Posted by Simguy on 10/26/2001, 6:41 am

Before: Magazine editors reaching hard for ways to 'angle' this fight ie: maybe Eliza's looking past Reid, taking Reid for granted, maybe Dushku hasn't trained as hard for the pretty blonde as she otherwise might have - but it's none too convincing. "Tara's not here to compete," says Eliza in pre-fight, "she's here to suffer." Hard to argue, Dushku with all the advantages in this fight - Tara's only card being her relative anonymity - not a lot of tape on this girl. Eliza in red leather bikini, Tara in black leather bikini.

During R1: Well, Reid can jab. And she can move - she pokes a brisk stick in under Dushku's eyes, steps sharply to either side, or circles away to come back in again at a new angle. Eliza guilty of impatience early as she storms in, neglects her own jab, and gets touched up as a result. Tactical round to Reid - she's relatively quick, has well schooled feet and can keep her distance when she wants to.

R2: Eliza sharpens up, doubling up on her own jab to the belly and mouth, has Reid backing up again, but this time Eliza's cutting off the ring. Dushku working responsibly - hooking the ribcage off the jab and testing right hands on for size - just grazing with the cross as she calibrates. Nothing on Reid's punches - Dushku walking through the slaps and applying some hurt this round.

R3: Eliza works for it early - crunching that jab hard between Tara's breasts, getting the blonde ropeside then bending in and down behind a slamming right on the chin that puts the blonde wobbly butt. Dushku pleased, gets big, goes to belly with biting hooks, pulling her fists back to her chest on snapping follow through. Beating flows into the second minute when out of nowhere, Reid slings a wild left hand counter to beat Dushku to the punch and ELIZA IS STUNNED! Dushku never sees it, and her legs go limp - Reid able to chest up and spin the brunette into the ropes to reverse positions and TARA HEAPS ON A BEAT DOWN! Eliza seriously hurt, can't defend herself - she's staring as she slumps sideways against the ropes, soaking up Reid's wailing lefts and rights. Dushku gets out of the round, but she's busted up, cut at the hairline and shocked to have been treated so shabbily as Reid shouts a taunt in the brunette's ear en route to her corner.

R4: Dushku shakes it off, gets down to business. Hard double jabs up the middle get Tara on her heels, expose her to vicious overhand rights that bash past the blonde's guard. Dushku's legs are beating Tara's - blonde can't position herself or escape as brunette tightens noose, works Reid over in a corner much of the round. Reid showing guts late, outclassed, she digs in with her butt on turnbuckle and trades for all she's worth - hard punches lick back and forth as both girls take it past the bell.

R5: Dushku gets the ball rolling in the first minute - sudden hook takes Reid by surprise on the chin - blonde's legs dip and lock - she's hurt. Eliza stays on her prey, pushing in a straight right, then turning her hips into heartless left hooks to the pit of the belly - Reid's face awash in pain as she buckles into the ropes. Now the biting, sharp punching combinations flow - Dushku with controlled rage on her face, setting down on every blow - Reid covered up pathetically but this bombardment is out of her league. Badly battered blonde wants to fold to her knees, but Dushku won't let her, propping the blonde back time and again for more pulverizing abuse. Tara buffetted back and forth, face punished raw, when the ref steps in, waving the brunette off. Eliza smolders for an instant, staring in on Tara to make sure the blonde is hurt. TKO5 Eliza Dushku.

After: Reid outgunned and worked over as promised, but Tara shows some skills, gives Eliza some scary moments in a fight that looked on paper like a brunette romp. Says Shannon Elizabeth, "Dushku looks like she just went 10 rounds with Marvin Hagler - what's going to happen when she gets in there with King Kong?" Inquiring minds want to know. A fight that had at one time been laughed off by Elizabeth's backers now suddenly makes sense as a quick and painless way for Shannon to build confidence

Thanks to Apollo for this repost.

Archer 10/21/09