(Orginally post by Simguy 7/5/2002, 6:56 am).

Before: Eliza in rare form, calling Dani a ‘poor man’s Mish’ just to drive a wedge, hamming it up with the press corps—she’s every inch the favourite with only 1 of some 38 scribes picking Dani to win. Fishel taking it all in stride, “Even though I punished Eliza in our last bout, I know people think it was a fluke. We all know Dushku’s the most balanced talent in the game, but it’s not like I’ve never seen a closed stance or a hook off a jab before. I’m in shape, I’m ready to go—let’s see what happens.” Dushku in red leather bikini, Dani in teals sports bra, gret boy cut stretch cotton bottoms.

During R1: Shutout Eliza. Dushku giving ground in good order, chopping in her jab, fading back, picking Dani up the check hook, turning at the ropes to open up the canvas. Fishel bobbing, crossing her arms, doing a job job of moving her head for the most part, just trying to pressure Dushku. Fishel calm at the bell—almost conceding the first as Eliza’s legs are too fresh.

R2: Eliza sticking and moving, light on her feet. Rotating clockwise as Fishel continues to pursue. Midway through, Dushku with a chopping one-two stops Dani in her tracks—opportunistic brunette steps in with a harsh left uppercut, jab as she steps right and a swatting Mosely-esque right hand upside the head that sends Fishel staggering sideways. Liza storming in off Dani’s left shoulder, landing a walking barrage of clapping rights to drive Fishel ropeside, but the little ex-champ takes a terrific punch. Down the stretch, it’s Fishel brawling back, coming at Eliza’s midriff and ribs with wide swinging lefts and rights—forcing Dushku to hang on at the bell. Ladies and gentlemen: it’s a fight.

R3: Dani CRUNCHING her way into Eliza’s ribcage—Dushku flat footed, reaching in to tie up head and arm, walk her girl for breaks as Eliza’s face frowns in pain. Fight evolves into toe to toe action, with Dushku using cute shoulder rolls, angles, stepping around Dani—Fishel trying to keep her forehead on Dushku’s chest and work the midsection with both hands. Dani busier, landing more—Eliza more selective, landing cleaner with flush counter right uppercuts and slapping hooks as she shortens up her strokes.

R4: Elza dancing in spots, turning her girl, but eventually this thing gets shouloder to shoulder, pitting Dushku’s guile against Dani’s will. Eliza thinking in there, using that left shoulder to steer Dani, nudge her around, then sudden right uppercuts on the chin. Left hooks on the ear thump off Fishel’s skull. Dani still getting her touches to the breadbasket, but it’s Eliza’s round—Fishel starting to lump up nicely through 4.

R5: Right back in the trenches. Eliza using her left shoulder/elbow, right palm in concert to shove the little bulldog back, but Dani keeps pressing in there—Fishel getting her face on Eliza and working hard, really scrubbing up the midsection as Dushku gives ground. Eliza fading to the ropes, setting up her counters—she’s hunched over, using that left shoulder and strong legs to stand her ground, but this is Dani’s fight—Fishel smiling, turning sharp at the bell and stepping purposefully to her corner: she’s still in this thing/

R6: Eliza’s handspeed/ Dushku picking Dani up with the jab, chopping right hand over the top as Fishel comes in—Dani’s left eye starting to bust up as she pays the price for real estate. On the inside, Eliza doing a better job of stepping around Dani’s left shoulder, keeping the fight off the ropes, and chopping Fishel up with nifty combinations. Dushku with the right mitt at her chest, left across her body has her ribcage well protected—Dani getting off in clusters but unable to find the midriff in busy two way action,

R7: Eliza in control, but Dani getting her fight—story of the whole night and it catches up with Dushku at last. Eliza shouldered up, stepping around, chopping and swatting—Dani working hard, getting her face and guard on Eliza before punching. Fishel with a tapping right uppercut on the mouth, just touching Eliza, sets up a swatting left on the ear then that Micky Walker hook in the body—Dushku cringes away from hurt! Dani just TUCKING that left hand in behind the elbow, grins as she sees the pain, walks Eliza down to the ropes. One of the longest rounds of Eliza’s career shows her warrior’s heart as Dani Fishel squares away on stocky legs, beaming like a puncher as she PILES on. Dani in with her head and guard, pressing Dushku into the strands, then digging away to the belly, coming upstairs with pay-off hooks as Dushku sits and takes in stupor. Fishel with some technique as well—she’ll shift to fight off Eliza’s left shoulder, fitting that hook inside Dushku’s protective right mitt upstairs, then gouging at the breasts. Then propping up with left elbow to reset. Bludgeoning round finally comes to an end –Dushku busted up, staggery—Dani all smiles, hands high in premature victory.

R8: Liza back to plan A—and it works perfectly. Dushku pumping out jabs, pivoting sharp to her left, turning Dani around the ring and keeping this thing in the center. Fishel can’t cut off the canvas—she’s following and getting chopped up. Dushku still achy, but concentrating—jabbing well, poking in the straight right, pivoting around the hook. Dushku ahead on the cards, looks to have re-established tactical control down the stretch.

R9: Dani with PULVERIZING blows to the waist—she’ll step in to lug the right hand wide to the side, step in to lug the left to the other side—Eliza ashen faced as she gives way under the wade-in whallops. Fishel jamming Dushku hard against the ropes, shifting to the right and CRANKING hooks! Dani bouncing that left hard off Eliza’s face and chesr, curling the fist back in to her own chest on follow through to reload. Dushku with the right mitt at the cheek, hunched forward, trying to shoulder Dani back to create room, then pick her up with cute little left uppercuts. Midway through it all falls Dani jumps into overdrive—now turning into right hands, twisting her hips into short hooks—Dushku somehow lolls forward, staggering away to her right to get off the ropes and she is NAILED flush on the mouth as Dani lands a leaping hook. DUSHKU GOES DOWN! Eliza all used up, on her back, face blasted in shock, hands above her head—and it’s OVER! HUGE upset KO9 Dani Fishel!

After: Fishel hoisted onto the shoulders of her teammates—TE girls breaking into impromptu version of the Witch is Dead—all boxing shocked at the sight of a laid out Eliza Dushku at the ropes. Dani nusing techniques that has been so successful against Kelly Hu, forcing her agenda on Dushku and despite falling behind, Fishel was always in position to do work and stay competitive. Dani watching on the monitor during postfight, groans in sympathy with the body shot that hurt Dushku in the 7^th: “That took it all away from her,” says Dani, “she fought like a demon after that, but I could see how hurt she was and I just kept coming.” Upset yet another come-from-behind-never-say-die effort for Fishel—no lead is safe against this kid.