Posted by Simguy on Saturday, 19-Jun-1999 13:45:28

Before: both fighters treat one another will cool indifference, dropping insults that sound like compliments, and showing one another the best of British inhospitality during pre-fight. Both girl possess similar elegance of execution, and it’s a 50-50 fight all the way. Zeta-Jones in black push up bra, red nylon jogging shorts--Jeanne in red cotton/lycra aerobics two piece.

During R1: Catherine sets a bruising pace, eating jabs in order to play Jeanne’s body with gouging left hooks. In the final minute, Tripplehorn’s legs give way, and she covers up, allowing Zeta-Jones to set her feet and rip with both hands to the body with lusty combinations.

R2: Having slugged out a message in the first, Zeta-Jones boxes with Jeanne this round, and the two circle clockwise, picking each other apart with snapping jabs, hooking to the body, but playing it safe with right hands held high at the cheek. Jones the busier fighter, still making the fight as Tripplehorn searches for her rhythm.

R3: Brisk pace as the action heats up, both women dipping close to snap off 2 and 3 punch combinations, then ducking back out. It’s like mirror images fighting one another as the girls circle, bend at the waist, rip hooks to the body, punch in combination to the head, and defend almost identically. In the final minute, Zeta-Jones misses with a searing right cross--but catches Tripplehorn bending straight back with the follow up left hook. Jeanne staggered, once again has to cover up and take her medicine as Catherine pounds away to the bell.

R4: Jeanne’s been letting Catherine dictate, and she sets her feet this round to change things, Hammer and tongs early as neither woman wants to give ground, and both test the other’s chin with hard shots. With under a minute left on the clock, Jeanne slips Catherine’s shooting right, digs at Jones’ ribs with a firm left counter, then bats Catherine’s right eye with the follow-on left hook,. Zeta-Jones is rocked for the first time in the bout, and it’s her turn to take punishment as Jeanne pounces with that sticking left hand to the meat of the midsection.

R5: Cautious, but power punching stances for both women. Touching one another with range finding jabs, Jeanne beats Catherine’s right hand with a short left hook to the jaw and ZETA-JONES GOES DOWN!! Desperately hurt, Catherine sprawls in the canvas looking knocked out, but gamely gets to her feet. Shaky, Jones tries to dance away on shot legs, but Tripplehorn eats her up, cranking that smooth left hook to batter Jones to the ropes, Jeanne takes her time, stuffing the left into Catherine’s face, then ripping it in behind Jones’ elbow, finishing up with short uppercuts as Jones bends forward. Masterful breaking down of the opponent by Jeanne as she busts up Jones’ face this round.

R6: Catherine shows grit this round, still aching from the beating last round, she stand in and pays Jeanne back with crisp two-handed punching at close range, Punching side to side, Zeta-Jones rocks Jeanne onto one foot or the other with short bursts to the ears, forcing Tripplehorn to cover up. Another round won by Jones on sheer work ethic as Tripplehorn starts to look a little worn.

R7: Jeanne still has that fluid left working like a machine, and circling left, she effortlessly works Zeta-Jones’ side and head, Jones defence, one tight and well-maintained, looks ragged this round, and she’s taking a lot more punches than she did at the start. Tripplehorn’s best round, a big shutout with lots of power, seems to have Jones in trouble when the bell sounds.

R8: Jeanne continues strong, overwhelming Catherine with one hand: left jabs, uppercuts, hooks and slaps. Jones trying to come forward, finds Tripplehorn an elusive target as the willowy brunette backs away to either side, firing as she goes. All during the middle part of the round, Tripplehorn walks Jones into stunning left and right haymakers, but can’t put Catherine down. in the final minute, Jones gets to Tripplehorn’s body with her chopping hooks, and rings Jeanne up with the slashing uppercut. Tripplehorn staggered, dances the rest of the way and seems surprised at Jones’ resiliency this round.

R9: Catherine Zeta-Jones wears a grim expression as she hunts Jeanne down and bangs away with short shots from both fists. Tripplehorn covers up, dipping at the waist, trying to make Jones miss  or tire, but Catherine is overwhelming her defense. Pounding out the body, Jones starts to catch Jeanne flush with left hooks to the jaw, and Tripplehorn’s eyes go glassy as she fades to the ropes. Old fashioned beat down to the bell as Catherine mugs Jeanne on the ropes.

R10: Fight going right down to the wire. Catherine starts strong, meeting Jeanne at center ring, going forehead to forehead and digging to the midsection, Tripplehorn soaks up the punishment, and begins countering and soon has Zeta-Jones wobbling, Jones stops punching and Tripplehorn starts snapping Catherine’s beautiful face left and right with blistering combinations. But I the final minute, Jones sucks it up and wades forward, swinging lefts and right without regard to her own welfare, and the crowd roars to its feet as Jeanne accepts the invitation. Toe to toe to the bell as the girl trade bombs to the chin and collapse into one another at the bell. After a long delay, the victor is announced: Catherine Zeta-Jones by the slimmest of margins!

After: both girls absorbed horrific punishment in a bout that saw sustained punching action in all 10 rounds. Jones simply refused to lose, in the end taking the best Tripplehorn had to offer, and beating out the decision on sheer guts. Heartbreaking decision loss for Jeanne her second such defeat in as many months.

Reposted by Archer 8/19/10.