Posted by Simguy on Sunday, 30-May-1999 10:50:00

Before: Berkley a fine physical specimen, one of the best big girls in years, but crude skills and a craven heart have so far prevented her from fulfilling her potential. Hurley takes the fight to exploit those weaknesses, but is mindful of the strengths, coming into the fight at over 120 in order to be able to sop up some of the Berkley power. It’s a weight Hurley often fought at in the U.K., but pundits wonder weather she’ll have the endurance down the stretch against the naturally bigger woman. Berkley in gold lamme bikini top, black bottoms, hair in tight gold ringlets, ponytail--Hurley in white “Austin powers” bikini.

During R1: Hurley looks to probe Berkley, but the big blonde doesn’t do “feeling out’ rounds. Berkley hurtles  across the ring, putting her body in behind haymakers that have Hurley all but running for her life early. Hurley can’t mount much in return, but does a good job of slipping and dancing--until the third minute,. Berkley slings Hurley into the ropes and catches the brunette off balance with a blasting straight right, The brunettes legs bend dangerously as the lights dim, and Berkley pours it on with some head snapping lefts and rights while Hurley slides along the ropes. The bell sounds to save Liz Hurley from a first round humiliation as Berkley crows in her corner.

R2: Hurley recovers well and slows the tempo of the fight, mocing to the left, hooking off the jab, and ducking beneath the dangerous but predictable roundhouses of Berkley this round. Blonde a little winded, can’t overwhelm Hurley, who patiently boxes to takes the stanza.

R3: More early wild rushes from Berkley, but Hurley seems to have made the adjustment. Hurley slips, ducks inside, counters with hard hooks to the chin of Berkley, and soon has the blonde backing off by the midway point. From there, Hurley begins to take Berkley apart with the jab, hooking harder off the lead left, and in the final minute, she lights the blonde up. Stepping in behind the jab, Hurley cranks a sweet left hook to the chin f the showgirl, snapping Berkley’s head back, and, for a moment, the blonde rolls back onto her heels. She careens backwards to the ropes, avoiding the knockdown, but Berkley is badly hurt, and covering up, she takes a brutal pounding to her tawny flanks at the bell.

R4: Berkley opens with a sweeping right overhand, catching Hurley out of position as the punch glances off the brunette’s eyebrow. Hurley wanders away, dazed, and Berkley follows up somewhat cautiously--wary of the possum. Berkley bodies up, but doesn’t unleash her punches, misreading the situation, and letting the hurt brunette recuperate. By the final minute, both girls stand toe to toe, trading hooks on the inside--Berkley’s round.

R5: Hurley spends a minute effortlessly slipping Berkley’s big right hands, waiting for the inevitable counter opportunity. It comes midway through the round as Liz bends low, the right hand sails over the top, and the brunette straightens into snapping left hook directly to the jaw of the big blonde. Berkley’s legs tremble as she soaks up another clean go-home punch, and staggers back to the ropes. All Hurley as she rakes Berkley’s golden torso with thumping lefts and rights the rest of the way.

R6: Berkley comes out tentative, and Hurley starts to initiate, pounding that jab up the middle, stepping I sweetly behind it and CRANKING that left hook. Early in the first minute, Liz smashes Berkley’s jaw with as hard a punch as she’s every thrown, and watches as Berkley staggers back to the ropes, eyes a-glaze. Hurley in charge, but discouraged as Berkley just won’t go down. Midway through the round, Berkley walks Hurley off the ropes, getting her legs behind her, and the girls begin trading at close range. Berkley gets the better of the action, forcing Hurley back with a series of short lefts and rights to the jaw, and as the brunette starts to get wobbly, Berkley catches her mocing straight back with a lunging right. The punch cleaves sweetly through the chin of Hurley, and the brunette crashes to the canvas like a fresh-cut sheave of wheat. Hurley, eyes swimming, manages to beat the count, and even more remarkably, mounts a grim comeback, slugging underhanded at Berkley’s body to finish the round strong.

R7: Hurley still doesn’t have her legs, and engages in a series of toe to toe exchanges this round. This isn’t the fight Hurley wants, and by the final minute, Berkley s forcing the brunette back, pounding her hard to the waist and scoring at will with right hands to the jaw. Berkley, her eyes wide, teeth bared, bares down in he final minute, putting her punches together, overwhelming Hurley’s defenses to land another crushing right to the temple of the brunette. Hurley sits on the rope, elbows in, taking punches to the bell sas pride keeps her on her feet.

R8,9: masterful boxing lesson from Liz Hurley late,. Hurt, down in the fight, Hurley goes back to the circling movement, hooking off the jab, and she takes Berkley out of the fight in these rounds. Berkley can’t set up her punches, and continually misses short with the right as Hurley’s movement takes her out of range.

R10: Liz Hurley has nothing left as she comes out for the final heat, and spends the first minute rope-a-doping, showing a very defensive look as she bends deeply at the waist, and clinching Berkley to earn the break,. Berkley, the stronger woman this round, cant land clean, but lands often and takes the round. it’s a close fight, hard to score, but the knockdown gives Berkley the margin she needs for the win.

After: Hurley did everything she possibly could technically, but in the end, Berkley’s power and fitness down the stretch won the fight. The Brit is 0-2 in the U.S. this year, and finds herself lodged in the “exotic opponent” category as a result. Meanwhile, Berkley has slowly out together a nice little streak, and seems to be rounding into form.

Reposted by Archer 8/17/10.