by Simguy on 03/19/2005

( Unified Flyweight Title Bout )

Before: Claire a 'towering collossus atop the 110 class' (says so in the HISC press guide) - frustrating and tormenting her rivals, blowing the doors off stablemates - she's finally savouring the summit as one of boxing's most dominant figures. "I really don't care who I fight," shrugs a serene champion in prefight. "It just doesn't matter. I've figured out Kelly Packard; I punch too hard for Mish; I'm too strong for Natalie Portman and as for Gellar? I'm too skilled. Whatever your beef with me at 110, I have the answer - I'm treating Sarah shabby in this fight."

Gellar struggling to craft wins of late, but she's developed an action-packed, slick-slugging style that's getting her more dates than she's ever had - SMG a confident beauty coming in. "Claire's ripe for the picking," says veteran Gellar. "I've seen it all before. Danes has been sharp - not taking anything away from her - but I see the complacency creeping in. I think I'm catching her at the perfect moment - right at the peak of her powers where there's nowhere to go but down!"

Gellar in black cami-strap tank and panties, messy ponytail - Claire in punchin' plaid bikini, bra strap top. Small gloves, both vixens.

During R1: Gellar - crowding in against Claire's high guard, digging in righty underneath it, drifting a little low to draw a shocked gasp of outrage from the champ. Claire: little pivot right, tasty-licking right/left off Sarah's crotch, bumping those little hips back and wrenching a breathy whimper in return. Gellar digging hooks, keeping her head in close to Claire's - every so often straying low to put leather on plaid. Claire: bumping her shoulder, easing to let Gellar fall forward onto tight carving uppercuts, pivoting to block the ref's vision, hooking Sarah's trunks in kind. Vicious tit for tat - tight punching beauties clawing and tucking-in short, tidy swiping. Ref sees the frequent low blows, but as neither vixen complains and both are seeking rough justice - he lets it go. Flushed cheeks; accusing, shiny eyes; heaving chests - fight breaks out in the first.

R2: Gellar: right hand at her jaw, left at her chest - nice n' loose - she'll pivot left, using her shoulder to hinge on Claire, hook the waist and cheek, bob and slip the receipts, pester with jabs and pokey lead rights. Danes getting a bit of her own medicine, staying close to Gellar and trying to clip her tidy, but missing as Sarah slips and slaps for points. Minute after minute, Gellar puts her hands all over Claire - nibbling, swatting, digging. Hot embarrassment glowing on Claire's face at the bell: she's not hurt, but she's shutout - prancing Sarah all grins, strutting back to her corner TOO proud of herself.

R3: Claire extends left hand under Gellar's right arm, edges in with the shoulder, gets good bump, lifts Sarah's chin up the left uppercut as Gellar's finding her feet. Sarah rattled, dukes at temples - Claire drifts her a slashing straight right betwixt the mitts, jerks another left uppercut and SARAH GOES WOBBLY BUTT! Hard grin Claire - she puts a saucy shoeshine on Gellar's tits, buffetting her to ropes. Gellar shaking it off, rotating her torso, comes off the ropes with sweeping hooks, short-pounding right hands - Danes has to respect it. Back to midring - cagey pocket-boxing both vixens: girls right there, bobbing, pivoting, looking for counters nip-and-tuck to the bell.

R4: Gellar not so anxious to close and slug: Claire's chin check last round making challenger tentative. Gellar sweet on D, hands up, elbows in, rubbery at the waist, pivoting left, using her left shoulder to nudge and bump. Claire leaning in close with her head to bat away to flanks straight arm rights and lefts. Tic-toc punching from Danes as she lands shivering blows off the body - Gellar content to pivot and wheel, keep her chin off the menu - forfeiting the round to the aggressor.

R5: Gellar doubling up a chippy jab, easing in close and swiping her hook to Claire's ribs - Danes exhaling through pursed lips as Sarah makes her point. Sarah so compact - bobbing at the waist, making Claire miss, then answering back tic-tac-toe in the midsection and ribs. Every now and again, Sarah going heartlessly, calculatingly to trunks - fitting her hook in there, getting the tell-tale cringe and wince from Danes. Claire won't be bullied - she answers back immediately in kind - just a nice, swatting hook off the trunks. Danes standing up for herself, but it's causing her to fight Gellar's fight: girls are basically shoulder to shoulder, pivoting around each other, tidying up in combination - Sarah's getting the better of it.

