Posted by Simguy on 04/15/2005

Before: Katie coming off the best performance of her career - she's won a step-up type fight, now she's being asked to win as favourite. "I know I need to be mentally tougher than I have been in these situations," says pretty brunette in prefight. "I know I'm the better fighter than Harnois - the thing is, I have to let myself BE the better fighter in the ring. I think the only thing holding me back is myself in a fight like this - there's no excuse for not beating an Elisabeth Harnois."

Harnois anxious to erase memories of her Mish Williams experience. "This is a good 3 or 4 notches below Mish in terms of overall threat level," says Harnois. "Katie's talking like she's the favourite, but to me - she's not on my level. I know I punch harder than Katie, and she might be a better boxer, but I know she doesn't like it to the body - so guess what? I'm going body on Katie and there's not a damn thing she can do about it!"

Bright blue, skirted bikini Katie - black bikini, ring connections, Harnois.

During R1,2: Katie keeping the fight midring, spearing Harnois the pre-emptive long jab in the face: that's one tart stick Holmes is showing early. Harnois' head constantly banging back, her punches dying on the launch pad as Holmes lances in, then steps around. Katie chin tucked, eyes blazing with concentration - pretty conservative with the right hand, but slanting it occasionally straight down into Harnois body to earn breathy grunts of surprise. Back to back shutouts the first of Holmes' career - demonstrating a clear class disparity between the fighters early.

R3: Harnois looping bold right hands, sweeping lefts - she finally gets Katie's feet disorganized as brunette forced to rush - blonde starting to land pasting roundhouses to the head. Harnois pinwheeling in, belting Holmes up around the ropes: Katie covering up earmuff, riding it out, then calmly gobbling Elisabeth up in smart clinches to earn ref's breaks. Katie hunted down all over the ring, backed to the ropes and clubbed - but she's never caught flush - blocking a lot of shots, leaning inside the arc of Harnois' wild swinging haymakers, then clinching to prevent sustained barrages. Katie forfeits the round, but shows maturity, letting 'Liz spend up some money with unproductive ferocity.

R4: Shutout Katie - her third! Busting jabs really banging back Harnois' head, keeping her outside - Holmes starting to drop in long right crosses to test blonde's vaunted chin as well. Katie ringing 'Beth up to the head - corner screaming at her to touch blonde in the body and Holmes responds. Katie keeping the right at her jaw, tilts her hips prettily to hook Harnois in the ribs - blonde bending forward, soaking it up as Holmes tucks in leather. Katie grinning, sweating happily during the break - she's starting to look like a fighter tonight.

R5: Katie working the jab, but falling into a predictable rhythm: second minute, Harnois able to capitalize with a sweeping right hand over Holmes' stick. Bashing connect high on the head scatters Holmes to her right - torso lolling, dukes up panicky - Katie's hurt! Harnois scoots-to: thumping rights and lefts to the waist, bashing away at tanned Katie tummy, backing Holmes a-groaning to ropes. Harnois sloppy at times, but violently effective, pushing up on Katie to brace her, then walloping away with hamhanded gusto. Romping uppercuts brush Katie back, clubbing lefts and rights wide to flanks shake her legs - Harnois showing a natural killer-instinct with a hurting brunette against the ropes.

R6: Katie recovers well, shakes off a pasting to get back to business. Jabs pave the way, but Katie doubling 'em up on occasion, feinting the right hand, then bringing the long left uppercut instead - Harnois unable to make her reads at easily, starts guzzling a hefty percentage once again. 'Beth on her heels this round - she's taken Katie's punch so far, but accumulation starting to take a toll. Jab between the eyes pounding 'Beth's head back, totally disrupting her: Katie's really exposing this kid tonight. Harnois mustering staggering rushes: Holmes legging back, circling out of harm's way, then gets the stick back on Harnois to discourage her further.

R7: Harnois with some thumping ribwork early - Katie covering up well, takes it, steps to the side, creates distance with the jab and starts dialing in right crosses this round. Harnois eating rights like they're chocolate, but when Katie starts to put the rising left on top, 'Beth's legs give way. Elisabeth finally hurt, moved by Katie's punching - tanned brunette stepping forward, putting rangy punches together, extending on the blows and banging gloves off staring blonde face with impunity. Bell: 'Beth's nose bleeding, eyes glassy - she wanders wobbly butt to her corner as Katie skips happily to hers.

R8: Katie setting down more, stepping more deliberately left, working her jab, driving in the right hand, then getting good, good left hooks off that front foot into Harnois' sturdy ribs. Blonde sullen, leaning forward behind her gloves and sponging body shots - Katie just taking target practice, working on her form as she hooks away downstairs. Holmes showing increasing variety, occasionally stepping right to turn Harnois' left flank - changing up the angles - poor Harnois doesn't know what to do, so just keeps trudging forward.

R9: Look at Katie punch! Holmes able to set her feet once she has Harnois clamming up and really get into the blonde - Katie can sock a little when she gets all the parts working in unison. Moist, tucking hooks worry Harnois right side, often off a pinging right hand between the eyes. Holmes getting a nice rangy left uppercut off the front foot, picking Harnois' groggy face up off her mitts, and of course the jab is slicing 'Beth to ribbons. Harnois put wobbly butt again this round, actually turning away and staggering to the ropes under a clattering assortment of lanky rights and lefts to her head - Holmes really pinning her ears back and taking it to Harnois through 9.

R10: Beth all busted up, sullen - hands up - all she knows to do is lean forward, get close and swing for the fences. First minute action, Holmes getting a little brazen, raking Harnois bandy-armed lefts and rights across the scalp - blonde rides it out, then digs in a short right hand to the pit of Katie's tummy, BUCKLING HOLMES' LEGS! Brunette suddenly gut-shot, sobbing for breath - she reaches for Harnois' neck to clinch, but Beth won't have it, slugging her way into the clear and pouring into Holmes as Katie stumbles backwards! KATIE GOES DOWN! Holmes stampeded to a heap near the ropes - Beth purposefuly trampling the outstretched thighs and biceps en route to a gasping stop at the ropes. Glassy-eyed 8 - Holmes rung up, legs are shot: cue gut check. Deep breath Beth - she lifts her mitts, wades on in. Beth setting up on Katie's chest, palming and knuckling, methodically ripping hooks to belly, then doubling off the body to brush Katie back left uppercuts. Sweeping rights looped to the ear, or belted hard off the flank - Harnois's slender arms shivering on contact as fists bounce off Katie's tanned brown body. Katie hurt, but alert - reaching under Harnois' arms for tactical clinches, tieing up head and arm on Harnois - Beth never really able to put the finishing touches to Katie. Bell - Beth open mouthed, exhausted by her own efforts - Katie rattled, but recovered - she's the UD10 victor, wide.

After: Holmes boxing smart, outclassing 'Beth and hurting her enough to get respect - Katie wins her first back to back contests as the Holmes express picks up a hint of momentum. "You know, I used my height, I used my experience tonight," says Katie in post-fight, swigging Evian and dabbing at shiny forehead with a white towel around her neck. "I'd seen all of Elisabeth's fights and I knew I could box her. My jab's really coming around - I really busted up Harnois' face tonight and I'm excited about that - a lot of girls haven't been able to do what I did against her." So Katie, what's next? "You know - I'd love to revisit Hilarie Burton, especially after her comments tonight. We've both improved so much, but she apparently doesn't feel I'm a serious competitor: I'd love to show her otherwise. If not her, I just want to stay active and keep working on my skills. I don't necessarily need to be with a top 10 name right now - just as long as I get good rounds and keep improving."