SUPERFIGHT #1

Posted by Simguy on 10/18/2008, 12:20 am.

Before: Mendes a long-time Berry critic--now more than ever after Halle’s umpteenth “World’s Sexiest” award (Esquire). “It’s ludicrous,” Eva complains in preflight. “Halle’s trading ion her rep--the only reason people still think she’s hot is because she’s not backing up her heat in the ring. It’s time for her to put up or shut up--if she’s really all that, she should still have game in the ring--but she doesn’t, and she hasn’t had for years. Anyone can tell I’m probably the sexiest woman in movies, but I need to give Halle a beating to make it official--and really--she’s got the duty to start giving up her sweetness to a new generation. She can’t just hide behind her name forever. Vanessa Williams gave Halle a shot, and Berry took advantage: it’s time for Halle to do the right thing and start giving girls a chance  to get over on her aging ass.” Berry unruffled: new trainer, revamped management team in place--Halle’s not thinking about putting ANYONE over but herself. “Eva’s got one thing right,” Halle shrugs, “I should be fighting more. I’m too hot not to, and  I can still outbox any of the girls in and around 120. I’ve been thinking about Vanessa a lot lately; I always promised myself I’d hangs’ up before I ever got to that point, But I’m not there yet. I’m still prime Berry, and that’s still way too sweet for the likes of a sour grape like Eva.” Berry in  black lace pushup (hulking); yellow bikini bottoms with ring connections at the hips; slicked back hair, drawn into long, curly lowm ponytail; white gloves. Eva in white bikini, ring connections at hips and jug; ponytail with swept bangs to the right; white gloves.

During R1: Halle stuns Eva early: Berry leaning in--her head nearly passing Eva’s right shoulder--sidearm right pulled whippy onto Mendes’ full breasts with a pounding spank--Halle swiping the mitts off Eva’s torso and bringing it in right to her own chest on follow through. Mendes gasping--eyebrows high, eyes clamped shut, mouth open in shock--she’s momentarily jug-rocked, just swaying hurt on the spot. Frisky hooks follow up from Halle--taking Eva in behind the right elbow, then her chin--Mendes backing up under ferocious Halle hand speed, Second minute--Eva regrouping: Berry sweeps in, nails another slinging right, leaning forward to pull it onto Eva’s jaw. Mendes reeling away shaky-legged: flurrying  follow up sees a snarling Berry tear at jugs, face with a 2-hoiok, 1 right hand rhythm. Mendes again sustains, regroups: she’s slugging her way foreard down the stretch, convincing Berry to leg out of range and pocket her points.

R2: Role reversal: Mendes turns boxer; Halle turns stalker, looking to score more big right hands. Eva: hands collected near her mouth--loose-kneed stepping, her right (back) foot up to the toes as she pushes off and pivots. Good, gangly jab from Mendes--Halle slipping or parrying it, but unable to penetrate at will: Berry having to be very careful outside. Halle slipping her way inside, clawing combinations to the waist and breasts of her foe: she’s quicker-mitted, but Mendes doing a good job dictating distance in a regrouping second.

R3: Halle continues to stalk big-punching Eva--confounding the experts, Berry: crouching low, keeping her right hand up near left side of her face as she bobs, trying to deflect poke. Mendes loping around, showing a pulverizing jab: Eva really proving versatile here as she circles, keeping Berry defensive. Halle coming forward, but completely unproductive, she’s missing that first-step pounce we’re used to seeing from the Berry circa 1998-2002.

R4: Mendes circling clockwise, mixing things up: she’s thrusting in the odd elastic lead right--just bouncing it off Halle’s pate, setting up the hook. Minute mark, Eva gets the lead-right/left hook combo just right--the curling left swiping chin, putting Halle wobbly butt. Berry instantly stops coming forward: Mendes becomes aggressor walking hurt prey down. Halle retreating to the ropes--badly buzzed--she sets up rope-a-dope, ducking down low and straightening up to walk Eva into clinches. Mendes effectively bogged down: she dominates at the ropes, but can’t find the chin again as Halle stabilizes her front.

