot of minutes and even putting the fear of God into Britney with sneaky-hard right hands. bitter exchanges between camps afterwards - Keira out of it, getting smelling salts while her supporters accuse Spears of carrying Knightley and heaping on extra.

"I get paid to beat girls like Keira," Britney shrugs by way of explanation. "She can be really proud of herself - she's very awkward and difficult to prepare for, but let's be really clear about this: I'm the better woman. I hope she's alright and stuff, but I have no regrets here. This is a girl who stopped me on the worst night of my life and crowed about it for a year until I could straighten her out: she earned every punch I gave her tonight."