1-29-05 by simguy

Erica a lot closer bet at most books having bested Jen Garner - confidence is running high in brunette camp. "I have to admit, when I saw the offer sheet from Charlize Theron - I couldn't believe it," gushes Durance in prefight. "My people haven't been able to get through to her for months and all of a sudden - wham! She wants the fight. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to test myself against Garner before this battle - beating Jen gives me a lot of confidence coming in against a legend like Theron." Media blitz comparable to the throng surrounding Garner bout - Erica showing tremendous composure under the glaring spotlight.

"I have to admit," Charlize tells the press, "I don't know who this kid is - never seen her before - don't know what she's done but when my people told me 'She beat Jen Garner,' I said, 'Cool - send her a sheet.' She's got guts - I can already tell that - she's spunky, she's not an embarrassing let down in the looks department - why wouldn't I take time out of my busy routine to slap her around some? If I hadn't given Jeri Ryan her first taste of stardom, she'd still be on skank row fighting other worn-out starlets for rent money."

Charlize in cream bikini - Erica in shades-of-blue setting sun motif bikini, punching ponytail.

Rd 1: Erica scores with an abrupt right hand to the chin, gets another, crouches with dukes up at her cheeks - Theron mirrors the crouch - both straighten up into hooks and CHARLIZE GETS CLIPPED! Theron's back foot skids off canvas, hook sailing wide - she staggers away glassy eyed, steadying herself ropeside. Theron covers up - ON COMES DURANCE! Erica dukes up, eyes eager - she pumps a stiff jab into Theron's guard, pumps it again, shoots a hard right hand to forehead, licks the comeback left beneath Theron's breastline. Erica bringing her hands back sharp, crouching, moving her head as she gets off in ringing bursts - Theron sagging against the ropes, hands at temples, elbows in. Durance stays compact, ripping punches in crisp bunches as Charlize lolls on ropes, wilting. Gouging hooks dig up Charlize' tummy, wedging in tuff behind the elbow. Jamming right hands pound away ear and jaw, trying to break down blonde defenses. Jerky left uppercuts pick Theron's face up all blinky-stunned, and follow up hooks bag points in the ribs, hip and clanging on the jaw. Bell to bell Durance - getting off savage, but not overdoing it - always moving her head, fading back a half step to regroup - touching Charlize the jab. Theron's face puffy, eyes a little unfocused - she chests up on Durance at the bell, taunting brunette: "You flirting with me, or fighting me? HIT me for God's sake!"

Rd 2: Theron shakes it off, duels with Durance midring. Erica in that crouch, bobbing her head, dukes at her cheeks, snapping off rigid, popping combinations and gatling-gun jabs. Theron a little looser, more apt to lean onto her back foot to create distance, sliding to either side, closing up behind her left shoulder - but she's definitely looking to trade. Theron licking and lashing her punches - a nice slashing hook across Durance's taut abs; a snapping up-jab from the hip; slinging rights with plenty of body-turn on her hips for leverage. Down the stretch, Charlize a little more accurate, stepping gracefully into limber left hooks or uppercuts cheek or chin, and swing-pivoting lithe to her left. Durance showing tremendous conditioning, soaks up Theron sock without complaint.

Rd 3: Erica crisp, brisk - snapping combos, tight defence, bobbing head movement: Theron limber, flat-footed but leggy, easing in and out, sliding to the side and slinging harder, lithe punches in answer to Erica's tic-tac-toe. Durance leaning in close, hooking hard to ribs, keeping the right tight to her cheek. Theron placing straight right hands to Erica's forehead off curling, loose-limbed hooks. Close round, but Theron separating herself with yummy licking hooks across the ribs and tummy, graceful step-hook-pivot routines up top and landing a pair of long right hands late that have Erica backing off to regroup.

