Post by Archer on Oct 11, 2019 10:51:47 GMT -6
25 MAY 2002 TITLE CH HALLE BERRY VS CAMERON DIAZ
Unified Lightweight Title
Posted by Simguy on 5/25/2002, 9:40 am
Before: Cat Bell—“You know, we at Tank Enterprises, we’re big fight fans ourselves-we’re always talking about dream fights we would like to see, and Berry/Diaz is one of mine, Being a champion can make a fighter better, and I’m curious to see if Halle can take a step up and prove she belongs tonight, Diaz is maturing, made getting hit a bit more than she did in her prime, but she;s also setting down on her punches more. If Cam can stop Charlize Theron, she can definitely hurt Halle and I’d like to see Cameron open up on Berry, take the fight to her. For Berry, she needs to remember to go to that body--Diaz doesn’t like it in the ribs.”
Cameron in gold spangly Charlie’s Angles bikini. Halle in black push up, yellow bikini bottoms.
R1: Tactical first as expected, both women on their toes, wide-ranging movement. Berry the aggressor, often coming in low, bobbing up to slash a stroking hook along Cam’s ribcage. Diaz backhanding the jab, hopping out the right hand from a low-slung angle, leaning away from anything upstairs. Close round Berry.
R2: Halle concentrating on her midsection, gets to Cam with some Ray Leonard hooks earl—Diaz wincing, pushing off Berry’s shoulders and dancing away hurt. Halle bobbing and weaving pressing the action, feints to the body and SWIVELS Cameron’s head a lightning hook across the chops and DUAZ GOES DOWN! Cam scooting to her butt, caught as she backpedaled—she takes a chagrined 8 as Berry looks on hungrily. All Halle B. the rest of the way—Diaz on her toes, running, clinching whenever Halle herds her to the ropes—blonde just fighting to survive this round.
R3: Diaz finding Berry jaw with that slinging, almost sidearm right hand, leaning onto her back foot to swat the follow up hooks as Berry struggles forward. Halle focusing on the body, doing good work, but coming in too straight this round—Diaz able to scorch her for points and exact a high price for real estate. Down the stretch, Cameron puts Halle wobbly butt with a sudden check-hook—Berry stumbling back out wide eyed—Diaz not pressing the advantage.
R4: Berry coming forward, jabbing to Diaz’ chest, moving her head, sweeping the round right hand to the body and nailing a biting hook on Cameron’s cheek as the blonde guards low. Diaz doing yeoman work with her jab, but she’s missing over the top with her right hands, fighting off her heels too much as she forfeits the round to Berry’s work rate.
R5: One of the classiest rounds of the year, both girls leggy, but not too leggy—just dancing to het position, letting their hands go in licking combinations. Berry just a bit better a across the board. Where Diaz is head hunting. Hale’s mixing it up body and head. Diaz basically trying to slash in the right hand, only slapping the hooks—Berry turning over hard right hands and spanking hooks, getting better leverage as she repeatedly drives Diaz to the ropes, Berry also slightly better on defense—she’s moving her upperbody as well as using her legs—Diaz leaning away from shots, getting tagged on the way out as Halle’s starting to get her timing down.
R6: Classic Cameron Diaz goes bell to bell on the champion this round. Diaz flicking the jab, leaning in on that front foot with the slinging right, leaning onto the back foot with the whippy hook—all supple power as Diaz licks, moves back, walks Berry into punches. At the ropes, Cam tieing up head and arm on Halle, pulling her close, taunting her in the clinches. Shutout Diaz—Halle unhurt but shiny—she’s rarely been touched so much by an opponent in one round before.
R7: Diaz continues to bamboozle her foe, getting off, getting her hands on Berry t turn her, walking the champ into swatting, clouting blows from the low hand position. Berry getting shined up for 2/3s the round—final minute she steps in with chopping right hand out of nowhere, nailing Diaz as the blonde leans away and CAMERON’S GOES DOWN! Timing of the blow, and Cam’s bad balance equals the knockdown—Berry grinning as Cameron gets up unhurt but shamed by the droppage. Good pressure from Halle to consolidate—she beats Diaz like a drum at the ropes as the blonde covers up and lies against the ropes, soaking up leather against her long torso to the bell.
