Posted by Simguy on 8/22/2003, 6:55 am.

Before: Britney returns after a rejuvenating break - golden brown, fit as a whip, back to long blonde curls - she's ready to jump back in the pool. Ashanti closely guarded by handlers and PR spin doctors - never answers direct questions, reads only from prepared statements - money men don't want her to deal with any Fishel fall out. Spears in pale blue top, tied in the back, navy velvetized low rider dance pants, pink shoes - Ashanti in white bikini top, white low ride velvet dance pants and shoes.

During R1: Ashanti meeting Britney midring, shows good handspeed in beating the blonde to brisk combinations - Spears has to step out, circle right to regroup. Second minute - Ashanti inexplicably fades to the ropes and sets up to counter, right hand at her cheek, left across her body, left shoulder pointed at her foe. Britney cautiously moving in on her girl, jabbing to the forehead to get the guard up, then ducking in with a driving straight right to the torso, slinging, rising hook to the paunch, then sliding back out behind the up-jab. In and out from Britney - Ashanti leaning into the ropes, looking to time swatting hooks and chopping rights - Spears gets bolder and bolder. By the final moments - Spears is helping herself to paunch, going there with both hands, getting her hips and shoulders into great gouging punches and sinking Ashanti hurt into the strands.

R2: Ashanti having moments - she's got real good hands, turning into slicing little hooks and crosses, nice spitting jab, but there's nothing on the shots - doesn't take Spears long to realize she's not getting hurt even though she's getting hit. Ashanti doesn't want to work for 3 minutes - doing well, then backing off, going to the ropes to play peek-a-boo with Britney. Spears able to come forward and be the boss by default - getting muscular to Ashanti's midriff, doing more pushing and riding up on her girl, bullying Ashanti. Brunette able to lick and slap belly, breasts and face, but it's all brushing, shoe-shining contact. Spears with a confident bounce to her step, light in her eye as she returns to her corner - trainer agrees with Brit's assessment: Ashanti's fighting small, time to go right at her.

R3: Spears boxing midring with Ashanti, momentarily crossed up as brunette feathers a darting jab and lands a nice slicing right to the mouth - Britney slides back in good order, jabbing belly, sliding out of range and NAILING Ashanti a jagged counter right uppercut as brunette comes forward. Instant bottom lip quiver from Ashanti as she backs off all spanked - single pop on the chin enough to discourage the R&B cutey - Spears takes over. Britney forward behind a stiff, busy stick, moving Ashanti to the ropes, then stepping in with a tuff right hand/swinging left hook to midriff. Ashanti covering up, giving supple torso angles - Britney staying right on her and working. All Spears down the latter half, keeping her left shoulder/elbow on Ashanti, then snapping off body and head shots in tight, pushing and bullying at every opportunity. Nothing back from brunette as she rolls and sulks - Spears mops up huge at the bell, tearing up great chunks of belly with pumping lefts and rights to draw a moist whine from her foe.

R4: Britney fearless - occasionally getting cuffed and swatted, but making Ashanti defensive just by punching her hard in the body and arms. Spears pressing up on her girl and loving it - palming biceps, pulling down the guard, snatching at the midriff, picking up the chin tight uppercuts - all torso, tightly clipped delivery on these uppies. Ashanti going sullen, hands up, elbows in as she leans into the ropes, turning her torso to slip to either side, blocking well, but shipping too much leather in her breadbasket. Final minute - Spears discovers Ashanti's breasts like the winning kid in an Easter egg hunt - suddenly hammering away with rapid vigor, both hands! Ashanti sagging into the ropes, trying to wrap up around Spears' arms, but it's just a pancaking good time for Britney at the bell. Spears rising from her labours all sweating and glowing - shouting a gleeful "YEAH!" into Ashanti's face. Brunette promptly bursts into shuddering tears at the sight of Britney's unbridled enthusiasm - brings a big smile to Spears' face. This is getting ugly.

R5: Trainers barely get Ashanti to come out for the fifth, but she's not in it to win it - Spears brazenly marching up, jabbing enough to stay safe on approach, but she's just pinning her ears back and pounding away right/left to the body as hard as she can. Hard working blonde legs and buttocks as Brit shifts weight one foot to the other, hauling in leather, shoving up to reset. Spears occasionally having to wrap up and wrestle Ashanti back down as the brunette makes aborted attempts to escape - Britney just a hungry, hungry fighter tonight, not meeting a lot of resistance and rolling her girl up through 5. That's it for Ashanti - she's a sobbing, confused beauty, pathetically trying to shake her gloves off her hands in her corner - TKO5 via submission, Britney Spears.

After: The enigma of Ashanti - clearly talented enough to box with Spears, brunette makes tactical mistakes to let Britney get her digs in, then gets discouraged when Spears lands, THEN collapses all together as Britney's momentum grows. Just goes to show, you can have all the tools - a fighter without courage is just a target. Don't think Spears isn't loving it - going at Ashanti's body, working a girl over on the inside, bullying and muscling the naturally heavier fighter: "At some point," gushes Britney, "Ashanti stopped being my opponent and started being my property! I just packed it into her - that was the BEST!" Trainers liking the way Ashanti's punk brought out the bully in Britney - one of Spears' most predatory performances.