Posted by simguy on 7/21/2006, 12:37 am.

(Thanks to FightFan for this repost)


Before: Hard feelings not specifically between the fighters, but between HISC and their former 'project' Park. Grace a well known source of behind-the-scenes gossip at the corporation, and her tell-all book "Nest of Vipers: My Life at HISSSSC" currently under injunction as HISC lawyers look to muzzle-up the wayward Asian. "Nothing against Eliza, but I want to hurt HISC in the ring, and that means battering Dushku," Grace purrs at the podium. "You know, they were always very, very hesitant to allow me to go full-throttle against Eliza in sparring. You have to remember - Dushku's hold on the bantam division was slipping, her confidence was shot. HISC was very worried that I might ruin her in sparring, so they did what they always do: Eliza was coddled, pure and simple. I'm finally going to go at her with the cuffs off - and all their fears are going to come true." Dushku impassive throughout - she more than anyone in the gym hasn't appreciated Park's gift for gab with the press. "All I'm going to say is that I'm glad this fight finally got made," a curt, serious Eliza says. "Grace is right: the cuffs are off, there's no one holding me back. If she fights half as well as she gossips, I'll probably get knocked out. But no one fights THAT well." Dushku in red leather bikini, curly low ponytail, curls framing her face. Park in yellow bikini top, black nylon jogging trunks over yellow bottoms, low ponytail.

During R1: Eliza aggressively takes midring - stooping to reach the belly-jab in, pivoting crisply left as she bites tight hooks against Park's right ear. Grace a half-step behind the pace early - missing Dushku over top, forced to adjust her feet and stay square. Minute mark - Eliza's been hitting Park pretty cleanly - a hook finally destabilizes Park, setting her blinking on her heels. Dushku jumping in a lead right hand on the mouth, carrying her body in close to Grace to shove her backward, clocking Asian chin as Park backpedals to ropes: stunned look in Park's eyes as Dushku has her girl hurt. Eliza crowding in, butting her head viciously beneath Park's left eye, bunting Grace's head to the right. Then Dushku's just IN there, digging, burrowing - Park open-mouth, wrapping her arms around Eliza's head and shoulders, but unable to tie up: Sherriff keeping her mitts free, blazing away both guns to ribs and tum. Dushku in there so tight, squirming to swipe shots across Grace's staring face: Park stiff and stationary, taking it up against the ropes; Eliza kinetic, energized, twisting and wriggling to put constant punishment on Grace. Bell: Gracie's left eye grotesquely distorted - all moused up from headbutts and right hands; Park cut in the mouth; Park cringing slightly, favouring her right side. Eliza glaring en route to her corner, smouldering after the best round 1 she's fought in a looong time. Ref visits the HISC corner during the break - telling trainer and fighter both to clean up the tactics.

R2: Same again - Park wants to engage and swing away midring - but Dushku beating her to punches via the stooping belly-jab, then pivoting to turn Grace's right flank. Park adjusting her feet, but forgetting to move her head: she's getting rung up courtesy Eliza's tight-biting hook-off-the-pivot - Eliza going back to her roots to take Grace apart. Park backed in stages to the ropes - Eliza following at the crouch, jabbing to stabilize, then getting well inside Gracie's rangy reach to work that body. Dushku butting her head in under Grace's chin, butting Grace's face, butting Grace's upperchest - it's the roughest billygoat action we've ever seen from Dushku - very subtle as it looks like she's just shifting for position inside. Hands tidy, crisp, going to Grace's ribs in ringadingdong combinations. Leaning in, Eliza able to really pound her fists into Park's flat paunch, forcing boozy clinches from Grace as Asian ties wearily up around Dushku's elbows. Bell: Park's left eye swollen shut, nostrils bleeding, lower lip puffing up - she staggers back to her corner like a carjacking victim. Dushku still smouldering, intense: job's not done until Park's on her back. Ref visits corner again: "Eliza, I'm telling you: watch your head, ok? Man, I mean it!"

R3: Grace faltering - aggressive posture gone - she's no longer certain how or even IF she should attack Dushku. Eliza establishing to the body via the jab, slipping receipts, scooting with 90 degree pivots to the left - so crisp, decisive in her movement - this is vintage Dushku. Park forced by a series of flanking maneuvers and hard combinations to back to ropes: Eliza shooting in once again to work off Park's struggling chest. Grace not good against the ropes, on her heels - she's so attack oriented, she just doesn't know what to do under this kind of assault. Dushku very methodical, making sure of her foe's tummy and ribs before moving up-torso - Park's pretty, ponytailed head starting to jump on a loose neck courtesy Eliza's hooks and uppercuts to chin. Down the stretch, poor Park drooping forward, stiff and stunned, hands dangling down towards canvas. Dushku shifts to her left, weight on the left foot - REEFING hooks to Gracie's unprotected flank. Sickening to see one girl paralyzed half-way to the canvas, just drooping out over her feet for the other's vicious body punching - but there it is. Eliza MURDERING Grace to the body - right foot skidding up off the canvas, ponytail dancing, lips set in a tight line as Dushku rips her hardest hooks to hip, rib and liver. DOWN GOES GRACE! Park to all fours, then rolling onto her back, hugging THROBBING ribcage, face twisted in an agonized grimace as she lolls side to side. It's over - poor Grace can't get off her back. KO3 Eliza Dushku.

After: Dushku snarling, stomping out of the neutral corner at the count of '10' and drawing a thumb across her throat (instant fine), stalking around the ring with challenging eyes - it's the most fiery Eliza we've seen in quite some time. Dangerous fight on paper - Dushku makes it look easy, completely dismantling and demoralizing one of the division's strongest independent names. "I hate it when girls speculate how they 'would have' done against me in sparring," says a still-seething Dushku, taped hands on hips in postfight, "or in this case, when the girl alledges that I was actually protected from her by my managers. It's all just crap until we get in there for 10 and fight for a pile of money lying on a table. Want to know why Grace isn't with HISC anymore? Go ask that sorry pile of shite over there (jerks thumb at the Park corner) - she's got all the answers." Ouch.