Posted by simguy on 4/13/2002, 9:17 am

Before: Pound for Pound showdown as Eliza D takes on former stablemate Britney Spears in what has shaped up to be an entertaining rivalry even before any leather is swapped. Dushku branding Spears a 'blubbering quitter' in prefight conferences, feels she has the antidote to the Spears flu that's been going around, "I'm going to get back to Britney's body," says a confident Eliza, "if you look at the mistakes that have been made against Spears lately, that's the main one - people have gotten away from challenging Britney's heart and getting into it with her reflexes instead. I know she's quick, I know she's cute - but what I want to know is: can she really take it round after round? That's where we're going in this fight." Britney demure as usual in her comments, "Do I deserve to be the underdog in this fight? Yes, I think that's reasonable, but I know what Eliza can do and I think I'm prepared for it. She's talked a lot about my body and my heart, and that's the stuff that I think is uncalled for. Eliza might beat me because she's a great fighter, but she'll never break my spirit or get me to give in to her. If she's counting on that - that's my best chance to turn the tables on her. Just imagine ELIZA asking ME to stop! Wouldn't that be something?" Ornate Vegas style ring attire for both girls - Spears in a single strap off the shoulder top, boy cut bottoms, green with gold embroidery, Eliza in black velvet crop top with form fitting long sleeves and showy cleavage, black velvet boy cut trunks. Harsh stare down from Eliza as she tries to get into the kids head during ring instructions - Britney holding her gaze bravely.

During R1: Spears with a quick first step - she jumps in on Eliza's left shoulder, turns the flank and starts jerking in left uppercuts from the side. Dushku caught off balance, stumbling backwards - she's peppered all the way to the ropes as the girls hit hard, and Spears recovers first. Britney opening up with blazing eyes and slashing fists - she's squared up and POUNDING away as Dushku covers up and takes a bath. Spears steps out, as a smoldering Eliza D comes forward and Britney jumps in a shocking lead right on the mouth, walking Eliza into the sucker punch. Britney shifting to her right foot claps the hook across Dushku's face and the blonde has the brunette turning, covering up awkwardly as loose limbed rights and lefts swat and cuff away. Britney gets leggy in the second half, using the entire ring, forcing Dushku to chase - Spears doing a nice job of picking Dushku up with the counter hook as Eliza comes forward unproductively. Shutout Britney Spears - Dushku blushing, storming back to her corner for the break.

R2: Eliza gets the jab into Britney's chest - no more jumping in for free for the blonde. Once the jab's making contact, Dushku's hook starts to land - E making that tight pivot to the left as Britney starts to take hits. End of the first minute girls trade grazing rights, then crisp left hooks and SPEARS GOES DOWN! Shattering exchange sends Britney scooting to her butt - Dushku all business as she walks to the neutral corner while Spears takes 8. All Eliza D from there, and she gets it done to the body the rest of the way. Spears flat footed, back to the ropes - Dushku able to get her left shoulder into Britney's chest, positioning the blonde, then bouncing both fists off Spears golden belly to the bell.

R3: Eliza tracking Britney down, Spears with her hands low, trying to bounce and dance away, but Dushku's cutting off the ring. Not a lot of contact until the midway point - Eliza sweeping wide right hands to the waist in an attempt to corral the blonde - Spears stops her counterclockwise wheel, dives in with a short right hand on the jaw and DUSHKU IS HURT! Britney gets her back into a popping shot, Dushku's own momentum adding to the blow and Eliza spends a boozy minute with her gloves at her face, stepping forward in a trance as Spears steps back and RIPS at Dushku's solid midriff with vindictive leather. Down the stretch, Eliza's semi-recovered, but Spears has done some terrific work downstairs - Eliza looking a little sluggish as Spears legs it outside, lifting a whippy jab off her hip for points this round.

R4: Dushku pressing her body attack - Britney making the brunette pay for the priviledge. Spears keeping her back off the ropes, changing directions and not too proud to clinch whenever Dushku hems off the ring. Spears could be jabbing more, but she's having luck picking Eliza up with lead rights off the thigh, leaning away to cuff the counter hook - Dushku getting swatted and touched as she aims right hands to Spears chest, left hooks to the rightside ribs.

