Posted by simguy on 5/10/2003, 7:31 am

(Thanks to FightFan for this repost)

Before: "I'll get to her," a confident Dunning predicts in prefight. "People thought Cat Bell was too slick for me, but look what I did to her. Thing with Liz is - you can't get discouraged - you're going to miss some shots, but you gotta keep pitchin'." Hurley equally confident against a difficult opponent. "To me, this is the best fight in boxing right now and I'm delighted to be taking center stage with Debra. She's an exciting, raw fighter who will test my skills, but as the night goes on, you will see a clear, definite difference between us. I truly feel this is my year and it will be a comfort once I have the lightweight belts to know that I've already dealt with Dunning." Dunning has to stay busy, straighten out that right hand against a southpaw - Hurley has to get respect, and not rely too much on her cutes - Liz can be outworked if she doesn't throw. Metallic shades-of-blue faux bra style snakeskin bikini, Liz, white gloves, shoes - red and white check print bikini, bra style top but twist tied between the jugs Debbe, white gloves and shoes.
During R1: Liz aggressive to midring, flicking out open hand southpaw jabs, feinting to keep Debbe bottled up. Liz with the left at her chest, right loose and low, right shoulder pointed at Dunning - Brit showing classy footwork early, sliding back in front of Double D aggression, stepping right, edging in to get off. Midway through, classic Liz - Dunning tired of being lathered, barges in rude - Liz gives ground and counters with a slick, short left uppercut, running Dunning into hurt. D wobbly butt, staggering straight back - Hurley swats cheek the righty hook, sets down on a spearing straight left poke on the chin - Debbe's head driven back and she's toppled to her backside for 8! Hurley with stern follow up, feather-jabbing Debbe ropeside - American with dukes up, expecting a barrage of head shots - Hurley licks righty hooks across toned brunette abs, biting into rib as well to invest in Dunning's trim legs down the stretch.

R2: Liz in control - using her height well to steer Dunning around the ring. Hurley with that open hand jab, backhanding it out there - it's illegal and the ref's barking. Liz with the slick feet, sliding back from Dunning, threatening her with counter right hooks or counter left uppercuts whenever Debbe gets overeager. Debbe on the board late to score her first blows - meaty wide right hands to the body, all single shots.

R3: Liz lures Deb to the ropes, slips half a dozen winging blows with bewildering upperbody movement, then calmly spins out, hand at Debbe's back to put her face first into the strands. Defense sets the table for Hurley's offense - she's cueing off Dunning misses this round, scorching Dunning with that lancing, straight left hand on the tip of the chin, or scraping, biting righty hooks body and cheek. Another shutout Liz - she's lumping Dunning up, outclassing her - Debbe getting endswell around her eyes during the break.

R4: It's true: Debbe doesn't get discouraged. Dunning piles into Liz, tackling her roughly to ropes - tangle of limbs and momentary chaos gives way to raucous Dunning punching. Liz getting her right shoulder into Debbe, bending at the waist, leaning into the ropes to slip shots, but Dunning's finally warmed up and letting her hands go. Punches skid off Liz' shoulders or upperback, but a lot are getting through as well - Dunning simply swarming the defence. Dunning also using a lot of roughhouse, pushing up on Hurley, reaching under Liz' arms to bull her back, expose that long body to harsh treatment. Hurley doing a good job of turning triples into singles - Dunning never landing quite flush, but it's a hard working American shutout nonetheless.

R5: Dunning coming forward, throwing the right, following up the left, doubling it, leaning into another right - free-swinging power punches chase Liz to ropes where she clinches or slips-and-spins to freedom. Hurley giving ground, pestering Deb the jab, feinting, then slinging that heavy left square between the jugs. Dunning walking through it - she's the effective aggressor through 5.

R6: More two way action - Hurley retreating in good order, setting up at the ropes and either feinting, or launching off the strands to run Dunning into the sneaky lead left cross. Debbe purely seek-and-destroy fighting: walking her girl down, leaning in with her head and pulling her fists wide into Hurley's ribs and hips, occasionally swinging over the top to check that chin. It's close, but Liz in control - beating Dunning to punches, maneuvering her around the ring, minimizing the heat Deb can bring.