R8: Berry’s turned it around—stealing the last round, but bludgeoning this one out of a discouraged Cameron Diaz. Cam retreating to the ropes, clinching for breaks rather than working--Berry now crippling Cam with those licking Leonardesque hooks along the ribcage, and scorching the blonde on the jaw as she doubles the left up top, Diaz with some desultory counters with her butt n the ropes in the final minute—slugging toe to toe to avoid the shutout.
R9: Berry NAILING Diaz again with that cat-quick right hand from the shoulder-Cam reeling back and staggering as she tries to keep her legs under her. Halle patient on follow through, remembering to jab her way in hook to the body, then mopping up on Diaz’ face as the blonde sags to the ropes. Cameron rope-a-doping, covering up, laying over on one side or the other—clinching up head and arm on Berry. Champ’s just pouring it on-Halle all slick and glistening with a hardworking sheen, keeps her hands moving, content to beat Cameron’s sides when the head’s not there, but often threading little 3 punch poking combinations between the mitts to drape the taller woman back Disheartening round for Diaz—she’s puffing up nicely, looking a beaten woman through 9.
R10: Cue heart, cue comeback—Cameron Diaz won’t punk. Cam out with determined, flat footed punching, getting her body lean into rights and lefts, finally connecting flush with Halle’s jaw and jugs. Diaz liquid quick on the outside, but when Halle gets close, tall blonde hunkers down and gallops her fists to the stomach and bra of her foe—curling rights and lefts from underneath and she takes a DRILLINGH straight right hand between the eyes that has her stepping in fence post holes. Diaz stepping to the side, swatting Berry to the ropers from the oblique angle, then LATHERING away! Halle covering up, leaning forward as leather bashes down upon her—ref taking a close look and HE DOESN’T STOP THE FIGHT! Comes back UD10 Halle Berry as both girls finish up groggy.
After: Diaz sullen, shaking her head at the decision—she refuses the champion’s hand as Bery shrugs, then goes about her victory strut with her hands held high. Cat’s impressed:
“That was a very smart, very professional effort from Berry. When I dismantled her for the title, Halle was all speed, no brains. She knew she had to work Cameron’s body, maybe take some punches to do it, and she executed perfectly. I’d love to face this version of Berry—she’s got all the class and ability of a true champion and she’s a legitimate challenge for me now.”
Halle glowing in the postfight despite a grotesque shiner under her left eye. “Everyone gave me a lot of props for taking Cam In my first defence, but the truth is, I knew it was going to be an easy fight. When you look at lightweight--I’m the only one still growing—everyone else is standing still. A lot of girls in the top ten are going to get exposed stepping up against me, (winks to Cat at ringside)—a lot of girls.”
Archer
Archer Note for the Curious: The 06/08/02, Lightweight Title Fight between Berry and Bell may currently be found in the “Cat Bell 2002 Fights” thread on the Blasts from the Past section. We do hope to finally get these (and other fights) properly uploaded to the Archive.
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12 JULY 2002 HALLE BERRY VS JENNIFER LOPEZ
Posted by Simguy in 7/12/2002, 7:54 am
Before: Highly anticipated bout between two of the best, not to mention hottest lightweights around. Classic contrast in styles—Halle the boxer, winning fights with her legs, Jennifer the grinder, looking to fight in a band box, work her hook to the liver. Berry the more anxious coming in, Jlo more relaxed, almost cocky in prefight, playful with the press. Halle in black push up, yellow bikini bottoms Jlo in pale blue bikini top, blue jean cut off bottoms.
R1: Halle taking a look-see this round Changing directions , circling to test Jlo’s legs, putting combinations together to test Jlo’s reflexes, Berry keeping it fast and loose outside. Lopez stalking, crouched forward, trying to cut off the ring off, get close enough to gouge her left hook to Halle’s body. When Berry’s testing, the punches are usually wide, swiping back and forth combos, when she’s serious, everything’s slick and straight up the middle.
R2: Lopez using a stubby straight right to take away Halle’s clockwise rotation, Latina doing a better job of cutting off the ring this round. End of the first minute, Lopez gets that left hook in behind Berry’s elbow, splashing pain on Halle’s face, putting quiver in Halle’s thighs. Berry grimacing, forced to stand flat footed—she’s getting great leverage on snapping hooks on Jlo’s midriff which Lopez only grins at. All Jen down the stretch, mauling Berry up against the ropes, punishing her torso with abrupt straight rights and lefts, then bobbing in close to stick the hook to the liver. Halle shaken up, hurting in her corner during the break.
