Posted by Simguy on 11/22/2000, 8:05 am

(Thanks to FightFan for this repost)


Before: Carpenter crosses the pond to take on Hurley in the Brit's back yard. Big step up for Charisma who has been patiently rebuilding her shattered career - Liz seen as a necessary step back into the big time. Hurley with the rep as the classier fighter - but she's struggled in her last few outings, and coming in just under 118 could be part of the problem. Many British fans remember Liz as a bouncy 130 pounder who could take a shot - Hurley toning up, slimming down mostly as a marketing ploy for the US spectator - critics question whether a fighter should let her training be effected by such considerations. Liz in burgundy bikini, black gloves and shoes, Charisma in black beach volleyball bikini, long ponytail.

During R1: Southpaw Liz relaxed, just pawing the right jab from her hip, dipping low beneath Carpenter's left, and straighening up to clinch as Charisma falls in behind her jab. Liz with free spanks at kidney as a result - nothing serious. Carpenter co-operating with the slick Brit a little too much in a tactical first.

R2: Liz cranks it up - the jab spits out now as Hurley wheels to her right - Charisma fended off takes a high guard. Liz able to bite the right hook around Carpenter's wrist, claps cheek, and has CC stepping in fence post holes early from a series of clipping shots upside the head. Liz putting it to Charisma for much of the round, working off her jab and keeping her lead foot outside Carpenter's - down the stretch, Hurley steps in with a hard right hook on the eye, short left hand on the mouth and CHARISMA GOES DOWN! CC scooting to her butt, clearly discouraged at having tasted canvas so early - Hurley flashing that impish grin at the sight.

R3: Carpenter going to the slender body, snapping lefts and rights at the bony ribcage, but midway through, Hurley times the incoming, puts a few clocking lefts and rights onto Charisma's mouth and sends the brunette reeling to the canvas for a second time. Carpenter more shaken up this time, retreats to the ropes as Hurley advances, hands low. Liz Hurley with a bully's swagger walks in, twists her torso to sling her fists up into the cowering American - whip action punches from the knees thud wetly against Charisma's tight frame as she wilts against the ropes.

R4: Carpenter coming out stronger than Liz expected - American able to body up, work her gameplan inside with a lanky Bronco McKart look. Charisma with her right hand at her cheek, caressing and slapping upstairs with a loose left, then savagely biting the left hook in under the elbow seems to have Hurley paralyzed for much of the stanza - Brit just laying in, keeping her face on Carpenter to crowd. Down the stretch, Hurley comes out of her shell, bending inside to sweep the right hand across Charisma's face, then writhing back the other way to draw her left hand across the teeth. Carpenter going wobbly butt, covers up and Hurley gets it all back, staying right on top of her girl, slashing and dragging her fists back and forth across Carpenter's face and breasts to leave the American trembling ropeside at the bell. Liz stealing a Carpenter round rolls up the first four and is beginning to turn this into a rout on the cards.

R5: Carpenter knows she needs to step it up and once again shakes off Hurley's leather to establish herself inside at the open. Carpenter nice and tight, little right uppercut clipping from her cheek to Liz' chin, little swatting hook slapping to the ear, then swishing into the liver - Hurley stumbling around, clinching casually with one arm or the other - strange to see two lanky bodies take it inside like this. Charisma finally grinds out a round, putting together several stinging combinations throughout.

R6: Back inside - Liz with her hands low, leaning her chin out over Charisma's shoulder and slicing that right hook hard across Carpenter's tummy. Charisma responding with a nice little backward lean to squeak the right uppercut to the offered chin, then slashing back at stomach herself with hard left hands. Midway through, Carpenter steps over to take an oblique angle off Liz' right side - Charisma shoulder to shoulder, just uses her legs to stuff short right uppercuts out of a crouch into Hurley's jugs and teeth - Liz breaking down, wilts to the ropes when a single spanking left hook across her stomach draws a sob from the British brunette, dropping her to one knee! Hurley up at 8, but clearly gunshy - she covers up, giving Charisma all sorts of subtle body angles, shoulder turns and slips against the ropes to the bell.

R7: Pitched battle erupts in the best two way action of the fight. Hurley now taking it back outside, hands low, palms down - she shuffles right, stabs the jab, tries to sling punches in bunches then escape before Carpenter can set up. Charisma walking Liz down, trying to corral the slippery Brit with the jab, then pound the straight right hand down into the body. Liz busier, landing more - Carpenter making the fight, landing the harder shots in a tough to score seventh.

R8: Liz' adjustment looks successful at this point: her movement keeps Charisma at arms length where Carpenter isn't comfortable letting her hands go. CC reduced to single potshots as she walks her girl down - Liz able to fade to her right, slap and slice with a relaxed delivery, escape without receipt.

R9: Carpenter drilling right hands to the body finally brings Liz to heel - once she gets her body on, Charisma's in charge. All CC to the bell as she walks Liz around the ring, doubling up on the left hand to body and head, getting her shoulder behind little right hand clouts to the eye that have Hurley breaking down late.

R10: Masterful clock management from Hurley as she treats Charisma to a good old fashioned, arm punching, slapping, stick and move bamboozling. Charisma brazenly walking through this stuff, looking for decisive battle, but Liz won't give it to her, and Charisma can't cut off the ring. Shutout Hurley as she twists and slips away, keeping enough on Carpenter to occupy her to the bell. UD10 Liz Hurley.

After: Carpenter outclassed - nice technical display from Liz who did a bit of everything in this fight. Loss overseas won't hurt Carpenter much at home, but it's a setback nonetheless and shots of her stunned, sitting on the canvas won't look good on Entertainment Tonight. For Hurley, questions remain about her weight - Carpenter taking Hurley's biggest shots fairly well, coming off the canvas to force the issue over the second half. Liz insists the move to bantam not cosmetic - it's the weight she feels fastest, fittest at. Time will tell.