Originally posted by Simguy on 12/18/2004, 9:24 am.

Before: “It’s unfair to ask that before I’ve faced her,” Jen  Garner says in answer to a request to size Erica up. “To me, she’s untested. She stepped up and got handled by Laetitia, who is sort of a gatekeeper to my mind and the gate got kept, didn’t it? Durance obviously has the tools but it’s like anything else: she’s got to have the seasoning to go with them.”

Erica upbeat and confident coming in. “Ever since I started working out at the WB, people have compared me to Jennifer. I want everything that Jen’s got right now, the movies, the fans—and it all starts in an FCBA ring.” With Eliza and Mish reeling from crushing defeat at the hand of the 2^nd Coalition, is Garner feeling any extra pressure to raise the flag? “Not at all. To me, anything south of 120 is a sideshow—it really doesn’t effect what I do. My hat’s off to Dani and Britney—they showed up and beat their women down. I respect that.”

Erica in shades of blue setting sun motif bikini, punching ponytail—Jennifer in neon blue bra style surfer chick bikini, long brown curls tied back off her face.

During R1: Girls slapping left hands as they rotate counterclockwise, then get down to business. Brisk trade—Jennifer deliberately setting a blistering pace, Erica matching it. Jen dukes up, chin tucked, stepping in the jab, hooking rib with shotgun loud impact. Erica dukes up, answering back digging hooks amidships, right hand tight to her cheek. Defensively—Erica with a nice little head bob, weaving Jen’s stick—Garner using feint-right hands, fading out to make Durance come up short. Erica busier, throwing and landing more—takes the heat with sheer hard work.

R2: Same again—ratatat combinations from both women, action ranging wide around the ring as girls step in and out for ringing exchanges. Both digging hooks to the body, tanning up stout ribs—Garner more apt to finish up hook-on-mouth as Durance starts backing up. Jen attacking crisply off her jab, testing Erica’s blocking D `with short, blunt right hands, tucking diligent hooks to body, evening cards through 2. Outside, Garner’s looking Jermaine Taylor like, inside she’s Miguel Cotto putting punches together.

R3: Shutout Jen Garner—Erica standing and waiting, watching Jen operate like any other fan. Garner pop-pop up top brisk one-twos, finishing up thick in the ribs that gouging hook. Durance grimacing, shying away as she takes shots in her flank, round her back, in her liver—Jennifer a persistent hurtful body puncher and it’s all starting to take effect. Garner getting some snappy combinations on Erica, working up and down the flanks, tidying up that chin, scoring uppercuts. Durance on her heels, trying to stay calm, but chin is forced to bail her out this round as Garner tunes her up.

R4: Garner starting to dominate territorially—Erica stout, taking a good shot, unmoved by Jennifer’s punches, but WB brunette not getting off as Jen wheels and deals. Garner stepping around that stabbing stick, executing tight 3 punch patterns body/body/head or head/head/boy, just circling and attacking from all four compass points. Durance turning, covering up, taking it, but down the stretch, Erica unpacks the jab, tracks Jen on the way in and lands the hardest punch of the fight: crashing right on the jaw that visibly buckles Garner’s legs and wobbles that fabulous Garner backside. Jen stepping queasy away, gloves at her lips, eyes troubled—Erica on with robust overhand rights and sweeping hooks underneath to steal a round and draw even once again on the cards.

R5: Jennifer initiating with the jab ounce again—Erica’s been gobbling p[oke, starting to lump up as Garner dictates. Systematic stuff from Jenny—shivering right/lefts in the tummy—staccato bursts up and down the flanks, sharp one-twos up top and those withering hooks in the liver. Once again, Durance willing ro give away minutes to get a perfect lane—late in the round, she hooks-with, then beats Garner to rights hands as both dive in and JENNIFER GOERS TO HER KNEES! Garner staring open-mouthed, kissed on the chin and dropped—she’s up, badly shaken at the bell, Big smile Durance as she surveys the hurt—WB beauty growing in confidence, pep talks in the corner constantly reassuring her that she belongs her tonight.

R7: Garner a little gunshy, feinting, stepping out and circling—Erica’s bringing the fight to former champ’s doorstep, Durance deliberately engaging in punishing two-way exchanges at close quarters—brunettes leaning in cheek to cheek and hustle-punching up underneath, tearing away at ribs, jug and tummy. After piping-hot trade, usually Garner stepping out and wincing away—Erica positively walking her girl down in the final minute.

R8: Garner’s been winning the jab contest all night—spends a minute circling and pounding back Erica’s face almost at will to startle and daze young Durance. Midway through, punishing jab sets up a sliding right on the teeth, jagged left uppercut on the chin and ERICA TAKES A SEAT! Durance flabbergasted, woozy—she rolls painfully up off her hip, taking deep breaths as the ref gives her an 8 against the ropes, ON COMES GARNER! Jennifer squaring away and getting after it—Erica folding forward, giving up her flanks and lower back as Garner tears away without restraint. Late in the round, Garner machine-like, right hand at chest as she twists on her hips to reef withering jooks up into Durance’s right side as Erica’s bent forward nearly double, Bell: Erica blinking back tears, body throbbing en route to her corner.

R9: Erica steals ANOTHER Garner round with patient power punching, giving away the first two minutes to Jenny’s consistent combinations. Jennifer comfortable, thwarted up top by Erica’s blocking guard, but mining gold in Durance’s achy ribs and straining tummy—Garner’s wicked hook appears to have Erica in thrall. But late in the round—Durance able to hurt and visibly shake Jen’s legs with a right hand behind the ear—piling on for a splashy flurry if hooks and crosses at the bell. During the break, Garner winching, looking shopworn—Durance’s heavy hands are taking effect.

R10: Hammer and tongs, fast paced give and go—crowd loving the brilliant tit for tat. Girls in tight hooking stances, right hands at temples. Girls taking turns batting up and down flanks as the other leans forward elbows in. Girls jabbing, looking for right hands, left uppercut combos. Girls leaning in with heads forward, jerking uppies to trembling guts and overhanging chins. Just great, compact, abrupt punching, professional action all the way—both beauties defensively sound but clearly committed to hurting one another in one crowd-pleasing exchange after another. Bell—both girls still throwing—ref has to enforce the break as this one goes to the cards. Jen on the ref’s right, Erica on the left…it’s Durance! UD10 Erica Durance.

After: Jen’s face: stunned, bleak as Erica hand is raised. Durance bubbling over with excitement—brief hug as Jen stands board-stiff, unresponsive—then Erica is gone, bounding into the arms of her cornermen. Telling upset—Durance proving she’s no flash in the pan, beats it out of Garner round after round in very intense hard fought minutes. Garner wins 19 of 30 minutes, but Erica’s late power in fourth, fifth and 8^th rounds essentially takes points off Jen’s plate, leaving former champ battered, speechless.

“A lot of people said I was being pushed too fast,” gushes a jab-shiny Erica in postfight, “but I knew I was ready for her—I knew it! I’ve got the fitness, I’ve got the strength and I’ve got the fitness, I’ve got the strength and I’ve got the skills. It’s just starting to sink in: I BEAT JENNIFER GARNER UP!”

Jenny subdued as wraps are removed, when approached for comment, she’s terse: “We’ll be securing a rematch as soon as possible. I’ve seen some shaking scoring in my life, but this decision reeks. As `of right now, yes—I am disputing the results.”

Reposted by Archer 4/19/09.