EXHIBITION Charlize Theron vs. Candice Swanepoel (w/Referee Naomi Campbell) July 2010 by Simgrrl

Tale of the Tape:
Born: CT: (8/75); CS: (10/88)
Height: CT: 5’9"+; CS: 5’10";
Weight: CT: 135; CS: 122
Measuremts: CT: 36B-26-37; CS: 34B-23-34

For her return to South Africa at the World Cup, Charlize wanted to give something back to her homeland. One initiative she undertook was providing seed money to help fund boxing camps for underprivileged girls in the townships. One of the most underdeveloped of all the townships was in the heart of Johannesburg, a place called Alexandra, so that’s where she made the grandest gesture of all, a fund raising exhibition boxing match against another world famous South African icon, Victoria’s Secret fashion model and South African native, Candice Swanepoel.
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The fight was held the weekend of the finals at the World Cup and attracted an eclectic, international, crowd; everyone from local thug wannabe’s to jet-set glamour was in a fifty year old gym, in the downtrodden township; one untouched by the spruce-up as part of the World Cup fresh-facing that upgraded much of the regional infrastructure.
Moisture dripped from ancient cinder block walls and the seats, except for ringside folding chairs, were just benches roughed out of used lumber. The single dressing room - which all fighters shared - was large, damp, and lined with cheap metal lockers. There were wooden benches and a shower room that spilled water all over the floor. The whole place reeked of liniment and sweat and yet, to locals dreaming of getting out and making a name for themselves in the squared circle, it was the most beautiful building in a town with few real buildings at all.

The celebrities arrived with their entourages, including managers, trainers, cut men and doctors - who were kept out of sight in the back before and during the fight so as not to disturb the illusion of this being a couple of ‘common girls’ out for a good time. The only celebrity who made a show of pomp and circumstance was the referee... another icon, supermodel Naomi Campbell, a big favorite in the black townships. Naomi showed up with photographers, manager and two girls passing out autographed photos to her fans!

The few locals who could afford the pricey tickets were jammed onto the bench seats beside swells, bimbos and do-gooders who showed up to buy tickets to support charity. Vuvuzelas blared and breakdancers entertained between rounds and folk singers performed between preliminary bouts. A single camera fed video of the fight to several J-burg hotels who’d set up lavish buffets and bars to accommodate high-rollers who didn’t want to risk associating with the ‘unwashed masses.’ All in all, quite a bit of money was raised for good causes.
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Prefight: Theron’s golden hair done in a battle braid and she’s wearing her trademark cream-colour, thong bikini with tiny triangles barely containing her high, firm, breasts. The bottom has slightly more fabric than the top and the revealing suit shows that the "rigorous training" she’s been described as doing in preparation for a possible return to boxing has paid off. The girls don’t have to weigh in for an exhibition, but Theron’s body looks much the same as it had before she "retired" from boxing six months ago. She looks gorgeous as she steps through the ropes into the ring with her bare feet and her long, tan, sinewy, legs which have obviously spent long hours in a gym preparing for this bout.

Tall, lean and lanky, pretty young blonde Candice Swanepoel hails from Mooi River, Kwa-Zulu, Natal and she’s made a name for herself in Victoria’s Secret catalogues, videos and fashion shows world wide. She was the first South African Victoria’s Secret model, much as Theron was the first South African Oscar winning actress.

Candice is dressed in a traditional South African costume as she comes to the stage to a standing ovation from her countrymen. Once in the ring, the willowy blonde does a slow disrobe, stripping off layers of cloth until she’s down to a bikini even more minimalist than Theron’s. In fact, Swanepoel looks like a thinner, paler version of a (much younger) Theron as her figure reminds older fans of Charlize more than ten years ago when she was in her twenties. Candice’s suit is white and her hair is pulled back in a sporty pony tail. And, unlike Theron, Swanepoel has shoes, low-cut white trainers.

Clearly, Candice wanted to challenge of Charlize to match her bikini-ready body, something Charlize can’t hope to do with a mature, womanly, 34 y/o, 135 pound body! Still, it’s an interesting comparison and actresses and models at ringside make last minute wagers among themselves now that they’ve seen the women side-by-side...it appears most of the money is flowing toward the much younger, hotter, Candice Swanepoel!

The referee - specially selected for this fight - is British born black supermodel Naomi Campbell who is heavily involved in charity work focused on the peoples of Sub-Saharan Africa. Naomi is wearing only slightly more clothing than the fighters: a striped referee’s shirt twist-tied below her perky breasts; her midriff bare; skintight black short-shorts and mid-calf black boots. Her dark hair is hair free and loose, framing a beautiful countenance with a dark, shiny, soft, halo. She calls the girls together; huddles with her arms around their waists and quickly reviews the pre-agree rules for this "exhibition bout" - then she gives both of their firm bottoms a slap as she sends them back to their corner to await the bell.

Theron’s seconds are her longtime ‘close friend’ Cat Bell and the Ukrainian actress Olga Kurylenko. Candice Swanepoel had a plethora of possibilities to choose from for her corner. As soon as the fight was announced, Candice’s camp was inundated with offers of "help" form no less than ten current or former fighters, all of whom were in town for the World Cup and showed up wanting to spar with Candice and show her their ‘Theron-busting’ technique. They ranged from well-known fighters intimately familiar with Theron’s technique like Lucy Liu, Kiana Tom, Gena Lee Nolin, Natasha Henstridge, Jen Lopez, Jen Garner and Ashley Judd; to supermodels like Tyra Banks, Linda Evangelista, Claudia Schiffer and Angie Everhart. Far and away the most vocal and opinionated was former wrestler turned celebrity boxer, Stacy Keibler. Like the rest she not only shared her opinion on how best to "handle" Theron, but held forth at her own press conferences detailing her own personal grievances against the ex-manager she and Charlize shared, Kim, plus she dished the dirt on most of her former stablemates as well, sounding particularly bitter toward Theron’s ‘good friend’, Cat Bell.

"Those two were thick as thieves," Keibler railed to any and all who’d listen, "They poisoned Kim and the other fighters against me. Theron was jealous; she knew I was the better fighter and was afraid I’d usurp her position. Bell was even worse; a washed up hag hanging on through her personal connections rather than talent. They forced me to play second fiddle to Theron in the FCBA. She had the commissioner bamboozled too. I never got the recognition I deserved. It was ‘Charlize this’ and ‘Charlize that.’ The spoiled b###h could never do what they forced me to do, yet she always got the royal treatment."
In the event, despite all the offers of help, Swanepoel chose two British babes she’d known since her early modeling days in Great Britain - Catherine Zeta Jones and Gemma Arterton - to act as her seconds. The rest got prime ringside seats, mostly purchased on the secondary market at outrageous mark-ups, by horny, eager, suitors!

The weather this evening was unseasonably warm, and with so many bodies jammed into a small, ancient, non-airconditoned, building, the temperature rose rapidly. By late in the evening when the main event began, after ten preliminary bouts, all the spectators were perspiring heavily and most had removed as much clothing as modesty allowed. The fighters had no trouble warming up.