(Vacant Paramount Lightweight Title Bout) by simguy 12/29/01

Stiff test for the Paramount sliver of lightweight gold - Charlize stretched in her last outing - lot of people liking Jamie's timing in catching Theron on a down note. Charlize showing the strain slightly in pre-fight - she's not used to questions about her durability, suggestions that Luner's the wrong girl to come back off a KO against.

"Look," says Theron, "Jamie's the number one contender in this division. I fight number one contenders. I beat number one contenders. Next question."

Jamie in black push up and panties; Charlize in cream string bikini.

Round 1: Theron on springy, wide spread legs - right hand at her mouth, left at her chest, elbows in, arms loose. Charlize opens with a zesty jab, dipping in to lash a right against the waist, left hook to the waist, doubling up to hook the jaw and Luner spills backwards with a sad expression - she's hurt. Theron walking her girl down, fading back with Luner's jab, then bobbing her head to slip the right hand - Luner's launching air balls. Charlize coming back with crisp, clean jabs and hooks - Luner obviously looking for right hands, is getting lumped up on by the left and buffeted around the ring. Damage to Jamie's right eye and cheek after a sharp-shooting Theron shutout.

Round 2: Charlize really settling in. Jab is heartless, pounding off that worried right of Luner's. Blonde easing back from the red-head's jab, then smoothly slipping the right hands - Theron correcting some flaws from last time out with the good upper body movement. On offense, Charlize is sharp and decisive - snapping off rights to the body, doubled up hooks to the jaw that have Luner sputtering. Down the stretch, Jamie fighting for her life, back to the ropes, avoids the shutout with spirited trading as Theron opens up.

Round 3: Charlize in on her front foot with the jab, leaning back onto her right foot to pick Jamie up with the lean-away hook and Luner is stunned early on by the stroking blows to her jaw. THERON STEPS RIGHT, HOOKS TIT, HOOKS TIT, THEN HAMMERS OVER THE TOP WITH A SLICING RIGHT CROSS, DROPPING OVER LUNER'S LEFT SHOULDER AND BLASTING THE REDHEAD TO HER KNEES IN SHOCK. Jamie up, takes a reeling 8 - she's tearing up as her composure starts to crack. Theron lopes in, changing up distance on Luner to walk her onto that limber hook, curling into overhand rights that bash hard off Luner's face to sprawl the redhead up against the ropes. Heartless in and out combinations pile up, shredding Luner, and Jamie falters to all fours, desperately hurt. Charlize primping, lingering with her knees casual against Jamie's flank - ref. pushes the blonde back to delay the count. Luner swaying on the spot, blinking, trying to get her equilibrium at the ropes as Theron marches in, steps right behind a stamping jab, drops the right hand clean on the chin, reloads by palming left against Jamie's protective left shoulder, opening the red head's stance up and slicing over the top with another booming right hand. Lights out Luner! Theron's punch flattens Jamie's head to her shoulder and drops the redhead on her side just underneath the ropes. KO3 Charlize Theron.

Woozy Jamie's getting medical attention on her stool when Charlize pushes her way through the crowd, reaches down underneath Jamie's arms and hauls the redhead up with, "Come on, let's go. Up." Theron guiding a dazed Luner around the ring, right arm around the redhead's waist - controversial walk a real slap in the face to a worthy contender who just couldn't handle the spotlight.

"I choked." says a game Jamie who won't duck the press afterwards, "Pure and simple, I gave it up in there tonight. I want to apologize to my fans, I just wasn't ready to fight someone like Charlize tonight." And as for the walk? "I don't care what HBO says - that crap is NOT 'part of the game'. I'll never forgive Charlize for displaying me like that, and you better believe, when she's down and vulnerable, I'll be there. Count on it."

Theron breezy and affable in post fight, a far cry from the tense former-champion she had been in the weeks previous, "I don't have anything against Jamie Luner, in a sense, I wasn't walking Jamie Luner at all. I was sending a message to other fighters, the media, even the fans - anyone who thought maybe Ali had taken some of my edge. I got caught a lucky punch and stopped - it's so earthshaking when I lose that people blow it all out of proportion. I just wanted to remind everyone that I use girls up, then I dispose of them however I want. If you don't like it, don't sign the contract