Joe's Bar & Grill Fight #2 (Part Two): Charlize Theron vs. Mandy Moore by Joe and Kim
THE PARTICIPANTS:
Charlize Theron - Long, lean, leggy blonde, classic beauty, classy fighter, one of the legends of celebrity boxing. She's a former three-time lightweight champ, having lost her third title (via KO) to Cameron Diaz eleven months ago. She's had three fights since then, going 2-1 with decision wins over Naomi Campbell and Jennifer Garner (the latter by split decision) and her only loss a devastating seventh round KO at the hands of Beyonce Knowles almost three months ago. This is the willowy blondes first bout on her "comeback tour" after losing to the Bootylicious black girl and some observers, including Beyonce herself, question why she's apparently stepping down in quality to face a relative newcomer in Mandy Moore, who has only three fights to her credit and just a single victory!

Mandy Moore - Tall and eager, a well-built and strong young brunette, but still a very raw talent who made her boxing debut just four months ago in a short, quick KO loss to the same Beyonce Knowles! Since then, Mandy lost a split decision to aging, badly faded ex-bantam champ, Janet Jackson then eked out a narrow decision over mediocre veteran, Mariah Carey. Though some see tremendous potential in the tall, dark-blonde beauty, most so-called experts view the youngster as not nearly (at least at this early stage of her career) in the class of Theron despite Charlize's recent struggles since losing her title. This will be Moore's first ten rounder, her previous three fights being six and eight round prelims. Most observers don't expect Charlize to need anywhere close to ten rounds to put the raw youngster away.

ROUND SIX

This round starts with both fighters having high hopes; Charlize still determined to end the fight before it goes the distance while Mandy is equally determined to keep fighting her way back into it, to prove she belongs in the ring with one of the "BIG girls." But both beauties are carrying baggage from five hard rounds already; and it soon tells in this round as it quickly dissolves into weary pushing and groping with both fighters clearly tired from the battle and trading sloppy blows. Looking sloppy in the ring is nothing unusual for the raw youngster Mandy, who's been flailing awkwardly with her shots for most of the fight; but it's more than mildly alarming to Theron's corner as they see their usually laser-like puncher wearying and increasingly telegraphing her punches and her footwork slowing. Still, Charlize stays on the attack for most of the early going, while Moore sticks to her tactic of staying on the move - mostly backward - making small stands along the ropes when she has to.

But one telling difference this round is that while Charlize is still landing more punches than her younger foe, she isn't swinging as often or as hard! Mandy realizes that and she grows more confident in her counter-attacks, sticking the body shots in with regularity, oft-times bothering the great blonde enough to move Theron to back off her without needing the ref to breakup their close embracing and brief clinches. Charlize does break through Mandy's defenses in the final minute, landing several good head shots, then plodding after the retreating youngster. But Mandy remains steady on her feet after the blows and she fights Charlize off near the ropes, sticks a few shots into the blonde's sleek body and backing her off almost immediately. Charlize sets, feints the left jab and, thinking she sees an opening, launches a ponderous right hook up high. But it's blocked! Cleanly; turned away by Mandy's upraised glove and shoulder. Mandy twists almost immediately into a counter right uppercut between Charlize's tucked up gloves. Theron moves back with the punch, though and Mandy moves forward, unleashing a wild left hook that Charlize ducks - but doesn't counter!

The blonde moves back yet another step and as Mandy moves forward she misses with a right cross, but sinks her left hook into Theron's side even as she takes a body shot of her own. The two weary fighters fall into a clinch briefly; then Mandy, pushing off the gloves and throwing leather, sets her sturdy legs and pushes Theron back, then back again; pushes her across mid-ring toward the ropes on the other side! The crowd roaring, on their feet, as the strong young beauty muscles the flagging blonde around. Mandy's winning over the fans as the stubborn young fighter is feeling the surge. Charlize can't hold her off in the waning seconds and they grapple to the bell which finds the retreating blonde's sweaty backside settling in between the far ropes.

Cheers erupt from the crowd and strangely, given Theron's still huge popularity among celebrity fight fans, the loudest rain down on the silky shoulders of young Mandy Moore in a spontaneous salute to her gritty stand here in the sixth; using pure determination - aided by strong legs and the resiliency of youth - to push the flagging blonde legend back across the width of the squared circle! She raises a tired arm and smiles wanly, acknowledging the cheers as she slumps on her stool between rounds. Charlize is far more sullen as she clumps heavily in her corner where she endures the requisite attentions of her corner staff, trying to control ragged breathing as she listens to her manager prattle on as the veteran corner woman berates her.

"Look Charlize, you're in good shape... this is still your fight... just don't let her push you around out there. Be tough, stand your ground, take your shots when you have her pinned down."

But Charlize's tank is near empty... she knows it, her manager knows it... but neither is letting on during this exchange; Charlize ritually nodding as she listens to her manager, gasping between deep breaths of air, "OK, OK; gotcha.. but the kid's really strong, hard to pin down or reach her."

