(IMAGES BY BI PHOTO LAB)

Posted by simguy on 8/11/2001, 9:21 am

(Thanks to FightFan for this repost)


Before: Acrimonious pre-fight tour - Eliza keeping up the pressure at every stop, harping on Dani's body and what's going to happen down there. All comes to a head at the weigh-in, Dani grey silk camisol and panties, Eliza in leopard print bra and panties, nose to nose at the podium at the request of HBO publicists as flashbulbs burst. Cat Bell mumbles "I don't like the looks of this." Dushku takes a cheeky pinch-full of flesh at Dani's hip, Fishel slaps the hand away, Eliza slaps Dani across the face and suddenly they are in one another's arms, rolling along the table top as officials rush in. HBO fatcat at the back of the room, chomps a cigar, dreams of mountains of green pouring in - girls have been poked and prodded to a fever pitch. Dani in teal sports bra, grey bikini bottoms, Eliza in red leather bra style bikini.

During R1: Fishel stands her ground, bats at her stomach with both hands and invites Eliza on in - Dushku obliges hungrily. Dani sinks into her corner, covered up tight, deliberately letting Dushku spend up some energy this round. Vicious hooks from Dushku as she digs into the injured area - Fishel keeping that right elbow tucked to block most of the incoming. Comprehensive beating from Dushku - she rattles Dani's skull with brisk combinations to set up the plunging left hand to the side - Fishel in a walnut defense, turning her torso to accept the punishment without offering back. At the bell - Fishel vibrating from the concussive effect of Eliza's punches, but spanking her belly defiantly as Dushku stalks back to her corner. "Too easy," Eliza snarls during the break.

R2: Dani takes one step to her right, sinks into the ropes and waves Eliza on in - Dushku enraged at the suggestion, charges headlong in, and the kernel of strategy from Dani becomes apparent. Knowing the hook to the body's coming - Dani stays locked down, takes the punch on her right elbow, then immediately counters with jarring right hands on Eliza's jaw - Dushku's defence set to counter hooks, gets caught clean by the jolting rights. Eliza hard to discourage however, she hangs in, starts chewing up Dani's face with rivet gun combinations, then finishes up with the liver punch - really bending her back to sink the left hand up and in. Eliza's round, but Dani smiling, taunting her foe as Dushku walks away: "Is that all you've got?" the refrain.

R3: Eliza wading in, intent on breaking Dani down and flattening the curvaceous bantam, but Fishel has other ideas this round. Blocking the hook, Dani immediately comes back with hammering right hands on the jaw, catching Eliza perfectly with Dushku's right hand on the wrong side of her face to protect from the hook. All right hands from Fishel - she reaches her left in under Eliza's arm to shoulder the brunette back, then crams in straight rights from in close, under the heart and clean on the chin - DUSHKU GOES WOBBLY BUTT! Intense, unexpected right hand slugging has Eliza disoriented and Dani won't let up. Advancing for the first time in the fight, Dani bodies her foe to the ropes and piles on, NOW cranking up the hook as Eliza bobs side to side with an achy expression. HELLISH straight right hands down into the body, coupled with rising left hooks up under the ribcage have Dushku pale and shaky at the bell - she's hurt on her stool as her corner starts to beg her to box.

R4: Cue theme: Revenge of the Bantam. Dani's got a hurting brunette in front of her and she STORMS across the ring to add to Eliza's woes. Dushku takes a turn trapped in her corner as Dani opens the flood gates, treats Eliza to a classic Fishel beat down. One wrinkle - the unexpected right hand lead, clean and chopping on the jaw, has Dushku staring and vulnerable to the follow up rising hooks underneath. Midway through, Eliza breaking down, tries to fight her way out of the corner, and DANI IS CATCHING HER. Dani beating Eliza to lefts and rights, stepping back in good order and catching the brunette clean on the jaw and ELIZA GOES DOWN! Dushku on all fours, eyes betraying shock - she gets numbly to her feet and sinks back into her corner for support. LONG last minute as Dani climbs into Dushku's trunks and swarms away, beating in arms, ribs, clouting the chin whenever Eliza's hands begin to drift - Fishel bellowing in triumph at the bell as Dushku smolders on the ropes.

