Posted by Simguy in 7/12/2002, 7:54 am

Before: Highly anticipated bout between two of the best, not to mention hottest lightweights around. Classic contrast in styles—Halle the boxer, winning fights with her legs, Jennifer the grinder, looking to fight in a band box, work her hook to the liver. Berry the more anxious coming in, Jlo more relaxed, almost cocky in prefight, playful with the press. Halle in black push up, yellow bikini bottoms Jlo in pale blue bikini top, blue jean cut off bottoms.

R1: Halle taking a look-see this round Changing directions , circling to test Jlo’s legs, putting combinations together to test Jlo’s reflexes, Berry keeping it fast and loose outside. Lopez stalking, crouched forward, trying to cut off the ring off, get close enough to gouge her left hook to Halle’s body. When Berry’s testing, the punches are usually wide, swiping back and forth combos, when she’s serious, everything’s slick and straight up the middle.

R2: Lopez using a stubby straight right to take away Halle’s clockwise rotation, Latina doing a better job of cutting off the ring this round. End of the first minute, Lopez gets that left hook in behind Berry’s elbow, splashing pain on Halle’s face, putting quiver in Halle’s thighs. Berry grimacing, forced to stand flat footed—she’s getting great leverage on snapping hooks on Jlo’s midriff which Lopez only grins at. All Jen down the stretch, mauling Berry up against the ropes, punishing her torso with abrupt straight rights and lefts, then bobbing in close to stick the hook to the liver. Halle shaken up, hurting in her corner during the break.

R3: Berry fighting brilliantly in reverse as Lopez walks in brazen. Halle putting ‘em together, picking Jen up with the right lead, swatting hook, retreating in good order and LOPEZ S HURT! Flush punching to the face has Jen wobbly butt and a sizzling series of hooks upside the head as Berry dances left PUTS JEN DOWN! Lopez woozy, takes her 8, but looks disoriented. Halle back on top with the spitting jab, stepping quick to her left, then dipping that shoulder, licking the Leonardesque hook to the belly, hook to the mouth—Lopez all sleepy-tired, staring as Berry takes whatever she wants. Down the stretch, Berry goes on a rampage. She’s got Lopez stunned—Halle just stepping left, hooking the body and face slashing in the right cross, everything’s working as Jen just gets torn up! Berry’s hooking to the belly so fierce, Lopez’ jeans button comes undone and moments later, a vicious hook in the belly hook in the mouth drops Lopez to her knees once more. Sensational shutout Halle Berry sends Jlo all busted up and dazzled to her corner.


R4: Jen Lopez swelling badly, but refusing to punk—she barrels into Halle, forcing a street fight on Berry this round. Halle shoved up against the ropes and taking to her ribs—Jen slugging wildly, bouncing up and down with the rhythm of her lefts and rights to her foe’s waistline and BERRY GOES DOWN! Halle gurgling, spills to all four and SHE’S suffering. After 8, Jen moves in to finish and BERRY roars back! Halle spinning off the ropes, using that jab to break up Jen’s rush, setting down on slashing right crosses on the eye, then coming back with those ripping let hooks, doubled up body and head to put Jen on her heels. Lopez keeps coming forward, but she’s getting chopped up by Halle’s blinding fists and fresh angles. Hard feelings after the bell—ref breaks up some tempestuous shoving and taunting as both girls get shopworn.

R5: Familiar pattern, Jlo making the fight, landing the harder, spanking body shots, but Halle staying off the ropes, turning her girl midring, controlling long sequences with her legs and rangy, slashing punching from the outside. Surprise is Berry’s hook—she’s doing ruinous damage to Lopez, especially in the body, punching hard enough to keep the Larina from camping out inside—it’s key to Halle’s fight plan.

R6: Berry with a brilliant round of boxing, breaks her foe down completely. Starts with a nice punishing stick as Hale rotates leisurely to her left, just busting up Jennifer’s face, making Lopez groggy. Sudden right crosses get mixed in, setting up those snappy left hooks and by the midway point, Lopez is getting stunned by harsh leather. Berry keeps it up. Turning her girl, getting off in 3s and 4s. slicing Jen to bits as the crowd roars, Down the stretch, Berry prepping Jen a tripled up jab, gets her back into a gorgeous short right uppercut, picking Lopez’ head up all drowsy and leaving her limp. Lopez stagger backwards, hits the ropes a shambles and Berry hops in for a dazzling finishing flurry. Sensational two fisted slugging from Halle tears it up om a defenceless Jlo—Lopez with her hands weak, across her body, beaten numb at the bell.

R7: Lopez STILL trying to come forward, but she’s taken unbelievable licks in this fight and doesn’t have a lot of pep left. Berry dialed in, gets to work with methodical cruelty, spiking the jab to disrupt Jennifer’s forward momentum, rocking back her face with splattering right hands, then mopping up with zesty lefts that leave Lopez groaning. By the midway point, Lopez belongs to Berry—Halle leaning in on her front foot, biting her hook to the waist, coming up the middle with the outside—in left uppercut, swatting Lopez’ mouthpiece off her teeth. Jen’s exotic face all puffy and sore—she crouches forward, arms crossed, beaten senseless by another round of hard, clean Halle Berry punching.


R8: Shutout Jennifer Lopez! Jlo shakes off Berry’s slashing work and POUNDS her way inside this round. Berry shocked, back on the ropes, she’ stunned that Lopez has the will to fight like this. Jlo rubbing her face on Berry’s shoulders and upper chest. Pinning Berry to the ropes a d bludgeoning the midriff—Halle in discomfort, ties up around Latina triceps and head to slow the beating. Bell to bell beatdown leaves Berry ragged—Lopez all punished but buoyed her success looks rejuvenated in her corner.


R9: All Jlo. Berry’s legs starting to look sluggish—Lopez able to get to Halle’s chest, work out of her crouch and BANG that bdy with shuddering hooks. Lopez muscling her girl to the ropes and handing out another beating—Berry with the right at her cheek, left across her body, just trying to roll and punches. Jlo keeps up the heat, bashing at Berry’s arms and hips, digging to her belly, standing up into little right uppercuts to catch the overhanging Berry face. Midway through, an exhausted Halle totters to all fours as Jennifer lifts her mitts and bellows in triumph. Berry fading late, gives up another shutout with her body accepting merciless abuse on the ropes.


R10: Hammer. And. Tongs. Toe to to—Berry too badly beaten to stick and move guts it up, gets mouth on shoulder and fights Lopez in the trenches this round. Heartpounding action as Halle riddles Jen with a burst of hooks and little right uppercuts, then lays inside for the receipt. Jen coming back with thick body punching, shaking Halle whose sweaty face twists in pain as it cheeks up on Jen’s shoulder, Back and forth, Berry busier. Jen landing harder--they keep wailing away past the bell as the ref jumps in. After a long delay, comes UD10…Halle Berry!


After: Berry with her now familiar tears of victory, head back, hands on her eyes—what a fight. Lopez is shocked, tired, battered face revealing her disappointment at having been outboxed, and more importantly, outslugged in spots by the caramel bodies cuties. Lopez pushing through the throng, angrily demands a rematch, becomes enraged as Halle looks away, shoves a palm in Jennifer’s face—cooler heads prevail as Latina is bundled away by officials.


Archer