"You'll get her, Char, just pick your spots, look for the clear opening and then put the punch in there... she's hurting bad... and is tired too, and she's desperate... she knows she's well behind in this fight... so she's gonna gamble some maybe, and she's gonna make mistakes... look for them and take advantage... hear me?"

Charlize nods her head again, climbs stiffly off the stool, shaking her arms and legs. The tall, slinky blonde whom Beyonce and others have derisively labeled merely a "six round fighter these days" is about to come out for the seventh round. She's ready, pounding her gloves together.

In the other corner, Mandy Moore has also been worked over by corner attendants, her glistening full thighs rubbed down, massaged, arms and shoulders similarly attended to. Her manager is encouraging her as she stands to await the bell, the young fighter still trying to control gasping gulps of air, "Look, kid, you've taken everything that woman has, and she ain't got much left, believe me.. but she's still a veteran fighter and dangerous if you let your guard down... you're fighting well, you've got the better, stronger legs under you, use them, and use that strong body as well.. you keep connecting and you're gonna hurt her and drop her before this fight is over... I can feel it."

Mandy glances over at the grizzled fight manager somewhat skeptical at his last comment but he smiles back, "Believe me, girl, you got the power in you... you were muscling Charlize around out there at the end of the sixth... in my book you won that round, kid; and you got the stuff in you to win the remaining rounds and this fight... believe it!... you've just become a big time fighter, Mandy!" Mandy nods as, smiling slightly, she awaits the bell.

ROUND SEVEN

Beyonce is still prattling in the TV microphone as the two tired fighters come out for round seven, telling her audience, "This fight is tightening, and you know Charlize has got to be worried! She couldn't hold the kid off late in the sixth and you all know what comes after six... heh-heh... Last time Theron entered a round seven, old Char left it horizontal... ha-ha! Now, I'm not saying Mandy can knock her out this round... for one thing she doesn't have MY punching power; and she hasn't really shaken Charlize yet with any serious punches; but Mandy's makin' a believer outta me - and she should be makin' a believer outta Charlize! This fight ain't over though; Charlize could still win... she's built a good lead but the last couple rounds have been even....well, here we go, round seven!"

Here we go, indeed! Charlize and Mandy circle mid-ring, both flat-footed... not much dancing on their toes at this late stage. Charlize looking to re-establish her jab; she's short with the first, her second connecting although a rather pedestrian jab it is. Mandy stepping back just a tad in good order; squaring, blocking. Theron lands a labored right hook and Mandy misses wildly with her own telegraphed counter left. Two tired fighters both missing more often than not in the early going of round seven. Charlize, for one, recognizes the need to change tactics and she goes bulling into the tall brunette after slipping Mandy's flailing left, digging body blows mixing in a left uppercut, working her way up Mandy's torso as the youngster stumbles backward trying to re-group.

With her back to the ropes, Mandy makes yet another of her patented stands; arm grappling, digging a left into Charlize's side that brings a gasp from the older woman! Now a right from Mandy is answered by Theron's digging left; the close, sluggish action drawing the crowd to its feet, wildly cheering. Little matter that punches from both are rather pedestrian and lacking much steam, it's grand theater; toe to toe action; what they paid to see - that and the knockdowns and knockouts...of course!! The ref breaks a Theron clinch, initiated after taking another of Mandy's left hooks in the side.

Off the break Charlize, the wily veteran, puts as much steam as she can still muster into a sneaky right uppercut and it finds Mandy's jaw!! Mandy's long, curvy legs shudder, but they don't buckle and the youngster fights back, left-right-left up high; wide arching shots, the first two missing and the third scuffing Charlize on the side of the neck, yet even that glancing blow knocks the big blonde back a step or two!. Mandy surges forward, pumping fists into that blond body; Charlize answering, but giving ground grudgingly... back to mid-ring, then clinching again to halt her retreat.

The crowd cheers wildly as Mandy again has driven the blonde back with body salvos and her legs, especially one zealous woman at ringside screaming at the top of her lungs, "Atta girl Mandy, work the bitch... take her out!"

Gloved arms dropping slightly, small chest heaving, mouth gaping after the break, Charlize can hear the rising crescendo of support for the tall, well-built, brunette. She's been there before; the perennial crowd favorite first sensing the crowd's allegiance shifting. It was several years ago when Cat Bell - then a top contender, began to maul and batter a fading champ, Charlize Theron, late in what would become a shattering KO defeat at the big brunette's hands. Similar cheers engulfed slinky blonde Cameron Diaz when she too dismantled Charlize down the stretch last year, taking Theron's third title with a ninth round KO. And, of course, those same cheers spurred on "Bootylicious" Beyonce as she too was destroying the stunningly overwhelmed Theron in the final rounds of her most recent devastating defeat barely three months ago.

Yes, Charlize has heard the crowd turn against her before, or rather toward an inspired effort by her foes; but Theron always retained a loyal core of die-hard-supporters. It's the nature of the fight game that the average fight fan's allegiances will swing wildly in pursuit of the 'Thrill of the steamy beatdown!' It pisses Charlize off that many of HER so-called fans are so fickle, but the see-saw action, inspired rallies by underdogs; those all sell tickets, so she endures, but not happily most times!

