(#2 in Best of Seven Challenge) by simguy

"Pressure," Charlize smiles in prefight. "Squeeze some girls, and they focus; others crumple. Garner's imploding under the weight of this moment: she didn't think it'd be this big - didn't think it'd be this hard - but it's all coming crashing down on her now. It takes a while to get my attention - Cat Bell, I didn't notice at the start - Gena Lee, Naomi Campbell - on and on. But when I turn my full focus on you, you hurt. Jennifer's learning that now, but it's too late. I'm looking at dead-woman walking here, just marching into the beatings that are going to finish her up in this sport."

Outside - in downtown L.A., and on the Las Vegas strip - huge posters of either woman adorn the sides of skyscrapers; trade papers carry full two-page spread ads, shrieking about the upcoming contest. Never in the history of boxing have two A list actresses placed so much prestige on the line: Charlize is bang on when she talks about the pressure.

"It's like the superbowl," Jennifer admits at the podium. "I've had a bad opening drive and everyone's wondering if I'm just going to get steamrolled now. I looked bad in that first fight - I'll admit it - but it was the FIRST fight. Don't talk to me now about pressure - talk to me in the 7th fight what I'm feeling. Right now, all I need to do is dig at Charlize. That's it: just dig at her. I dig, she'll fall - it's just that simple." Jen in electric blue bikini with bra top, sturdy bottoms - hair tied back off her face; white gloves. She waits in the ring as a giant Oscar statue is lowered some 40 feet to the ring to the strains of Copeland's "Fanfare for the Common Man." Garner rolls her eyes, turns away when Theron exits the statuette to crashing cymbals.

CT in clingy gold lame crop top - short baby doll sleeves, deep scoop front, bare midriff to gold bikini bottoms; white gloves. Theron grinning making eye contact during ring instructions: Garner impassive, glaring back - she knows Theron's just trying to make the moment even more gigantic on purpose.

Round 1: CT: wide stance, loose limbs - she bends into a limber one-two, lifts her hook back up into Jen's midriff all supple and lanky. Jen hooks CT's mouth, then hooks gold top, misses a right as Theron's leaning back out of range. Theron stepping into her stance in good order, fetches Garner the lanky right uppercut as JG steps in: girls trade fierce hooks, ringing each other's chins. Theron reloads - her left hand dangling at her thigh as she slings the right to Jennifer's chin: Garner covers up earmuff, stoops low to slip under CT's whippy hook. Theron steps away - crowd roaring at the blistering early exchange: rest of the round more cautious as CT circles, lifts the up jab off her hip and steers Garner for points.

Round 2: Theron dangling the left hand - very relaxed as she dips and rips a right uppercut to Garner's chin, neatly picking Jen up in her crouch. CT leaning back on her hips while backpedalling - Garner swings through her hook, sweeping air. Charlize grinning, loping left while jabbing: JG bobbing/weaving, trying to work her way in low. Midway through, CT lifts that lanky right uppercut to Jen's chest while dangling the left: Theron brightens as she scores, leans back and CATCHES HARD TO CHIN! Garner stepping-with, brings her feet and leans into a crashing right - SPRAWLING THERON TO HER BACK! Charlize propping up on her elbows, shocked with hurt: Garner jogs business like to neutral corner eyes blazing. CT rolls gingerly up off her hip, takes a swaying 8, digs in as HERE COMES JENNIFER! Garner doubling up the jab, rifling a straight right palm-down into CT's torso: Charlize draping back against ropes, hands at temples. Rip-roaring rights and lefts - rigid, rapid - rock the Theron waistline - TORRID burst has CT gasping, slouching forward. GARNER HAMMERS JUGG! Jennifer keeping elbows in, shrugs up into that playful gold top, pounding away with chugging hup-hup. Theron gurgling, blonde curls in her eyes, lips parting as Jennifer gets in thick: golden goddess slumps against ropes, sponging it up stunned at the bell. Ref has to pull Garner off: Jen in slugging trance, not listening to instructions.

