Posted by Simguy on 03/11/2005

Before: Acid test for Longoria - lithe Latina being groomed for a title shot, could just side-step Liu at this point, but Eva wouldn't have it any other way. "I think I'm ready to ascend to the next level," says Longoria in prefight, "but I want to be sure. Lucy Liu is how flyweights get sure. She's down and she's doubting herself these days, but she's still a terrific challenge - if I beat her, I know I can handle any name at 110."

Lucy determined to halt her slide, stung by Longoria's assessment of her as a gatekeeper. "That's it - I have to stop Eva in spectacular fashion," Liu tells reporters. "When cheap floosies and tawdry sluts come up and start talking about me like I'm some stepping-stone fight? That's my cue to start hurting people again."

Liu in black push up, leopard print boy cut trunks, slick low ponytail, black shoes - Eva in tan western motif bikini, slick low ponytail, boxing mukluks. Small gloves both vixens.

During R1: Energetic Eva has Liu covering up, turning like an orthodox, ordinary fighter. Longoria leading with hooks, rotating clockwise, surprising Liu with sneaky right hands straight down the pike or slanted down onto breadbasket. Eva striping and dotting Liu, turning her right flank, working her ribs, chipping away at the defence up top - masterful stuff. Final minute, hard work pays off: licking left hooks across the waist have Liu sputtering - Eva dips, rips a left uppercut thick to solar-plexus, blowing out Liu's knees. Lucy on the verge - Eva picks her up a zesty left uppercut on the mouth, spilling Liu ragdoll to ropes, then strafes disorganized Asian as Liu reels on the strands. Lucy arms crossed, staring mute in astonishment, taking slicing lefts and rights as Longoria cleans up at the bell.

R2,3: Liu showing springy legs, quick reflexes, good constitution as she shakes off a discouraging first. Liu's hands low, feet spread wide, cuffing Eva a hook while easing onto the back (right) foot, pivoting around biting hooks off the front (left) foot. Liu leaning in and out on her wide stance, making Eva miss and answering back sudden shooting rights off the thigh or leap-in circus left uppercuts while falling off to the left. Dangerous moments for Longoria - she's not getting clipped clean, but she's not interrupting and disrupting Liu's antics - Lucy getting into that swaying, leaping, crouching rhythm that can mesmerize flyweights just before knocking them cold.

R4: Eva utilizing the jab: pre-empting Lucy, ruining her tempo. Liu getting tagged mid-leap, forced to back off and regroup. Longoria listening to her corner and executing - she'll rotate around Liu and hook her hard to the body or ear, but she's patient - stinging Lucy and drawing LIU forward instead of rushing her. Liu not getting any useful instruction from her corner - she's just leaping and cavorting, dropping her hands and bending forward to tempt Eva, clowning and showboating, delighting in making Longoria miss, but not making her pay. Eva sticking to basics, staying out of harm's way, managing Liu in a tactical fourth.

R5: Liu pays for her arrogance - picked apart by a patient, lithe punching Eva Longoria this round. Eva coaxing Liu forward, jabbing her to botch the timing, throwing hard rights and lefts to the waist, hooking Liu behind the elbow and pivoting around her right shoulder. Lucy bogging down - not clowning so much, but she's getting rattled as Longoria shakes her to the body, checks her to the chin left uppercuts or sliding right crosses. Longoria so supple and efficient, licking at Liu, pivoting around her, working in close, then creating distance. Lucy reacting with groggy anger - jumping in recklessly and catching cleaner and cleaner - by the midway point, audience tense as Liu's legs look ready to go at any time. Down the stretch, Liu sufficiently degraded for Eva to go over to offence - Latina slugs her way into Lucy with ropey lefts and rights underneath, hardhearted bodyblows pinning Liu sideways to the strands, buckled over double. Eva at the bell, looming over top Lucy, hoisting in sinewy lefts and rights - Liu sullen, groaning, just sopping it up as ref has to pull Longoria off.

R6,7: Longoria's confidence skyrocketing, shows up in her body language: lively legs, sharp punching, aggressive smile, brilliant defensive anticipation as she weaves and slips Lucy's erratic receipts. Eva just getting off and loving it, jabbing Liu's eyes at will - small mitt landing with unforgiving crack-crack-crack. Agonizing, limber hooks underneath, bunching Liu up. Grabby tug-and-turns - Eva putting her hands on Liu and shoving her around, pulling and twisting her off balance after landing punches. Deeply discouraging to Liu: she's getting banged up, bullied, moved around and nothing she's doing is working. Back to back shutouts: Eva a step ahead, dictating, just embarrassing Lucy at this point.

R8: Eva dressing Lucy up with a rising, straight arm hook to cheek, sweeping right cross tic-toc combo: bright smile Longoria as Lucy rattles back in dismay. Longoria hops-to to mop up and GETS ROCKED! Liu stepping back into a southpaw stance, times Eva's motion, rips the lead right uppercut and gets ALL of Eva's little chin! Longoria sent pinwheeling backwards - ropes hold her up and ON COMES LIU! Eva hurt, but alert - she bends low under a searing Lucy left cross from southpaw stance, pivots and spins out of there, scooting back to midring. Longoria back to her jab, concerned, but calm - Liu lunging, can't do any more harm as worm wriggles off the hook in the 8th.

R9: Liu buoyed by the feel of Eva's chin on her fist and the sight of Longoria's shellshocked legs last round - Asian girl attacks with vigour this round. Lucy taunting, hands low, sticking out her face, making Eva miss over top, then leaping up at her with vicious circus-counters off the knees. Eva a little ragged, falling back, trying to reasset control with the jab/right hand - but Liu's upperbody movement ruining the plan. Midway through, Lucy slips under a Longoria right, answers back a thick right hand on flat tummy, straightens all the way up to get right uppercut to chin and THERE GO EVA'S LEGS! Longoria rattled again, gobbles it up, keeps her feet, covers up as Lucy lets her hands go. Liu squaring up orthodox, tucking her left hook in behind Eva's right elbow, snug over the right hip, bending Eva's chassis as Longoria wilts to her left. Liu fitting 'em in tight to body at the bell - flat glare, flaring nostrils from Lucy as she looks over a badly worn Eva L at the bell.

R10: Longoria shows her pedigree - pinging away jabs, rotating left, drawing Liu forward and countering her interceptor right hands. Longoria not setting down on anything - it's all about ruining Liu's timing and taking the KO away from her. Lucy behind on the cards has to load up and try to force the issue - it's all playing into Longoria's hands. Eva stays disciplined, touching Liu and turning her - classy, clock management shutout Longoria. Comes back UD10 Eva Longoria.

After: Liu dejected - face puffy and sore from Eva's accurate mitts - late rally comes up short as Lucy can't finish what she hurts. Elation in the Longoria corner - tough, tricky test well passed - Eva showing a complete tool set by boxing, slugging, defending and attacking - she's upbeat and brazen in post fight.

"I want Claire Danes!" Eva says. "I'm ready to take a belt for HMK. I worked Lucy Liu like a puppet on a string tonight - I hurt her early to get my respect, I punished her body - I felt I dictated every aspect of the fight to her. She's a great, athletic fighter but I took her apart tonight and I think I proved I'm the number 1 contender at 110!"