Demi Lovato vs. Eliza Dushku

BEFORE:

Battle of top brunette bantams, and both showing plenty of confidence in the pre-fight. "Sure, she's a Hall of Famer," says Demi, "and I respect that. But. Her time is past. Mine is just beginning."

"You know," says Eliza with the hint of a smile. "People around here have been writing my obituary for years. And, it's always the other girl who ends up looking like she needs a tombstone."


ROUND ONE:

Demi wants to get physical early. Younger fighter closes and bangs with The Sheriff, not usually a good tactic. But, this is Lovato's stuff. She's as sturdy as it gets at bantam, and can fight in the phone booth with just about anyone, even Eliza. In fact, despite the older woman's huge pile of in-fighting tricks and skills, it's Demi who gets the better of things. Lovato's backing up Dushku, forcing her to cover up, working both head and body, piling up points and generally taking control of the fight. It's impressive stuff against a fighter of Eliza's caliber, but Demi's an impressive fighter. Final minute sees Demi put a cherry on top of what's already a pretty tasty sundae of a first, as she lands a SHARP right hand that clearly shakes the former champion and forces her to clinch. Dushku shakes it off pretty quickly, but it's Demi wide in the first.

ROUND TWO:

Lovato rolling now. She's bullying the former champ around the ring, letting her have it with both hands. Dushku can't slow the younger woman down and can't hold her canvas. BOOM! A right hook from Demi and ELIZA IS HURT! Dushku in DEEP trouble this time as the knees wobble and she immediately covers up. And, Lovato lets the hands go. Demi battering Dushku around the ring, finally trapping her against the ropes with over a minute to go in the round. What happens next is absolutely GRIM stuff for the Hall of Famer. Lovato ABUSES her to both head and body, piling on the hurt while piling up the points. Dushku doing JUST enough to hold off the referee, but no more than that. Final seconds see a NASTY right from Demi nearly send Eliza to the canvas, but, before Lovato can follow up or the referee can leap in, the bell sounds. It's Demi wide again, and Lovato now up 20-18.

ROUND THREE:

Speaking of cherries and sundae's, Demi now looking to top what would be the most impressive fight of her career. She's dominated Eliza and now looks to take her out of here. She's all over Dushku from the opening bell, letting the hands go, landing hard shot, GETTING ROCKED! A right hand counter from DUSHKU and LOVATO IS HURT! Where did THAT come from? And, ON COMES ELIZA! The former champ shaking the worst of the damage somehow and coming at Lovato with everything she has! And, now it's Demi in retreat, taking fire from everywhere, listing, looking in danger of going down. And, then it's Demi on the ropes taking a pounding from Eliza. Dushku, teeth bared, ripping shot after shot at the younger fighter, determined to pay her back for those first two rounds, and she does, hammering away right to the bell. Dushku. Wide. And the cards say 29-28, Lovato.

ROUND FOUR:

The Sheriff is on a roll now. She's got Demi groggy and wobbly, and she's taking full advantage. Eliza takes it to the younger woman in the middle of the ring, picking apart her defenses with some excellent boxing, using the jab to set up hard right hands, slowly backing up a game Lovato until she traps her against the ropes and resumes the full-on assault from the previous round. Lovato taking a TON of heavy fire, but those sturdy legs keep holding her up. She's keeping the guard high, countering here and there, doing enough to let the referee know she's still capable of fighting. He's watching closely, and both brunettes know it, so, while Eliza looks for the one shot that might force him to act, Lovato does her best to avoid it. By the final thirty seconds, it's clear that shot isn't going to come. Demi's shaking the worst of the damage, firing back. It's far too late, of course, and Dushku takes the round wide to even things at 38, but Lovato's still standing.

ROUND FIVE:

Dushku continues fighting lead, taking the fight to Lovato. Demi banging back in kind now, though, and we've got a FIREFIGHT in the middle of the ring! Ladies trading BOMBS here as both are determined to impose will and BOOM! Eliza is STAGGERED! A right hand from Lovato and The Sheriff is in trouble! Now Lovato's letting the hands go, determined to finish off Dushku before we can see yet another turn in a fight that's now up to three of them. She sits down on her punches, backs Eliza into the cables and has AT her and, for the fourth round in a row, the fans are treated to one fighter giving the other a BEATING along the ropes. Dushku is again able to mount a solid defense, avoiding much of the leather the younger woman's throwing, but enough's getting through to keep the Hall of Famer on the defensive and keep the referee on alert. He doesn't have to jump in, however, as Eliza's still offering plenty of resistance at the bell. It's Lovato wide, though, and Demi's back in the lead 48-47.

ROUND SIX:

Demi looking to consolidate, getting inside and banging with the Albanian beauty. And, this time, that turns out to be a mistake. Just a few seconds in, Eliza lands a short right hook and DEMI IS HURT! Lovato nearly goes down as a result of the perfectly-timed hook and the fight turns yet again, this time in The Sheriff's favor. Eliza's now romping forward, recapturing all the ground lost to the younger woman in the previous round, and, eventually, we again see one of the brunettes defending along the ropes while the other gets off lusty, as Eliza again looks for the finisher. Ref, who's been on alert almost the entire fight, again watching closely as Dushku tries to finish, and this time it looks like she might get it done. Demi soaking up a LOT of damage as the round rolls on, but, like it did in the third and fourth, the clock runs out on Dushku with Lovato still standing. Shutout, Eliza. And, we're even at 57.

ROUND SEVEN:

Eliza right back to work. She's stepping to Demi, committing on her punches, landing solid leather, GETTING ROCKED! Are. You. Kidding. Me? A right hand counter from Lovato and Eliza is sent stumbling backward. Only the ropes stop the Albanian from landing on her shapely behind. And, now Demi's all in. Lovato still somewhat slowed from the punishment of the last round, but she's in far better shape than her rival, who's basically hanging on against the cables as Demi throws everything in the arsenal at her. And, now it's Dushku who's soaking up a LOT of damage as Demi calls in every piece of artillery in range. Referee again looking closely as Lovato goes to work on the body, trying to bring the guard down. But, that's not going to happen, and the decision to attempt it is one Demi might live to regret, as it gives Eliza a respite and costs Demi time. This time, the clock runs out on the younger fighter. It's shutout, Demi, though, and Lovato's back up 67-66.

ROUND EIGHT:

Yes, Demi is well aware of how this thing has gone, but, that doesn't stop her from going right after Eliza. If you want to beat a great fighter, you've got to take chances, and so Lovato does. She lets Dushku have it with both barrels risking and absorbing the solid counters the Albanian is able to throw back at her in response. But, it's Demi getting the better of things, landing harder, more accurate shot, and backing Eliza up with all that leather. A minute and a half in. BOOM! Straight right hand, Demi! Eliza wobbles. Short left hook to the chin and DOWN GOES DUSHKU! Lovato to a neutral corner as quickly as she can get there. Eliza face down on the canvas. Pushes up to hands and knees, head hanging, at six, but that's as much as she has left! Dushku still on all fours as the count passes her by. It's OVER! And your winner by KO8 is Demi Lovato!

AFTER:

Fight Of The Year candidate, no question of that, and Demi's well aware of it. "Wow. You just can't GET her," says Lovato with a shake of the head. "I mean, I hit her with some stuff in that second that would have stopped three quarters of this division, and she came right back at me. And, some of those shots in the seventh...how she took those, I have no idea. I just knew I had to keep throwing and hoping the damage would add up. It did. Finally. It did."