Round 3: Charlize visibly hurt - she lifts that right uppercut while her left hand dangles negligently at her side: Garner absorbs the body blow, then answers a SCREAMING right hand over the top - smashing Theron's head flat against her right shoulder and DOWN GOES CHARLIZE! Theron's feet stay planted as torso lists to the right - she thunders to canvas, lying on her back with hands up, elbows planted in canvas, eyelashes buzzing. Garner roaring, pounding her chest - usually stoic brunette finally releasing pent up emotions at the sight of ruined beauty. Theron cringing, shabby as she sits up, rolls to her right, gingerly rises: she's swaying hurt at the ropes, nodding dimly for ref to let it go. ON COMES GARNER! Jennifer stepping in muscular: slight crouch; elbows in/hands up; quick touch of both her knuckles against CT's gloves, then a short, pounding left takes CT in her top. Short, stamping right immediately thereafter, pounds chest; short straight left to jug, then a left hook to the waist. Jen just squared away, jamming in straight, palm-down punches, working uptorso and down on CT. Theron open-mouthed in wonder - head lolling as her torso takes a drumming. Charlize reaching to clinch behind the head - Jennifer sliding out of the grip, keeps hands moving: straight, jamming punches up the middle to chest setting up wider, hooking punches to head. Constant, thudding bombardment - Theron drowsy, tilting forward and back, hands up but limp and in the final moments - THERON GOES DOWN AGAIN! Simple bludgeoning attrition finally sends CT wilting to all fours. She's sobbing, ashen faced: it's as bad a body-thumping as she's ever taken in a single round.

Round 4: Charlize in tatters, but grimly competitive: she's looking to slug flat footed for respect. Jennifer doubling up the piston jab, shaking Charlize, spooking her with the sudden right hand to chin, mopping up hooks: Theron hustled to ropes where Garner can square away and operate. Theron woozy - eyes half-closed: she's tipping side to side, hands up at her face, taking punches then answering back with limber licks and swats. Garner coldblooded - mitts at her chin as she bobs and weaves on the spot, snatching short, curling lefts and rights to Theron's head and body in equal measure. Brutal attrition meted out: Garner implacable, tireless, and immovable: Theron does land the odd dip-and-rip uppercut to no effect. Jen just putting it to CT hard - brunette moving her head, bringing her hands back, punching snappy at blonde midsection, arms, breasts and head.

Round 5: Charlize flat footed, badly worn, but she wades to midring, greets Jen with a muscular right uppercut to body. Jen counters with the chopping right to chin - just missing as CT tips torso-right, then Theron tips torso-left to slop the right cross to Garner's chin. Jennifer soaks it well - dips down, thumps right/left off CT's waist, then straightens to exchange clapping hooks to chin. Torrid back and forth - Theron stabilizing her front, shortening up her stroke and scoring well - Garner frowning as she can't impose will on visibly hurt prey. Charlize doing wonders with that right uppercut - starting her sequences with it and cleaning up well with hooks and crosses: Garner forced to step back at times, checked hard to head and body. Jennifer willing to take, then answer - chopping short rights from her crouch, taking Charlize on her chin: blonde curls shimmer as time and again Jen lands clean. Crowd oohing and aahing at the ping-ponging action: two strong-willed combatants standing toe-to-toe, maintaining professional form and hammering each other senseless in a brutal fifth.

Round 6: Jennifer pre-empts with her jab - spitting it double, then rocking CT a short right cross out of the crouch. Theron backpedalling, hands low: Garner able to step-with and nail rights and lefts as she comes, pounding Theron to ropes. CT groans, clasps Jen behind the head: Garner plows in, keeps hands free, works savagely to Charlize's trembling gut and thighs (ruled unintentional - CT was pushing down). Pumping Garner lefts and rights have Theron gasping - blonde finally able to reach behind the elbows, pulling Jen close for ref's break. Siege develops: Theron hurt but serviceable at ropes, well dug in: Garner pushed back by the ref after breaks, then wading back in to pound at the defenses. Jennifer dukes collected at chin, constantly bobbing her head/rotating her torso to move her head. Jen smashing at Charlize's biceps with short, curling, flat-knuckle bludgeoning. Jen stamping at CT's top with short, blunt, straight rights and lefts. Jen working down torso, pounding straight palm-down lefts and rights into the Theron breadbasket: Charlize grimacing, tilting forward, sitting in the ropes as relentless beating goes on and on. CT in stupor, legs braced in wide A: she'll turn her torso side to side, pulling short lefts or rights around in tight arcs, trying to clip the ever-bobbing Jen with little success. Bell: Garner turns away with a grin, leaving CT shabby at ropes.