R5: Berry creep-stepping to her right in closed stance: left shoulder pointed at Mendes--right hand under chin, left across gut, Eva cockily forward, looking to engage: Halle rolls Eva’s lead right, comes  back a curling, slick counter-right uppercut to punch the mouthpiece off Eva’s teeth. Great “WOOO!” arising from crowd: Mendes rocked to her toes--instantly wobbly butt, swaying in the wind all chin-checked. Hooks and crosses pounding Eva’s face force her into groggy earmuff: as she tilts forward behind mitts, Halle switches focus to the body. Vicious, licking hooks in under the elbows swat Eva’s tummy--Berry with the ol’ trademark BSE double and triple hook, just strappin’em in. Halle scoring well, but backing away after tidying up: Berry wary of running out of gas, forced to conserve energy when a younger fighter might have pressed to get Eva out of there. Mendes able to recover throughout the second minute--coming forward behind a ramshackle high guard. Final minute--Berry lunging in again with that dragging right thick-n’-thumping to breasts, beats a blurt of shock from Eva’s swollen lips. Mendes’ tanned legs give a shimmy--she buckles, but won’t bend a knee--prompting Halle to step-to and tidy up, Torrid Berry combinations rip at flanks and ears--Halle’s teeth bared as she lets her fabled fists fly. Glorious stuff--Eva punched stupid, but too strong to go down: she’s stunned, tottering to the bell as Halle looks her over without pity.

R6: Halle again the unexpected aggressor, stalking a wary Eva around the ring. Mendes keeping a very stiff, rangy jab on Halle--punching the face, parting the breasts, then pivoting-left around the poke. Berry frustrated--occasionally countering with slinging left hooks or overhand rights--but Mendes taking the flashy potshots very well. Consistent girl is Eva--steppin’ and workin’: Halle punching in spots--trying to time Mendes and not pushing the pace at all.

R7: When Eva’s comfortable, she starts dropping the off lead-right--pushing off that back (right) big toe, punching with elastic delivery. Left hooks flow naturally off the right hands--curling, supple punches straight out of the Miami scene--Eva with a natural uppercutting type swing that sees her left hand finish up around her right ear of follow through. Mendes deploying hooks to the body--digging at the Berry paunch or ribcage; hooking those post-partum jugs; hooking the chin. Halle frowning getting clipped: she’s staying flat footed, using torso movement to slip shots rather than trying to leg out of range.

R8: Mendes continues to dominate territorially, circling her foe, luring Halle forward. Berry crouching, moving her head well: overall, she’s a slower, heavier-handed Halle Berry. Berry no longer throwing combinations--she’s waiting on a jab or right hand from Eva, then looking for single-shot counters. Mendes well-struck on her chin and jugs at times--but she’s shaking off the potshots, staying in control with her jab, and working right hand/left hook combos. Nobody hurt, but Eva clearly winning the tactical battle as Halle’s not getting inside, not working.

R9: Berry hurt midway through as Eva bounces the lead right off Halle’s brow, then strokes her that slinging hook to chin. Berry wobbly-butt, dazed--she’s crouching low, then rising to embrace Eva ‘round the ribs for ref’s breaks. Cagey veteran stuff from Halle--she’s hurt, but hard to finish as Mendes is repeatedly captured and held: Eva can’t pile on despite her protests to ref.

R10: Berry catches a second wind--finds a way on behind her jab, fights inside Eva’s jab for one of the few times tonight. Pleasing toe-to-toe,--girls bumping heads and shoulders as they lick away in tight. Berry cuter at this-swiping, swatting, cuffing hooks to paunch and jug; chopping right hands to Eva’s chin--picking her up left uppercuts in tight. Mendes weathering in--banging back out a basic hands up/elbows in arrangement. Berry more relaxed inside, turning her shoulders to slip and deny Eva: Halle the more accurate, effective girl, despite Mendes; thudding power strokes. Goes to cards, comes back UD10--Eva Mendes.

After: Mendes shouting in triumph, receiving backslaps and hugs from her team: big, big win for Eva, yet somehow diminished by the oddly conservative nature of it. Berry stone-faced--beaten, but not decisively sho: in days to come, she remains adamant that she actually won this contest.

Reposted by Archer 9/30/10.