Here, though, she's merely pissed, and a little embarrassed, at the way she's being pushed around. She tries to cross up Mandy, leading with the right jab; but she fumbles the attempt, her tired legs balky and heavy, moving sluggishly as she changes her lead foot; the right jab comes up feebly short of Mandy's comely mug. Charlize goes back to the left jab, flicking it just often enough to move the youngster backward. Mandy, almost willingly, retreating toward the comfort of the ropes which have become 'her turf' in recent rounds. Charlize shrugs, takes a deep, ragged breath, and takes what Mandy's giving her; following the brunette to the ropes where Mandy again makes her stand. But this time, Mandy clinches immediately, drawing boos as she wrestles with the older blonde. Charlize tries to pull free...but can't and is forced to clinch as the ref moves in. Off the break, the cagey blonde vet again tries that sneaky right...but this time it misses short, bouncing harmlessly off Mandy's drawn up gloves. But Mandy's counter left uppercut doesn't miss, surprising the great blonde as it finds her jaw like a laser guided missile! Charlize is shook, her legs quivering as she suddenly slumps forward and wraps her arms around Mandy, holding on as the crowd rises to their feet roaring at the sight of a tell-tale wobble in the blonde's long, lean legs!

The ref breaks 'em once more and Charlize scoots back looking shaky. Moore blinking, then moving forward until Charlize makes her own stand a few feet back, grabbing and grappling with the advancing youngster, thumping her left into Mandy's side... bothersome, but not hard... Mandy returns the favor, hers hard enough to make the blonde grimace as she moves backward once more! Mandy pressing the action, using those long, muscular legs, putting her forehead on the blonde's shoulder in close, planting her feet and pushing her back. Charlize digs a very weary right into Mandy's supple young body, drawing but a small grunt from the young brunette. They clinch once again at mid-ring after yet another grudging, step-by-step retreat by the veteran.

Little time left as the ref untangles them, trading tired blows at mid-ring, toe to toe; Charlize with a ponderous left to the side of the face and Mandy a right hook grazing the blondes jaw. Charlize clutches frantically, her long legs giving a shiver as Mandy rips two more hard body shots just before the bell!

They head to their corners, Theron trudging, Mandy with youthful pep in her step; but its all relative at this point. Neither has the zing and bounce from before the fight... each is hurting and tired; propping their sweaty butts on their stools and draping weary arms over the ropes. The eighth round is coming and Mandy has only gone into the eighth once in her brief career; indeed has only even had one eighth round scheduled! That fight ended in a split decision loss to faded ex-bantam champ, Janet Jackson after Mandy had her down and in serious trouble at the end of the seventh, only to be too tired to close the deal on the woozy woman in the last stanza.

Charlize, of course, knows all about achingly, exhausting, late rounds after fading to a ninth round KO at the hands of Cameron Diaz in losing her last title; then fading equally bad down the stretch, but hanging on to take a disputed split decision from Jennifer Garner some months back; then being locked in an exhausting dance to the tenth round bell with Naomi Campbell before eking out yet another controversial narrow decision.

Charlize didn’t make it this far against Beyonce, however, leaving as Beyonce laughingly noted many times - "horizontal and twitching" - after a brutal seventh round KO. Beyonce, herself, broadcasting from ringside is even now slyly joking, "Theron made it through seven folks, she hasn't done that in a while... hee-hee!"

The Black Beauty conveniently ignoring that Charlize not only "survived" the seventh, but she hasn't been on the canvas even once in the fight and has, in fact, been controlled the action. But the consensus at ringside seems to be that Mandy Moore, if not clearly winning the sixth, had the edge with her late surge and had won her first unquestioned round of the fight by landing more telling blows... shaking Charlize at least twice, and muscling her around pretty much as she pleased. As Beyonce noted, "The tide is turning!" But time was also running out on the resurgent youngster and little is said in the respective corners save the ritual boosting of a flagging fighter's spirit and gentle pats on the back and butt as they stand preparatory for round eight!

ROUND EIGHT

They come out for the eighth round with Charlize again insistent on reestablishing the jab, but laboring with her left now, standing flat-footed at ring center to trade ponderous body blows with the young brunette. Many in the crowd are standing already, one yelling expectantly, "Come on Mandy! Work her body, girl."

There's been an ever growing buzz in the raucous crowd as they sense the tide turning; Mandy winning over more and more fans who cheered wildly each time the youngster stood her ground on the ropes or pushed a weary Theron back to the center of the ring in the seventh. Now, the expectant buzz rises as Mandy and Charlize trade ponderous body blows until, suddenly, coming off yet another break,, a rather pedestrian left from Charlize thuds against Mandy's shoulder. With little pressure on her, Mandy drifts backward and leans back into the ropes, her chest heaving hard.

A buzz runs through the crowd as they wonder, "Has the kid run out of gas so quickly, just as she was coming on?"

