Originally posted by Simguy on 4/27/2002, 8:11 am.

Before: “I think they’ve put Jennifer in over her head,” Cat says in prefight. “Don’t get me wrong—Garner’s physical talent in this division is amazing. Frankly I’m envious of some of the things I’ve seen her do in the ring—I have no doubt she’ll be a champion some day. But the only time she was really tested, Jennifer Garner failed. She’ll fail against me, not because she’;s not a terrific fighter, but because she hasn’t got this (gestures to heart). After we fight, if she can go the distance and acquit herself well—maybe she’ll have some,”

Garner with a slightly different take on the matter, “I think it’s preposterous to suggest that I’m being rushed. If HISC thinks I’m ready, that’s good enough for me—I trust their judgement. This fight is to me, what Vanessa Williams is to Halle, There’s always an older, dimming star who has what you want, who’s holding you back, and for me, that’s Cat Bell. Everyone wants to be holding that title for when Charlize comes back to lightweight, and I believe I am two fights away from achieving that goal. Cat’s been an idol for me for years, but I know I have to go through her to get what’s mine. I’m sure we’ll be friends when boxing is over, but for right now, she’s standing in my way.”

Cat in electric blue bikini, white shoes and gloves, Jennifer in red aerobics two piece, high neck top, black shoes and gloves hair back.

During 1,2,: Tactical, sharpshooting rounds, girls rotating clockwise, working behind laser straight jabs, dropping hard right hands up the middle, Very close, competitive action, but Garner just edging Cat out in every category: Jennifer’s busier, more accurate, landing more clean right hands, getting off first more and defensively a little bit better at parrying the incoming jab with her right and blocking the right hand with her left. Neither corner disappointed—Syren wants Bell to start picking up the tempo—Jenny’s corner wants her to “work the old woman’s body” more.

R3: Jenny taking instruction well, steps workmanlike to her left as she thumps lpud rights and lefts off Cat’s flat belly open the round. Bell grunting, taking a good shot, erupts with a salvo of crisscrossing straight punches to Jennifer’s pert breasts—tactic so successful against Charlize Theron has a similar impact on Garner, jenny backing up in pain, hots the ropes, starts to cover up when Bell lights her up with a GORGEOUS left uppercut—Cat’s weight all on that left foot, right foot on toe-point as she gets her back into that punch. Garner head picked up sharply out of her crouch, mouth twisted in a groggy “O” as she falls back into the ropes, Beat down to the bell—Cat lavishing Jennifer’s waist with thick rights and lefts, shoulder-shoving the girl back and trying to find that left uppercut again.

R4: Girls back on the outside, Bell now in command after landing the first blockbuster shot of the fight in the third. Cat outjabbing Jen this round, steering her around the ring—Garner still doing a nice job defensively on the outside, but she’s not getting off as consistently.

R5: Garner gets over her shyness, resumes the thumping assault on Cat’s body, curls punches up under Bell’s breasts and rings a firm hook off Bell’s chin as the ex-champ finds herself on her heels for the first time. Jenny takes it back outside and working the drilling one-two up the middle to go effect—Cat forced to back out and regroup, busted up in the lower lip. Close fight through 5.

R6: Girls spend a moment jabbing and positioning, then hunker in shoulder to shoulder to trade some serious spank at close range, Both getting off with snapping 3 punch bursts, licking at body and head, both keeping that right hand at the cheek, using the left shoulder to buck and nudge with. All even to the final minute when Bell suddenly pulls Jenny forward by her left elbow, turning the brunette roughly off balance. Cat pivoting to the right uppercut to the chin, staggering Garner once again,. Jenny wobbly butt, reaching around Cat’s neck to clinch and Bell HAMMERS that rigid ribcage, shunting Jen’s hips back and leaving her breathless, Sensational body work to the bell as Jenny groans, helpless to prevent the pounding—Old woman sends garner hurting to her corner—Jenny’s chiseled features starting to lump up nicely.

R7: Garner back out with some classy stick and move, but Cats stalking now, looking for power-counters. Midway through, Bell fits her right hand lead inside Jenny’s right cross, beats Garner to the left hook, then beats her to another sizzling right on the chin that sends Garner reeling to the ropes, Bell striding in, drops the left hand to her side, rolls to her right as Garner pushes out a panicky right hand, then Cat sweeps the counter right thick on the gut of the brunette, sitting Jennifer into the ropes SHOUTING in pain., Bell staying on the body, dipping side to side to lever the punches, snapping her fists off the tight muscle, always in position to deliver the next hurt. Garner struggling at the bell, face giving away the gut ache—Bell nodding business like in her corner as the final phase of the fight is discussed.

R8: Bell back outside, older woman steadily breaking the younger one down with disciplined, crisp boxing, behind the jab. Garner getting her head punched back more often by Bell’s stick now—brunette’s reacting late, but still fighting hard—stepping in to thump wide right hand to the ribs of Cat, putting the jolting left hook up top. Cat the boss however, dictating the action, taking a slender, but comfortable lead into the championship rounds.

R9: Jenny lands bang-bang up the middle, right hand following the left jab between Cat’s mitts and putting Bell on her heels, Garner stepping with her girl, drills another right to the teeth, snaps off the chasing hook and BELL IS HURT! Cat hits the ropes in shock, Garner jumping in, prying away at Bell with the jab and slamming right hands into the rightside ribs or teeth as opportunities present themselves,  Bell finally clinching, legs a-tremble—there’s a LOT of clock left in the round. Round devolves into Cat clinching, walking Jennifer back to midring for the ref’s break—Garner whittling away at Bell with the jabs and sizzling right crosses, backing Bell to the ropes and punishing her until the clinch. Shutout Garner—Bell bleeding once again from the mouth and looking shiny from face punching though 9.

R10: Syren tells Cat, “We need this round, baby—it’s close.” Garner’s corner tells her: “She’s ready to go—hurt the girl.” Jenny comes out looking to slug—Cat gets on her bicycle and starts to use the ring. Bell with the high hard jab on the forehead,  preempting

Jen, taking advantage of the brunette’s desperation, turning and steering Garner midring. Jenny trying to force the issue, but Cat absolutely brilliant in managing distance, timing her punches to catch Jenny overextending, Down the stretch, girls get shoulder to shoulder and garner finally able to back bell up with a brace of firm hooks to the chest, but the bell sounds to end the classy struggle. Come back 6 rounds to 4 Cat Bell via UD10.

After: Cat with a congratulatory hug for her opponent—Garner downcast, but listening to the veteran’s words in the moment they share. Bell doing it with power tonight, she broke Garner’s early momentum with that Kodak moment left uppercut, hurt her again in the

6^th and 7^th and won this fight in the half with a typically systematic approach.

“The kid can flat out box,” says Cat, “I’d rank her ahead of Catherine Zeta Jones, I think she’s guttier than Halle Berry, she’s too quick for Vanessa Williams and she’s definitely got better defence than Charlize Theron. I didn’t see much power from her tonight—she stung we on occasion, but I’d like to see her set down my shots when she has the chance. I’m not ready to step down, but when I do, Garner’s my pick to take up the slack.”

Jennifer’s disappointment perhaps colouring her postfight comments: “Honestly? I think the judges had the score cards filled out before the fight, I had Cat out in the ninth and the ref wouldn’t stop it. I guess that’s why they call it ‘paying your dues’—the FCBAS and HBO weren’t ready to see me beat Cat Bell just yet. That’s fine. I know I’m coming out of this a better fighter than when I came in.”

Reposted by Archer 4/16/09.