UNIFIED LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE

Posted by Simguy in 5/18/2002, 8:42 am.

Before: Berry upbeat, bright eyed during prefight conferences--she’s got a plan and she’s anxious to put it into effect. “We’ve seen what happens when you go right at Shannon Elizabeth,” says Halle, “it’s a mistake. I’m going to make the big woman find me, move her feet for all 10 rounds, she’s never going to be comfortable enough to tag me. We haven’t looked at single round of tape of Shannon Elizabeth—we all know what she’s going to do. Instead, my trainers have me studying Ray Leonard/Hagler, Mayweather/Corales. Spadafora/Casrdona. I’m going to shock the world the way those little guys did!” Special commentator Catherine Zeta Jones at ringside: “I believe in Halle’s approach—I helped draft it. I believe in the work Hall’s done and the preparation has been thorough. I just don’t think Berry has the character, the grit to pull this off. At some point, Shannon’s going to test Halle and Berry’s going to come up wanting. I see Halle winning this fight right up until the point she gets stopped.” Halle in black push up, yellow bikini bottoms, Shannon in white stars on navy background bra style top, red bottoms.

During R1: Berry using every inch of ring, constant side to side motion—does 2 things to Elizabeth. 1. Shannon rarely set to punch, not getting the kind of whippy leverage on her punches she prefers./ 2. Very low output for both women—Berry able to steal the round with just a few stroking swipes along the ribcage of her foe, in, out and gone.

R2: Breezy shutout Berry, legs propelling the caramel coloured queen around either Elizabeth shoulder—Shannon missing wildly, getting picked up by Halle’s switchblade Jab, licking lead right hand and swiping hooks. Berry slapping Shannon’s face and staying on the body—quick punches scraping along the ribcage as Halle exhales sharply through her mouth.

R3: Shutout Halle Berry. Shannon stomping forward, getting frustrated, but Berry’s movement exquisite thus far. Halle loose, relaxed—she’s either all the way outside, or darting in close enough to swat once or twice at Shannon, then she’s falling off to either side. Berry just slapping in brushing arm punches, but she’s landing—Shannon unable to cut off the ring, following as Halle lures her into a corner, then spins away unharmed.

R4: Halle working her jab to Shannon’s stomach, gets excited as Elizabeth backs up. Elizabeth able tyo lick Halle upside the head with dangerous hooks—Berry standing in front of Shannon and answering back with chop-chop right/lefts to the breasts. Even back and forth trade suits Shannon who starts to bounce her mitts off Halle’s skull and shoulders with some regularity, although Halle doing a nice job  bobbing and turning with the punches to minimize impact. At the bell, Berry defiant, taunting, but gets a lecture in her corner.

R5: Halle punching off the dribble, jamming in a sudden lead right or jumping in the hook, then fading to the side, but midway through—Elizabeth strokes a long left hand to the temple that has Berry stumbling sideways. Berry shaken up for the first time, takes to her heels and draws boos as she blatantly runs the clock. Halle proving that if she doesn’t want to fight, Shannon can’t make her as Berry escapes unscathed—round to Elizabeth.

R6: Brilliant boxing early from Halle. Stomach jab setting up sudden, biting hooks on Elizabeth’s jaw—champ just walking in and talking and SHANNON GOES WOBBLY BUTT! Shannon’s grimacing as her knees buckle—Halle pivoting sharply to her left, keeps touching Shannon in the body, then luring her across the ring, nailing the champ again with a blinding hook at the ropes then escaping out the side, Elizabeth bewildered, starting to look sloppy as she chases after her nimble opponent. Down the stretch, a frustrated Shannon practically tackles Berry into the ropes—ref issues a separation and Shannon plows home a right hand off the break, prompting the fight’s first warning.

R7: Halle baring her teeth, setting down on ounches0-shes got Shannon breathing hard, psychologically rocked, now she pours it on. Speed equals power for Berry as she RIPS into Shannon with those Ray Leonard hooks to the ribs and chin, Elizabeth wading in, then freezing as she is helpless to prevent the harsh strokes., Berry just roaming the ring, luring Shannon in, then dressing her up—it’s reflex boxing at its prettiest. Midway through, Halle jumps in a lead right hand on the mouth to get Shannon leaning awkwardly back—Berry in close, palm-pushing her girl onto her heels and NAILING Elizabeth a swiping hook on the chops and SHANNON GOES DOWN! Elizabeth sitting in a pile, staring up in shock at a seething Halle Berry—Halle taunting Shannon to “Get UP!” as the ref pushes her back. Final minute a shocker—Halle just too fast, helping herself to Shannon’s ample breasts with sudden,  cruel  right and left swipes, turning the brunette at midring and leaving her trembling at the bell.

R8: Shannon falling apart—getting beat up and embarrassed, comes out very tentatively this round as Berry up tempos again. Halle with her hands low, able to judge distance to the millimeter—she knows when she’s in danger, She’s legging around Elizabeth, slashing in to let her hands play upon Shannon’s flat belly or gorgeous jugs,  beating that bra religiously, scampering back and to the side as Shannon flails away. Elizabeth connecting with grazing, panicky shots—Berry’s plan too wrong foot the champ working to perfection through 8.

R9: Halle too defensive, running the clock, hopping around the perimeter of the ring, draws boos as Shannon lopes after, trying to make the fight. Elizabeth gets points by default but can’t put any dings in Halle’s chassis—Berry grinning, taunting at the bell—Shannon visibly frustrated, angry—begging Hale to stand and fight.

R10: Berry staying disciplined. Fighting the way she has almost all night long. The constant side to side motion, the sudden, unpredictable point-scoring rushes, then back outside to open up the canvas. Elizabeth forced to press late—she’s walking into that hook, often getting back up as Berry does all the meaningful scoring, At the bell, Halle jumping up and down and screaming—Elizabeth pale, shiny from leather. Comes back UD10 for the winner and NEW lightweight champ—Halle Berry!

After: Berry finally living up to the promise, exposing the limited Shannon Elizabeth as a fighter who relies almost exclusively on the knockout. More Oscar sobbing from Halle as she decks herself out in belts—Berry erasing all doubts and shoving crow down the throats of her many critics who have labelled her too soft to ever come through in the clutch. Elizabeth with hurt and wounded looks, sniveling in her corner, trying to find a sympathetic shoulder but she’s conspicuously along in defeat. “I predict a shirt reign for Ms. Berry,” snipes Zeta Jones—eyeing the new champ like a hungry jaguar sizing up a gazelle.

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Reposted by Archer  2/3/15.