Charlize blinks in surprise as Mandy leans back on the ropes, her arms at her hips, looking very shop-worn. Charlize moves forward slightly, but hesitates, drawing her own deep breaths, mouth open as she sucks in air. Some in the crowd are booing, a few directed at Mandy for laying on the ropes but more for Charlize's hesitancy about going in to finish off the seemingly spent younger fighter.

The crowd buzz intensifies, one smart-ass yelling, "Come on Blondie, you ain't afraid of her are you? Get yor ass in there, woman!"

Charlize seethes silently at the barb, but holds up, the two women each waiting the other out. The ref steps between them and ritually intones, "Let's fight ladies!" Charlize grudgingly moves forward slowly, her legs heavy beneath her. The crowd buzz rising expectantly, then suddenly, Mandy takes a deep breath, launches herself off the ropes with a thrust of her butt against the springy strands and, displaying far more leg drive than Charlize, she tears into the great blonde with both fists flying. Charlize eyes widen in surprise as she hurriedly tries a left, the telegraphed hook missing badly as Mandy slams into her, her arms tight, lashing the blondes body, smashing the great golden blonde back, back, back, with a surge of adrenaline. Long legs churning, fists pumping, youthful grit and strength out-muscling the older, fading blonde as she hammers her backward across the ring to the farside ropes. Charlize butt hits the ropes and she desperately clinches, digging two lefts into Mandy's kidney before they break, then coming off the ropes with a sloppy right hook that misses by a mile as Mandy leans back, then comes right back and once more they're toe to toe on the ropes; Charlize with her back scrubbing against the rough strands, Mandy confronting her, landing the harder, more telling blows. After yet another Theron-induced clinch and break, Charlize slips sideways along the ropes trying to find open space as Mandy is relishing being the aggressor for one of the few times in this fight.

The blonde stops and makes her stand near her corner, but she can't keep the stronger, younger, brunette off her body. Mandy just planting those sleek, strong legs and winging punches from her hips; two body blows down low, then a wide sweeping left hook that grazes Theron's cheek as the wild-eyed blonde grabs and hangs on. Charlize tries to brush aside Mandy's gloves, digging a soft right hook to her young foe's side. Mandy grunts and answers with a left hook AND a right to the body... Theron's long legs give a dip as ripples roll up her thighs and into her butt cheeks; she grabs Mandy up high, then is staggered by a last-second right uppercut that snaps her head back just as the bell clangs.

The ref separates the two clinging fighters and Charlize, a bit wobbly, meanders slowly toward her corner while Mandy, riding an adrenaline high, almost skips merrily back to hers. Theron drops down heavily, her head hung down then... for the first time this fight...Charlize gets the ammonia capsule to clear the head even though she doesn't appear badly dazed from Mandy's late barrage.

Mandy has convincingly won this round, and has the momentum - and the crowd - firmly on her side. Charlize is a proud woman, a former three time champion and what's bothering her most as they work on her in the corner, is the little "rope-a-dope" trick Mandy pulled, slumping back on the ropes as if done in, then charging out to take it to the surprised blonde as the crowd egged her on.

"The young twit!" Charlize thinks. "Trying to show me up with a cheap trick like that!" Whether it was deliberate or not, and Charlize clearly thinks it was, it both angers and frustrate the blonde beauty that the gangly newcomer had the gall to pull something like that on HER! She steels herself for what she knows will be a war in the last two rounds; one she clearly intends to win! Charlize is still leading by a wide margin, but - especially after Mandy's eighth round shenanigans - the weary blonde knows that 'just winning' is no longer good enough; something more has to be done to put this kid in her place and to quiet the rebellious, fickle, ungrateful-for-all-she's-done-for-them ingrates in the audience.

At ringside, Beyonce couldn't be more positive. "The kid has heart, that's for sure, and maybe a little game and attitude as well," she gushes. "After that little hanging on the rope trick in the last round, it would've been easy to fold her tent and head to the canvas early on there, what with Charlize sticking it to her for the better part of six rounds. But Mandy hung in, and made a pretty good fight of it in the last few rounds, finally putting a very weary Charlize on the defensive midway through the eighth. By all appearances, Charlize has held the lead throughout this fight, but its dwindled in the past few rounds, with a resurgent Moore winning both the seventh and eighth on my card; maybe the sixth as well with that late flurry."

She also notes with some surprise after checking her notes, "You know, Charlize hasn't put this young girl on the canvas since that frenzied second round, and hasn't come close to that knockout she craves so much since she had Mandy in some trouble in the third. I doubt the blonde has anything left in the tank to even dream of a knockout now; but don't tell her! My favorite tall blonde target is struggling, no question about it. As I said, a lot of tough fights seem to have a way of catching up to Charlize. Make no mistake, she's got this fight in hand still, but a decision victory, especially a really close, controversial one, which this may yet turn out to be if Charlize doesn't step it up a bit, just won't cut it with her critics. Even I will admit Charlize is a proud veteran former champion, and you know she won't be satisfied unless, in her own mind at least, she owns this big brunette. She's been upstaged by Mandy's insulting 'rope-a-dope'' in the eighth and now we're all waiting to see if she can get payback. And how will Mandy, who's made a believer of some in these fans in the latter rounds, responds to the pressure a vengeful Charlize will surely put on her."

