Claire Danes vs. Demi Lovato
(Words: Front Street / Results: Lookout!)




BEFORE: 

This one writes itself, with up-and-comer Lovato stepping up to all-timer Danes in yet another battle in the long war between Lookout! and HISC, and, both fighters clearly plan to represent their stables well.

"There's no question," says Demi, "that Claire is still as good as it gets in this division. No question. But. I'm every bit as good as she is, and I plan to prove that tonight."

"The day that Demi Lovato," says Claire with a shake of the head,"is my equal is the day I know it's time for me to retire. And, today is NOT that day."

ROUND ONE:

Lovato may believe she's every bit as good as Danes, but she does NOT believe she can stand and BOX with Danes, and that's because almost no one can. Instead, Demi wants to work forward and bring her power to bear, and, despite Claire's educated jab, she's able to get that done early, and to make it pay. Less than a minute and a half into the fight, BOOM! A short left hook from Lovato and Claire is HURT! Danes wobbled, in desperate troubled, as the brunette lets the hands go, looking to finish this thing in shocking fashion. Danes forced back to the ropes and giving a thorough beating. Claire just hanging on at the end, tying up when she can, doing just enough to keep the referee at bay. Final seconds see Lovato land a vicious right hand that staggers Claire again, but, before the referee can step in, the bell rings. Demi wide in the first and up 10-9.

ROUND TWO:

Lovato right after Claire off the bell. She's coming forward behind the left, sitting down on punches, backing up Danes and...GETTING ROCKED BY A RIGHT HAND! A beautiful right-hand counter from the Hall of Famer and Demi is GOBSMACKED! Lovato staggers backward and, just as she manages to get her legs under her, is sent reeling into the ropes by a flurry of accurate fire from the older woman. Danes now all in, looking to finish the girl who was looking to finish her just a couple of minutes ago. Lovato pinned to the cables, taking heavy fire, but aided by the fact that Claire's legs aren't all the way back. That's cutting down on Danes' power and looks to be keeping Demi alive, because Danes is landing plenty and the referee is, once again, near to stopping it. But, the brunette makes it to the bell, and, after Danes takes one wide, we're even at 19.

ROUND THREE:

Danes back to work. She's setting up at range and getting her box on. Lovato, with the legs firming up some, but not all the way back, isn't in a position to come forward. Instead, she's out on the end of Claire's punches and unable to move well enough to get off square. That is far, far from a winning combination against an expert boxer like Claire. The result is that Danes takes control with the jab, moves Demi around with it, preempts her with it, uses it to set up right hands and solid flurries. Demi responds by going onto the defensive, keeping the gloves high, looking to counter in spots, give her sturdy legs the time they need. As the round goes on, Lovato shakes off most of the damage and is able to begin coming forward a bit, forcing Claire to circle instead of just squaring and letting the hands go. But, it's too little, too late. Danes claims the points and leads 29-28 after three.

ROUND FOUR:

Claire again setting up at range behind the jab. Demi working past, using her own left hand to create the space for the advance. Danes turning, working to keep the distance she wants, but not having much success doing it. Lovato getting inside, working the body and then DROPPING CLAIRE WITH A RIGHT HOOK! A beautiful short right sends Claire crashing to her back! Lovato raising her hands in victory before going to a neutral corner. Claire staring, stunned at the referee as the count mounts. But, at seven, the Hall of Famer rolls to her belly, pushes to hands and knees and gets to her feet, just beating the count. Referee gives her the mandatory, then waives Demi forward. Lovato trains the big guns on Claire and hammers her back to the ropes, then follows on with "Thorough Beating II: Electric Boogaloo". Once again, though, Danes is able to hang on to the bell. The 10-8 round, however, puts Demi back in the lead, 38-37.

ROUND FIVE:

Lovato train rolling. She's got Claire wobbly and on her back foot and she's determined to keep her that way. Demi pouring forward behind the left and pouring accurate fire on Danes. Hall of Famer retreating, keeping the guard up, fighting in counter, playing for time and space, and the latter is in short supply. Lovato's right in Claire's grill, and there she stays for the entire three minutes, hammering away at both head and body, eventually working Danes to the ropes and thumping her with both hands. Claire taking tons of fire, but staying afloat as Lovato empties the magazines looking to finish. In the final thirty seconds, she ups the pressure even more, winging everything she has at Claire. But, it's all for naught. Once again, Claire survives the round, and, when the bell rings, Demi's claimed it wide and extended the lead to 48-46. But Danes is still standing.

