PHOTOS COURTESY BI PHOTO LAB

Unified Bantamweight Title

Posted by Simguy on 3/22/2003, 8:48 am.

Before: Dushku pretending to nap on the dais during pre-fight conferences--mouthing respect for her opponent, but clearly, it’s just another day at the office as far as the champ’s concerned. Elisha fielding questions about whether she’s stepping up too far, too fast: “I totally belong here. I beat Dani Fishel up and down the ring--I totally softened her up for Eliza. I crippled Naomi Watts. I axed Jessica Simpson--I mean, I’ve kicked major ass to get here. I’m the threat to Eliza that Britney Spears wanted to be, but never could be. Spears always fought Eliza scared, but I’m going to go right at her. This is totally going to be my night!” Elisha in black FHM bikini, Eliza in red leather bikini.

During R1: Dushku boxing early, testing the kid’s reflexes, but champ settles into the ropes, allowing Cuthbert to step up and take some hacks. Elisha very busy, leaning in with Eliza, putting punches together downstairs, working her way up the torso and trying to finish with hooks on the chin. Dushku blocking a lot of shots, rolling and finessing her opponent, but she’s clearly outworked--ref reward Elisha’s youthful exuberance and work rate.

R2: Cuthbert fearless as she slams lead right hands to the pit of Eliza’s stomach,. Picks up her chin the left uppercut--Dushku goes to ropes but not by choice. Elisha getting on top and staying there, furiously working her opponent over. Dushku bending forward at the waist--Elisha digs the right uppercut to the breasts, digs it again, buries her left in champion midriff--blonde getting off with sexy, short shoulder shrugging motions, getting good leverage on her shots. Bell to bell, Cuthbert putting mitts on Dushku, punishing the body like a veteran.

R3: Dushku’s had enough. She greets Cuthbert with a snapping one-two, finishes up in Elisha’s guts a thick left hook, pivots smartly around the blonde’s right shoulder. Cuthbert turning, behind the beat as Eliza spikes a jab body and head, hooks an ear, stamps in a lead right hand to mouth. Cuthbert bending forward, leaning backward, trying to apply pressure, but she’s just a target as Eliza gives her a good going over midring.

R4: Cuthbert answers the shutout! Dushku acting like she’s turned the tide, looks shocked as Elisha lands a stout right hand to the jaw and a pair of stubby hooks on the waistline to prompt a Dushku clinch. Elisha initiating the action, hammering the ribs and belly of her girl, shouldering her back and walking confidently into the gap. On the ropes, Elisha getting big, dig-digging that doubled up right hand underneath whenever Eliza bends forward, sinking in the left to paunch. Eliza reaches forward to clinch--Elisha works inside and out the extended limbs, picking Dushku up harsh with uppercuts to the chest, gouging at her flanks and lwer back.

R5: Strangely listless Eliza, boxing a few steps, showing the jab, then setting up at the ropes to counter punch, only she’s not getting off, Dushku with her right at her cheek, left across her body, rolling and bending at the waist, turning her shoulders, blocking a lot of shots, but not discouraging Elisha from throwing brazen. Cuthbert in a strong stance, giving it to Eliza constantly in the gut, but picking her up with sharp rising shots on the mouth that Dushku reacts late on. Down the stretch, insistent punching to the body folds Eliza up sand has her hanging on hurt--pinched look of pain in the champ’s face as challenger struggles to shrug her off at the bell.

R6: Cuthbert’s coming for Dushku! Eliza retreating behind her jab, getting cute as she sidesteps Cuthbert with a hand at the blonde’s shoulder to push, but Elisha keeps bulling forward. Cuthbert disciplined with her delivery, very busy, but winging--she’s getting into position and working to bang past the defense as Eliza slips and rolls. Dushku on the ropes, bending forward, bobbing, but basically there to be worked--Elisha heartless as she dips either shoulder, pump-pumping up into her foe’s body with either hand and ELIZA GOES DOWN! Dushku suffering from accumulation, takes a veteran knee--Elisha giddy as she bounces to the neutral corner. Dushku runs out the clock and shakes her head en route to her corner, clearly disappointed with herself.

