FCBA Lightweight Tournament Round One Theron-Debbe Dunning by simguy 5-23-03

Some question early on whether the welterweight champ would make weight and join in the fun, but Charlize is here and ready to rumble. "Honestly, there's no tournament without me," says Charlize in all sincerity, "it's not really an 'event' if I weren't part of it. I'm doing this for the good of the sport, give these girls a chance to get some real exposure and be part of something big. Oh yeah, and I'm going to clean up the competition while I'm here." Dunning exactly the type of fighter you DON'T want to see in the first round: big puncher, penchant for drama. Highly motivated too: maybe no career has been as blunted by the tyranny of Bell/Theron as Debbe Dunning's. Charlize in cream bikini, Debbe D in purple bra style sport bikini.

Rd 1: Easy, breezy Theron keep-away boxing to the second minute - single swinging Double D right hand changes everything. Say it with me: THERON GOES DOWN! Charlize on her back, limbs in slow-mo, head up groggy off the canvas - power's out all over that magnificent body as she tries to roll to her side. Debbe joking with ringsiders in the neutral corner, smiling - she's loving the sight of a ramshackle Theron taking 8 all glassy-eyed and murmuring. ON COMES DEBBE! Dunning wading in - thick wide right hand shivering off Theron's ribs to leave the blonde shipwrecked and vulnerable to the follow up. Rollicking beat down - Debbe chest out, hands low, bawdy smile - she's swinging from the hips as a ragged Charlize sits in the ropes for a walloping. Double D crowing at the bell, chesting up - Charlize woozy, unresponsive.

Rd 2: Good recovery round for Charlize - she's all business, getting her legs back, sticking and moving. Debbe stalking, hands low, she's just walking Theron down, but not doing a good job of cutting off the ring. Charlize able to tap for points, then shamelessly clinch for breaks - Dunning unable to pile on as blonde gets her bearings.

R3: Debbe gets to Charlize with that swinging right hand to the body, quick left hook on the chin - blonde all upright and staggering: she's hurt. DD wading in rough, palming up and shoving Charlize into the ropes, then wailing away - it's artless, free-swinging mayhem but Theron can't stop it. Charlize grimacing, presenting one side or the other as she desperately rolls and leans away from the storm. Debbe just gnawing away - this is brutal treatment of one of the sport's gaudiest names. Dunning getting her left ear on Charlize' left shoulder and just hoisting blind left hands up into straining blonde midriff. Charlize can't get out of there, shoving Debbe off, but brunette gets right back on top, fists a-scrubbing in non-stop torrent. Round ends to the sight of Theron tilted forward, wrapped up lightly around Debbe's head and shoulders - Dunning bashing away downstairs, shunting Charlize' cream-swaddled hips back: breathy blonde grunts upon impact.

Rd 4: Debbe taking it to Charlize all over the ring. Theron packed into corners, smeared along the ropes - she's the bigger woman, but she's always got Debbe on her chest, badgering, working away. Theron's eyes swelling up, face distorting - she's shipped a lot of clean leather, growing sullen under the beating. Final minute - Debbe with her ear/jaw sweaty on Charlize' shoulder - Debbe's murderous left hand up and in, up and in - over and over and CHARLIZE GOES DOWN! Theron sobbing on all fours - Debbe prancing, hands in the air - it's ALL Dunning through 4.

Rds 5-6: Charlize flat footed, shopworn, mauled - she digs in these rounds to stand her ground and get respect. Brutal, hardhearted, mouth on shoulder slogging from both women. Thick, methodical punching, girls not clinching for breaks, just wrapping up occasionally to stabilize the opponent, caress her with the left to set up the right. Neither thinks anything of pulling her foe's head down into an uppercut, putting a forearm to chest or throat, pushing off with the shoulder. Both are drifting low as fatigue becomes a factor, but vengeance is swift and in kind, pre-empting Referee intervention. Debbe wins a close 5th, but the sixth is an unmistakable Theron turn around. Blonde's coming forward for the first time, out-punching Debbe in the exchanges, getting some give out of the brunette.

Rd 7: Debbe takes a licking left uppercut off her face, stands there swaying, hurt - Theron slings in a right to the chops, bashing Deb's head around, getting her backpedaling. Merciless stepping Theron pursuit, walking barrage of loose-limbed power shots to the head drives Debbe length of the ring and DROPS HER AT THE ROPES! Debbe windblown, propped up on her elbows, trickle of blood out the corner of her mouth as Charlize gets to her at last. Double D climbs the ropes - her turn to shake off the ref and dig in as Charlize climbs aboard. Harrowing shove and slug from a heartless Charlize Theron - not smothering herself on Debbe, palming and bracing the brunette for maximum leverage. Methodical tenderizing to the flanks, Charlize saving the headshots for the final minute as Deb wavers out on her feet, swaying at the bell.