ROUND NINE

Charlize come out trying to pick up the pace on those long, lithe dancer's legs but after bouncing on her toes for about thirty seconds, she's back flat footed again, no longer doing any dancing at all. Mandy's taken a lot of punches, especially early, and she has to be tired too; but although Charlize is still in her prime at just 28, Mandy's got that youthful resilience on her side and she's moving pretty well. As this fight has gone on, she's been able to read Theron's jabs better, blocking more than a few and answering with some good work in close, taking advantage of Charlize's propensity to leave her tits exposed, something most of her opponents tee off on whenever they get the chance because she's famously sensitive to that kind of attack and often leaves her chin exposed trying to protect her 'goodies' as we saw in the eighth. Mandy's able to increasingly muscle the flagging blonde around and while Moore's no Diaz, or Beyonce in her boxing skill level, the kid has heart and moxie. Once more, Mandy's troubling Charlize in the early going in the ninth, getting inside Theron's long jabs and banging that body, something she's been able to do increasingly often, and quite effectively, as this fight has progressed. Mandy's very young and very raw, but she's also a big, strong kid, and her strength inside is starting to wear on Charlize more and more!

But as Mandy begins to assume control, she is suddenly rocked by a good right cross off the break from the veteran blonde; the best punch she's landed in several rounds. Moore gives a little hop, then stutter-steps sideways, but keeps her long legs under her, shaking off the effects of the punch. Charlize closing in, she's got the youngster in trouble, feinting the left jab, now back with the right.. but she misses! Mandy completely buying the fake but still quick enough with her hands to parry the weak right from Charlize at the last second before impact and takes a glancing blow high on the side of her head. They tie up inside, arms tangling; Moore digging the left into the older blondes side on the break. Theron groans, backing away, complaining to the ref; accusing Mandy of hitting on the break, claiming it was low. He ignores her protests, saying her fist clearly settling just above the bikini line despite Theron's protest and waves the fighters together. Charlize digging deep, her champion's pride driving her tired body, getting her heavy legs and weary arms behind a labored left hook that again comes up a little short, grazing Mandy's chin and backing her up. Charlize trudges forward, still a gorgeous fighter to watch when she's on the hunt; her lean, slightly curvy body glistening with a fine sheen of sweat, muscles tense in the heat of battle. She's very tired for sure, but she still wants it . . . left, right, left. . . Mandy blocks two of the three and shakes off the other, still dancing backward. Charlize flatfooted, circling, trying to load up for the KO she craves.

"She's got a lot of that 'pride stuff' for sure," Beyonce informs the viewers. "But she could just ride out the last round and a half and take her win, nothing wrong with getting a solid unanimous decision. But this girl's biggest weakness is her pride; she's not gonna be satisfied with 'just a win' she wants to put the kid on her back this round!"

Time running down, under a minute to go; Moore dancing away from Charlize's best shots, then coming back at the tired veteran when she runs out of gas. Mandy's low left hook misses; Charlize parrying the awkward blow with her gloves, but she's driven back into the ropes as Moore does her best "Beyonce the Bull" impression, shoving the very arm and leg weary blonde off balance and throwing her back. Charlize, open-mouthed, taking big gulping breaths, clinches as Moore ladles the body blows in, planting those big, beautiful, tautly muscled legs wide as her powerful base, then working Theron's trim midsection from both sides, her fists thudding into tawny gold flesh as the blonde hangs on around Mandy's shoulders unable to answer. Mandy rears upright, bringing both fists up under Charlize's perky bra cups, hup-hup-hup, working those breasts as Charlize face twists in a grimace and she lets out a squeal like a stuck pig!!

The ref breaks them apart and Theron, moving sluggishly, her ribs, belly and chest all aching from the heavy lathering Mandy's give her body, wincing, trying to set up her left jab. Moore blinking as the weak jab flutters shakily in front of her eyes .. and falls well short... now Charlize's patented right hook...and it misses as well! Most of Charlize's punches are not only very slow but also short at this point in the fight. OH MY GAWD! A hard right pancakes Charlize's left breast and she's staggered. Then Mandy's wild left uppercut catches Theron as she drops her guard and turns right into the punch, taking it flush on the jaw! THERON'S HURT! She's shaken, weaving, holding on desperately, her gloves pawing at Mandy's biceps, her forehead on the young brunette's right shoulder, leaning on her, long legs quaking under her.

"If Mandy would just step back," Beyonce yells. "Theron would fall right on her face!"

