Originally posted by Simguy on 3/30/2002, 8:56 am.

Before: Garner coming off her first loss, takes a surprisingly dangerous opponent—Soto a hrd punching Latina who generally gets beat only by the best—Jennifer’s people raising the bar for their protégé tonight.

“Hey, I’ve got to box,” admits Jennifer. “Use my inside speed, keep her at the end of punches. If I get into a hooking war with Soto inside, I don’t think I can beat her.”

Wow—honesty!

Garner in red high neck sports bra, grey stretch cotton aerobics briefs, Talisa in black kid leather high neck sports bra, matching black aerobics cut brief—long fighting braid.

R1: Garner putting on her Cat Bell imitation—not so much in terms of her ring presence, but in her deliberate, analytical approach. Hands up, shooting straight jabs to Talisa’s forehead, keeping the right hand at the mouth—Garner keeps the fight in the center of the ring, while rotating clockwise, Soto stalking, gloves at chest height—she’s shooting straight rights and wide left hooks to the body, but dancing to Garner’s tune this round.

R2: Talisa off to a quick start, has a great first minute punishing Garner’s midsection on the ropes as the brunette bobs and rolls on defense. Jenny turns it around—slidi9ng one step to the ride, she leans into the ropes, jacks a quick hook into Soto’s jaw and immediately buckles the Argentinian’s curvy legs.. Spin move off the ropes—Garner reverses position with Talisa and starts to put punches together as Soto deals with hurt. Down the stretch, Soto shows that Latina spirit, banging back hard to slug her way off the ropes, refusing to let Garner roll her up.

R3: Methodical shutout Jennifer Garner, Circling around her jab, spiking one twos up the middle—Soto’s face too available as she turns, takes, stalks forward. Blood from the nostril and puffy eyes for Soto as she gets touched up hard on the face bell to bell.

R4: Garner dominating with that ramrod jab—Soto stepping forward, getting jammed on either eye, stopping in her tracks—it’s a disaster. Jenny putting the right cross in behind it, dipping in close and finishing up her combinations with a nice little bobbing left uppercut, picking up Soto’s chin and putting the Latina wobbly butt. Midway through, picture perfect jab, right hand, left uppercut lands tic tac toe—Soto drops one knee in a fog. Credit Talisa’s heart: she comes off the canvas hurling haymakers at garner’s ribcage, once again preventing Jenny from even thinking about finishing strong.

R5: Garner fighting her fight—that’s the whole thing. Jab, jab, jab, Hard right hands on the mouth. Clipping left uppercuts and the pivot to the left—Soto has no answers. Talisa busting up badly now as she’s giving up a hug connect percentage, and these aren’t powder puffs Jennifer’s clocking her with—Soto taking a tremendous punch in this fight, often staggered and rocked back, but generally recovering to keep moving forward.

R6: Jenny’s been moving left—this round she shoots the jab to Talisa’s chest, steps right and drops the slinging right hand around Soto’s guard, picking up Talisa’s lead foot and dropping the exotique to her hands and knees. Sensational sharpshooting from outside—Garner marches in to finish after the 8, and Soto’s not having it! Talisa Soto guts up, puts her head down and trades with splattering leather up and down Garner’s flanks. Jennifer trying to stand in the pocket, roll with the wide punches and fit her left uppercut in, but Soto too ferocious, banging the classy brunette back across the ring and actually punishing Garner against the far ropes at the bell, Soto dropping a big 10-8 round, but bellowing in defiance ast the break—Jennifer with a look of awe at the tenacity of Soto through 6.

R7: Jennifer gets cold. Hard one-two up the middle freezes Soto, has her leaning on back foot, hands low—the next one-two bangs back face and puts Soto on her rump. Talisa up slow, legs unsteady—all the head punching has finally taken something out of the girl. Garner piling on effectively for the first time, palming her girl’s arms to walk Soto to the ropes, setting her feet strong and taking Talisa apart with cudgeling hooks, clubbing right hands—very short, Evander Holyfield type punches. Soto now taking the beating she had stoically been resisting—she’s wobbling from one foot to the other, allowing herself to be steadied and positioned as Garner systematically breaks her down, Soto beaten unrecognizable by the bell, swaying over her feet—has to be guided to her corner for some smelling salt treatment.

R8: Jennifer takes a little off the fastball, goes back to the jab, spanking face on Talisa as Soto’s head begins to loll dangerously on contact. Soto still slugging in spots, bringing it hard to the rib cage—incredible she’s still got some pop in those guns at this point.

R9: Jenny coasting—straight jabs stabbing to the belly, chest and face, smooth pivots to the left—it’s textbook stuff. Soto shabby, all messed up, but stalking forward—Garner just hasn’t convinced the girl that she can’t win. Down the stretch, Talisa sweeps in a bashing right hand to the side that freezes Jenny—Soto straightens and pulls a crashing hook across Jenny’s chin and GARNER IS HURT! Jenny G stepping in fence post holes—falls in to clinch, but Soto fights through it. Talisa shredding Garner’s arms and digging into the stomach, has garner sobbing in pain at the bell as the Latina stomps away for points this round.

R10: Gut check time for Jennifer Garner—Soto coming on, throwing down the gauntlet—corner challenges Jennifer to show some heart. Garner responds with steel: she backs Soto up with the hardest jabs of the fight, chasing Talisa to the ropes and staggering the Latina with a chopping right hand on the eye, Soto wobbly butt, hanging on—Garner lights her up, A savage, Cat Bell type finish—Jenny just laying it on with machine like lefts and rights, pulling her hook in between Soto’s blackened eyes, using her shoulder and elbow to shove Soto off with, rolling her shoulder into a cruel right uppercut. Talisa rasgdolled, beaten senseless but refusing to go down. Jenny in a puncher’s trance at the bell, tackled away by the ref who probably should have stopped this as Soto sags helplessly on her  turnbuckles. UD10 by wide margin,. Jennifer Garner.

After: Garner answering all the critics with a resounding, comprehensive beating of a durable brunette—Jenny showed her backers everything they wanted and more. Soto withstanding ungodly punishment—a concerned Jennifer garner visits the Argentinian on her stool to consol her—Garner as sweet after the fight as she is intense during. Lightweight field opening up nicely—Garner as well positioned as anyone to make a run at this point.

Reposted by Archer 4/15/09.