Posted by simguy on 3/9/2002, 8:48 am

Before: Kelly's coming out party - Lane cast in the role of spoiler, often a bystander during press conferences that revolve around the blonde's plans for this fight and the future. Ripa very complimentary, calling Lane a "class act," but clearly Diane's little more than an objective on the business plan. DL focused, professional throughout - she's seen it all before and as she says of the media, "You'll pay more attention to me after the fight." Ripa in black jockey bra, pale blue and white floral pattern bikini bottoms - Lane in snug single strap (ie: right shoulder) gold bandeau top, sporty red scoop bikini bottoms, hair in hard working bun.

During R1: Ripa out fast, cuts down the ring, works Lane over in the brunette's corner. Not the crippling Ripa - this is a high contact, point scoring Ripa - just brushing and touching her foe, moving her hands, keeping Diane under pressure. Lane calm, blocking a lot of shots, rolling with punches. Di looking for counters - she's sneaking in the right uppercut, smuggling the little hook to the beltline, but mostly covering up with her right hand at her cheek, left across her body. Round to Kelly.

R2: Ripa back on top, batting and pummelling the hips and flanks of her girl, trying to pry that clamshell defense open. Lane not getting hurt as she rolls and bobs, leaning into the ropes, leaning forward down low - nothing's landing clean. Lane can't get off however - it's all Kelly Ripa offensively - at the bell - she spins on her heel, smiling, sweaty and in control after 2.

R3: Diane on the retreat, parrying punches as she backs up, then suddenly jamming in a sweet right hand counter on Kelly's chin as the blonde walks in and RIPA GOES DOWN! Kelly startled to all fours - Lane gets the timing down, steps away calm as Ripa takes her 8. Diane eschews the counterpunch mode, goes hands high, snapping off a hard hook to the temple, chopping in a short right hand to the chin with lots of leg behind it - Ripa's getting tagged. Middle minute, Kelly battered six ways from Sunday suddenly stands her ground, initiates a furious fire-fight with both girls lapping at one another's ribcage and LANE folds slowly to her knees courtesy a splatter-pattern of bashing lefts and rights off her stomach. Di takes a hurting 8 and RIPA rampages on follow up - beating Lane along the ropes, seeking liver and sternum with hooks as Di hunches forward groggily to defend. Down the stretch, both girls shot, staggery - Lane shows her versatility by unpacking the jab - steering Ripa midring, running the clock and salting away the points in a crucial early war of attrition.

R4: Oh Diane Lane. Lane piles up the best round of her career in beating Kelly Ripa to the brink this round. Starts with that high guard, Lane punching with Kelly and ruining her with vicious hooks high on the head and temple. Ripa crumbling backwards, eyes drifting - Lane shooting the straight right hand down to breadbasket, coming up out of the crouch with the hook on the chin - Ripa is rocked repeatedly as she hits the ropes in swoon. By the midway point, it's a turkey shoot - Ripa sagging and cringing on the ropes, buckling forward as Lane beats her mercilessly - Di digging to the blonde's body, curling left and right uppercuts to the overhanging face, and going after that jockey bra without restraint. Kelly out on her feet - she's just taking punches, eyes glassy, legs locked - she crosses her arms and bobs pathetically, just trying to soak and get out of the round. At the bell, Diane is shaking with bloodlust, arms limp at her sides - Ripa trembling from constant abuse - she shakes off the ringside physician during the break in a show of real fighting heart.

R5: Lane's arm weary and covers up this round - a busted up and hurting Kelly Ripa goes to work. Kelly slow and methodical, shouldering her girl up against the ropes, snatching at the belly or jaw with biting lefts and rights - using her left elbow to prop up with. More good defense from Lane as she rolls and rides out the storm for the most part. Midway through, Ripa does land a thick left uppercut to the sternum off a swatting right hand uptop - punch pitches Lane forward in pain but Ripa can't build on it.

R6: Diane gets back outside, peppering Kelly's pretty face with the stick, circling clockwise on the blonde, hands high. Ripa not cutting off the ring, getting punished - Lane dictating the tempo, breaking Kelly down with the jab in order to land hard right crosses as the blonde turns into them. Late in the round, Di backs Kelly up for good measure, stepping in with spearing right hands to the body that have Ripa discouraged at the bell.

R7: Di just boxing now, steering Kelly midring, slowly taking Ripa apart minute by minute in this fight. Jabs lumping up on Kelly - she's reacting late with her head movement, crossing her arms in frustration and often getting poked back onto her heels. Lane putting punches together, mixing it up - she'll hook off the jab, she'll throw a lead straight right, then the clipping left uppercut, she'll bat sidearm lefts and rights to Kelly's midriff. Good lateral movement, good pace, surprising rhythm has Ripa all beat up after 7.

R8: Di continues to touch her girl tough, step away from danger, keeping the action at medium distance, center ring. Ripa just not getting off with confidence - she's turning, following Lane. Kelly has a nice jab, but Lane's is dominant. Ripa's jolting straight right hand can't land. Kelly still finding ribcage with the odd hook, but she pays for it as Lane counters with a blizzard of uppercuts and hooks in response. Ripa badly puffed up and dazed after 8 - solid veteran beating being administered by Lane.

R9: OH, digging body work from Lane - set up by several rounds of head hunting. Kelly just falling apart under the sudden maelstrom - she goes down in the opening moments, swoons again to all fours at the end of the first minute as Lane opens up and chugs away to breadbasket with both mitts. Once again, outburst has Lane arm weary - Kelly sucks it up and mounts a grim comeback, beating Lane to the ropes with a flurry of clubbing lefts and rights - but Lane rides it out, turning her shoulders, blunting the attack, clipping Ripa's chin the cutey-pie uppercut off the ropes and gets back to midring to run the final minute. All Lane behind her jab as she pounds Kelly's left eye closed by the bell - Ripa choking back tears as she feels the brunette's dominance.

R10: Diane stepping in and out, pivoting to the left after spearing the right hand to that aching tummy, digging in the left hook behind Ripa's elbow, turning the ragged blonde at will. Ripa stooped forward, grunting from the body work, crossing her arms low, and midway through, Lane suddenly bodies up, then steps back, letting Kelly fall into a beautiful little counter left uppercut in close. Chin-clipped Kelly swoons to her knees for her FOURTH knockdown of the fight - she gets up with defeated resignation in her eyes as Di seals the deal on the cards. Nice fighting finish from Ripa late however - she keeps punching, catching Lane with some surprisingly sharp hooks on the teeth late to back the brunette to the ropes - Di clinching out the final seconds as Kelly breaks down into tears. UD10 Diane Lane by wide margin.

After: A sweaty and refreshed Diane Lane basks in camera-glow in postfight: "I bossed Kelly around, beat her up tonight - she was really discouraged over the last half and I give her credit for not quitting. She's got a lot to offer, but these daytime girls - they never really learn to think in the ring or work on different techniques and it hurts them when they get into a ten rounder. I think HBO really put a lot of pressure on Ripa to look good against me and that was a mistake. Realistically, there's only one woman I'm not comfortable against in this division and that's Lucy Liu - anyone else I feel like I can beat on any given night. I'd LOVE the winner of Dushku/Williams - I think I've earned another shot."

Thanks to Apollo for this repost.

Archer 10/19/09.