Before: Stay busy bout for Dushku - it's a bubbly enough challenge from Clarkson, but future hall of famer Eliza not exactly shaking in her boots. "Everyone's got to get their 'Sherrif experience' sooner or later - looks like Kelly's number is up," Dushku shrugs in prefight. "I'll give this kid a beating and send her on her way. As long as she's polite - doesn't give me any Fishel attitude - this doesn't have to be a massacre. I need the rounds, and I'm perfectly happy to carry Kelly to get the work in, but I get any crap from her, and she's going to hurt. Man, I mean it." Clarkson hearing the warning, seeing the gunslinger across the dais - charges recklessly in at the podium anyway: "I'm gonna knock Eliza out!" Kelly blurts happily, quivering at the very thought of it. "I remember her talking the same way before Elisha Cuthbert gave her a beating, and I'm gonna do that too. Eliza's just like me - two arms, two legs: I'm gonna get on top of her and do what I do best. If she thinks all she has to do is be mean and scowl at me to beat me? She doesn't know Kelly Clarkson at all!" Kelly in shoulder length, soft blonde curls; purple bikini top, sporty yellow bottoms; white gloves. Eliza in red leather bikini, black gloves; low ponytail with curly bangs framing face.

During R1: Eliza managing Kelly midring - shoulder-bumping, pivoting, working off the jab. Clarkson hurtling through it, leading with her face - enthusiastic rushes soon see Dushku to ropes - Clarkson swinging away lusty. Hard right hand DOES carom off Eliza's temple - she covers up earmuff, tilting forward off the ropes under a buffetting storm - Kelly able to beat those entitled flanks robust rights and lefts until Dushku clinch brings ref's break. Kelly pushing right back in - ramming her head in ruff between Dushku's mitts: Eliza pinned up against the ropes, given a workmanlike drumming to bell as Kelly jerks and chugs to finish line.

R2: Eliza flat-footed midring - eyes narrowed as she guides Kelly in via the jab; lowers left shoulder to bump Kelly off in her body, then; hooks Kelly's mouth, step-pivoting right to set for Clarkson's next charge. Eliza nice and compact - right under her chin, left at her hip, just managing Kelly with the left shoulder, picking her apart off classy bumps and sidesteps. Clarkson gutty, catching clout, but apparently unfazed - by the final minute, she's got Eliza up against the ropes again, shipping leather. Dushku's round - but Kelly proving a bundle through 2.

R3: Wild free for all - both girls pitching midring - Kelly's right hand detonates upside Eliza's head in clubbing exchange - Dushku staggers forward, rights herself, then STUMBLES TO ALL FOURS! Kelly bleating in triumph - lifting her mitts and hooting down at disoriented Eliza: Sherrif up quickly, pushing against ref who wants to wipe her gloves and give her cautionary 8. Resume - Kelly PANCAKES Eliza to ropes, hurtling in as brunette's trying to organize: Clarkson's hell-bent-for-leather pace proving disruptive to Dushku's veteran sensibility. Hard-scrabble fighting - Eliza's back to ropes, right hand at left cheek, left across her gut as she points her left shoulder out. Kelly head-and-shoulders in, bumping and jostling, hands pushing at Eliza, hugging and cupping at her, then digging at tummy, arms, breasts. Eliza taking the odd nuisance knock off her face - Kelly's focus is torso as she works Dushku over for points in the third.

R4: Kelly takes Eliza to ropes at the hurtle: Dushku 'relaxed' to her fans, 'lethargic' to her critics as she lolls ropeside, being supple, but letting Clarkson get off. No-frills Kelly just fighting off Eliza's chest or shoulder, pushing in with the head, mauling and pawing with her hands, bumping with her shoulder, then digging short, stuffing punches into all things Eliza. Dushku frowning, sullen, but managing it all - she's blocking a lot of shots, squirming to tie up Kelly, manufacturing ref's breaks. We're not seeing leg or any energy out of Dushku - Kelly allowed to simply wade back in after ref separations: she's gnawing on Eliza here.

R5: Eliza starts at the ropes, hunkering down to get the left shoulder into Kelly's chest - muscular, mutual grinding finally sees Dushku giving as good as she's getting. Kelly finally taking backward steps as Eliza fights her way off the apron: immediate pivot-right gives Dushku an angle as she jabs Kelly in her mouth, picks her up a cute outside-in right uppercut. Dushku back to managing traffic midring: accepting Kelly's rushes against the left shoulder, then bumping her off and tidying up. Clarkson SO willing to take punches, sacrificing face and body for the chance to close and work - whenever Eliza can control distance, she's picking Kelly apart.

