Originally posted by Simguy on 8/31/2002, 7:50 am.

Before: Brash meeting of confident up and comers, Knowles on a KO roll, driving girls into submission with sheer strength and aggression—Garner with the speed, fitness and technique advantages in one of boxing’s most pronounced style contrasts.

Jenny in red sports bra to a high neck, high cut red aerobics bottoms, Beyonce in low blonde ponytail, green bikini top, yellow bikini bottoms.

During R1: Garner mistake: she’s backing up in front of Beyonce, letting Knowles come on with a full head of steam. Knowles sweeping leather of out a stalking crouch, backs Jenny to the ropes—hamhanded bombs smashing off the shoulders and hips until sudden right hand bounces off Garner’s mouth. Jenny wobbled, nearly takes a seat, falls forward to clinch: Beyonce palms her ribcage, thumbs beneath the breasts and shoves Garner to the ropes for a cudgeling. Knowles with JOYOUS punching, bodying on, plunging in the right to the belly, right to the chin combination—Jenny just soaking it up weak-kneed, trying to tie up, Ref issuing breaks—Knowles just keeps wading in and clobbering away. Bell: Garner distraught, shaken—Knowles jogging back to her corner gleeful, high fives and hugs.

R2: Garner stumbling, looking to box—Knowles takes advantage of the first slow jab she sees and loops a blasting cap right hand off the eyes—GARNER GOES DOWN! Jenny sent skidding to her back, face in anguish—oh what a monster shot! Knowles bouncing and jiggling in the neutral corner—Garner spasming, flopping to get off her back, somehow beats the count. Hungry, hungry Beyonce wades on it and it’s WAR! Garner with her back to the ropes, digs in and fights for her life. No skills on show—it’s Knowles coming in to stop Jennifer garner, Garner answering every punch and GARNER”S BACKING BEYONCE UP! Jenny’s teeth bared, cool demeanor shredded, but form’s still good: she’s spearing straight rights and lefts up the middle, beating Knowles to punches as they both bang away simultaneously. Beyonce bloodied in the nose, taking pounding, crisscross shots to her face and KNOWLES IS STUNNED! Knowles hits the far ropes, swaying, staring—Garner batting away with Oscar de la Hoya hooks, catching Knowles full upside the head, putting her wobbly butt. Garner’s straight right hand SPANKING off face—Beyonce just standing and getting drilled as jenny lathers away, stepping in and out just enough to avoid getting tagged herself. At the bell—Knowles all busted up, reeling—Jenny vibrating with pain and adrenalin herself—Round of the Year candidate goes 10-9 Knowles as jenny shaves a point with the rally.

R3: Garner getting on track. Pivots to the left—she’s no longer backing up in front of Beyonce—turning the big girl midring instead. Hard, batting combinations then sidestepping as Knowles can’t find her footing. Beyonce on the board with some reaching hooks across the breadbasket late—but Jenny takes the heat.

R4: Knowles catching the second wind, piledrives into Garner, tackling her sideways to the ropes, landing several cheap right hands in the back before referee involvement. Good storming pressure from Knowles—she’s wrapping up, driving Jenny to the perimeter, holding with the left to work murderous right hands body and chin. Garner grunting aloud from heartless body punching, straining to walk her way off the ropes, but Knowles won’t have it. Jenny forced to open up and trade hard down the stretch—scores tic tac toe to Knowles body and breasts but this is Beyonce’s fight.

R5: More Knowles pressure. Garner doing a nice job of keeping her back off the ropes, but she’s using too much ring—judges see Beyonce moving forward, trying to make the fight and punishing Garner whenever she gets her lined up. Knowles walking her girl down—Jenny not active enough on offense, but her legs back into this fight.

R6: Garner much sharper, She’s getting off first, freezing Beyonce with jabs, lead right hands, batting hooks upside the head, Jenny’s turning Beyonce, pivoting hard to port, bringing Knowles’ output down, Finally Jenny’s backing Knowles up with sudden volleys of straight lefts and rights—Knowles busted up in the nose and mouth, on her heels at times as she waits for punches to finish pelting off her face.

R7: Garner with the best jab of the night, savaging Knowles about the eyebrows, putting her on her heels. Beyonce blundering forward, jenny sliding back and picking her up with the check hook—Knowles coming undone as she takes multiple cuffs on the jaw.. Garner sees hurt, transitions to come forward with that drilling straight right hand, puts the hook on top and KNOWLES GOES DOWN! Beyonce caught leaning back, drops to her butt, tilts to her hip and she’s damaged goods, shaky for 8. Garner smart on follow up—jabbing to close the gap, then getting into that Beyonce belly—harsh, ripping digs, gloves snapping off caramel tummy as Knowles sags forward hurt. Jenny putting ‘em together down the stretch, right uppercut, left/right on the waist—a glum Beyonce Knowles sits  and takes.

R8: Shutout Jennifer Garner, Knowles eyes swelling shut, nose leaking—she’s a mess and not reacting well to the adversity. Beyonce coming forward, but not applying pressure—she’s right on the end of Jennifer’s pinpoint straight punches. Garner stepping and punching a distance, hammering away for points like a pro.

R9: Jenny in control with her legs at this point—fitness becoming a factor as the heavier girl looks sluggish, can’t cut off the ring. Jenny tapping out a woodpecker beating on Beyonce’s battered face—punches in bunches always seem to surprise Knowles as she stands up straight and takes. Jenny keeping the output murderously high—Knowles swatting at the incoming, crossing her arms, occasionally lunging in a hook, but she’s completely out of her comfort zone.

R10: Jenny on cruise control. Sharp, angular lines in the ring, not a lot of upperbody movement, but she’s quick-pivoting around Knowles’ right shoulder, spearing the jab, getting the right hand on the mouth. Jenny circling, patiently running the clock, happy to chip away at what’s left of her discouraged, badly beaten opponent. Knowles desultory in pursuit—no suspense as she trudges forward, takes stinging punches and makes it to the bell. UD10 Jennifer Garner.

After: Knowles shabby with punishment—Garner putting cruel work on that face all night long in arguably the brunette’s finest performance to date. Huge early lead for Knowles, but the second round really the key to the fight. “I refused to go out on her,” Jenny breathes in post fight, “She was looking to romp, she had me hurt, and I just said ‘No way’. I backed her up, and that was what we knew we had to do to win this fight.” Everyone knew Garner could box: now they know she can fight—girl’s got a little fire to go with those hi-tech skills.

Reposred by Archer 4/28/09.