Mandy pushing Charlize back, the blonde in a daze, stumbling back, still groping the big brunette's body trying to find support for her wobbly legs. No question, the kid has way fresher legs at this point, Theron hurt bad by the sucker left, her legs balky and trembling, allows herself to get backed all the way to the ropes as young Mandy muscles the woozy blonde around with impunity, again using her elbows to hold Theron's groping arms aside as she pounds away at those perky little breasts, beating on them as Charlize's whole body trembles from the impact! The ref steps in, breaks em up and as Charlize tries to move off the ropes protecting her chest, NO! Mandy with a another lunging overhand right and THERON GOES DOWN! Theron dropped to her butt in the neutral corner, long legs splaying out in a wide 'V', her head lolling back on the turnbuckle after a second withering head punch sliced right over her lowered guard and caught her flush!

Pandemonium in the arena, the former three time champion pummeled to the canvas here late in the ninth round from two stiff jaw smackers; and this near the end of a fight she's controlled most of the way; Moore blinking in disbelief as she backs away slowly. Ref taking his time, showing respect for the great veteran, turning to ensure Moore is all the way back in the neutral corner before turning his attention to the still slumped over blonde and beginning his count. The official count is at three with Charlize, on the canvas for several more seconds than that already, having just slung weary arms over the middle strand of ropes, groaning as she slowly tries to heave her aching body up...

"6", Charlize is halfway up, legs wobbling as she tries to straighten them...

"7, 8, 9", she's up, wobbly, but upright, her eyes glassy.

The ref halts the count and checks out her gloves, then waves Mandy in. The youngster, still blinking in seeming disbelief that she's chopped the great blonde down to the canvas, moving in with just seconds left in the round. Charlize is weaving in the corner on rubbery legs, covering up; Moore on the attack, looking for the finisher. But she's still undisciplined and she's head-hunting, swinging wildly; her punches bouncing off Theron's drawn up, tucked in arms. Charlize leans back over the ropes, her smallish, firm, breasts heaving in the white cotton sports bra cups, her long legs trembling, weakly holding on desperately as Moore crowds her, digging a couple body hooks down low in frustration when she can't punch through Theron's drawn up arms..

AND THERE'S THE BELL! Theron escaping late trouble here in the ninth, grittily riding out the storm after taking two corkers to the chin. The ref peels the tired beauties apart and sends them to their respective corners; Moore winded but moving steadily on strong, durable legs; the groggy Theron weaving a wobbly, meandering, path in the general direction of her corner where they work feverishly on the veteran between rounds; shaking out her arms, massaging weary arm and leg muscles, trying to pump life back into the drained blonde. The sweat is streaming down her lithe frame, dripping from her nose and chin down onto her heaving chest as her head droops forward, taking big gulping breaths of air; now tilting her head back as an ammonia capsule is snapped under her nose before water is forced between her swollen, spittle-caked lips. She spits out half of it, rolling the rest around inside her parched mouth. One second lifts her arms, trying to help her fill her lungs as her trainer, figuring its time for some extra attention, pulls her bra cups away from her heaving chest and pours some cool water down over the hard pink nipples that cap her small, but very firm, ivory breasts. Charlize moans softly as the water spills over and swirls around her erect, super-sensitive, and aching, nipples.

The woman hastily replaces the bra cups, thinking, "Ah it's just Charlize bein' Charlize, these heated battles almost always brings her titties out in full salute."

Some would say the woman spends too much time in these close, physical battles, inspecting Charlize's tits, cooling them off, sometimes gently massaging away the 'tension' and all that - but Charlize never seems to mind, in fact murmuring with apparent pleasure as she absently tilts her head back and rests it on the turnbuckle. Whatever the reason, she seems refreshed by the "extra attention" as she finally lifts her head from the turnbuckle.

Over in the opposite corner, Mandy looks very tired as well, but with her spirits newly jazzed by the sudden success at the end of round nine and her manager telling her, "Look, kid, you need a KO to pull this out. Even if you knock her down a few more times, they'll never give you a close decision... that's the fight game... Char has the pedigree, the reputation, and you don't... NOT YET... but you'll shock the world if you can put her on her back and she stays there. It won't be easy, but you can do it... stay focused, work inside early in the round like you did the last few rounds; take those long legs completely away with the body shots... you're fresher and stronger than she is...and when you have her trapped, her legs weak and wobbly, that's when you finish it! Go to the tits twice to bring her gloves down, then upstairs and knock her out... but you gotta work her body first to soften her up, hear me? Take her legs completely away before you go head hunting... understand?"

Mandy nods ritually, maybe hearing half, if that, of what her manager has said. She's young, impetuous, raw. She stands fifteen seconds from time, thumping the gloves together, her manager still jabbering although it's doubtful she's listening at all; just staring intently at Charlize's corner where, the blonde is just now standing, on her own; her beautiful long legs having been well massaged by her corner help between rounds; the feverish rubbing steadying the burning, tired, rubbery muscles. How much energy they pumped back into those sleek thighs will be known shortly.