R3: Berry fighting brilliantly in reverse as Lopez walks in brazen. Halle putting ‘em together, picking Jen up with the right lead, swatting hook, retreating in good order and LOPEZ S HURT! Flush punching to the face has Jen wobbly butt and a sizzling series of hooks upside the head as Berry dances left PUTS JEN DOWN! Lopez woozy, takes her 8, but looks disoriented. Halle back on top with the spitting jab, stepping quick to her left, then dipping that shoulder, licking the Leonardesque hook to the belly, hook to the mouth—Lopez all sleepy-tired, staring as Berry takes whatever she wants. Down the stretch, Berry goes on a rampage. She’s got Lopez stunned—Halle just stepping left, hooking the body and face slashing in the right cross, everything’s working as Jen just gets torn up! Berry’s hooking to the belly so fierce, Lopez’ jeans button comes undone and moments later, a vicious hook in the belly hook in the mouth drops Lopez to her knees once more. Sensational shutout Halle Berry sends Jlo all busted up and dazzled to her corner.
R4: Jen Lopez swelling badly, but refusing to punk—she barrels into Halle, forcing a street fight on Berry this round. Halle shoved up against the ropes and taking to her ribs—Jen slugging wildly, bouncing up and down with the rhythm of her lefts and rights to her foe’s waistline and BERRY GOES DOWN! Halle gurgling, spills to all four and SHE’S suffering. After 8, Jen moves in to finish and BERRY roars back! Halle spinning off the ropes, using that jab to break up Jen’s rush, setting down on slashing right crosses on the eye, then coming back with those ripping let hooks, doubled up body and head to put Jen on her heels. Lopez keeps coming forward, but she’s getting chopped up by Halle’s blinding fists and fresh angles. Hard feelings after the bell—ref breaks up some tempestuous shoving and taunting as both girls get shopworn.
R5: Familiar pattern, Jlo making the fight, landing the harder, spanking body shots, but Halle staying off the ropes, turning her girl midring, controlling long sequences with her legs and rangy, slashing punching from the outside. Surprise is Berry’s hook—she’s doing ruinous damage to Lopez, especially in the body, punching hard enough to keep the Larina from camping out inside—it’s key to Halle’s fight plan.
R6: Berry with a brilliant round of boxing, breaks her foe down completely. Starts with a nice punishing stick as Hale rotates leisurely to her left, just busting up Jennifer’s face, making Lopez groggy. Sudden right crosses get mixed in, setting up those snappy left hooks and by the midway point, Lopez is getting stunned by harsh leather. Berry keeps it up. Turning her girl, getting off in 3s and 4s. slicing Jen to bits as the crowd roars, Down the stretch, Berry prepping Jen a tripled up jab, gets her back into a gorgeous short right uppercut, picking Lopez’ head up all drowsy and leaving her limp. Lopez stagger backwards, hits the ropes a shambles and Berry hops in for a dazzling finishing flurry. Sensational two fisted slugging from Halle tears it up om a defenceless Jlo—Lopez with her hands weak, across her body, beaten numb at the bell.
R7: Lopez STILL trying to come forward, but she’s taken unbelievable licks in this fight and doesn’t have a lot of pep left. Berry dialed in, gets to work with methodical cruelty, spiking the jab to disrupt Jennifer’s forward momentum, rocking back her face with splattering right hands, then mopping up with zesty lefts that leave Lopez groaning. By the midway point, Lopez belongs to Berry—Halle leaning in on her front foot, biting her hook to the waist, coming up the middle with the outside—in left uppercut, swatting Lopez’ mouthpiece off her teeth. Jen’s exotic face all puffy and sore—she crouches forward, arms crossed, beaten senseless by another round of hard, clean Halle Berry punching.
R8: Shutout Jennifer Lopez! Jlo shakes off Berry’s slashing work and POUNDS her way inside this round. Berry shocked, back on the ropes, she’ stunned that Lopez has the will to fight like this. Jlo rubbing her face on Berry’s shoulders and upper chest. Pinning Berry to the ropes a d bludgeoning the midriff—Halle in discomfort, ties up around Latina triceps and head to slow the beating. Bell to bell beatdown leaves Berry ragged—Lopez all punished but buoyed her success looks rejuvenated in her corner.