R5: Britney with her hands low, flat footed, giving Eliza supple upper body moves – Eliza shortening up her strokes, just trying to make contact with straight right hands, chopping left hooks. Britney gets the timing down, starts punching with Dushku - Spears slips the right and drags her own right into Eliza's face, slips the left while pulling the left into Dushku's jaw and ELIZA GOES WOBBLY BUTT! Banging punches to the face have Eliza reeling out over her feet - Spears with her hands down gives a saucy little shoulder shuck in the chest, then pulls that liquid left uppercut into Dushku's chin! Dushku ROCKED, slumps forward in a dizzy clinch – Spears pivoting sweetly to the right, and twitching that tight right uppercut in from the thigh, producing a corona of sweat as Dushku's head swivels. Britney having her way as Dushku stumbles forward - Spears all loose limbed, walking Dushku into gutting right hands on the belly or smooth inside-out uppercuts from outside brunette's left shoulder. Down the stretch, Brittany gets greedy, extending her left to Eliza's chest and trying for the go-home right cross - Dushku slips it, thumps a counter left to the exposed ribs, then comes over the top a left hook on the chops and SPEARS IS HURT! Britney extending her palms to Eliza's shoulders - Dushku baring her teeth and pounding away over the girl's outstretched arms to beat Spears to the ropes. Dushku revving up the finish as the ref pulls her off at the bell! Both girls trembling from the other's power - each made to realize on an emotional level that she could finish up on her back in this fight.

R6: Shutout Eliza Dushku. Eliza finally turning that right flank consistently, getting her jab and hook working together to force Britney ropeside. This is the fight Dushku wanted: Spears spending long moments standing at the ropes, hunched over shoulder to shoulder with Dushku, soaking it up to the waist and belly as Eliza moves her hands and works. Britney trying to sidestep her way out - but Eliza wrapping her with a strong, velvetted left arm, keeping that hand in under Brit's right arm when it's not bashing away at Britney's ribs, controlling Spears' hips.

R7: Shutout Eliza Dushku - brunette imposing her will, shaping the fight in these long minutes of dominance at the ropes. Spears getting punished, but grimly digging in - no sign of quitting just yet even with Dushku having her way. Eliza bullying now - she'll run her arm around Britney's throat to prevent escape, bending the blonde into the ropes. Dushku laying her head on either Spears shoulder, reaching under either blonde arm to bludgeon away with the free hand. She's just ON Britney all the time, mopping the blonde up, beating her about the tummy and waist, curling the odd punch around to spank the shiny muscle of the lower back. After 7 Britney's looking shopworn, eyes are starting to cloud up - Dushku's asking the hard questions now.

R8: Britney's legs are heavy - Eliza able to push Britney to the ropes with a nudging shove in the shoulders - Dushku stepping in with a vicious, unexpected hook on the jaw, doubling it to the liver and SPEARS GOES DOWN! Britney shouting in pain as she drops to all fours, right elbow in tight to her side - she's hurt. Eliza all smiles as she struts away - Spears gutty to her feet for a quaking 8, then she sags into the ropes with a distant look in her eyes. Dushku piles on for another bruising shutout, getting her body on Britney, propping and jostling her, opening up with loose rights and lefts on the belly, standing up into the body blows as Spears groans forward. Britney bent over her legs and Dushku helps herself to the lower back. Down the stretch, Eliza hugs up under Britney's arms and waddles her into the turnbuckles, pressing her in tight to the bell and refusing to let her go. Spears writhing in outrage - ref pulling on Eliza's shoulder - Dushku just smiling, head in close to Britney's cheek as she holds the youngster under.

R9: Shutout Eliza Dushku. Eliza taking what she wants at this point. She'll loosen up at times, swinging free and easy to the belly, then bodying up to reset. She'll tighten up at others, crouching in close on Britney, snapping that hook in behind the elbow, then pressing up with her shoulder. She'll step to the side and pick Britney's overhanging face up the right uppercut. And she's pancaking those breasts, bodying Britney back and hacking away in an effort to bring out the quit. Spears not punching back, but she's still trying to tie up, slowing the hurt if not preventing it. Britney achy in her corner but defiant.

R10: Britney sets up at the ropes, right hand at her left cheek, left across her body - Eliza squares away to finish and one of the best two way action rounds of the fight erupts as Spears refusing to give in. Britney timing her counters, trying to fit in little right hands, dip to the right to smuggle in the hook. Eliza fielding hard shots on her chin for the first time in a long while, stands her ground, but she's having trouble landing cleanly against Spears supple shoulder rolling. Toe to toe, brisk trading at power punching range and Spears bangs out a respectable 10, albeit in a losing cause. Comes back UD10 by wide margin, Eliza Dushku.

After: Britney takes a surprising lead into the 5th, but Dushku's mid round surge is the turning point. Spears suffering to the body as promised, can't get her back off the ropes - but wildly different interpretations of the fight from both women afterward. "No question she gave it up to me," boasts Eliza, "She punked. What would you call 4 consecutive shutout rounds - me just beating her down at the ropes? She stopped fighting. She quit. Like I promised." Spears badly beaten but unbowed, vehemently denies the charge, "I was hurt, but I came off the canvas twice and was backing her up in the tenth - I don't call that 'quitting'. Look, I give her credit for doing what she said she was going to do, but she can't say she took my heart in this fight. If anything, I know I can compete with Eliza Dushku now - I didn't know that before this evening."

Thanks to Apollo for this repost.

Archer 10/19/09.