Charlize Theron vs. Liz Berkeley 8-31-01

Liz, still best remembered for beating Theron out for the lead in "Showgirls" properly grateful for an opportunity to get on PPV. While relatively gracious with Theron pre-fight, she's not all wine and roses: "Yes, I think I was one of the girls Charlize didn't want to see when she was champion. I'm glad she's stepping up against me now, but I know she was crossing my name off the list of contenders HBO provided her with back then. She knows I hit a TON. I've got as big a right hand as any girl at lightweight and I'm stronger than Charlize. She knew I'd be bringing war to her doorstep and she didn't want any part of it. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't going to punish her a little bit for that." Charlize in white string bikini; Liz with hair up off her neck, gold bikini top, navy bikini bottoms.

Round 1: Berkeley fairly well behaved early as the girls rotate clockwise mid-ring, feeling one another out with probing jabs. Theron backing up and legging away in the final minute rather than trading - Liz takes the round on aggression.

Round 2: Charlize baits the trap with her legs, stepping out and circling away - Liz gets bold at the seeming reluctance of Charlize to mix it up. End of the first minute sees Theron suddenly step back in with a diving right hand on the jaw, bending in and down as Berkeley soaks up the haymaker and goes immediately wobbly butt on impact. Theron tough on follow up, getting after Berkeley's golden torso with licking lefts and rights, backing the big girl up to the ropes and working her over side to side. Unusual heart shown by Liz late as she absorbs a true pasting but doesn't get discouraged - final minute sees Berkeley slug her way off the ropes and back Charlize up in back and forth trade.

Round 3: Girls touch up mid-ring with shoulders and left elbows, each utilizing bump and shoot and this time it's Berkeley's right hand crashing home, lifting Theron's lead foot off the canvas and sending her lock-legged to her right. Liz reverts to form, HELPING HERSELF TO CROTCH with a pair of reaching left hooks as she walks Charlize down - groaning blonde takes a seat at the ropes and a brazen Berkeley bodies up for a beat down. Hurtful holding and hitting, Liz leaning in on Charlize, operating out of the wrap - Berkeley's left arm holding Theron around the upper back as her RIGHT HAND HAMMERS JUGS IN TIGHT.

Round 4: Theron looking a little shaky - Berkeley able to body up and walk her girl to the ropes - Liz applying liberal doses of FOREARM TO CHARLIZE' BRA, lace scrubbing and side to side headbutts - Theron's corner outraged at the repellent behavior launches tirades to no avail. Butts and rubs open a cut over Theron's left eye and she joins Liz in the gutter, digging in and punching her way off the ropes as the girls hunker down to trade. Crowd roaring as Charlize gets flat footed and haymaker-happy: Liz has the classy blonde brawling.

Round 5: Theron enraged at the cut, the low blows and fouls, screams down her corner during a frenzied break and comes out with cold fury in those big blue eyes. Sloppy, clutch-and-punch, stop-and-go type action as Theron brawls and clinches with Liz all around the ring, riding Berkeley hard into the ropes and extracting wild vengeance this round. Liz hanging on to tie up rather than to mount offense - she's looking almost scared this round as Theron fights in near-berserk fashion.

Round 6: Theron storms out to trade mid-ring - girls planted on flat feet, bending side to side and a clanging Theron right is quickly followed by a biting Charlize hook on the jaw and LIZ GOES DOWN! Berkeley battered to her back, gets up groggy and on comes Charlize. Theron bulling in, shoving Liz at a run back into the ropes, then plowing away with lanky lefts and rights - missing wild wrap-around blows, then torquing back to clock Berkeley with the opposite hand. Maelstrom punishment buffets Liz along the ropes to a neutral corner and BERKELEY DOWN AGAIN! Liz busted up starts to trickle from a cut at the hairline as she takes eight on trembling legs. Theron storms the gates again, lashing and licking punches back and forth - Berkeley all covered up can only stumble helplessly along the ropes as fists bounce off her shiny shoulders or skid across the top of her head. Final minute - Theron grows arm weary and LIZ GOES TO WORK! Berkeley's lost her fear - now she's angry! Liz wades into Charlize with stubborn LEFTS AND RIGHTS BANGING THERON'S BRA SIDE TO SIDE as the blonde staggers backward. Charlize hits the ropes STUNNED as Liz pours it on, drifting hard right crosses across the vacant face, palming her left against Theron's shoulder, then digging in a heartless right to the pit of her belly. Neither girl hears the bell over the crowd noise as Berkeley continues to push and pitch - ref. jumps in and both girls are STUPID with punishment this round.

Round 7: Liz takes up where she left off, meeting a dazed Charlize mid-ring, fading back from a tentative Theron left then HURLING in the overhand right to beat Charlize to the punch. Theron's head snaps as she follows through on her pre-empted right, CORKSCREWING LEFT AND SLUMPING HEAVILY ONTO HER BACK! Charlize blinking, badly hurt - somehow beats the count but she's a bludgeoned mess after eight. A busted up Liz wades on in, lavishing Charlize with brutal right hand strokes across the jaw, then back with the sweeping LEFT ACROSS HER PERKY JUGS LEAVES THERON GLASSY-EYED; her fists loose at her chest and stomach, getting clocked back and forth as she lolls heavily into the ropes. Berkeley careful not to overdo it - she bodies up occasionally, pressing Charlize into the ropes before ladling on more hurt - it's a smart, systematic beat down that leaves Theron ragged at the bell.

Round 8: Charlize left eye swells shut on her stool - she blubbers threats at her corner as they ask her to consider quitting - blonde wants more. Back to mid-ring, back into the trenches, long tall girls punching, falling into exhausted clinches, each just trying to be the one to land the last punch in any sequence. It's mindless paintbrush action - girls just applying fresh coats of leather and damn the cost! Again the ref. separates the battered beauties at the bell - both girls reel back from one another, staring open-mouthed in awe at the damage they are doing and sustaining.

Round 9: Crippled fighters stumble to mid-ring like they're walking in mud, legs and arms heavy - they stand and deliver rubber-armed blockbusters from their hips and Charlize starts to get the better of it. Berkeley all used up - she's punching, but clearly disheartened and Theron starts to slap her upside the head, bashing the mouthpiece out of Liz's aching mouth. Berkeley forced in tired retreat to a seat at the ropes - Charlize works out of the wrap, cradling Liz with the left as that right hand plunders up underneath. Berkeley sobbing at the bell - unable to defend herself as the ref. pushes against sweaty chests to create daylight.

Round 10: Agonizing trade mid-ring, girls lifting punches off their thighs, heaving exhausted lefts and rights at one anothers chins, and Liz gives ground as Theron swings away. Berkeley out on her feet when her back hits the ropes - she's staring, laying over on her left side, elbows in and Charlize HEAPS it on! Theron senses the quit in her foe and lashes away without restraint - big swinging lefts and rights rain down and BERKELEY GOES OUT! Liz pitches to her face at the ropes as Charlize is bodied back by the ref. - KO10 Charlize Theron!

Theron with an animal howl as she painfully lifts a tired mitt in victory - Berkeley a spent force lies wet against the canvas as her people check her out. Frustration obviously building up in Charlize as she digs into her own primitive past to come up with one of the crudest, most devastating performances of her career. Beaten beyond recognition, Charlize mumbles in post-fight, "I'm tired of girls thinking they can brawl with me, walk me down - I just decided I was going to beat this bitch at her own game - to hell with it. You want to box - we'll box. You want to fight - I'll lay you out."