Charlize stares back at the tall young brunette, her own manager in her ear, jabbering, "Listen, Char, forget the knockout... you don't need it... just take the win. This is YOUR fight, you've controlled most of this fight...but be careful, stick and move, don't let her tie you up. And don't walk into a wild one like the last round. Make her throw those punches from long range, She can't hurt you there if you keep moving and keep your wits about you.. understand?" Charlize nods mutely, then moves out at the bell.

ROUND TEN

The two tired fighters circle warily, facing down the final minutes of their long, grinding fight. Moore setting the tone now, slashing a rather awkward, but still dangerous left jab; Charlize having no trouble slipping her head out of the way, then answering with her own left jab, well short of its moving target which is Mandy's pretty face. Theron's trademark zinging left jab has clearly lost a lot of steam, and it's telegraphed and horribly slow as she tries to set up the youngster. Moore circling, her own left jab easily moving Charlize back as the blonde veteran takes the punch on the gloves, even then the impact forcing her to stutter-step back now and then; then other step backward as Mandy moves forward behind her jab. Charlize quickly finds herself with her back on the ropes where she pushes off Mandy's gloves as the young brunette tries to work in close.

Mandy's manager right below them in the corner, yelling, "Stick the body, kiddo; THE BODY! Fight smart!"

But Moore would really rather head-hunt, wildly hooking with the left, Theron easily ducking and sticking her own right hook to the younger girl's body. The savvy veteran and former ballerina, no longer moving well at all, but taking what Mandy's giving her, using her counter-attack to blunt Mandy's aggressive late round attack.. Mandy dances away from the rib tickler, grimacing, but stubbornly comes right back in, throwing a left, then a right; wild sweeping hooks that both miss the ducking blonde. Charlize answers with a feint left when Moore stays in tight and the inexperienced brunette bites on the move, flinching at the imaginary punch, raising her right arm and leaving the left hand too low.

Charlize comes over the top of Mandy's low left with her fabled right, but at this late time in the fight, there's not much behind it and the punch is heavy and slow, catching mostly neck as Moore leans back just in time. Charlize couldn't land her trademark right hook with any accuracy or "steam" behind it, but it accomplishes one thing; it buys her space. Coming out, her left jab connecting but not hard, then a shaky right uppercut that Moore just gets an arm on, deflecting it into her chest instead of taking it on the jaw as Charlize intended.

Mandy shakes off the weak punch, and unhurt, the young fighter comes on again, rubbing up against Charlize chest to chest, arms grappling, Mandy's butt stuck out, feet digging into the canvas, pushing the weary blonde steadily backward. Charlize giving ground grudgingly, but steadily, digging a tired left to Mandy's side to try to halt her slow, steady retreat. It has little effect! Mandy on clearly fresher, stronger legs, pushing with those straining, big, tautly muscled thighs and calves, overpowering the yielding, back-pedaling blonde. Theron's sleek, sweat-slick legs are all but gone, the rigors of nine plus exhausting rounds - not to mention the numbing bullets to the body and head at the end of round nine - wearing on the spent veteran as she tries to, but can't, hold off the younger beauty's bullish rush.

Forced back to the ropes, digging in, but finding little in heavy, exhausted legs, Charlize takes two rib crunching hooks from Mandy, her lean body bending painfully in reaction. She can't shove the much stronger brunette away at this point and has t resort to clinching and hanging on, unable to answer Mandy's body shots. The referee breaks 'em, and OH, LOOK AT THAT! Charlize is struggling on balky legs just to move her tired body a few feet off the ropes. Those beautiful long, lovely stems are, indeed, shot! The exhausted blonde just trying to ride out the storm, now, virtually a stationary target. And she's punched out as well! Theron's jab woefully slow and short as she tries to find space with a weak counter-attack but Moore just ignores Theron's punches as she fires wild bombs back at her; a sweeping right takes Charlize on her drawn up arms, but sends her stumbling backward from its force... Now the left from the free-swinging youngster misses badly as Moore rushes in behind a wild left and pushes Theron back into the corner that has become the spent blonde's "rope prison" in the waning moments of this fight.

Charlize is certainly NOT going to get the knockout she and her entourage felt they needed coming in to this supposedly "safe" fight and indeed, she can barely lift her exhaustion laden arms, much less throw any kind of a punch at this point. She has NO LEGS and she just sits with her sweaty backside on the ropes as Moore backs off slightly, setting in front of the frozen veteran, zinging wild head shots. The left over the top of the ducking blonde's head, the right catching Theron on the shoulder, sending her stumbling a step of two to her right on trembling legs; mouth open, sucking air, arms shaking as she tries to lift her gloves; holding on as Moore moves in to work that body some more. Moore, normally the good, mild-mannered Christian girl, seems irritated at Theron's groping, pawing tactics, mumbling at the ref as he moves in to break up another Theron clinch, "Come on, ref, she can't do that, she's just grabbing and holding!"

The ref snaps back at the frustrated young brunette, "It's all legal, honey, just shut up and fight!"...

Both managers are exhorting their fighters; Theron's almost frantic as she yells, "Get off the ropes, Char, come on, suck it up, not much time left, stick and move!"