R9: All Jlo. Berry’s legs starting to look sluggish—Lopez able to get to Halle’s chest, work out of her crouch and BANG that bdy with shuddering hooks. Lopez muscling her girl to the ropes and handing out another beating—Berry with the right at her cheek, left across her body, just trying to roll and punches. Jlo keeps up the heat, bashing at Berry’s arms and hips, digging to her belly, standing up into little right uppercuts to catch the overhanging Berry face. Midway through, an exhausted Halle totters to all fours as Jennifer lifts her mitts and bellows in triumph. Berry fading late, gives up another shutout with her body accepting merciless abuse on the ropes.
R10: Hammer. And. Tongs. Toe to to—Berry too badly beaten to stick and move guts it up, gets mouth on shoulder and fights Lopez in the trenches this round. Heartpounding action as Halle riddles Jen with a burst of hooks and little right uppercuts, then lays inside for the receipt. Jen coming back with thick body punching, shaking Halle whose sweaty face twists in pain as it cheeks up on Jen’s shoulder, Back and forth, Berry busier. Jen landing harder--they keep wailing away past the bell as the ref jumps in. After a long delay, comes UD10…Halle Berry!
After: Berry with her now familiar tears of victory, head back, hands on her eyes—what a fight. Lopez is shocked, tired, battered face revealing her disappointment at having been outboxed, and more importantly, outslugged in spots by the caramel bodies cuties. Lopez pushing through the throng, angrily demands a rematch, becomes enraged as Halle looks away, shoves a palm in Jennifer’s face—cooler heads prevail as Latina is bundled away by officials.
Archer
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23 AUGUST 2002 CATHERINE ZETA JONES VS HALLE BERRY
Posted by Simguy on 8/23/2002, 6:48 am.
Before: Acrimonious Bell Sports Entertainment interstable rivalry—both women tending to view the other as a way to gain momentum in a competitive division—it’s getting ugly. Jones badly beaten by Halle last time out—pressure’s on to even the score, but also to send a message. Raise the humiliation bar. Jones in red bikini, Halle on black push up, yellow bikini bottoms.
During R1: Berry charging the mound, lather Zeta J early with batting hooks, short right hands in combination. Catherine backed up by the unexpected head on assault, but cool under pressure-stays in the pocket, rides it out and gets it all back with a single clanging left hand counter off a missed Berry right. Halle staggered, on her heels—Jones surges forward with straight rights and lefts, stampeding Berry the length of the ring. Berry dug in, back to ropes—Zeta Jones letting her hands go—vicious two way trade sees Jones land 3 hard right hands on the face as she finds a slugging groove, bloodies Halle’s nose, leaves her wobbly butt at the bell.
R2: Berry looking to box a little more this round, circling left—Jones cutting off the ring, jabbing to the bell, shooting the straight hand over Berry’s left shoulder to corral her ad biting off the scoring hook on the cheek. Halle coaxed into a series of murderous trading sessions, toe to toe and Jones takes her apart. Berry quicker, flasher with her punching, but she’s batting wide, teeth bared in exertion as Jones stays low, slips, comes at the ribcage with well placed shots, counters in between Berry’s blows with that short hook on the chops. Berry jacked up, back to the ropes at the bell—takes a pounding late right hand on the face as ref bodies Jones back.
R3: Catherine continues to jab Berry to the belly, getting the range for stubby straight rights and compact hooks. Halle making adjustments, calming down. Unable to leg out of trouble, she covers up well, stepping out to pick Jones up the tight left uppercut, pressing the left forearm against Jones while pivoting to the left, staying outside that right shoulder. Catherine getting outfoxed in close—Berry working angels, putting shorter, more effective punches together as the girls start guessing with each other.
R4: Catherine’s got her fight—Berry’s not using the ring, she’s laying in, fighting shoulder to shoulder, looking to outwork and outsmart the crafty brunette. End of the first minute, Jones just twisting her torso into short, chopping blows, bangs a hard left/right off Berry’s mouth, dips low to the left and reefs a perfectly timed left to the floating rib as Berry loads up. Halle shouting in pain, turns away to sink to all fours-Jones’ chest heaving, eyeing her foe hungrily as the ref issues 8. Berry crippled, but unbowed—she braces at the ropes, waves Catherine on in. Jones trying to close the show, prying her way in with the jab, then just banging away and Berry beats her back time and again! Jones forced repeatedly to step out, regroup, then work her way in—Halle defiant, sitting in ropes like Emmanuel Burton, slipping, countering Jones in the flanks, clipping with sneaky little uppercuts—brilliant survival stuff from Berry to foil Jones after a rocky start.
