Originally posted by Simguy on 8/9/2003, 7:34 am.

Before: Fight being hyped as a collision of 21^st Century celebs, real thoroughbred athlete/actresses, but Jennifer’s not buying it. “Beating Deb Dunning doesn’t get you into the Hall of Fame,” scolds Garner. “Krista’s a good light fighter, but you look at her ledger and you see her problem. Lot of pork there—O’Dell, Daniel, maybe one good win in Peta Wilson, but every time she’s stepped up in class—I’m talking about Bell and Theron here—Krista’s been turned back. She just doesn’t have the confidence it takes to fight and win at the very highest levels of our sport.”

Allen stung by assessment, takes a different tack. “When men compare Jennifer’s body to mine, they see that mine is better, they know it—they just want to me prove it. That’s all this is. I’m already better than Jennifer, I just have to go into the ring and make her understand that. If anyone has a confidence problem coming in, it’s Jennifer: I can see it every time she looks at me.” That gets a glare from Garner; these girls are to go.

Red bikini Krista, neon blue bra style bikini Jen—small work out gloves for both.

R1: Tactical first—girls testing reflexes, stepping sharply behind long, hissing jabs. Garner elbow in, chin tucked hands up—she’s more compact defensively, more apt to block in addition to using her legs. Krista looser limbed, dropping her left to her when she walks to her right, bringing the stick off her hip. Both girls so good in anticipation—one darts forward, the other slides back, dragging that front foot, ready to check-hook and counter attack. Influence boxing—Garner doing most of the leading as Allen keeps to the perimeter.

R2: Same look, but Krista’s leading, Garner using fades and step-outs to change up her angles. Krista trying to fencer’s stomp forward behind a doubled up body jab, then lean into the right cross: Garner pivoting sharply left, leaning back onto her right foot to let the punch slash harmlessly by. Only defensive highlights through 2, both women carefully negotiating a closer range, missing power shots from too far out early.

R3: Krista loping left, suddenly leaps in a lead right that gets Jen lurching back to slip—Allen’s slashing hook the pay off that catches Garner on the tip of the chin. Jen stepping right to clear her head—Allen hopping in quick hook to the left eye, flicking that backhand jab to brush Jen across the lips and bending into a searing right over Garner’s left shoulder to WRACK Jen’s head to the side! Garner stepping in fence post holes, squaring up hurt, earmuffing up the guard and Allen goes to town! Limber, free swinging lefts and rights against Jennifer’s chiseled ribcage—small gloves making high crisp cracking noises against the hard flesh. Garner backed up woozy to the ropes, stooping forward, giving away her chest or torso—Allen just digging in, dipping her shoulders, getting sexy lank on the non stop churn. Garner punished, but weathering it—she starts chipping away—little left off the ropes, covering up after, Little right hand in the sternum, trading with Krista, another little left of the mouth. Allen now covering up as she lays in with Jen, slowing the pace—girls just shoulder to shoulder, feeling each other out, trying to fit slick little shots in out of tight guards at the bell.

R4: Jen trying to come back strong after the hurt—jabbing rigid down into Krista’s body, backing her off early as Allen dances clockwise. Second minute, Krista in apparent flight, suddenly times Jen’s advance, stomps in and gets that jagged lead left uppercut. Slashing blow undoes Garner at the knees—she nearly goes down, straightens, and reels backwards, eyes shocked at the sock. Jen hitting the far ropes ragdoll, covers up, bends forward—Allen takes tribute. Krista long and lanky, teeth bared as she works Jen with her hardest punches, Rich, long left hooks down the right side, digging in behind the elbow. Snapping, snatching hooks bouncing hard off the hip and exposed right kidney, then curling back to double up off the ear. Allen palming Garner’s shoulder with the left, then reefing up underneath cruel right hands. Jennifer gritting it out—hurt, busted up and well behind after 4 rounds. At the bell, Krista all sultry in front of Jen, leaning her pouty face in close—Garner pushing her back with a snarl as Allen grins.

R5: Shutout Jen Garner—shaking off the hurt. Jen showing her conditioning, upping the tempo, doubling a stiff jab to the body, shooting a straight right and turning over a snapping hook—Allen backpedaling, looking awkward as she leans and reels to evade blows. Garner doubling her punch output—missing a lot, but starting to break through, especially with a slashing hook to the waist. Down the stretch, Garner feathering jabs to get Krista ropeside—Jen able to duck in and bury her right hand in Allen’s firm abs, carrying in close to smother and body the brunette into the ropes. Krista hanging on at the bell, sucking air through pursed lips.

