Posted by Simguy on 10/6/01, 2:03 pm.

Before: (Melbourne) Important fight for Dragila - darling of track and field will need women's tennis to provide warm bodies and increasingly lucrative paydays - Schett the first rung on a ladder that could extend all the way to the top names in the sport for Stacy. Barbara a big, strong blonde who has given Hingis, Clijsters, etc all they could handle - Dragila considered to be in tough by those who cover the athletics fight scene. Fought outdoors at a Melbourne tennis stadium - Stacy in navy and white two piece track suit, Schett in tight red tennis shirt twist-tied to reveal her firm midriff, black stretch shorts.

During R1: Right hands at cheeks, left hands extended to poke jabs, women rotate clockwise as they probe for weakness. Sudden Schett right hand ends the suspense - Dragila's butt shoots out as she jerks a quarter turn to the right and almost goes down as Babs gets muscular early. Patient follow up from the baseliner - jabbing Dragila's shoulder and head, jamming in more straight right hands - Stacy's able to clear her head and organize her feet - competitive, choosy punching to the bell from both women.

R2: Dragila changes focus, batting away Barbara's jab to step inside, getting her shoulder into the blonde and hooking hard to that golden brown midsection. Beefy Dragila offerings push Schett to the ropes - Stacy operating off Barbara's left shoulder, hooking the belly, swatting at the kidney with right hands, then curling the right up the middle for sneaky little uppercuts in close. Bruising work from Stacy as she bullies the blonde at the ropes, Schett looking discouraged at the bell.

R3: Stacy doubling up on the jab, once again sets up over Schett's left shoulder and starts to outwork the blonde with crisp, clubbing combinations inside. Dragila extra-ordinarily heavy handed, hurting Barbara with everything, backing the blonde up and occasionally whipping a Vasiliy Jirov style blockbuster right hand to the pit of the blonde's belly. Serious body shots have Babs breaking down - she's holding on at the bell, trying to smother the brunette.

R4: Dragila pushing Barbara downhill - punishing jabs to the face have Barbara backing up to the ropes where Stacy can body up and hammer the midsection. Workmanlike short lefts and rights soften up the blonde and leave her vulnerable for an almost bolo like right hand, delivered with whip action and stuck hard into the belly with breathtaking force. Schett's legs start to give way as the steady barrage takes effect. Final minute - Dragila has Barbara reeling on the spot, bouncing the blonde's skull with clipping lefts and rights on the chin, then that drifting, lethal right hand on the belly button - Schett shouting out in pain, buckles, turns away and sinks to her knees in agony. She won't be getting up –

KO4 Stacy Dragila.

After: Stacy putting her no-frills, heavy-handed offense to good work, hammering the heart out of a surprisingly outgunned Barbara Schett who has had better days in the ring. Dragila well positioned in the frugal world of athletics fighting - one of the few names that can translate into meaningful green - just a typical, workmanlike performance for the Pole Vaulting pioneer.

Thanks to Apoillo for this repost.

Archer 10/20/09