ROUND SIX:

Lovato keeps pressing an unsteady-looking Claire. Danes trying a fighting retreat, giving the ground her balky legs can't hold, but trying to exact a price for same. For about a minute, this is how it goes. Lovato forward, Claire backward, with Demi getting the better of things. Then. BOOM! Danes does it AGAIN! She keyholes a right-hand counter, getting the feet planted and the punch on target with perfect timing and Lovato is HURT! Demi is caught stepping in and stopped cold. She stumbles to her right and nearly goes down. And Danes then pours on the shell, determined to sink the SS Lovato. Brunette battered backward and to her right, eventually ending up pinned in a corner, where she takes an absolute hammering at the hands of the vengeful Hall of Famer. But, Demi's nothing if not sturdy, and she's able to take a minute and a half of top shelf shell from the former champion and remain on her feet to the bell. It's Claire wide in the sixth, and Demi's lead is now 57-56 with four to go.

ROUND SEVEN:

Claire puts on a clinic. Demi's wobbly, and that makes her a much easier target. Like Claire Danes needs help with accuracy. The result is a minute and a half of absolute abuse from redhead to brunette. Demi takes leather to the head, face, and body. Every legal inch of Lovato is punished, as Claire sets up hard rights with beautiful lefts and generally makes the younger woman's life and absolute misery. As the second half of the round begins, it gets worse. Claire goes RACK and punishes Demi there, landing a brutal right hook to the left jug that causes Lovato to involuntarily drop her guard. Danes responds with a short left hook and a BOOMING straight right and DOWN GOES LOVATO! Demi blown to her back, left bereft, staring up as Claire deliberately steps over her on her way to a neutral corner. Referee begins counting down at the stunned brunette. And, Demi can only drape an arm across her eyes to block out the sight of the count getting higher and higher. Lovato can't get off the canvas and it's OVER! And your winner by KO7 is Claire Danes!

AFTER:

An amazing showing from a true legend in the division in Claire Danes, who turns back the clock and a promising young bantam in the process with a brutal beating to both body and rack - both of which Lovato is cradling right now and fighting back tears. Claire is going to make the battle to keep those tears back that much harder as she goes to drag Demi off of the canvas roughly, tossing off her gloves and burying her fingers into Demi’s damp brunette tresses to toss her into a nearby turnbuckle. 

Lovato’s legs are threatening to buckle underneath her as she staggers into the turnbuckle, blinking with hurt as she shivers in agony and watches a confident, almost predatory Danes strutting towards her. Demi tries to cover her bruised breasts and tummy, but Claire roughly shove her forearms apart with a grin as she admires her handiwork. Demi almost stumbling forward, trying to push her way past Claire towards freedom, but she is no shape to do that as Claire just yanks at her hair to pull her back into the corner with a thud. Lovato bleating in pain, just groaning out as she slumps back against the corner with a groan, earning a loud snicker from Danes in the process. 

Then, in no surprise to long-time fans of HISC, of which there are many, Danes mounts the turnbuckle and her foe at the same time as she lowers her tummy, taut and dripping with sweat towards the face of Demi. Demi moans out, trying to turn her face to and fro, trying to keep herself from suffering the same fate that so many other fighters have suffered in taking on a warrior like Claire in battle. Claire smirks as she grips Demi’s hair with one hand and one of her forearms with the other, warding off her ineffectual shoves at hip and abs to just brings her tummy down low. 

Gliding the sweaty torso back and forth, Danes licks her lips confidently as she listens to Demi’s moans muffled underneath her. Just holding onto her wrist, yanking it back and forth with one hand to demonstrate her control and tugging at her hair sharply at regular intervals to keep her face full of tummy. Tummy and hips just bearing down on Demi as Lovato starts to shake, crying out into hated abs and vowing revenge - that is if she ever gets free. But, Claire has no plans on letting that happen anytime soon.

“Demi, you just might be a star someday. But, not today and not on my watch. Especially, not as long as you remain with Lookout! Didn’t you get the memo? We own your stable and sure, you’ve had your share of successes. But, after what Nessa just did to Michelle, we’re hungry for payback. You’re going to suffer, worse than you can imagine. Not just you, but your entire stable. So, when you look back on tonight, you share with the rest of your girls that they are going to end up just like you - a faceful of tummy for sniveling little losers, understand?” Claire savagely pulls Demi’s head up and down, forcing her to nod in agreement into her tummy as she keeps slapping her abs into her foe’s slick, tear-stained face. Over and over as refs stand by with concern, but don’t step in as Claire works to shatter Demi’s spirit and nobody seems able to stop her as Claire is eager to teach rival Lookout! a lesson. A lesson that neither stable will soon forget….