R7: Cuthbert charging in, reckless with rights and lefts--Dushku pointing the left shoulder at the blonde, rolling the incoming and timing her counters into the gaping holes. Midway through, Eliza slips a sweeping right, turns to block a wide left with her right at her ear and clinically clips a tidy left uppercut off Elisha’s chin to counter. CUTHBERT GOES DOWN! Elisha looking up all bewildered as she scoots to her butt--she takes 8 and Eliza climbs aboard. Vindictive Dushku punishes her girl along the ropes--Elisha dukes up, elbows in just riding it out--champ takes a terrible toll of her young opponent’s flanks and ribs with well-placed body shots at the bell.

R8: Dushku in charge, jabbing Cuthbert into a defensive crouch midring, picking those bulging tits up with the right uppercut, calmly pivoting left with a guiding shove on Elisha’s shoulder as the blonde stumbles forward, Cuthbert still trying, regaining the disciplined form if the early stanzas, but she’s unable to get off with sustained rhythm as Dushku fights back hard in the final minute. Brunette touching blonde belly, breasts and chin with impunity at the bell.

R9: BANGING trade midring, girls just shoulder to shoulder and taking turns trying to discourage the other with the same compact delivery, all legs and shoulders behind the blows. Each scraping away with uppercuts as the other covers, each reaching down the other’s flank and hooking tender waist or back with body-shaking force, Even to the final minute--who wants it more? Cuthbert separates herself, getting to Eliza with that doubled up punching rhythm, two right hands, two left hands, ribs and tits as Dushku stops punching.

R10: Elisha pressing forward, hands at her eyebrows--Dushku leaning onto her right foot, left shoulder pointed towards her foe, pivoting to either side while dragging her front foot in a bucket. Eliza patting Elisha down with cuffing hooks, sudden right hands, but she’s not committing on punches. Cuthbert marching through it, swinging at Eliza’s straining waist, clearly crippling the champ at this point with the sustained effort downstairs. Even to the final minute--who wants it more? Cuthbert crunches into Eliza with uppercuts, putting her face on the brunette and walking her back behind tight, licking blows, At the ropes, it’s all Elisha, digging into Eliza as the champ bends forward, trying to slip the pain. Comes back a wild UD10 for the winner and NEW BANTAM CHAMPION--Elisha Cuthbert!

After: Stunned HISC corner in shocked denial--crowd going wild--Elisha hoisted high on the shoulders on her corner men--what a brawl, Just a flat effort from Eliza--disinterested lounging in the ropes, content to land one or two good shots a round while hungry young blonde gobbled up the pints, Cuthbert looked to be doing her late fade as the champ got on her in the 7th, but the kid sucked it up, caught a second wind and finished strong, scrubbing the champ up at the final bell. “She’s nothing!” proclaims the gracious new bantam queen. “She’s got nothing! Stepped to her and took it all away from her, each and every round. God--I’m the hottest thing in boxing!: doesn’t take the kid long to grow into that crown--”Rodriquez? Hey, she made some sense as a stepping stone, but a title defense? She needs to beat some names, show she belongs. Plus, I want a blood test from the chick--make sure she’s female. I want the money matches--Thiessen, Spears, Electra and I want them on MY terms. I want…” on and on--oh she’s a Krusher girl all right. Ex-champ doesn’t hide from the media in defeat--”No excuses, I got beat tonight by a B fighter,” Eliza says, “Kid can punch a little to the body, she’s aggressive, but she’s nothing special. I just fell asleep in there tonight, she had the best night of her life and that’s the way it goes.” BLONDE! Magazine trumpeting up the win--it’s Mish Williams at flyweight, Elisa at bantam, Charlize Theron as light, some old hag at welter and a part-time blonde at middle--brunettes are on the run for the first time in ages!

Reposted by Archer 6/1/11.