Posted by simguy on 3/1/2002, 7:12 am

Before: Shot before a live studio audience on the set of Regis - fight patched into the PPV broadcast. Before the Doherty fight, Couric looked like suicide for Kelly, now experts realizing that Ripa has the defense, handspeed, and cutes in the ring she might need to be competitive with Katie. Couric clearly the stronger of the two, but both are stocky ex cheer and dance types, both can get after it on the inside - good fight expected. Katie in cream sports bra, pale blue adidas terrycloth track trunks, Kelly in navy sports bra to high neck, pale blue aerobics bottoms - white shoes and gloves for both.

During R1: Girls bang up shoulder to shoulder for a rousing give and take first. Both keeping gloves high, elbows in, bumping and jostling each other with their guards, then fitting in hurtful left hooks downstairs, hacking rights uptop and to the left side. Both trying to get underneath and work - leads to repeated, unintentional trunk punching, but neither complains, each simply answering back in kind to keep the ref out of it. Difference is Ripa's savvy - she has a knack of stepping to the side while in contact with Couric - using the newscaster's momentum against her to walk Katie into tough hooks and uppercuts. Couric landing heartstopping leather to Kelly's right flank - close round goes to Ripa.

R2: Couric adjusts to Kelly's little pivots, reaching her left arm under the girl's right in a partial wrap, and muscling Ripa to the ropes. Katie right were she wants to be, working Kelly over on the perimeter, getting beefy on the blonde. Ripa bearing her teeth, digging in to bang back, but without the angles on the inside, Couric's strength prevails. Katie in a bruising groove - using her left shoulder and elbow to brace up with, heaving in wide rights and lefts to the hips and belly of her girl, shoving and muscling Kelly back into the ropes. Hard working round leaves Ripa breathless - Couric bounces back to her corner nodding aggressively to her trainer.

R3: Girls hunker down midring for more high tempo work. Ripa changing things up, jolts Katie with some stubby lead right hands - Couric standing up straight, trying to bluster her way in shows too little respect and it costs her. Ripa pivots to her right and PUMPS a harsh left hand square to the breadbasket of the oncoming Couric - Katie groaning in pain, nearly takes a knee and she is HELPLESS! Ripa working off Couric's left shoulder, dips her shoulder and plugs trunk with another jamming left, resets and gets her hips into a booming left off the stomach and Couric starts to wilt backwards. Kelly stepping with her girl, straight right hands, straight lefts stampeding Couric to the ropes - Katie hitting the strands hard and in shabby shape. Ripa bright eyed, piles on to finish, banging relentlessly to the body as Couric folds forward to protect herself. Kelly pressing Katie back with her left, holds the newscaster for some jerking right uppercuts in close - Katie's sleepy face bouncing back from the leather as she stands glumly in to take. Kelly getting underneath and shrugging her shoulders to chug punches to Katie's belly - Couric shouting in pain as she buckles forward again and THE REF STOPS THE FIGHT! Ripa bouncing away in glee as a sobbing Katie Couric slumps in the ropes - TKO3 Kelly Ripa.

After: Couric enraged with the stoppage, "Next time let's fight on the Today show," says Katie, "Maybe Kelly will get stopped at the weigh in. This is unbelievable - she can't get away with this." Kelly grinning ear to ear, has a different take, "Katie knows what my punches were doing to her," winks Ripa, "she wasn't going to miraculously shake off that damage and mount a comeback. The ref did the humane thing - the only thing." East Coast boxing in good shape these days - Ripa looking forward to potential Charlotte Ross or Kelli Williams bouts and there's even talk of a Geri Halliwell dance - that's good work if you can get it. In days to follow - that first body punch of the third round gets a lot of air time - probably the sweetest gutshot landed this year - amazing that Couric was able to withstand it.

Thanks to Apollo for this repost.

Archer 10/19/09.