(Words: O & E / Results: Lookout!)

Before: “I’ve been hearing the ‘has-been’ stuff for five years now,” a relaxed Eliza notes in pre-fight. “ You know, a year before I took my last title? Sorry folks, I’m not going anywhere. Dani Fishel and I are not ending our careers tied for the most bantam titles. We’re both in here until one of us pulls ahead! In the meantime, it'll be a great learning experience for her though...I guarantee it!"

Hayley playing up the legend killer angle, looks awesome in training camp with her ‘lil big girl moves and ‘tude. “I’m not the one saying I’m the next big thing, ya’ll are all saying it for me!”

Black one piece cut to the navel for Dushku, black gloves, hair in battle pony. Hayley in purple bandeau, white gloves, hair loose and over the shoulder.

R1: Hayley CRUNCHING her way into Eliza’s ribcage—Dushku caught flat-footed, reaching in to tie up head and arm, walk her girl for breaks as Sherrif’s face frowns in pain. Fight evolves into toe to toe action, with Eliza using cute shoulder rolls, angles, stepping around Hayley, rookie trying to keep her forehead on Dushku’s chest and work the midsection with both hands. Orrantia busier, landing more—Eliza more selective, landing cleaner with flush counter right uppercuts and slapping hooks as she shortens up her strokes, but unable to overcome youthful exuberance and volume punching.

R2: Eliza dancing in spots, turning her girl, but eventually this thing gets shoulder to shoulder, pitting Dushku’s guile against Orrantia’s will. Eliza thinking in there, using that left shoulder to steer Hayley, nudge her around, then sudden right uppercuts on the chin. Left hooks on the ear thump off Orrantia’s skull. Hayley playing the long game, continuing her attack on Dushku’s breadbasket, but it’s Eliza’s round

R3: Hayley forces her kind of fight, we’re back in the trenches. Eliza pushing, not punching: using her left shoulder, right palm in concert to shove the bulldog back, but Hayley keeps pressing on in there, getting mouth-on-shoulder and working hard, really scrubbing up the midsection as Dushku gives ground. Eliza fading to the ropes, setting up her counters—she’s hunched over, using that left shoulder and strong legs to stand her ground, but this is Orrantia’s fight—Hayley smiling, turning sharp at the bell and stepping purposefully to her corner: she’s looking great out there and knows it.

R4: Eliza in control, but Hayley getting her kind of fight—story of the whole night and it catches up with Dushku at last. Eliza shouldered up, stepping around, chopping and swatting—Hayley working hard, riding her guard on Dushku before punching. Orrantia with a tapping right uppercut on the mouth, just touching Eliza, sets up a swatting left on the ear then another hook in the body—Dushku cringes away from hurt! Hayley just STUFFING that left hand in behind the elbow, grins as she sees the pain, walks Eliza down to the ropes. One of the longest rounds of Dushku’s storied career shows her warrior’s heart as Orrantia squares away on stocky legs as she PILES on. Hayley leads with her head and guard, pressing Eliza into the strands, then digging away to the belly, coming upstairs with pay-off hooks as Dushku sits and takes in stupor. Orrantia showing some technique as well: she’ll shift to fight off Eliza’s left shoulder, fitting that hook inside Dushku’s protective right mitt upstairs, then gouging at the breasts, then propping up with left elbow to reset. Bludgeoning round finally comes to an end –Eliza busted up, staggery—Hayley all smiles, hands high in premature victory.

R5: Hayley closes, forces Eliza to give battle at point blank range--compact, powerful strokes, all body and shoulder behind the blows. Orrantia turns into a tight right hand early, bouncing it off Dushku’s skull, then hooks repeatedly to paunch. Eliza pivoting to the left just to change the angle, but she’s stuck in the wrong kind of fight, laying in with Hayley, trading furiously, rookie deliberately ignoring the head to make her point downstairs. Slowly, but surely, Orrantia’s thrusting, pumping, non-stop punching to lungs and tummy takes its toll, Dushku starting to gasp, reaching to clinch and exposing her trembling torso in the process.

After the ref’s break, Eliza launches an overhand right, catching Hayley on the jaw and rendering her numb and staring, easing inside to work the midriff—carrying the right hand flat to paunch, tearing and raking with her hook up and down the flank. Robust body work drives Orrantia to the ropes face pinched in pain, mouth open, she can’t breathe and takes a groggy knee. Eliza backing off SMOLDERING from her own efforts, eyes blazing triumphantly at the sight of Hayley struggling to her feet. Dushku’s got another minute, spends it plowing gut on Orrantia, starting to hurt her badly. Hayley shouting out in pain, draping one or other arm around Eliza in the threat of a clinch, but she can’t slow brunette down. Dushku hup-hup-hupping double time to the bell--she leaves Orrantia in rags, storms back to her own corner all business.

R6: Hayley pitches forward as Eliza lands the right hand to tummy, staggering, hugging battered guts as the Sherrif sidesteps. Orrantia earmuffing up, on the ropes Dushku scrapes the left uppercut off the guard, then doubles the left down to liver, biting in the hook. With a sad groan of agony, Hayley makes a long slow cringe down to her right knee as fresh tears well up. Eliza sauntering away, standing hands on hips in neutral corner as once again, Orrantia fights off slumber. Ref waves Dushku across after 8--pitiless eyes, heartless fists as the Sherrif squares away & helps herself.
Breasts: Hayley’s jugs are bombarded, Eliza trimming her shots, shrugging away rights and lefts from in close--no backswing.
Tummy: Orrantia gurgling forward as Dushku digs in left/right/left, grunting, licking her lips as she lets the left hand linger on tummy., feeling the rookie’s weight curling forward.
No one punch does it, Hayley finally beaten first to hands and knees, then awkwardly to her knees and face as her arms give way. She rolls to her back, head tossing side to sided, hands up above her head. Eliza stone-faced, walks straight to the neutral corner, staring down Claire Danes at ringside as 10 count passes by, KO6 Eliza Dushku.


After: Eliza waits for the ref to drop her hand, walks over to the side where Claire is, holds up 9 fingers, then 7, then turns away. Win #97 didn’t come easy, but Dushku soaked up the beating, waited for her opportunity and took it.