Posted by Simguy on 5/10/2002, 6:55 am.

Before: Fight being billed as a pound for pound showdown--Hu with that Floyd Mayweather cool style versus Eliza’s Marco Antonio Barrera efficiency--it’s a purist’s fantasy match-up. Oddsmakers searching for advantages either way find slight tilts one way or the other, but it’s pretty much a pick’em all across the street. Dushku with nothing to lose--she’s moving up, challenging the best available comp--she’s getting all sorts of stroke just for taking the fight. Hu feeling a bit more pressure--doesn’t want to follow up the Hatcher upset with another setback. Kelly in black string bikini, gold bicep circlet, Eliza in red leather bikini.

During R1: Hu out with a furious, ripping hook in the belly, lean away hook on the teeth and DUSHKU’S DOWN! Eliza spilling to her hands and knees, gets up wide eyed and cut in the moth--all busted up as Kelly turns puncher from the get go. Hu flurrying Dushku to the ropes,  then getting after her, Swat-swat-swatting hooks, drilling straight right hands, darting in and out movement has Dushku under dizzying pressure--brunette doing a fantastic job defensively just moving her head, rolling with punches and staying upright. Goes as a shutout Hu, but Eliza’s eyes are clear at the bell as she dodges a bullet.

R2: Eliza with a throwaway right hand, jumps to her right and NAILS Hu a banging hook on the left cheek--Kelly stomps away all shaky as Eliza returns serve. Dushku coming in off that left shoulder, jabbing the mouth, slashing in the straight right hand and trying to jump the hook in on the chin--Hu hit’s the ropes with the right cheek, left across her body, dipsy doodling, parrying and shoulder rolling, stays alive at the ropes as Dushku keeps the strokes short, works to the body, scrubs away for the shutout.

R3: Boith girls very wary at this point--it’s not as tactical or conservative as both had expected coming in. Both are filching, feinting each other, daring in an out. Midway through, Hu’s cat-quick hands prove decisive--she steps out as Eliza steps in, picks  Dushku up a swatting hook on the teeth, wrong footing Eliza and leaving her off balance. Hu immediately capitalizing with a stamping straight right hand on the face and a series of licking hooks upside the head to chase Dushku back to the ropes Kelly putting punches together in slashing arcs, slicing up the Dushku defence--Eliza covering up and letting leather bounce off her sides and guard as Hu shines her up. At the bell, both girls breathing hard, sharing hard hearted glares as the ref stays close.

R4: Dushku working downstairs with her jab, reaching it in, then straightening to hook the chin. Hu closing up her stance opening up the canvas, using the right hand to sweep away Eliza’s left. Midway through Kelly times Eliza’s left, dropping a blinding right hand over the girl’s extended stick--Eliza stepping in fence post holes as she soaks it up. Hu stepping to the right hooks that left eyes, skidding the fist off Dushku’s face and driving her sideways to the ropes. Eliza dazed, truly and badly hurt for the first time--she sits heavily in the strands, covering up as she bends forward and Kelly hu squares away. Vicious, vicious work done by Kelly Hu as slicing combinations tear at the back, breasts and sides of her foe. Dushku’s defence finally shredded--she’s taking 2 and 3 punches on her drowsy face--staring helplessly as Kelly’s fists help themselves. Eliza sliding groggily to her right--Hu stepping with her, working outside one shoulder or the other, mindful  to keep something ion Dushku’s belly just to step up the spiteful head punching. At the bell--Eliza cut over her right eye, legs shot--it’s one of the rare times in her career when she’s had to simply gut-up and reply on her heart on see her through.

R5: Kelly with that flat-eyed glare of confidence--she’s wheeling easy to her left, spiking the backhand jab at Dushku’s swelling eye, making the busted up beauty move her feet. Eliza coming forward, not picking up the stick very well as she gets her face spanked, but midway through--Dushku steps to her to immediately cut off the ring, shoots the straight right hand to the mouth that has Hu backing up off balance and jumps in with a CRASHING left hook to PUT HU DOWN! Kelly scooting to her butt against the ropes, straight right hands setting up heartless hooks--Kelly under siege as the crowd roars to its feet. Final m inute--Dushku fighting off Kelly’s chest, digging to the waist--Hu using that left shoulder nudge to create a little room, gets the counter hook in tight, nudges again, turns into a sneaky swiping right hand counter and DUSHKU’S HURT! Eliza stops punching, lolling forward to clinch--Hu with a hand at Eliza’s hip, spins her girl into the ropes, reversing field. KELLY GOES TO TOWN! Dushku’s mitts are low, eyes vacant--Kelly SLASHING away with lefts and rights! Eliza’s mouthpiece tumbles off her teeth as she sags helplessly into the ropes--she just taking punches, not answering back AND THE REF STEWPS IN! It’s over--TKO5 Kelly Hu!

After: Hu wants it all from Eliza--agonizing walk of shame, punctuated in the corners as Kelly presses a dazed Dushku up against the turnbuckles, Hu resting her left foot on the bottom rope to corral Eliza with a raised thigh and pumping her right fist at the adoring crowd--what a night for Kelly. Hu turns the chess match into a slugfest, gets the better of Dushku in a  very near thing--Kelly nearly stopped herself by Eliza held nothing back. Hu able to claim “People’s Champion” status in the aftermath, puts a lot of pressure on ant crowned head at bantam.

Reposted by Archer 7/6/10.