R6: Jen trying to build on her momentum runs afoul of the excellent jab of Krista Allen. Allen spitting it out hard, stacking Jen up, then getting gorgeous cross flush on the jaw, following it up with a swinging hook up into the sternum—Garner’s legs a-tremble, but she’s punching back game. Krista steps right, picks Jen up a looping outside-in right uppercut—Garner starting to unravel. Jen still trying to punch her way out of the jam—Allen stepping to an angle, getting clean looks—another right cross slams home, drifting Jen to the right—hook catches her backing out and GARNER’S DOWN! Jen dazed, on her back, head up—trickle of blood out the corner of her mouth punctuates the damage done. Jen takes a hurtin’ 8, nods aggressively to the ref and comes out slugging! Krista taken aback, gives ground as Garner steps and wings—overhand rioghts and lefts—Allen dancing away, re-establishing control with her legs. Pretty Krista in the final minute, scoring clean right hands off the jab, extending her arms to palm up on Jen’s shoulder and neck, pulling and positioning her as Garner’s legs too ramshackle to hold ground. At the bell—Garner deeply shellacked, eyes glassy—Krista brought her Dunning-busting game with her tonight.

R7: Krista presses it up on Jen Garner—slowly shoveling dirt on the casket to begin the home stretch. Sexy-bouncy on the outside, feinting in and out, getting a punished Garner to react, then striking with chopping rights, batting hooks and that licking, darting jab. Krista using stick to get in and out—constantly banging it off Jen’s swollen face—Garner not getting out of the way at this point as eyebrows start to break down. Allen palming up with extended arms to turn and push after Jen after punching, keeping the brunette’s feet fouled, off balance. Down the stretch, Krista struts brazen, going to the Garner body with more swinging, ropy lefts and rights, really sink’em in loud and GARNER SCORES A HOOK! Jen looking crippled, taking murderous punishment to the body, suddenly times a left out of her crouch, catching Kris between punches and ALLEN”S LEGS GIVE WAY! Krista reaching boozily forward to clinch, torso whipsawing badly over her legs—Garner’s turn to hand out malice to the midsection—POUNDING up into the lungs with robust lefts and rights. Allen staggering forward as jen steps back punching and KRISTA GOES DOWN! Krista sobbing on all fours—Jennifer’s chest heaving for air—Allen beats the count at the bell.

R8: Wounded beauties slouch to midring, stepping flat footed, but supple around each other, grim looks in hooded eyes. Both sticking each other to chest with jabs, stepping left. Garner jabbing to lips, then clouting Krista’s tits the hook, then sling-chopping a right to the jugs, then hopping in a tight left, turning the hook across jug and she’d got Allen backpedaling, misting up. Garner staying close, turning her torso side to side for short, savage punches—right across the forehead, left across the breasts, right under the line of breasts and ALL forearm against bone—Krista moaning as she hits the ropes, hands extended. Jennifer bulling her way in—not boxing anymore—she touches Krista up and down with a pelting series of tippy-tap lefts and right, Jen moving her head low, peppering the opponent then HOOKING HER CHIN! Withering blast shoots Allen’s mouthpiece off her teeth—she lolls stupid against the ropes, upright and staring—GARNER SMASHES FACE A HUGE RIGHT HAND! Allen drooping over the top rope, then slumping forward limp—hands reaching weak around Jennifer’s shoulders as Garner puts together a murderous flurry. Garner TEARING away at what’s left, harming Krista in the body, then picking up her face as she tilts forward, straightening her woozy against the ropes and THE REF STEPS IN! TKO8 Jennifer Garner leaves Krista in tatters.

After: Allen sobbing uncontrollably—branded by Jennifer in prefight as a good fighter who’s out of her league, Krista has to gave the shame of those words tonight, and will continue to until she unseats one of the big 3. Garner badly beaten about her eyes and cheekbones—Krista putting together some of the best rounds anyone’s ever had against Jen, really forced Garner to find another gear. Jen’s conditioning a real factor—she took some hellacious shots tonight from a very competitive challenger—this thing was life and death from the 3^rd round on. Jennifer over to Krista’s corner—Allen all shiny-faced, looks genuinely shocked as Garner pulls her up by her wrist, then fresh tears spill as Jen puts a muscular right arm around the waist for a very pointed walk of shame. Garner not known for those displays, but when a girl gets under her skin, she’s been known to take her pound of flesh.

“Krista was all into making comparisons before the fight,” says Jen afterwards, “I just wanted to let people get a good look at the difference.”

As for Bell/Diaz and the title picture: “No more screwing around,” says Garner straight into the camera. “I want the winner.”

Reposted by Archer 5/6/09.