R6: Not easy for Dushku, but she's able to hold her ground midring, play bump-and-shoot, dishing up a steady clubbing, clouting diet for oncoming Kelly. Clarkson lumping up nicely - easy to hit coming or going - she's simply unable to negotiate with Dushku's jab setting the table. Can't deny Clarkson's heart however: many girls would be discouraged and start to concede some things to Dushku at this point - not Kelly. Clarkson still coming forward in jiggly blonde waves, still swinging recklessly when outside, then shortening up to dig at close range. Dushku breathing hard, looking harrassed even when she's winning the round.

R7: Eliza tackled, stampeded to ropes, bumped a dozen chugging lefts and rights in her stomach before she can issue grumpy clinch. No one punch hurting Dushku, but the constant attrition, combined with her foe's never-say-die enthusiasm having some effect on Eliza's morale. Dushku sulking, sitting in the ropes, not moving her hands - she's in that loose crossed arm, absorbing her foe's constant body work - occasionally catching clout to the head. Clarkson all stamping feet, quivering backside, fists like puppies jumping all over Dushku, head butting, shoulders bumping. Kelly starting to earn ref's warnings and scoldings - she's being very rough with Eliza here - really taking it to her.

R8: Kelly runs across the ring, dives into Eliza, swarms her to ropes, and outhustles Dushku for more points! Eliza sullen, sitting in the ropes - now crossing arms against her body, now showing earmuff - grumpily turning her shoulder to-and-fro, or bending at the waist. Kelly just POURING it to Eliza - happily smashing at the arms and hips when choicer cuts of Eliza aren't available - Dushku's classier, but her work-ethic can't compare to Kelly's tonight. After ref's breaks, Clarkson's eyes all sparkling, chest heaving with effort - she just throws herself back onto Eliza, completely oblivious to the danger of Eliza's counterpunching. Dushku tieing up behind the elbows, or pulling Kelly's head down - Eliza just not doing enough punching to convince judges she's actually controlling the jail break in there.

R9: Kelly laying siege - but Eliza finally makes Clarkson pay for the youthful exuberance. Minute mark - Eliza sneaks a screened right uppercut - squeaky-tight delivery - onto Kelly's chin inside, pairing it with the tidiest of hooks to put Clarkson staggering back on her heels. Eliza wades on, eyes hard: slanting a straight right hand down LOUD to Kelly's breadbasket, folding Clarkson forward even as she's backpedalling. Dushku hopping forward, hooking Kelly viciously behind her right elbow as she's leaning forward - savage batting action beats Kelly off course, sends her sideways to ropes. Kelly's turn to bake at the ropes - she covers up earmuff, teeth gritted: Eliza splits the mitts a jerking right uppercut, picking Kelly's face up pretty. Workmanlike beatdown, Eliza to Kelly - Dushku pushing in with left shoulder/open right palm to bump and reset - then letting her hands swipe and clout at covered up Clarkson. Kelly shows heart - ships her beating like a little trooper: singer very hard to discourage through 9.

R10: Eliza should be pouring it to Kelly - instead it's CLARKSON strong off her stool, muscling Dushku to ropes and mauling her once again. Dushku with that cranky, sullen look as Kelly squirms all over her - Eliza just waiting on Kelly, not punching with her. Clarkson's curvy little legs working SO hard tonight - stamping and driving to keep Eliza pinned - hands pushing and pawing at Dushku to set up the batting lather that's been so effective tonight. Eliza just staying compact, bending at her waist, absorbing punishment, answering back with snappy, crowd-pleasing punches that could easily be winning the round if she would only throw MORE of them. Bell to bell, it's Kelly - simple enthusiasm and desire swamping Eliza's class, and ultimately drowning her. Comes back UD10, 6 rounds to 4, Kelly Freakin' Clarkson!

After: Dushku rumpled, dishevelled, hands on hips, staring at canvas as the unbelievable truth is announced: she's just let Kelly Clarkson outwork her for a dime. Kelly jumping into her trainer's arms - crying and carrying on - HUGE win for Clarkson the biggest of her career by far as she takes a baseball bat to big bad Eliza tonight. "I just train hard, come in strong and fight as hard as I can," Kelly relates to stunned reporters in postfight. "Too many girls in the FCBA think that all they have to do is show up, get weighed, and get paid. Eliza sold me short, and I kicked her heinie! My trainer always tells me: 'fight like you're getting paid by the punch' and I TOTALLY did that tonight. This is so awesome - I can't even tell you!"