Posted by Simguy on 04/29/2005

Before: Dushku not favoured in this fight - even money match up a sign of the times. "Eliza's yesterday's news," shrugs rangy Jolene in prefight. "Everyone's caught up to her, and in my case, passed her by. She doesn't have the tools to compete with someone like me - I'll box her when I want, slug her when I want - this fight is all about what I want to do."

Dushku cool despite the disrespect. "Look - Jolene's long been the most difficult challenge at this weight for me, so I'm not going to sit here and tell you this is going to be easy. I AM going to tell you that I'll win, and that you better not be writing the sherriff off just yet. Jolene's a one-trick pony - it's a pretty good trick, but it's still the one basic look. I wrote the freakin' book on boxing, and I think I'll beat Jolene with, like, page 3."

Eliza in red leather bikini - Jolene in gray sports bra, navy bikini bottoms, long blonde battle-braid.

During R1: Dushku aggressive - darting in to jab Jolene's body, pivoting left and hooking JB's head, then easing back - coaxing Blalock into giving up her height. Blalock stalking, coming forward as invited by Eliza's feigned retreats - masterful ring generalship Dushku. Eliza's upperbody movement superb, really getting low to weave Blalock's jab/cross routine, coming out of the crouch with bite. Final minute, Dushku steps back into a southpaw stance while ducking a Blalock right - comes up a tangy right hook on the chops, tart chopping left to buckle Blalock's knees at the bell. Shades of Roberto Duran - maybe only 3 or 4 other girls in the sport score a point like that.

R2: Blalock learning her lesson, showing some polish herself - she's hanging back, snapping the upjab backhand off her hip, using her height this round. Dushku bending and rotating on her hips, slipping a lot of stick, but unable to get off much as rangy Jolene renegotiates terms. Blalock's feet economical - she'll plant on that front (left) heel, rocking back out of range, then pushing off on the back (right) toe to ease in close with right hands.

R3: Another good boxing round Blalock - wide stance allowing her to lean in and out to change up distance, make Eliza miss on late hooks. Jolene dotting Dushku jabs, glancing right hands, but burying a shivering hook in Eliza's right flank - catching Dushku in her crouch, freezing her. Dushku spotty on offence - lunging out of her crouches in search of Blalock's questionable chin - Jolene unavailable as she judges distance exquisitely for a shutout.

R4: Eliza pointing her left shoulder, rolling the Blalock cross, answering back tuff right hands on flat Blalock midsection - Dushku able to wriggle her way inside this round. Eliza tidying up breadbasket with brushing, brisk lefts and rights, keeping her face on Jolene, crowding the receipts. Blalock grimacing in frustration - she's trying to step back and walk Eliza into something, but Dushku jabbing-with, keeps setting up on chest unscathed. E treating herself to Blalock's intimidating rack with cudgelling close in work - Dushku able to scrub away with impunity notches a jug-mugging shutout.

R5: Blalock with some sick left hooks underneath - great back arch, cranking arm extension - big Tommy Hearns licks cramping Dushku up hurt. Jolene backing off inexplicably - she had Eliza's knees buckled and doesn't follow up. Dushku working her way in with a side to side weave, clobbering backpedalling JB looping rights and lefts upside the head - Jolene hits ropes at the midway mark and stays there. Eliza pressing in, palms on biceps, wrestling and rubbing in there, snatching at tummy when it's there, coming up the middle tidy uppercuts. Some hefty, lusty jug-mugging getting done: sherriff taking what's there like a pro. Blalock palming Eliza's shoulders, trying to push off and lick uppercuts - squirmy pocket boxing sees Eliza recover well from an early setback.

R6: Blalock moving, using the ring - rangy, loping footwork as she prowls clockwise, threatening E with long right hands, then pulling the hook across as Blalock eases onto her right foot. Dushku's upperbody movement keeping her safe, but she just can't find range when Jolene boxes like this - Eliza almost too calculating for her own good, doesn't have the mindless abandon of an Elisha Cuthbert in such circumstances.

R7: Blalock finding her rhythm. Widespread, long legs springy as she drops right hands shifting forward, pulls hooks while easing back, constantly flicking and backhanding jabs in between. Dushku nailed a hard right cross on the ear in the first minute, tagged on the chin in the second minute - both punches visibly rocking the former multi time champ, but again, lack of follow up from Blalock lets Eliza off the hook. E back to her corner lumpy, shining up nicely, but still dangerously competitive despite eating the 'A' Blalock right hand.

R8: Dushku answering with hooks out of her crouch, tagging JB leaning back with hands low - Blalock staggered early in the round, takes to her bicycle. Dangerous game for Eliza - she's stalking, following the puncher, but risking it with good torso movement and a spitting jab - she's finding her way inside more often than not. Blalock spending more and more time back-on-ropes - hands up around Dushku's ears, pulling Dushku's head in close, trying to smother as Eliza tidies up for points.

R9: Chopping punches from Eliza - she's gambling, but playing the odds - jabbing to close, bringing her feet with her and getting off in crisp combinations. Jolene collecting leather on her chin and stepping away frazzled - and that body punching's not doing her any good either. Eliza relentless - short, snapping shots body and head, smothering receipts, pinning Blalock on the ropes and wrestling with her if need be.

R10: Dushku continues to hound her foe, punching in earnest whenever she can fight off Jolene's chest. Blalock mouth-breathing, but actually acquiting herself quite well in the trenches: long, licking, tightened up strokes a visual contrast to Eliza's abrupt, chopping bursts. Dushku finding a home for that Shane Mosley hook in the liver, bending Jolene forward at points, then lighting her up the left uppercut - it's enough to carry the round as Jolene proves a stubborn warrior down the stretch. Comes back a tractorpull special - 10 round draw.

After: Both girls landing with power and hurting the opponent; both pitching to their strengths; both making adjustments, tailoring the fight to their needs - hard to argue with the scoring. Blalock the more visibly disappointed in the aftermath - lots of talk in the Blalock camp in weeks preceeding about stopping the Sherriff this time - Dushku refusing to follow the script. Eliza showing wiles, compensating for Jolene's physicality nicely - still having plenty of trouble with Blalock's rangy geometry however.