by simguy 19-Nov-00  (MAXIM LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE)

Theron trying out another tough brunette newcomer - a fight some insiders claim is more dangerous than Bell due to the unknown factor. Most pre-fight speculation revolves around Larue's narrow loss to Fernandez - a fight in which experience played a pivotal role. Although Theron has experience, she basically employs seek and destroy tactics which are pretty straightforward. Then again, Theron is younger than Fernandez, and Larue for that matter - some feel that Eva's been well matched and hasn't seen the comp she'll need to face a champ like Charlize. Eva in red bikini, gold belly chain, Charlize in pale blue push up bikini top, white bikini bottoms.

Round 1: Circumspect opening for Larue - bouncing outside and cycling around the perimeter - Charlize with her dukes up, stepping in, stabbing the ramrod jab to the center of Eva's chest as she dictates most of the action. Final minute: Eva bouncing to her right, times the jab perfectly with a chopping Ali overhand right hand - Theron's knees dip and she locks up in a swoon. Blistering flurry drives Charlize into the ropes in a stupor - Eva's fists slashing up the defense, buffeting Theron's head back and forth at the bell as the crowd roars. Eva steals a Theron round with those quick hands - Charlize cut inside the mouth.

Round 2: Shutout Theron. Shaking off the punishment, Charlize continues to walk her opponent down, driving in hard to the chest with the jab, and working from there to snap off hard hooks to the ribs and ear as Larue looks distinctly uncomfortable. Eva trying to finesse Charlize, but Theron not cooperating - blonde walking her brunette down, putting leather on meat - Eva not getting the champ's respect, not keeping enough on the blonde to discourage her.

Round 3: Charlize all dialed in, spends a minute pounding jabs between the breasts until Larue cringes away, then it's ON. Charlize battering Eva to the ropes, has a sensational middle minute - squaring up, lashing wide lefts and rights to the body, then dropping right hands down across the face as Eva struggles to slip punches. Crowd roaring as Larue fields some HUGE punches this round - Eva smeared along the ropes, Theron stepping with her intent on total destruction. Down the stretch, withering exchange of lefts and rights brings the crowd to it's feet and CHARLIZE IS HURT! Eva beating blonde to the punch in murderous back and forth fire, gets in a swatting triple left hook upside the head to turn Theron sideways into the ropes - ref jumps in at the bell to keep Eva from piling on.

Round 4: Shutout Charlize. Theron's recuperating very, very well during the breaks, whereas Eva's looking a little shopworn, on her heels, waiting for spots. Charlize marching on Eva, stumping the jab between the breasts, then lashing the combinations. Larue drifting around the ring, covering up and taking more as Charlize grimly digs in. Nice jangley rhythm from the champ as she puts her chin on the top of Eva's head, reaches down the brunette's body to jam the hook in behind the elbow, curls the left back up into the chest, then swats the right across Eva's sleepy face in tight. Larue finishing up with butt on ropes, looking puffy, a little broken down - she gets an earful in her corner during the break.

Round 5: Eva chops three successive counter right hands to put wobble in Charlize trunks and take the blonde's jab out of the round. Larue circling, changing direction, starts to drop bombs and step around as Theron goes into a hurting stupor. Theron slugging back on occasion, but Eva's changed up tempo nicely, has the blonde following her around and walking into punches.

Round 6: Shutout Eva Larue - Charlize wants to establish the jab, but Larue won't let her, punishing the blonde every time she takes the left hand away from her eyebrow with spiking STRAIGHT RIGHT COUNTERS TO THERON'S LEFT BRA CUP. Larue's legs dictating when and where fighting takes place - steering Charlize around the ring, going to the body from outside with slinging lefts and rights and getting away with it. Larue with a feisty slap to the champ's rear at the bell - Theron all shiny and abused offers no complaint as Larue flashes a big grin.

Round 7: Shutout Eva Larue - Eva really putting it to the big blonde now, legs effortlessly opening up the floor, stepping in and out, then pivoting around Theron - Charlize with her mitts at her eyebrows can only turn and take as Eva rips to her jaw and body. Beautiful sequence for Eva sees her step right in a crouch, drill the straight right hand between the mitts, step right, drill right, then dip in and around to hold Charlize around the waist from behind as the blonde looks completely bewildered. Larue partying right now as Theron can't pull the trigger.

Round 8: Charlize showing her own class, cuts off the ring and trades right hands to drive Eva back in early action - Larue crossed up and forced to fight flat footed with her back to the ropes. Tense series of engagements at the ropes - Charlize trying to bully and batter - Larue slipping, using the bounce off the ropes to land chopping counter shots starts to take Theron apart. Charlize stubborn, won't back off - she's taking Eva's shots easily, but she's getting touched up and missing badly as the brunette weaves her web. At the bell - Eva chests up on the blonde to shove her back - ref gets in there quick.

Round 9: Shattering series of exchanges sees both girls stand, plant and throw, punching one anothers faces back with brutal give and take. Larue not utilizing cleverness or mobility - Theron's heavy hands and indomitable chin start to wear as the brunette gives ground. Blistering round ends at the ropes - Eva folding forward in trouble as Charlize welts her sides with straight arm lefts and rights - Charlize nodding in satisfaction at the bell.

Round 10: Larue hollow eyed - both girls are puffy and sore about the face, but Charlize looks more alert, more eager for the fray. Girls trade dangerously to open, both leaning side to side to pull haymakers into the opponent - Charlize misses a sweeping right, comes back with a slinging Kirk Johnson left hook and catches Larue sweet on the chin - Eva's left hand sails harmlessly as she staggers backwards, legs numb. Charlize bulling in with her forearms propping the brunette back into the ropes - it's a long, savage beat down as the blonde puts her stamp on this fight. Eva swooning, right at her cheek, but instead of slipping she's just posing, taking withering punches to her ribs or jaw, reacting too late, or clinching lazily around the hips as Theron pushes her off. Bell sounds as Theron twists into a stunning left/right/left around the guard, clapping jaw to leave Eva glassy eyed and trembling as the ref rushes in. Comes back a draw, Charlize retaining her title by closing the show like a champ.

Larue with a gallant effort, hurt Charlize, but couldn't keep her hurt and Theron sweeping the championship rounds turns back her pretty challenger. "She's quick, elusive," Theron assesses, "but she can't punch a lick. I think she'd be too much for a plodding fighter like Bell, but she really doesn't have anything that can hurt me. As far as I'm concerned, I knocked Eva Larue out tonight - the ref should have stopped it." Eva with slightly different perceptions of the fight: "She's slower than I thought, and I thought I really outclassed her in this fight, but obviously she got a sentimental nod from the judges. I was calling my shots in there, really busting her up, but I'll give her credit for not quitting. I don't know if she could handle the daytime grind - I know a lot of girls, even some extras, fighting in soaps that would eat Charlize up."