PHOTOS BY KO QUEEN1 

Posted by Simguy on 9/19/2003, &;23 am.

Before: Halle not exactly treading lightly at bantam--challenging one of the best pure boxers in the division in an attempt to establish Top 10 credentials right out of the chute. “It worked for Jennifer Connelly,: says one know-it-all-scribe, “Berry drops down and suddenly she’s nice and big, maybe ships a better shot and doesn’t get knocked out late in fights she’s winning. Plus, who’s a bigger star at sub 120? Connelly, Jolie--these girls suddenly aren’t the top draw anymore--all Halle has to do is win and she can be a major layer. Jolie in black tomb Raider bikini, long battle braid, Halle in tangerine 007 bikini.

During R1: Halle with great jump, takes mid ring with authority, starts wheeling left around a stiff jab, Berry reaching it in, bending as she sticks, stepping around--moving the probe around on Jolie, body and head. Angelina tentative, gauging Halle’s speed, stepping out to regroup. Down the stretch, Berry with a flurry gets Angie stepping back--Halle able to bend in a hard right off AJ’s mouth to get her stammering at the ropes, Halle following up with hooks: crisp, biting delivery to the ribs and belly--Berry nice and tight, turning her torso to the right to snap those babies in.

R2: Jolie joins the jabfest--spackling away midring--Halle working her own left double-time, spotting up on Jolie’s taut midriff, exotic face. Midway through, girls get to trading whippy hooks--back and forth lasts a few punches until JOLIE’S LEGS GIVE A SHIMMY! AJ backpedaling with a stunned scowl--she covers up stiff at the ropes as Berry helps herself, Halle letting her hands go in blistering bursts--tattooing up and down Jolie’s slender torso, beating the flanks and body. Berry in command, taking a half step back to reset--looking her prey, then getting back in, Halle wants jug--takes it with hup-hup-hupping rhythm of short, straight punches to pancake Jolie’s puppies--neatly weaving back from the brunette’s enraged counters which come up empty.

R3: Jolie shaking off the punishment, again contesting control of midring--spirited boxing as he girls wheel and pivot, bend at the waist, hook off the jab in a series of heated exchanges. Both keeping the right hand up around the cheek when getting off with the left--showing great respect for the reflexes and counter-punching ability of the opther. Even to the final minute when a determined Berry separates herself. Berry bending low, coming out of the crouch wih a slinging hook in the body, buckling Jolie’s legs. Halle able to shove up, hook hard to the midsection, shove and rake hooks across jug--Jolie open mouthed and hurting against the ropes at the bell.

R4: Jolie again aggressive to midring--jabbing Halle’s face back, stepping back, shifting her feet then coming at Berry southpaw. Berry also working in, out and around, both girls adept at giving ground in good order, trying to make the other pay for aggression with sneaky quick hooks or blunt straight rights off the counter. One again, close round claimed by Halle as she mounts a spirited charge--bending low, stepping in the hook, getting her shoulder and hips behind the short shot and shaking olie through the leg. Jolie retreating to the ropes with a concerned expression--Halle’s determination really wearing away at Angelina’s confidence through 4.R5: Jolie working southpaw jabs with the right hand, looking to edge away and nip Halle the right hook, or bend in and drift the slinging left. Halle moving her torso well, slipping or blunting most of Jolie’s work, then stepping left around the jab to keep her lead foot outside of Angelina’s. Close, chess match round--who wants it more? Once again it’s Halle, feinting the left hand, dropping a sudden straight right onto Jolie’s face and stunning the brunette--AJ stepping in fence post holes as Berry tears it up. Halle stepping back as Angelina flounders forward--helping herself to loose limbed lefts and rights against the midsection and luscious juggage until Jolie can tumble in to clinch. AJ trembling at the bell--Halle shoving her off with a big beaming grim--that’s 5 straight for the former lightweight champion.

R6: Little overconfidence creeping in? Halle showboating, slow-pin wheeling he right hand in a Sugar Ray Leonard parody--Jolie stepping in to land a flush straight left, then bounding back out of range as Berry continues to clown. AJ staying disciplined--using a slow jab to set up a quick right hook high, swinging left to gut, then, spinning around Halle’s left flank--Berry not doing much as Jolie picks up momentum. Final minute--Halle stepping in all big-girl--AJ sliding back, turning over that slick right hook and HALLE’S HURT! Berry catching on the temple, suddenly weak-kneed--Jolie lashing the wide right hook on the ear and DRILLING the straight left and BERRY’S ON HER BUTT! Halle up quickly but jazzed, thighs a-tremble at the bell as Jolie gets her way.

R7: Nice recovery for Halle--no more nonsense--paving the way with jabvs, constant head movement, stepping to the side--good supple defense and angles have her back on control get position to unleash her power.

R8: Berry up tempos on the younger woman, catching Jolie by surprise. Halle throwing away the hook against Jolie’s raised right shoulder, but fitting in straight right hands to chin up the middle--AJ’s backing up, getting caught and those slender legs don’t like it. Midway through, Berry chops a short right hand to the mouth, reloads and chops the right in between Jolie’s breasts to get her ropeside. AJ shopworn, staring--she covers up stoops forward and HALLE RELEASERS THE HOUNDS! Berry letting her hands go in slashing arcs, tearing up Jolie’s belly, then chugging north into that bulging rack. Final minute, Halle’s still got juice--she’s POURING it on as Jolie wilts! Berry standing up in the stirrups, twisting her body to get a clipping right uppercut between Jolie’s mitts, then the left uppercut--Halle just carrying her fists through to her chest with these tight, vicious blows and JOLIE’S HURT! AJ tilting her left side into the ropes, face in her gloves--Halle squares away and GOES at the offered ribcage with hook after POUNDING hook! Jolie dazed, taking--Halle hooking and resetting, hooking and resetting--fist landing flat in behind the elbow and THE REF STEPS IN! TKO8 in spectacular fashion as Halle Berry shakes up the country club at 120!

After: Been a long time since someone’s stepped to Angelina Jolie and beaten her down like this--brunette whimpering, tender in her corner as trainer problems those battered ribs. Berry all a-grin--lots of close rounds, but she edged Jolie in enough of them to build a commanding lead going in the 8^th. Brutal stoppage makes a formality of it as Jolie finally gives it up after being routinely hurt throughout the night. Halle’s coy about the future at bantam, but gives reporters a taste: “You know, there are some attractive fight for me down here--I’m in no hurry to get out of town just yet. I owe Kelly Hu. Vivica A. Sheep has been loose-limp’. I can make money on Demi, I can take belts against Connelly or Fishel--lots of options, Or I might just step up again. When you’re Halle Berry, baby, you just do whatever feels good!”

Reposted by Archer 2/2/13.