Unified Lightweight Title

Posted by Simguy on 5/25/2002, 9:40 am

Before: Cat Bell—“You know, we at Tank Enterprises, we’re big fight fans ourselves-we’re always talking about dream fights we would like to see, and Berry/Diaz is one of mine, Being a champion can make a fighter better, and I’m curious to see if Halle can take a step up and prove she belongs tonight, Diaz is maturing, made getting hit a bit more than she did in her prime, but she;s also setting down on her punches more. If Cam can stop Charlize Theron, she can definitely hurt Halle and I’d like to see Cameron open up on Berry, take the fight to her. For Berry, she needs to remember to go to that body--Diaz doesn’t like it in the ribs.”

Cameron in gold spangly Charlie’s Angles bikini. Halle in black push up, yellow bikini bottoms.

R1: Tactical first as expected, both women on their toes, wide-ranging movement. Berry the aggressor, often coming in low, bobbing up to slash a stroking hook along Cam’s ribcage. Diaz backhanding the jab, hopping out the right hand from a low-slung angle, leaning away from anything upstairs. Close round Berry.

R2: Halle concentrating on her midsection, gets to Cam with some Ray Leonard hooks earl—Diaz wincing, pushing off Berry’s shoulders and dancing away hurt. Halle bobbing and weaving pressing the action, feints to the body and SWIVELS Cameron’s head a lightning hook across the chops and DUAZ GOES DOWN! Cam scooting to her butt, caught as she backpedaled—she takes a chagrined 8 as Berry looks on hungrily. All Halle B. the rest of the way—Diaz on her toes, running, clinching whenever Halle herds her to the ropes—blonde just fighting to survive this round.

R3: Diaz finding Berry jaw with that slinging, almost sidearm right hand, leaning onto her back foot to swat the follow up hooks as Berry struggles forward. Halle focusing on the body, doing good work, but coming in too straight this round—Diaz able to scorch her for points and exact a high price for real estate. Down the stretch, Cameron puts Halle wobbly butt with a sudden check-hook—Berry stumbling back out wide eyed—Diaz not pressing the advantage.

R4: Berry coming forward, jabbing to Diaz’ chest, moving her head, sweeping the round right hand to the body and nailing a biting hook on Cameron’s cheek as the blonde guards low. Diaz doing yeoman work with her jab, but she’s missing over the top with her right hands, fighting off her heels too much as she forfeits the round to Berry’s work rate.

R5: One of the classiest rounds of the year, both girls leggy, but not too leggy—just dancing to het position, letting their hands go in licking combinations. Berry just a bit better a across the board. Where Diaz is head hunting. Hale’s mixing it up body and head. Diaz basically trying to slash in the right hand, only slapping the hooks—Berry turning over hard right hands and spanking hooks, getting better leverage as she repeatedly drives Diaz to the ropes, Berry also slightly better on defense—she’s moving her upperbody as well as using her legs—Diaz leaning away from shots, getting tagged on the way out as Halle’s starting to get her timing down.

R6: Classic Cameron Diaz goes bell to bell on the champion this round. Diaz flicking the jab, leaning in on that front foot with the slinging right, leaning onto the back foot with the whippy hook—all supple power as Diaz licks, moves back, walks Berry into punches. At the ropes, Cam tieing up head and arm on Halle, pulling her close, taunting her in the clinches. Shutout Diaz—Halle unhurt but shiny—she’s rarely been touched so much by an opponent in one round before.

R7: Diaz continues to bamboozle her foe, getting off, getting her hands on Berry t turn her, walking the champ into swatting, clouting blows from the low hand position. Berry getting shined up for 2/3s the round—final minute she steps in with chopping right hand out of nowhere, nailing Diaz as the blonde leans away and CAMERON’S GOES DOWN! Timing of the blow, and Cam’s bad balance equals the knockdown—Berry grinning as Cameron gets up unhurt but shamed by the droppage. Good pressure from Halle to consolidate—she beats Diaz like a drum at the ropes as the blonde covers up and lies against the ropes, soaking up leather against her long torso to the bell.

R8: Berry’s turned it around—stealing the last round, but bludgeoning this one out of a discouraged Cameron Diaz. Cam retreating to the ropes, clinching for breaks rather than working--Berry now crippling Cam with those licking Leonardesque hooks along the ribcage, and scorching the blonde on the jaw as she doubles the left up top, Diaz with some desultory counters with her butt n the ropes in the final minute—slugging toe to toe to avoid the shutout.

R9: Berry NAILING Diaz again with that cat-quick right hand from the shoulder-Cam reeling back and staggering as she tries to keep her legs under her. Halle patient on follow through, remembering to jab her way in hook to the body, then mopping up on Diaz’ face as the blonde sags to the ropes. Cameron rope-a-doping, covering up, laying over on one side or the other—clinching up head and arm on Berry. Champ’s just pouring it on-Halle all slick and glistening with a hardworking sheen, keeps her hands moving, content to beat Cameron’s sides when the head’s not there, but often threading little 3 punch poking combinations between the mitts to drape the taller woman back Disheartening round for Diaz—she’s puffing up nicely, looking a beaten woman through 9.

R10: Cue heart, cue comeback—Cameron Diaz won’t punk. Cam out with determined, flat footed punching, getting her body lean into rights and lefts, finally connecting flush with Halle’s jaw and jugs. Diaz liquid quick on the outside, but when Halle gets close, tall blonde hunkers down and gallops her fists to the stomach and bra of her foe—curling rights and lefts from underneath and she takes a DRILLINGH straight right hand between the eyes that has her stepping in fence post holes. Diaz stepping to the side, swatting Berry to the ropers from the oblique angle, then LATHERING away! Halle covering up, leaning forward as leather bashes down upon her—ref taking a close look and HE DOESN’T STOP THE FIGHT! Comes back UD10 Halle Berry as both girls finish up groggy.

After: Diaz sullen, shaking her head at the decision—she refuses the champion’s hand as Bery shrugs, then goes about her victory strut with her hands held high. Cat’s impressed:

“That was a very smart, very professional effort from Berry. When I dismantled her for the title, Halle was all speed, no brains. She knew she had to work Cameron’s body, maybe take some punches to do it, and she executed perfectly. I’d love to face this version of Berry—she’s got all the class and ability of a true champion and she’s a legitimate challenge for me now.”

Halle glowing in the postfight despite a grotesque shiner under her left eye. “Everyone gave me a lot of props for taking Cam In my first defence, but the truth is, I knew it was going to be an easy fight. When you look at lightweight--I’m the only one still growing—everyone else is standing still. A lot of girls in the top ten are going to get exposed stepping up against me, (winks to Cat at ringside)—a lot of girls.”


Archer