UNIFIED BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE

Posted by simguy on 10/12/2002, 8:04 am


(Thanks to FightFan for this repost)


Before: Pressly filled with hunger, confidence after demolition of vaunted Kelly Hu. "Eliza's a slower, dumber version of Kelly," quips Jaime, "this is a big fight for her, but I've already had my challenge and passed. People better remember that Tara Reid fight, 'cause you ain't gonna recognize Dushku when I'm done dressin' her up." Eliza calm in retort, "That's your big plan: dress me up? You work on that in the gym, do you? I will say this, you've got brass ones calling ME dumb. I agree - people will remember what I did to Tara Reid, because I'm going to remind them of it with you." Dushku in red leather bikini, Jaime in pale blue bikini top, orange bottoms, short blonde bob.

During R1: Pressly prowling to her left, fending Dushku off with the jab - Eliza coming up short with her stick and getting rejected in the exchanges. Jaime's plan: get right hands on Dushku - blonde's slinging over the top, sweeping to the body, getting Eliza to back up, circle away. Eliza safety-first, taking a look this round, gives away the points.

R2: Eliza stooping to touch Jaime in the belly, then scooting to the left. Pressly still stalking, right hand cocked, left reaching, swatting, stinging. Midway through, girls come together in sudden trade - Dushku scores a right hand to Pressly's torso but as she's leaning out, takes a clocking wide hook on her jaw. Dushku wobbly butt and the follow up right hand swivels her head - ELIZA'S HURT! Champ staggering away, turning her shoulders to slip the incoming as Pressly walks her down. Jaime lathering away with limber-armed strokes, feverish to heap on as Dushku ducks, rolls, blocks at the ropes to escape the round. Pressly with hands held high - shocks the champ this round.

R3,4: Dushku gets it all back with calm, calculating boxing. Pivoting left, Eliza's placing the jab, sticking Pressly in the belly, jolting her in the face - blonde walking in, loading up, forgets her own effective stick. Dushku putting hooks to good use: banging jaw, digging in behind elbow, working the body patiently. Jaime walking through it, but her connect percentage drops off - Eliza's got her taking midring.

R5: Shutout Eliza Dushku. Eliza still turning Jaime, taking away her jab, establishing to the body, then cashing in on the chin with short, decisive punches. Dushku with her hands up, elbows in, precise footwork, supple upperbody moves as she combines defence with offence, always moving her head as she chops leather into Jaime. Pressly trudging through it, still hasn't been hurt, but right side of her face is shining up, and those ribs are starting to glow.

R6: Jaime trying to make the fight. She leans in lanky, lifting the jab off her hip, trying to sling the right hand over the top - Eliza's reading it well, slipping low and pivoting left to get under the haymaker. Dushku's opening up that right side very effectively - plundering Pressly's ribs and jawline with sharp hooks as the blonde is slow to regroup after launching big punches.

R7: Eliza so patient, so methodical. Feet and anticipation basically have her out of harm's way - Pressly's missing a lot of shots, or doubleclutching instead of throwing as Eliza gets into perfect position off that right flank. Dushku working Jaime over with tic-tac...tac punching - left/rights on the waist, bob, and a poke in the mouth - Pressly raring back on her heels, watching her night unravel. Midway through, Eliza tearing it up in the blonde's belly, pivots left, catches a weary Jaime hooking and beats her to the punch. Pressly sinking in slow mo to one knee as Eliza skips away - blonde shaking her head, wondering where it all went wrong tonight as she takes 8.

R8: Jaime catches a second wind - Eliza takes the round off. Dushku going to the ropes, giving Pressly a little razzle dazzle - lots of shoulder feints and torso turns before spinning off into open canvas. Still, Pressly's coming forward, unable to get her right cross onto Eliza's chin, she's changing up, slinging wide rights and lefts to the waist and getting good thump out of the champ.

R9: Eliza takes it all away with a shutout. Dushku so focused, eyes hard as she feints Jaime to make her hesitate, pivots left around the jab, hooks it up to body or head, then pivots again, leaving Pressly dealing with the sting. Jaime just not getting off, turning, watching the champ go to work. Right eye all but closed on the blonde, right elbow creeping down to protect those savaged ribs - Dushku doing it with placement and consistency rather than power for the most part.

R10: Jaime punching with and surprising Eliza early, blonde right hands crashing down over brunette jabs and Dushku's stepping out to regroup. POUNDING right off the skull sends Eliza dreamy to the ropes - Pressly finally landing that gorgeous haymaker she's been sitting on all night. Licking follow up as Pressly gets tall at the ropes, lashing her strokes against Eliza's ribcage while champ bends forward in a coccoon. Dushku hurt, but still thinking in there - she stays low, bobbing out of her crouch to time Pressly's scything blows with short, ugly rips up into the sternum and chin, brunette covering up and staying compact after every touch. JAIME'S LEGS GIVE WAY! Dismayed blonde backs up, eyes hollow and DUSHKU comes forward, jabbing, dipping low, coming up into the body with hooks under Pressly's flailing right hand. Jaime beaten the length of the ring and Dushku's on a romp! All Eliza Dushku to the bell, squaring away, putting her punches together, stepping to the side to bang away off either shoulder as Pressly wilts down the stretch. Eliza still tearing away at the covered up blonde at the finish - ref peels her off to stop the beating. Comes back UD10 Eliza Dushku.

After: Dushku with an emphatic defence, washes away the bad taste many had after the Reid fight with a beautiful handling of a dangerous blonde. Why brawl with Pressly late and take a risk when boxing had been so effective? "Because she NAILED me, that's why," says a grinning Dushku, "she caught me to open the tenth and I didn't want her finishing up big on me. I had to go right at her, back her up and be beating her down at the bell to avoid the controversy. Even though I had been steadily dismantling her all night long, I knew that people would likely remember a big punching 10th and I had to win that round. It wasn't as risky as it looked - I had taken A LOT out of that woman through the fight, I knew she didn't have stopping power left." Fight really solidifies Dushku's hold on the title - she has to be considered a dominant champ with this win.

sim guy

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