R5: Dani charges the ring again, tackling Eliza and driving her HARD into her home turnbuckles for more one sided abuse. Dushku in complete disbelief - Dani's punches are shutting down whole sections of the brunette's nervous system - legs aren't responding to commands, defence breaking down as she moves her upperbody too late to prevent the pounding. Dani just basting her foe with non-stop double lefts and double rights, plowing into the body to set up clanging hooks on the chin as Dushku buckles forward, gets bashed back. Midway through, Dani swats at cheek with the left, then SCOOPS hard at the body with the hook - DOWN GOES DUSHKU! Eliza gagging horribly, crawling forward as Dani skips away - Dushku just barely able to beat the count and she is terribly gut shot. Dani climbs aboard the pain train and dishes it out over the last minute - Dushku lolling against the ropes, covering her battered midriff and giving away vast expanses of her sides and back to Dani's lathering assault.

R6: More Dani Fishel - she traps Eliza in her corner again, steps with the brunette as Dushku slides to her right along the ropes - Dani keeping her head on the brunette, moving her hands back and forth into the tender waist, but the fury seems to have peaked. Eliza able to tie up, slow Dani down some - Fishel's spent an incredible amount of energy in shutting Eliza out over the last 3 rounds. Final minute, a hurt, flat footed Dushku starts to back Dani up with single shot haymakers, principally the short right uppercut on the lips, and a digging left hand to the sternum.

R7: Eliza's legs are shot, but she's now deliberately trying to give Dani angles, recognizing the folly of the head on assault. The non-existent jab makes an appearance and it does wonders for Eliza - Dani is kept at arms length, bobbing and weaving, trying to get inside and at the end of the first minute, Eliza walks Fishel into a beautiful Buster Douglas right uppercut, swivelling Dani's head and putting her wobbly butt at last. NOW Eliza gets on that body, pounding away while Dani's defence is shabby and getting clean, digging touches to that tender liver/ribcage area on the right side. Dani wilts to the ropes, hurting for the first time as Dushku's brisk fists wash across her face and end up jammed into her midsection - vengeful shutout for Eliza D as the two are forcibly separated at the bell.

R8: Grim two way fighting midring - girls stand shoulder to shoulder, heads and all four gloves jammed in tight together as short punches rip into sturdy midriffs, or chop at well protected ears inside. Dani keeping her head on Eliza's brow, always coming forward - she starts to establish that dangerous left to the ear, left to the sternum with some regularity this round as Dushku starts to slow.

R9: Shoulder to shoulder midring - Dushku won't be bullied, and won't give any more ground this round. She's just twitching that short right uppercut in, all shoulder and leg on the punch as Dani's head bobs up on a regular basis. Fishel concentrating downstairs - she's taken Eliza's legs out of this fight, forcing Dushku to slog in the trenches, but Eliza's the busier girl this round.

R10: Dani showing a zesty jump in her legs, charges the ring and has herself a plundering first minute - working Eliza over with brawny shoulder bumps and beefy left/rights to the abs. Eliza finally pivots off the left uppercut to get herself off the ropes, but the war continues to rage at close range as Dani keeps ramming her forehead into Eliza's, leaning in and staying in constant contact. Back and forth punches rip home as girls take turns hurting each other. Final minute, Dani takes over the round - she's backing Eliza up, shutting Eliza down, swatting the left to the ear and buckling Eliza's legs with the gouging left hand downstairs. Bell sounds - it's over. Dani bumping chests and howling in derision as Eliza looks wan, shopworn over 10 tough bantamweight rounds. Comes back UD10 Dani Fishel.

After: Dancing in the streets for TE as they flood the ring, hoist Dani on their shoulders like she's just unified the belts. Eliza beaten and throbbing, stands alone in her corner, reeling from the disaster after being checked into Hotel Stalingrad tonight. Dani beaming in postfight, "We broke the back of HISC tonight. Their fighters are human, they make mistakes, they get hurt and they even quit a little bit when they're down. Eliza's big strength is her unpredictability, but she gave it all away tonight - we KNEW she was coming after my body and I just set my traps all night long. I have total faith in my midsection - Dushku gave it everything and couldn't hurt me down there. She DID catch me with the uppercut in the seventh - that was a good shot and I was staggered, but I shook it right off and kept bringing the fight to her. I thought about walking her - I earned it no question, but I wanted to leave that for Mish. I KNOW Mish can beat this girl now." Eliza classy enough to offer some comments in defeat, "You saw a 50% Eliza Dushku get beat by a 100% Dani Fishel tonight - it happens. I think I gave the fight to her, I didn't fight smart and I have to give her credit - she took it out of me." When asked by some inane reporter if Dani's punches hurt, Eliza responds with a bitter, "What do you think?" Signs of increasing caginess from Dani in this one - the right hands, the rope-a-dope, beautiful strategic adjustments - one of her best all round performances. Dushku indulging in hubris, spurred on by Dani's invitations early - by the time she'd climbed off the canvas twice and had her midsection ransacked, the boxing option just wasn't there over the second half.



sim guy

ff