R7: Liz imposing her will. Midring, she's got that backhand jab to Deb's eyes and she's got distance measured exquisitely - more often than not, Dunning lunges are late and short as Hurley eases away in anticipation. Liz using feints to set up her left hand - she'll twitch to get Deb covering up, then fit the power-poke into the openings, often rocking Dunning onto her heels. Midway through - Liz sliding out, walks Deb into a clouting check-hook on the jaw - Dunning sent staggering to her right. Debbe muscling up to avoid the shutout with churning trade along the ropes in the final minute - but Hurley is landing heavy, hurting Dunning through 7.

R8: Best two way action of the fight. Liz retreating, snacking on Deb with jabs, righty-hooks and jamming straight lefts until her back touches the ropes, then Dunning takes over. D fighting off Liz' chest, keeping her head on the brit, hauling in wide leather to either flank. Liz trying to clinch and smother - Debbe wrestling with and muscling Hurley against the ropes, mauling her whenever she tries to grapple. Good rough Dunning action - using her shoulders, elbows to nudge, rub and bump on the inside, banging Liz to the body. Hurley using the ropes, bouncing off and scoring with vicious right or left counteruppercuts, but Dunning won't back off. Fierce round to Double D as she has to be pulled off by the ref at the break.

R9: Liz slides back, walks Deb into the slinging counter-hook - Debbe shook up, hands down, steps back eyes wide. Liz over to offence, jabbing to chest for real, then just showing the jab, showing the left hand, showing the right hook and NAILING DEBBE THE LONG LEFT! Deb in disarray, undone by multiple feints, arms crossed but the punch squeaks through and DUNNING'S ON HER BACK! Deb up stiffly, takes a shabby 8 - ON COMES LIZ! Hurley walking in left at her chest, right hand low - she bends into a loose left whallop and it's ON at the ropes! Debbe butt in ropes, teeth bared - she's slugging side to side, feet wide apart - Hurley trying to time in left hands straight up the middle as she weaves in and out. Down the stretch, Deb eats the right hook unfazed, slams home her right cross and HURLEY'S HURT! Liz stumbling to her right, left leg up off the canvas as she hops hurt - Debbe piling into her and driving her headlong to the corner. BEAT DOWN DEB DUNNING! Dunning snarling as she tears it up - galloping up the middle, getting after those rival jugs, then slowly getting wide with whalloping lefts and rights. Liz just turtling, not slipping anything - curvy legs hold her up to the bell as Dunning wails away into overtime.

R10: Liz still rocky - she tries to dance to her right, but Dunning lunges, gambling on a stubby right hand and HURLEY'S STUNNED! Liz ragged to the ropes, tilts forward behind her gloves - Dunning squares away! Rugged Debbe D rub-down - sweeping punches across her foe's exposed back, shivering straight-arms hooks off Liz' right side ribs. Hurley slowly getting back into it with clinches - bogging Dunning down, getting referee's breaks. Final minute - Liz off the ropes, snapping that jab between Deb's eyes, keeping distance by wheeling to the right, occasionally snatching at the bikini those biting right hooks. Goes to the cards, comes back UD10: Liz Hurley.

After: Deb non-plussed, lips pursed in silence as her gloves are removed - Hurley beaming, strutting the ring hands held high. Almost another miracle Dunning finish as Liz finishes up on shaky legs, but Hurley the more consistent beauty on the night. "I got going too late," Deb says glumly in postfight. "I just gave away too many minutes. I wore her down good to the body, I mean, by the end, she wasn't moving at all and I was finally rocking her, but...hey, I'll be back - you know that." Hurley completely dismissing Debbe's efforts on the night. "To be honest, Debbe was easy for me - very easy. She's ponderous and crude, and a sharp fighter will always have her for breakfast while she's loading up. I kept her outside to control her, and when we closed, I punished her. She was a broken woman not 5 rounds in - finishing on pride alone I suspect."