Rd 8: As bad as the seventh was for Deb - the 8th is worse. Charlize bodying up and stuffing Debbe back into the ropes, then cranking it up as brunette puts gloves to lips and stares dimly into punishment. Blonde wearing out brunette flanks - crippling Debbe with shivering, baseball bat impacts. Blonde arching her back to get a nice tight right uppercut into Debbe's chest, picking her up thick. Walloping lefts and rights on the jawline - Debbe's head loose on her neck - she's getting cuffed from one foot to the other as the beating piles up. Dunning down midway through, just bludgeoned systematically to her knees, but the brunette's too proud to quit. Charlize finishes up the bully - both girls weaving slightly at the bell, faces nearly unrecognizable, eyes distant with hurt and exhaustion.

Rd 9: DEBBE PILES ON! Charlize caught staring as a right hand claps her jaw, then a left - blonde tottering backwards and it's Dunning wading into Theron with a walking barrage. Theron hits the ropes shabby - Dunning hungry, palming Theron back in the chest, then laying on the leather. It's just one beauty stacking another up at the ropes and wailing into her, no restraint, no respect - just lashing, lathering abuse. Crowd groans as Charlize buckles forward off a Dunning right hand in her body - brunette shouldering her back into the ropes to reset. Debbe with her cheek on Theron's shoulder to stabilize her for galloping body punches - brunette stuffing 'em in, leeching the strength from Theron's long legs, then propping her back to clobber that once beautiful face. Final moments, Debbe using her left to stabilize Charlize in the chest, then bending into harsh right hands across the face. Theron's legs give way - she's sliding to her right along the ropes - crowd squealing as she picks up momentum - Debbe stepping with and clobbering home righty. Theron hits the corner and remains upright, out on her feet - Debbe raining home right hands as Theron faces stupid into blows. Ref pulls Dunning off - scored 10-8 without the knockdown - both beauties shambling wrecks, besotted with punches at this point.

Rd 10: Oh. They. Hammer. Away! Nothing left to lose - both girls hurt beyond repair, legs shot, eyes swollen to slits, mouths open - they just fall in together, willing themselves to punch. Mouth on shoulder, each works the body with blind, robotic chugging. Outside, they swing from the hips, both pulling punches up from the waist to grease stubborn chins. Legs give way - girls are sent staggering across the ring, along the ropes - it's agony to watch. Final moments, Charlize back to the ropes - she's swinging away, wide lefts and rights, just punching with Debbe. Both girls miss right hands, both try for hooks - Theron wins the race, swivel's Debbe's head and DOUBLE D GOES DOWN! Debster sprawling out on her face - Charlize marching to a neutral corner - face is blank, expressionless as somehow, Debbe D climbs the ropes to stave off elimination. Bell sounds - scores are tallied: it's a draw. They've got to fight one more.

Rd 11: Only 11th round in FCBA history - girls staring across the ring before the bell, eyes hollow, haunted: who wants it enough? Starts with a Dunning right hand across the chin, Charlize hands at her waist - no defense left. Debbe twisting, pulling the left across Charlize' mouth, twisting to drift the right hand against the face - Theron boozy, baby-stepping backwards. Brunette walking blonde down, pulling punches in wide arcs, clocking Theron's head side to side - as Charlize hits ropes, Debbe walks into her, bodying up for a moment's rest. Deb with her cheek on Charlize, almost dozing on the blonde's shoulder while punches pump of their own accord, working Theron's flat midriff. Charlize groggy, tying up Debbe's arms, trying to shove her off, but it's not working - Dunning just laying a steady, numbing beatdown on her girl. Final minute - Janet Jones jumping up and down, screaming for punches - Charlize whimpering, unable to muster any offense - Debbe Dunning cleans up to the bell! Crowd roaring upon conclusion - Debbe fists raised, hooting into Charlize' ruined face - oh the humanity. This comes back one point, UD11 - The Stunning One - Ms. Debbe Dunning!

After: Dunning exhausted, bawling in her cornermen's arms - Theron beaten unrecognizable, drowsy with shock and headed to the emergency ward, Janet Jones ashen faced - brawl an instant classic as Charlize exits the tournament in the first round, Double D advances. Epic rhythm to this fight - Dunning dropping Charlize, breaking her down early, taking away the legs - Theron brawling back on heart alone, dropping Dunning, doing damage. In the end, Debbe showed why she's one of the most beloved fighters in FCBA history, digging down, gutting up and hounding the favored blonde into humiliating, abject defeat.