Posted by Simguy on 4/11/2003, 6:15 am.

Before: Jennifer Love Hewitt finally lands a fight contract, expectations are high for a very marketable flyweight who’s had her chances in the past and just hasn’t capitalized. “I know I let a lot of people down when I fought Reese Witherspoon,” says Jennifer, “and more recently, I’ve been accused of leaving my best game in the gym, but those days are over. People don’t realize, but I’ve HANDLED the likes of Kelly Packard in sparring—I can box and I’m not afraid to mix it up. I see a very vulnerable Natalie Portman at the top of this division and I know I can compete at the highest levels here.” Tara a natural bantam—she’s the bigger woman, but doesn’t generally use her size to her advantage—most pundits discount the blonde’s mass advantage, Tara in white bikini, white shoes. Jennifer in pale blue cropped tank top, bare midriff, navy boy cut trunks, white shoes.

R1: Not a lot of action in the first two minu8tes—girls cautiously circling left, lots of defensive upperbody movements, dukes up, girls working behind the jab, Final moments, Hewitt shows some spice, lighting Tara up with a decoy hook and driving right across the chops that drapes the blonde stunned at the ropes, Jenny helping herself to jug with a  squared-away stance—Tara shellshocked, taking rapid punches off her chest at the bell.

R2: Tara jabbing purposefully, really committing and forcing Jennifer back to regroup—blonde coming forward, chin tucked, right hand at her chin as she whittles down the ring. Midway through, Tara putting together pretty combinations—right cross off the jab come-back hook, backhand left chaser and a creaming right on the teeth. Hewitt buffed up, staggering backwards—Reid steely-eyed as she walks her girl down at the ropes. Tara not as aggressive as she might be with a hurt brunette—Reid content to bang away jabs, fit selective right hands flat to the ribcage, always darting back outside rather than risk a counter.

R3,4: Two rounds of classy boxing—action isn’t constant, but cerebral, girls circling, trying to create openings with the jab. Some sporadic exchanges, mostly won by Hewitt—brunette more determined to stand her ground, lapping up Reid’s pretty combinations and coming back hard to Tara’s flat abs, shiny face. Jennifer might not be getting the better of the trade, but it’s Reis stepping out, looking like she doesn’t want any more—Hewitt stepping forward, scowling, dukes up and anxious for more contact.

R5: Identical round to the first—cautious tactical minutes fought at long range, punctuated by a big right hand in the final minute that sees Hewitt chase Reid to ropes. Tara covering up, twisting her body to accept Jennifer’s lathering body shots—brunette has learned from her boxing peers that she doesn’t have to be a big puncher to hurt somebody to the body—Hewitt finishing up with generous strokes along the ribs of her girl, palming up tuff to prevent Tara from spinning out.

R6: Tara showing some heart! Reid baring her teeth, outrages at Hewitt’s hard punching—she’s back at the brunette with spanking jabs off the face, fine right hands straight from the shoulder and biting hooks in flowing combination. Jennifer getting banged on the temples and eyes—Reid putting’em together, forcing her girl into awkward retreat. Girls get to trading firm hooks and right hands—Tara comes off the body to beat Jen to hooks on the chin—brunette sinks back in stupor to the ropes. Reid finishes up greedy, paying Jennifer’s tits back in kind as blonde ransacks brunette at the bell.

R7: Jenny lights Tara up a clean right hand on the chin early, steps out, lets Reid falter forward and lights her up again the jagged right uppercut between the mitts. Jennifer sidestepping, allowing Tara to topple face first into ropes—ramshackle blonde rights herself and Hewitt climbs aboard. Finest sustained punching of Jennifer’s career—often criticized for not letting her hands go, she BATTERS Tara against the ropes with heartless glee. Hewitt reaching in her left to push Tara back by her right arm then heaving home triple right hands to breadbasket as blonde shouts in pain. Hewitt snuggling in close, crowding her girl to the ropes, then pushing off to go at those jugs—harsh left and right uppercuts in tight curls—Reid stunned at the punishment. Walloping lefts and rights across the face,. Brawny shoulders and forearm shoving to prop, then digging, hungry body punching against that throbbing tummy. Reid down twice on all fours in the last minute—huffing and puffing, busted up and looking forlorn. In between rounds, Tara bawling, shakes her head “no” and gives it up on her astool—TKO7 Jennifer Love Hewitt.!

After: Hewitt leaping out of her corner insane with triumph—it’s the high water mark of her career! Never mind that Reid badly needs a heart transplant—JLH made someone quit and that’s something to be proud of. “Tara’s one of the best out there,” says a straight-faced Hewitt and still trembling with emotion in postfight. “To leave her hurting like that…it’s a real thrill!” JLH well within her rights to walk a downtrodden, blubbering quitter like Reid in the aftermath of this fight—we’ll leave it up to Samdog to show what kind of fighter he’s got on his hands.

Reposted by Archer 10/9/09.