R5: Berry flat footed, elbows in, gloves at her face as se crowds Jones—Catherine keeping her shoulder on Halle, digging that left mitt into belly, around the elbow, chopping right between the guard. Halle laying in, then getting off with flashy bursts, chopping Jones up around the temples and jawline—it’s brisk, brutal stuff. Berry bangs out points, Jones continues to get her body work in, wearing out Halle’s legs for the back 9.
R6,7: Methodical Catherine Zeta Jones, going to work on a stubborn, determined, but weakening Halle Berry. Halle standing right in front, covered up, still moving her hands, but getting caught hard up the middle but a short hacking right as Jones times the openings. Jones packing left hands into Berry’s right side, constantly digging the rib and waist. Berry shovng off and lashing a longer left hook up against Catherine’s ribcage. Both girls hunkering in close and picking each other up with uppercuts—all shoulders as they just jerk ‘em in. Minute after minute, round after round—Jones is breaking Hale down, beating her face raw, punishing that caramel coated body with steady, no frills contact.
R8: Berry hunkering in close, steps out, walks Jones into that abrupt right uppercut, steps to the right jams home a tight left hook inside Catherine’s right mitt—Jones not punching back, stumbles forward shook up. Halle stepping out perfectly, letting Jones fall into another Jones’ left shoulder as she groans forward. Catherine hurt, reaches a jab ad takes a vicious chopping right on the cheek and JONES GOES DOWN! Jones takes 8, Cathy covered up, ragdolled at the ropes as lashing blows tear up her defences. Crowd screaming for the fight to be stopped—Halle’s fists bouncing off skull and face, Catherine just standing in and asking the beating of a lifetime. At the bell—Jones out on her feet, busted up and reeling-Halle exhausted, mouth wide open as she gasps for breath.
R9: Aching beauties shamble off their stools, stagger into one another for mindless punching. Halle drowsy, backs Jones up with sloppy rising lefts and rights plump on jug. Jones gets it back with murderous digs on the trunk line. Halle in retreat. Berry stiffening, palming Jones’ forehead the left, then PUMP-PUMPING that double hook off brisket to double Jones up. Back and forth, crowd goes ballistic—worried BSE executives watch in horror as prime properties beat each other into groggy pulp at the bell.
R10: Halle open mouthed, reeling, reaching to tie up, Jones shoves a jab to mouth and it’s enough to rock step Berry back. Catherine putting weak leather together, but connecting flush—Halle backing straight up, can’t get out of the way, hits the ropes feeble, arms extended. Jones edges in close, catches ALL of Berry solar plexus that short gutting hook--Berry sitting in the ropes defenceless. Catherine fighting off the left shoulder, angling in hooks to the jaw, just starts clubbing Berry’s head, short. Jagged punches ad BERRY GOES OUT! Mouthpiece dribbles to canvas as Berry tilts to her right, taking bows off her sleepy face-Jones robotic as she keeps jerking it in, bodying up, propping up, pounding away until the ref pulls her off! KO10 Catherine Zeta Jones.
After: Wow—fighter reduced to Celebrity Meat! Berry all used up—Jones collapses in her corner for a moment of blissful relief—both beauties beaten unrecognizable in a corker. Catherine collecting herself, pushes her way through BSE officials to pull a devastated Hale Berry off her stool—shaky walk of shame as both girls weak kneed. Jones angry, fistful of yellow waistband in her right hand as she tugs a weaving Halle around the ring, stuffing her in the corners for emphasis, pinning her with a sweaty shoulder in the chest. Jones working the basic game plan to perfection, playing Duran to Halle’s Leonard. Talking away the legs, forcing Berry to fight at close range. Halle more than holding her own was still in the fight until the collapse. Says one anonymous BSE lackey, “I don’t know if promoting this rivalry is such a good idea. Those girls are taking each other pretty deep in these fights. I don’t know…”