Posted by Simguy 11 March 2005

Before: JOD coming in with huge wins over Theron and Bell, but she's snubbed in pre-fight - her first attempt to shake hands with Garner at a press conference thwarted by a phalanx of PR stooges surrounding the A-list beauty. Hard lesson in Celebrity pecking-order as Jenny G doesn't even remove her sunglasses - as cold a brush-off as anyone can remember.

"She's changed," says O'Dell of her opponent. "I remember when Jennifer Garner would fight beach, would spar with younger girls to get them rounds - now you need to make an appointment just to kiss her hand. I'd heard that she'd gone all Diva but I never really believed it until now."

Garner mostly reading canned pre-fight, compliance-approved, media-friendly announcements, but she does have a candid moment at the dais. "It's not me who's changed," Garner says, "it's girls like Jenny who let their bitterness and envy get the better of them. O'Dell likes to blame everyone else for her problems but you know what? When I'm beating her down one-on-one in the ring, what's her excuse going to be? I'm ripping the guts out of BSE - that's what I'm here to do - I'm going at them the hard way and bringing down their whole rickety house of cards. We can shake hands after I've dismantled what they've built - until then, Jenny's just another obstacle to me."

Jennifer Garner in neon blue sport bikini, bra straps, tight battle braids - O'Dell in punching pink bikini, slick low ponytail.

During R1: Brisk thrust-and-parry midring - both girls shooting firm jabs, rotating clockwise in textbook fashion. O'Dell getting the better of trade, startling Garner with fresh face spank: Jennifer G never sees the chopping right hand chaser that has her stepping in fence post holes half way through! Tuff follow up from O'Dell - she steps right, jabs Garner in the ear, cuffs her a swatting hook on the mouth and crosses another right hand to chin to spill Garner forward. Muscular clinch as Jenny G wraps up tight to buy time - O'Dell squirming, spins and throws Garner to the canvas - former champ skidding on her hip at the ropes as tempers flare early.

R2: Murderous punching - girls throwing caution to the wind in search of decisive, spectacular victory. O'Dell head hunting - Garner dukes up, ducking shots, ripping hooks to ribcage. Minute mark: Garner slips an O'Dell right, snaps a hook off JOD's ribs, bobs, and gets a fishhook left uppercut off the front foot: O'DELL GOES DOWN! Jenny lifted off her feet and deposited to backside and elbows - Garner glaring down in satisfaction, batting her gloves together at her waist before strutting to neutral corner. O'Dell up quick, but woozy - after 8, she lifts hands rigid to temples, leaning forward, digging in: Garner's going to get some work done. JG stepping-to - right at her cheek as she plasters jabs against the guard, then HOOKS the ribcage, HOOKS the jaw, turns over the right hand to jaw. Systematic - Garner pounding the body to set up the head, hammering her way around O'Dell's wrists to jam punches ear/jaw. JOD woozy, but keeping her guard up, bobbing her head on occasion, leaning back into the ropes to try and slip: somebody's been taking notes from Charisma Carpenter. O'Dell not nearly as slick in the pocket as CC though: Garner ripping away with that Miguel Cotto like snap, back, shoulder and stomach muscles popping into view as she gets off - Jen's bouncing her mitts off O'Dell's frame and bringing hands back quick to reset. Shutout with feeling, Garner: she sends O'Dell back to her corner trembling.

R3: JOD shakes it off, competes midring every second of the round. Both girls operating behind jabs and high right hands, both bobbing, moving heads well after jabbing or turning on right crosses. Garner a little more educated with the left hand - she'll dab at O'Dell's face, then stick her hard in the body, step right and claw a hook across O'Dell's hulking jugs. JOD impressing ringsiders with improved footwork, matching Garner pivot for pivot - blonde obviously working on her boxing skills for this fight.

R4: Garner upping the tempo one notch, questioning Jenny's legs this round. JG rotating left or right around her straight, stamping jab up and down, really committing it to Jenny's breadbasket as blonde blocks up high. O'Dell defensively sound - parrying and blocking Garner's headshots, trusting sturdy body to soak up Jennifer hooks and jabs downstairs. O'Dell patient, professional, but not getting off - Jennifer able to take a round just by being the more active, aggressive vixen.

R5: O'Dell inching backwards, hands up, face uncertain - Garner senses weakness and slants in jab-on-breadbasket. JOD cringing, fading to ropes, drawing Garner in and CATCHING HER A TUGGING COUNTER HOOK! Beautiful possum-playing from O'Dell - she sells 'confusion', Garner buys and walks into a biting chin-check. Jennifer's eyes distraught - she walks away to her right, steps in a fence post hole, nearly does a face plant - delayed effect hits brunette knees, spills JG to ropes. ON COMES O'DELL! Jenny squaring up, bumping her high guard into Garner's to measure, then hooking the waist, hooking the ear, swinging righty to waist, bumping up again to reset. Garner grimacing, getting a good dose of her own medicine - O'Dell's fists just as fresh, just as snappy, just as heavy as she beats proud brunette chassis. Garner hurt, but savvy - she's blocking stoically, trusting her midsection to hold up and fitting O'Dell's chin for quick little counter-hooks as blonde opens up. Down the stretch, they're laying in forehead to forehead, guard to guard, taking turns ripping hooks to body, rigid left uppercuts between the mitts - O'Dell pounding it out of Garner at the bell.