Round 7: Right uppercut Charlize: Theron all lanky - arching her back, popping hips-left to clip the shot to chin: Jen's not shaking it off. Garner forward behind her mitts, not punching: Theron eases right foot back a smidge, skids the right uppercut off the top of Jen's presented scalp, then slops a buggy whip right hand fat and loud to Jennifer's flank. Withering blast buckles Jen's knees, encouraging CT: Theron from the same wide stance pops hips-right, dragging a lanky hook up into Jennifer's body. CT with a quick knuckling of Jen while pivoting right, resets her feet and hips, clipping the outside-in right uppercut, picking Jen's face up groggy/pretty from her mitts. DOWN GOES GARNER! Jennifer spilling to all fours, suddenly shabby with hurt: Theron lifts right mitt, swaying slightly as she brays into the roaring audience. Shaky 8 Jen G - she wanders off the ropes, dukes at mouth: Charlize steps-to, knuckles gently at Jen's mitts, then dips left to CRANK that hook to body. Big, whipping shot all legs, hips and shoulders - Jennifer crying out, buckling forward in distress. CT with a light swipe of her right hand at Jen's temple, then a VICIOUS right hand buggy-whipped above the left hip: Garner baby-stepping forward, burying face in gloves. CT pushes into Jen to halt her, then eases right foot back to get room for a lugging right up underneath, followed by a lanky, limber left. Rangy right uppercut skids off Jen's guard; lashing hook takes her in under the elbows; curling hook claps right ear as CT turns her torso into a short-circumference swipe. Garner's thighs ringing in alarm, knees giving way: Charlize able to touch at her girl to measure, then pop hips to get slinging leverage on every walloping punch. JENNIFER GOES DOWN AGAIN! Strapping, lanky barrage finally sends Garner wilting to all fours: she's panting, badly battered as Theron lifts mitts and crows groggy. Count delayed as Theron's lingering in the ares, hooting and carrying on - forcing ref to body her away.

Round 8: Jennifer's hurt; Charlize is hurt: both girls mindlessly will themselves to midring to initiate fresh mayhem. CT in wide stance, supple limbs and torso twisting and curling into lanky shots, slopping hard to Jennifer's midsection and jaw. Jen bobbing and weaving, chopping right hands into the openings, checking and rechecking Charlize' chin; cudgelling away short n' snappy to body. Charlize likes to step back and walk Jen into the right uppercut; Garner stepping-with, accepts that risk in order to get her chopping right onto Charlize' jaw. Back and forth reeling slugfest - both girls rocked and stunned but down the stretch, Charlize licks that right uppercut, picking Jen's face up perfect. Garner mouth open, eyes shut, eyebrows high: Charlize bends in a slinging right overhand, clobbering Garner to jaw. Heavy blast spanks Jen's face aside - she totters on the spot a moment before tumbling face-first to mat. Crowd shrieking to it's feet - Charlize staggering away in tears of relief: poor Jen rolls to her back - left arm over her eyes as she shudders, trying to shake off the KO. JENN BEATS THE COUNT! Bravest moment of Garner's career sees her fight her way off her back, climb ropes and be standing in ruins at the bell.

Round 9: Charlize wading out open-mouthed - she's spent, SO close to stopping Garner last round; Jen beating the count was equivalent to landing a fresh barrage of punches to war-weary Charlize. They fall in at the stagger - slugging mindlessly - bodies tumbling into ropes. Jennifer wrestles Charlize into cables - palming shoulders roughly, preventing CT's neckclasp. Tidy right/left to belly bumps the breath from Charlize - she jerks forward, face pinched. Short, cudgelling work to either arm and flank numbs CT: Garner beating her foe's torso like a drum, then shoving CT upright against ropes to stamp those breasts. Charlize' head lolling badly, hands loose, collected beneath her chin - she's starting to get ragdolled. "DIG, JEN - DIIIIIIG!" Garner's corner exhorts: Jennifer bending to the task, pumping leather to Charlize's Oscar-winning torso. Short punches, propping elbows; bumping shoulders, scrubbing head: Jennifer constantly AT and ON her girl - jostling, slugging, working. Theron swooning - wallowing on the ropes, eyelashes fluttering as Jennifer beats her without mercy. Final minute - brutal right hand chops across, belting CT's head back over the ropes: head flops back forward, mouthpiece dribbling off teeth as CT's torso tilts woozy to port. More punches from Jen - she's just back-straight, jamming out the straight lefts and rights - stamping at CT's slumbering face and DOWN GOES CHARLIZE! Theron crumbling sideways to her right, rolling to her back under the ropes, hands up above her head. IT'S OVER! KO9 Garner as Charlize can't get off her back!

After: Garner collapsing in tears in her corner; Charlize helped to her stool and coddled - brutal, brutal contest lives up to all the hype as these two simply WRECKED each other tonight. Garner answers, and answers, with vigour - brunette dug deep, used up her foe in a fight so savage, many pundits wonder if this thing CAN go seven, much less will it.

"They'll have to," says Cat Bell in ringside interview as neither combatant is fit to stand for an interview. "If it comes down to it, they can and will fight seven. God help them if they do - but I know these women, and they will be in their swimsuits, ready to go on the night if needed." Bell visibly concerned in the aftermath of this fight: action simply too desperate and savage for cheap gloating on her part.