R6: Girls getting grabby - pulling an arm, pulling down on the head while sidestepping around, little bit of holding and hitting from both girls for warnings all around. Low blows aren't haymakers, but it's a constant fact of life tonight: girls in close, working at each other, straying into tender regions - totally intentional and finally, ref has to pull both girls aside by slender arms and issue a stern rebuke. Fight meanders into the ropes - Gellar fighting off Claire's chest - Sarah's hustling punches into Claire' tummy and ribs, piling on volume to the bell. Danes flushed, open mouthed: corner tells her "Sarah's pulled ahead babe - pick up the pace."

R7: Claire turns slugger - Gellar uses it against her. Sarah calm, poised in the pocket - laying over on her right side and slipping shots, getting back into Claire with screened right uppercuts breadbasket and chin, slap-hooking the ear and pivoting left. Fatigue making Claire more available - she's getting picked up clean, starting to fan on shots, stumbling forward. Gellar whittling away, getting clean touches, pivoting to the side - down the stretch Sarah goes all in, DRENCHING Claire in a sudden squall of slashing lefts and rights. Claire backing up, turning away, completely overwhelmed and DANES GOES DOWN! Claire bludgeoned to all fours, then trampled to her back as Sarah barrels in with 'uncontrollable' momentum. Achy-wincy Claire stiffly to her feet - Gellar hungry, bouncing in the neutral corner, eyes dancing at the sight of a worn-down Danes.

R8: Gellar pressing the pace, shooting quick one-twos, then raking back the hook and falling into Claire to body her back. Danes face in gloves, bending slowly at the waist, rolling shots - she doesn't look like she wants much more of this. Gellar a little wide, a little exuberant punishing Danes at the ropes: Claire slips a looping right, snaps a tangy hook off Sarah's liver, slides the right foot back, shifting weight to it as she pulls a juicy hook across Gellar's face and SARAH SPUTTERS TO ALL FOURS! Gellar shaking her head, punching the canvas in groggy frustration - that damn Claire! Danes with signs of life in her step - she's finally gotten to Sarah, hurting the challenger in meaningful fashion. Rest of the way all Danes - she crowds Gellar at the ropes, crowding her with the shoulder, lapping dukes at her tummy, picking her up uppercuts to the bell.

R9: Snap's gone from Gellar's shots - she's slapping now, still cute defensively, but initiative and momentum appear to be Claire's. Danes matching Gellar pivot for pivot, tugging an arm, pushing down on the head to destabilize her girl and it must be said: hooking Sarah's trunks without pity. Sarah's downturned lips and harried eyes betraying her - she's fighting hard, working the pocket crafty, but Danes is systematically taking a toll on those ribs, that breadbasket.

R10: Claire and Sarah, Sarah and Claire - tasty two way punching midring - girls swapping shots in a phonebooth. Not a lot of power - girls swiping prettily at each other, very tight strokes, edging in with shoulders to crowd the receipts. Fatigue a factor: both girls are getting hit more now, but neither really moving the other - makes for a crowd-pleasing level of activity. Both getting chin-clipped hooks and rights hands - eyes hazy, mouths open - it's all just numbing hurt at this point. At the bell, girls lean in and churn to one another's pelvises in a mindless display of appalling unsportswomanship: another lecture from the ref as girls stand apart, tears welling up in wincing eyes. Goes to the cards - long delay - comes back a bitterly contested Draw.

After: Sarah sobbing out in shock, convinced she'd hammered Claire - puffy-eyed Danes pumping her fists in exultation: a close-run thing indeed tonight as Claire retains to break Sarah's heart. Danes absolutely heartless, getting belts on her shoulders, holding one in her hands, she confronts Sarah and taunts her to the point of tears - officials have to rush in as Gellar finally lunges at her tormentress. Danes won't leave it alone, shouting at Sarah, baiting her as security keeps girls separated - Gellar stomping bare-foot and angry-butt from the ring: livid, furious, and distraught. Champ can have her pick - winner of Portman/Kreuk; Longoria's fresh and ready; Penelope Cruz exotic and foreign; Naomi Watts deserving and overlooked; Keira Knightley classy and strong; Jessica Simpson with momentum - what do you do when you've cleaned out your top 5 competition?

"You know, with Star Wars coming out, there's a lot of money in that Portman fight, and I know management wants to go that route," says board-room savvy Danes in postfight, swigging on an evian. "Personally, I'd love to snub her just to see the look on her face when we yank the carpet out from under her, but you know: whomever. There's not a girl out there I can't dismantle and that's a fact."