Posted by simguy on 11/6/2004

Before: Campbell coming in heavy - she'll make 120 on the nose and have a significant weight advantage over Eliza on fight night. "That's the plan," shrugs Neve. "Don't play with her, don't match wits with her: I want to be the boss of Eliza, go right at her and beat her down. She can be as cute as she wants - nothing's going to stop me from taking those belts off her disappointing waist." Eliza smirking at the podium, enjoying the tough talk. "I like how Neve makes it sound like she has other options," chuckles the champ. "Coming in big is her ONLY move. What's she gonna do? BOX with me? I'll dismantle this little slut and move on." Cerulean blue bikini Neve, red leather bikini Eliza.

During R1,2: Six straight minutes of Neve breaking on Eliza like waves on beach. Campbell dukes up, chin tucked, wading in behind a crunching jab, leaning into a clubbing short right, back with a clubbing left - straightforward power to get Eliza ropeside. Dushku backed up, worked over - jostled, bodied and pummeled along the perimeter - all she can do is cover up. Ref separating beauties at times - Neve straining against the man's hand to get back on, colour high, eyes fierce: Eliza looking sluggish, slow, flat in dropping back to back shutouts.

R3: Eliza sharpens up - crisp stinging jabs as she pivots left, giving Campbell angles. Hook off the jab catches Neve's jaw time and again - straight right hand finding the mouth - Campbell wading through it, but getting preempted, beaten to punches. Eliza juke-stepping, feinting to keep Campbell off her - more spin moves and cute Danes-like slipping than usual as Dushku finesses Neve for a shutout.

R4: Neve storming forward - jabbing chest and skull while keeping her right hand high, leaning in to jam righty to jaw, clubbing back with cavewoman lefts - Dushku battered to the ropes has to dig in. Mouth on shoulder slogging - Eliza going to the body for the first time, snapping her fists off Neve's sturdy pale ribs. Campbell right back at the champ, headbutting Eliza under the eyes, jamming her guard into Eliza's shoulder - rough, rough trade in there as Dushku gets bullied. Jolting left hooks exchanged, Dushku sits stunned in the ropes - Neve helping herself to Dushku's tidy rack - both hands please - to the bell. Eliza shook, stiff - Neve chesting up and letting her hear about it - Campbell is one psyched challenger tonight.

R5: Eliza stubbornly contesting midring, grudgingly forced to back down as punch for punch, Neve's winning the exchanges. Dushku sharp and snappy with her punches, but not as busy. Neve hamhanded, smashing at the biceps and hips, swiping jug, tagging chin and following on with her head, shoulders and elbows - anything for extra contact. Dushku backing up, forced ropeside again and labouring: Neve's beefy bashing having a numbing effect - champ starting to lay in more, reaching round Neve's back for breaks.

R6: Huge collision of heads - Eliza staggering away, holding her eye and complaining to the official - Neve warned, but she storms past the man to keep up the pressure. Dushku cut under the eye courtesy that butt, hounded to the ropes - Neve pouring herself at Dushku, relentless, heartless. Eliza stiffening, numb and unresponsive for long stretches, just tilting forward behind her guard, shuddering as Neve's fists bash away at the waist and rack, clout the ears, scoop round the hip to smash away back. More Campbell points - again she chests up, stacking Dushku upright at the ropes: no respect from Neve tonight.

R7: SHUTOUT NEVE CAMPBELL! Crowd keeps waiting for Eliza to turn it on, but she's just getting weaker and weaker, shabbier and shabbier. Campbell bodying Dushku to the ropes and breaking out the crowbar - hard, hard beating dished out, fists bouncing off head and shoulders, sinking thick to midsection, spanking loud off flanks. Dushku sullen, pushing at Neve, tying up her arms, reaching around her back for breaks - Eliza beat down, uncompetitive through 7. AGAIN Neve chests up, shouting in Dushku's face - champ protesting, pushing against her foe - ref intervenes with a stern finger wag.

R8: Neve charging in with her head again - smashing contact to the face turns Dushku around in a fog - Neve able to wrap up and leg-drive her foe face first to the ropes. Moment's scrambling for position, then Neve's squared away, getting up into Dushku with a torrid bombardment. Eliza windblown, looking like a flyweight as Neve muscles her into the ropes, then bashes away at will. Neve's head close in with Eliza, hands belly height - Campbell rotating her shoulders as she clips and snatches away tummy, tits and chin, pouring three punch combos to Dushku. Eliza getting picked up uppercuts, hooked and clouted about her midsection - she goes wobbly butt at the minute mark, starts to topple forward in a daze. Neve stepping back in good order, keeping it short and heavy, gutting Eliza, clipping chin uppercuts and DUSHKU GOES DOWN! Eliza wandering off the ropes into thudding wallop, slumps forward and finally sprawls and IT'S OVER! Dushku all used up, lying KO'd on her belly - Neve Campbell's the new queen at 120!

After: Neve exultant - treating herself to a shopworn, demoralized Dushku - Campbell with a strong right arm around Eliza's worn-out waist, new champ takes dethroned queen for a gaudy "Here I am" walk of shame. Dushku listless, sluggish much of the night - bruising contests against Dani, Britney and others finally taking collective toll: Neve's the one able to capitalize. "It was just time for her to go," beams a jubilant Campbell in postfight. "I don't think Eliza's been right since that Fishel fight and after the Holmes fight - I knew I was seeing a faded Dushku who I could take advantage of with my strength. I'm just so happy right now - that's me, Salma, Jeri and Ali on top. I don't know that there's ever been a stable as dominant as we are right now!"