Originally posted by Simguy on Friday, 18-Jun-1999 08:07:23

Before: Jeannie’s in tough against a big, strong girl in Charisma who can box. Carpenter less than impressed with Tripplehorn’s recent achievements, predicts knockout in 8. Pundits wonder whether or not Jeannie can wear down a girl like Charisma, and Tripplehorn enters solid 2-1 underdog, Rust tankini for Jeannie, black sports bikini for Charisma, jogbra style top.

During R1-2: Charisma fighting out of her solid stance, hands high, left extended—Jeannie more mobile, circling and bouncing outside, Carpenter’s jab spanks back Tripplehorn’s head throughout the rounds, surprising Jeannie with quickness and impact. Jeannie runs more than boxes, as Charisma keeps good form, good pressure throughout. Tripplehorn slips the batting left hook of Charisma but can’t land her own past the long arms and vigilant blocking aggression as Jeannie doesn’t want to get hurt early.

R3: Jeannie settles down, circling left jabbing with Charisma and rolling that smooth left hook in on a rail. But Charisma is jabbing harder, and pounding back with her stiffer-looking, but more concussive left hook to keep Jeannie on the move. Tripplehorn can’t afford to set her feet and slug, and she can’t get an angle to exploit Charisma from. Carpenter takes the round confidently, but doesn’t appear to be landing to produce a stoppage at this rate.

R4: Charisma steps up the pace this round, stepping to her right and batting that Oscar de la Hoya style hook to the head and stomach of Jeannie. Tripplehorn covers up, giving Charisma her flanks, and Carpenter makes the crowd ooh with the banging assault to the body with both hands. Tripplehorn’s legs don’t like the body work as she fades to the ropes, hoping to slip and counter, but in the final minute, a crashing Charisma left hook to the chin folds Jeannie’s legs and forces her to clinch. Carpenter shoves Jeannie back into the ropes and puts a beating on Tripplehorn, pushing her back by her shoulders and ripping short rights and lefts to the bell.

R5: Jeannie T. responds like a desperate fighter this round, firing double and triple jabs, stepping left chopping with a strong right hand to the face of Charisma and backing the big girl up. All Tripplehorn to the final minute as she overwhelms Charisma with superior handspeed and smooth combinations punching, but Carpenter finally answers with a booming left hook to the pit of the stomach. Tripplehorn’s mouthpiece shoots out like a champagne cork as she is badly hurt/ Charisma takes Jeannie apart with slicing right hands and that thudding left hook. After a 3 punch combination to the jaw has Tripplehorn stunned. A double left hook on the side of the chin drops Jeannie to her side. Rolling to her back, Tripplehorn blinks helplessly up at the lights as she fails to beat the count. KO5 for a very dominant Charisma Carpenter.

After: Tough match up for Jeannie—the celebrity equivalent of Oscar vs Oba Carr, in that the sweet skills of Tripplehorn weren’t enough to offset the overall physical superiority and similar skill-set of Carpenter. The loss doesn’t hurt Tripplehorn much, but it does seem to cement her relative ranking below the top tier girls.

Reposted by Archer 7/17/09.