(UNIFIED FLYWEIGHT TITLE)

Before: Usually sunny Kelly reticent, scowling through prefight junkets - long and bitter history with Danes evident in pretty champion's body language and expressions. Danes antagonizing Packard with a smirking little look here, a toss of the hair there - pushing all the right buttons. "I've made a career out of taking things away from Kelly," shrugs Claire at the dais, "and here we are again. I was made to beat stiffs like Packard and Portman - while they stand still, I just get better and better. Kelly will go the distance at my pleasure - but she'll suffer every minute of the way, and those belts will be back where they belong."

Kelly in black bikini, Claire in punchin' plaid bikini - small workout gloves both beauties.

Packard rigid with hate during staredown - very tight in comparison to relaxed, loose, smirking Claire.

During R1: Kelly out with a brace of rapid jabs, right hand at her temple as she spits leather. Claire comes out southpaw, weaving low under stick, pivoting to her right, dragging the front foot in a bucket as she sets up slip n' slap. End of minute one, Claire bobbing and weaving, slips Packard's jab, leans in with a sneaky southpaw straight left to left side of Kelly's chin, buckling champ's knees. Stab and retract - Claire pivoting around the poke, helps herself to a swiping right hook against Kelly's back as she turns Packard's left flank. Kelly hurt, stops punching - dukes up at cheeks, bending forward at the waist, she lets Claire lather away busy right hooks and straight left hands to bell.

R2: More southpaw from Claire: counterclockwise rotation, constantly keeping her lead foot outside Kelly's, chipping and pestering with the right jab. Packard dukes up, trying to blanket Claire with jabs and land the right hand, but Danes seeing it well, picking it apart with counters. Danes' upperbody movement exquisite, taking the edge off Packard's pokes and setting up sneaky hesitation left hands. Claire touching Kelly up, turning her, outboxing her, embarrassing her through 2.

R3: Claire looks committed to southpaw tonight - and it's working. Kelly intense, tight - elbows in, dukes up, trying to walk Claire down and tap her with one-twos - Danes in range, but devilish tricky to hit, slips and rolls the incoming. Claire turning her attention to Packard's ribs and tummy this round - stabbing the left hand down into the body, licking right hooks in behind Kelly's left elbow.

R4: Claire continues to bamboozle, frustrate, bewilder and nibble at Kelly. Packard mesmerized, getting tentative and standing behind her guard - meanwhile Claire's snagging more and more tummy, hip and rib. Claire doing wonders with that sneaky left hand - shooting it straight off the shoulder, placing it flat to Kelly's chin, in between her breasts, slanting it down into her body, then bobbing, pivoting away from receipts. Packard's face shining up nicely, expression grim, lips tight: veteran champ knows she hasn't won a round yet and this fight is slowly slipping away. Maddening little smile from Claire at the bell too much for Kelly - she shoves challenger in the shoulder - prompting referee intervention.

R5: Claire pouring it on - same look, but harder punching as challenger starts to set down, turning over the back ankle on the left hands, hooking off her front foot and arching her back into it. Packard yet to be shutout tonight, but she's missing a high percentage, can't get her jab going against the southpaw look and as frustration grows - she stands posing behind her guard as Danes rips up gut for free.

R6: Danes constant, confident work putting a hollow look in Kelly's eyes: Packard would rather be knocked out by Danes than outclassed, and she's getting outclassed huge tonight. Claire pivoting, rolling under Kelly's infrequent one-twos, back into Packard with right hooks and spearing straight lefts. Danes cute with that lead right shoulder, bending low, easing it into Kel's body and nudging her off balance to anchor the pivot - Claire just managing Kelly's frame, influencing and tormenting her minute after water-torture minute.

R7: Packard finds something: straight right hand leads, doubled up down the middle, finding Claire's face at last. Danes bumped out of her comfortable wheel, backed up - Packard able to pour into the breach with slender-limbed lather. Danes forced to defend at the ropes - bending low and showing her back: Kelly not too proud to take kidney when it's offered - drawing warnings in the process. Stop and go action - Danes clinching for breaks - Kelly walking her down, leading right hands and scoring consistently to take her first points of the night.