R6: O'Dell builds on the fifth, out-jabbing Garner midring, working to hack her overhand right against JG's ear, bumping a left shoulder and collecting a short left hook as Garner backs straight up. Garner stepping right, still getting her jab in on O'Dell's body, but not as anxious to hang around and trade with power - brunette looking for distance, wants to reshuffle the cards as blonde gathers momentum.

R7: Garner ups tempo, lays a terrific beating on Jennifer O'Dell this round. Starts in O'Dell's body - Jennifer stepping right, coming off a jab upstairs to go waist with thumping right/lefts - O'Dell hands at temples, gasping breathy as she soaks it up. JOD not answering - she's freezing up as Jennifer gets into her with more and more authority, breaking blonde down to the body. Brunette fists start to migrate up-torso - jagged left uppercuts jerk into bulging jug, then pick up blonde chin - O'Dell taking rugged, standing her ground, but eyes are glassy, reflexes slow as she just toughs it out. Garner so methodical, so systematic - stepping right, keeping O'Dell moving her feet, paralyzing blonde with thudding ribshots, picking up face and jug as they go on sale - it's a frightening display of Garner execution and discipline. Bell: Jenny O'Dell defiant, holding Garner's glare, but blonde shabby with hurt, wobbly butt, staggering slightly as she wanders to her corner.

R8: Garner ups tempo. Rattling one-twos drive O'Dell straight back into her own corner - hands up at her temples, she buckles forward as Garner digs into breadbasket a heartless, pounding series of ripping left hooks. Garner just pumping away lefty, right hand tight to her temple - she shifts weight, rides her left elbow into O'Dell to prop her, then digs up gut a shuddering series of multiple rights. Jenny O'Dell open-mouthed, slipping into body-shock: she can't get off the turnbuckle and she can't punch back. Wince-making precision Garner: right/left firm on stubborn waist, jerking left uppercut and O'DELL GOES DOWN! Chin check, wooooozy sink to her knees - blonde cringing to all fours as brunette steps back with no expression. Achy 8 O'Dell, she's crippled, unable to venture forth - Garner comes for her without a trace of pity or emotion in scowling eyes. Garner cuffs a hook, pounds face a short right hand, hooks the ribs, jerks the left uppercut, stacks O'Dell up an almost gentle left shoulder. JOD limp, getting belted, bullied, propped at Jennifer's pleasure - blonde just swaying, hands up loose, unfocused eyes staring into punishment. Garner: hook on the ear, short right hand puts O'Dell's head on a swivel, droops her forward. Garner: jagged left uppercut in the sternum - wrenches a moist, breathy sob of quit from Jenny O'Dell - Garner crowding in over top, shoulder-shrugs a couple of clubbing lefts to the breasts, stacks Jenny upright again. Garner: hook/short right hand - O'Dell ramshackle, drooping forward - JG shifts to her right, hooks the breadbasket, hooks the breadbasket - shifts left to get an angle for hooks behind O'Dell's elbow as blonde tilts farther forward. OH THOSE SAVAGE HOOKS! Garner just gobbling Jenny up to the body now, reefing at her rightside ribs, pounding her as blonde tilts, tilts and GOES DOWN! Jenny swooning to canvas, cringing on her side, hugging a ruined midsection - Jennifer Garner straightens, takes a good long look at her handiwork as O'Dell's not getting up. KO8 the hard way - Jennifer Garner. Dimples at last!

After: O'Dell putting together a classy, very professional outing, but she ran into a prime Jennifer Garner tonight. Jen finally smiling, chatty as gloves are removed - she's the pretty young ingenue again after being a hard woman all night. JG on a victory strut - making sure to cruise past the BSE corner, clearly revelling in the sight as JOD gets salts on her stool, ice on her ribs - trainer smoothing hair out of her eyes, being very gentle with her. Garner so pretty as she passes, glancing demurely down at canvas while flicking hair behind her right ear - you'd never know she just battered another woman senseless.

"Anytime you can take a strapping young blonde in her prime, beat her down and take her apart, you have to be pleased," Garner acknowledges in postfight. "Theron's right," Jennifer goes on to shock reporters, "there are too many upstarts and wannabes in this league - it's the job of every major film star to put her foot down on girls like O'Dell and say - 'Hey, not in my house.' Jenny was getting so uppity after stopping Cat and beating up Charlize - there was no way I was going to let her step to me and add my name to the list." Jennifer, Jennifer, isn't that a little high-handed and dismissive - maybe even mean? Jenny O'Dell fought a great fight tonight. "I'm not 'mean'," Jennifer says all dimples. "I'm just mean to Jenny." Wink, grin.