Posted by Simguy on Sunday, 18-June-2000 08:46:18

Before: Bell train keeps rolling as Cat takes on another highly ranked contender in Heigl. Katherine a big bodied slugger with reported problems making weight, but the punching power is for real--ask Ali Landry. Bell used to being the stronger girl at this weight, but she’ll need a little finesse to work with Heigl. Cat in electric blue bikini, white shoes and gloves. Kat in black bandeau bikini, black shoes and gloves, tight braid.

During R1,2,3: Close rounds with Bell circling, steering the opponent with the jab--Heigl stepping over occasionally to square up into curling 2 and 3 punch salvos to the body. Cat in control of tempo, moving when she wants, fighting when she wants, steps right, leans in on Kat with shoulder and pushes off effectively to score sharp combinations at middle distance, All 3 rounds to Bell as Heigl not discouraged, but not dictating,

R4: Bell starts to set down on punches--Heigl starting to jerk when Cat strokes her belly with the hook, and Bell is getting over with the sharp right hand off the jab to send sweat-shower off Kat’s face. Late in the round, Bell with a beautiful double jab, step to the right, opens an angle on Heigl’s jaw and set down a beautiful right cross to freeze the youngster. Heigl stutter stepping at the bell, wobbly butt as she soaks up Bell’s first A right hands.

R5: Heigl continuing to walk in, getting off with hard shots from both hands to Bell’s ribs, but cat continues to slide laterally, minimize Kat’s opportunities and fire back with hard straight right hands from angles, Down the stretch, Cat has Heigl wobbling again from another brisk round, and bounces the youngster’s head with that shearing right hand over Heigl’s left shoulder. Kat soaking it up with clenched eyes, wobbly butt as her knees threaten to give out at the bell.

R6,7: Bell backing off, not throwing the right hand as much, moving right, sticking the left into Heigl’s chest as she does so to pre-empt much of what Heigl intends, Kat following, still landing in spurts, but her unimaginative feet can’t solve Bell’s simple counterclockwise shuffle--Cat doing a great job of taking away Heigl’s strengths to this point.

R8: Heigl on the board as Cat lays in. Shoulder to shoulder, girls get busy, lifting short lefts and rights into one another’s breasts and bellies--Kate finishing up with nice left hooks on Bell’s jaw to drop the brunette back a step, Tactical slugging from bell as she makes Heigl work, probably takes more punishment this round than any other.

R9,10: Back to back shutouts for Bell as she sticks with the tools that are working. The sticking jab, then counterclockwise movement, leaning in and pushing off--Heigl has no anwsers and walks into a pasting in these frustrating rounds. Cat just steering her foe, gives Heigl a lesson in class, putting 3 and 4 punches together off the jab and walking away--lumping Heigl up after 10 rounds of constant facial abuse. UD10 Cat Bell as she hugs her beaten challenger at the bell.

After: Closer fight than it appears on the cards, but Heigl not doing enough to win several competitive rounds. Bell admiring of her opponent’s wicked body licks, but Kat never squared away consistently the way she did against Landry and simply ran out of time in this one. Criticism in some quarters that Bell had her girl hurt and elected not to finish, but Cat unruffled, “Knockouts look for me, I don’t look for them,” her simple credo.

Reposted by Archer 3/23/12.