Rd 4: Charlize with a gorgeous slinging right on the chops, bending into the shot all bright-eyed, Durance taking it with arms slightly crossed, elbows up and out as head gets torqued hard to starboard. Theron sliding to her left, backhanding the jab playful to chest, showing the right, then twisting into a clanging hook on the chops while swing-pivoting to the left - Durance clocked hard, refusing to budge, turns with the move and answers back straight right/left/right. Back and forth like this - Theron sliding, swooping - Durance determined, staying compact. Erica enjoying moments with Charlize' back to the ropes: brunette with her head in close, nice n' compact, REEFING left hooks to blonde ribcage in crowd-pleasing bursts. Theron separates herself late with a drilling right on the mouth, arching her back to lick the left uppercut across the face, then leaning in on front foot to get 100% Charlize behind a gorgeous body shot tucked in tight behind the elbow. Gurgle of pain as Durance shudders, doubles up, still covered up tight - Bell sounds as Charlize freezes with a fully-loaded right hand cocked at her shoulder, grinning broadly at Durance' discomfort.

Rd 5: Theron pounding away her up jab - catching Durance in the mouth, straightening her, then cashing in with the slinging right hand clean off the face. Erica bravely taking, elbows out to the sides as her head gets flattened against her right shoulder - brunette buttocks starting to wobble as Theron turns up the heat. Charlize rangy, swiping lefts and rights, extending on her punches, arching her back and turning her hips into blows - she's teeing off and loving it. Durance hurt, tries to crowd in close: Theron straightens her up a ringing right uppercut, bringing the hand back tight to her chest, grinning as Erica is sent packing straight back on her heels. Long right hands pounding away temple and jaw, forcing Erica ropeside - she's got that "I'm hurt" groggy stare - arms crossed, legs digging in firmly as Theron POURS it on! Charlize happy in her work - twisting to pull a sweeping left into Erica's trunk-line just inside the right hip; brushing the backhand left to measure, then bringing the sinewy right hand across. Erica upright, but getting shellacked - horrific punches landing in her body, across her chin - crowd starting to groan in sympathy with the pounding. Bell: Charlize fresh n' sweaty while walking away, smiles back over a tanned shoulder to take in the sight of woozy Durance pulling herself together.

Rd 6: Charlize picking up where she left off. Midring - CT stepping rangy left, fists gathered under her chin - she's finding E with straight lead rights, slinging the hook across chin - getting drowsy head-swivel out of Durance. Erica finally sputtering to ropes and covering up: she's too brave for her own good as Theron strides on in. Great heaping mounds of shellack applied - Charlize goring Durance to the body with those sailing hooks off the front foot - blonde arching her back prettily to get on up into Durance. Licking left uppercuts and slicing rights pound Durance's head up, back, around - poor Erica reeling on the spot, legs proudly dug in. Erica refusing to punk, but she's a helpless vixen - eyes glassy, head stationary, legs all locked up and numb - ref moves in to cradle her away from further punishment as a relaxed Charlize lifts her mitts and struts. TKO6 Charlize Theron.

After: Durance badly worked over in the fifth after holding her own in close stanzas - she made it out for the sixth on stubborness alone. "She made a lot of ingenue mistakes," Cat Bell tells a roaming HBO reporter. "Durance needed to get to Theron's body and chest - Charlize doesn't like smother tactics and she gets discouraged when you won't let her freewheel. Erica thought she was doing well because she was tagging Charlize, but Theron will give you a little chin to look at as long as she's able to do her thing. CT just cashed in Erica's chin all night long with those right hands - you can't give her that punch for free. I'm disappointed - I really thought coming in Durance had the stuff to upset Charlize."

Battered, lumpy Erica composing herself and approaching the Theron corner to congratulate the winner, but she's stopped by a head-set wearing publicist en-route. Theron directing traffic to line up her interviews, barely aware of Durance, automatically signs a Charlize-In-Oscar-Gown 8"X11" and HANDS it to Erica over the publicist's shoulder, then gets back to postfight business. Durance flabbergasted: high-handed dismissal hurts more than any single punch Theron landed tonight.

"I'm pleased," Charlize tells BLONDE! mag reporter, "I wanted to work on my body shots and I crippled this girl with those hooks downstairs - I did everything I wanted to and I'm just glad she gave me enough rounds so I could get through the checklist. I'm dedicating the win to Jeri Ryan: I beat Jennifer Garner up, then I knocked out the girl who's supposed to be the YOUNG Jennifer Garner. I'm the people's champion at lightweight - the obvious and clear number one contender, and I'm not letting up on Jeri until I get what I want."