R8: Kelly emboldened, opening up her offence: Claire finds the holes and plugs 'em proper. Danes slipping, countering, drawing Kelly forward and CRACKING her chin those dastardly hesitation lefts - KELLY GOES DOWN! Packard wobbling to all fours, shaking her head as Danes saunters past - Kelly's up at 8, but windblown, glassy-eyed. Claire moves in, showing a little Too-Sharp look as she paws her left to set up CRANKING right hooks - twisting her body into slicing blows, tugging on Packard's chin, ripping at her ribcage. Kelly grim, dukes at temples, getting rocked - she's soaking up a terrific bombardment as she just stands and takes it like a pretty blonde mule. Hellish hooking action too much - Packard a-swoon, busting up, takes a knee in the final moments from sheer attrition of Claire's fists. Danes grinning down, making eye contact as if to say: "I just won this fight, Kelly."

R9: Claire consistent, going to Kelly's body to build on the hurt of the 8th - Packard stubbornly following Danes around, looking for a miracle. Danes rotating to spots with her pivot, rolling her shoulders to lick rights and lefts off Kelly's tummy, buffing Kelly's ribs, then turning her again - heartbreaking stuff for Packard as she just can't get traction on slippery challenger.

R10: Kelly with those lead straight right hands, backing Claire up - Danes fading to ropes, looking to walk Packard into trouble. Minute mark, Kelly ploughs in head-first, butting Claire viciously beneath the eye, jolting her head back and buckling her knees - KELLY ERUPTS WITH PUNCHING! Packard baring her teeth, rolling her shoulders, GALLOPING to Claire's tummy, and it must be said: trunks. DANES GOES DOWN! Claire bludgeoned to all fours, astonished by Packard's late ferocity - ref tackles snarling champ away before mayhem ensues. Shaky 8 Claire - KELLY POURS IN! Packard crowding in on Claire's right shoulder and pumping Claire's body chugging right hands - Danes groaning, looks to clinch, but Kelly shoulder-butts teeth to keep hands free. Kelly with scything uppercuts, carving 'em over her shoulders on follow through, clipping Danes' chin with either hand and CLAIRE TAKES A SEAT! Danes cut in the mouth, staring, arms flailing pathetically back into the ropes as she tries to stand - again seething Kel bodied back by ref. Claire swaying badly, eyelashes fluttering, she nods a groggy 'yes' to the ref and KELLY STORMS IN! Packard dukes at chin, setting herself low and ripping up into Danes with rigid rising lefts, then tidying up Claire's chest swabbing right/left action, graduating to Claire's head with wide shearing hooks and chopping right hands - CLAIRE GOES DOWN! Danes sprawling onto her back parallel to ropes - Kelly bellowing in triumph, deliberately stepping on Claire's outstretched right bicep before ref can get in there - drowsy Danes groaning, curling onto her side BUT TWITCHING HERSELF AWAKE! Claire out on her feet, but sagging resolutely into the ropes after another 8, digs in to accept Kelly's charge. PACKARD UNLEASHES: all the hate, all the pent up resentment against Danes pours from Kelly in a torrent of slashing side to side lefts and rights, battering Danes head and shoulders. Crowd roaring, loving the lather BUT CLAIRE MAKES IT TO THE BELL! Kelly still punching, doesn't stop until physically restrained - Claire busted up, dazed - she's helped to her stool and immediately tended to. Unusual sight as Danes is awarded the titles but can't get off her stool to accept - leaving the ring to a defiant, chest-pounding Kelly Packard.

After: For 9 rounds Claire Danes put her foot down on Kelly, proclaiming her supremacy with minute after minute of exquisite execution, but in the end - everything was decided by Claire's heart and desire alone. "I was out," a badly battered Danes admits in postfight, "but no way I was giving it up to Kelly Packard. I've proven over and over again to Kelly that I'm the better boxer, but tonight: I proved I'm the better woman. If she didn't beat me tonight, she never will."