Mandy's manager is more curt and to the point, "Goddamit, Mandy, listen to me for Christ sake... work the body, punish it, THEN close her out... quit throwing those wild air shots.... FOCUS!"

In Theron's case, she can't 'stick' her punches any longer; she's too drained, too punched out and the few punches she does manage are weak and telegraphed; and she ain't moving anywhere under her own power. Even without taking a hard head shot, so far, in this round, from an also very tired, but still punching, Moore, Charlize's long, lean legs have clearly quit on her, dooming her to her rope prison for the duration.

Mandy, however, finally makes the connection between her manager's raving tirade and her own, wild, undisciplined attack. She moves in close to the stationary blonde, then begins shedding Theron's feeble defense, waving left on the right arm; not even blinking from the alarmingly feeble punch as she sets her feet, then hammers a right, now a left. Two, three hooks slam into Theron's unprotected breasts while the exhausted blonde covers up with drawn up gloves protecting her head, a thin whimper escaping her lips with each digging blow.. Charlize sags from the digging body work, then straightens, exhausted legs wobbling beneath her as she tries to push Mandy away to buy some precious space. But the young beauty is too strong and with her own long, powerful legs solidly planted beneath her, she's immovable. Charlize digs a tired right into Mandy's side, grunting with the effort of moving exhausted arm muscles, the weary swipe having no effect as Moore answers with two harder body hooks of her own, the left flattening Charlize's right breast in its cup, the left digging into her soft, heaving belly, rapidly breaking down the fading veteran's resistance with every numbing body shot. Mandy struggles not to smile at the sound of the gasping whimpers come from the embattled blonde's spittle caked lips as Charlize hangs on doggedly, sagging against the fresher, stronger brunette, forehead plastered to Mandy's shoulder, sucking big gulping breaths of air through her open mouth; her rock hard nipples jutting out, clearly visible through the clinging, nearly-transparent-when-wet fabric of her wringing wet bikini top as she leans on the sturdily built young brunette and absorbs her sweat, mixing it with Charlize's own.

The referee moves in yet again, breaking another Charlize clinch, snidely remarking, "This ain't no love-in ladies, FIGHT!" A joking reference, no doubt, to the steamy breast-on-breast, groping embraces Charlize is mostly initiating out of pure necessity. Both woman nod their heads, Mandy stammering self-consciously, "Yes, sir," while Charlize merely grunts hoarsely

Though she's so achingly tired, the great blonde also has a lot of pride, and it hurts her inside, not so much from the punches mind you, which are putting a different kind of hurt on her tired bod, but the mental anguish of having a young, seemingly out-classed foe like Mandy Moore completely dominating her like this at the end of a fight she's still gonna win, or so she thinks! Sure, others have worked her over lately; old rival Cat Bell several times in their past battles, Cameron and Beyonce more recently before knocking her out. But in all those battles, it was clear at some point she was headed for defeat at the hands of a big name opponent - or in Beyonce's case, by a strong-legged newcomer with a bright future. Mandy coming in was neither accomplished, nor did she appear to have much of a future in the fight game, yet here she is, young, impetuous, presently pushing and punching around an utterly exhausted ex-champion with reckless abandon

The latest break provides little reprieve for the spent veteran, with Mandy bodying up to the older blonde with youthful strength and muscle in her supple body and well-developed legs that Charlize - in her present state - simply can't match. Moore props the weak, shaky former champ against her rope prison and then tees off; left-right-left to the body, belatedly heeding her manager's advice, carving up that lean, lithesome blondes frame in a late rush. Charlize twists and moans with each blow, her eyes squeezed shut against the pain, blindly trying to clinch, groping frantically for Mandy's pumping arms. Mandy rips into the veteran's softening abs, lifting her up onto her toes with the brutal power of her body punching, then as Charlize crumples forward, Mandy carves her punches upward, her leather gloves skidding across the smooth, golden flesh of Theron's lower torso to slice up under her breasts with breath-stealing, awesome effect. The ref doesn't even move in to break the clinch this time since Theron is hunched forward, her arms only loosely wrapped around Moore who breaks the attempted clinch on her own, shrugging off Theron's leaden arms to slam two more boob-mashing blows in. Charlize takes the breast-bashing like a mule, bellowing in protest at each impact; yet unable to move out of the way. One more punch slams into her midsection; and she's now too drained to even bellow, just emitting a thin, feeble whimper as her body twists with the blow!

Theron's legs are gone, wobbling horribly after the latest series of body blows, her jiggling round butt stuffed in the ropes, her heavy, exhausted arms dropping below chest level after being tossed aside by the much stronger, younger brunette. Mandy's manager sees the tell-tale slump in the great blonde body as it gives way; sagging heavily back on the ropes, long golden legs wobbling, trembling gloves dropping. He screams frantically at Mandy, who has backed off a step to catch her breath, her arms at her sides as she sucks in big, heaving gulps of air, "NOW MANDY! Do it now, go upstairs, she's gone...FINISH HER!'

The referee ritually intones, "Forty seconds, ladies!"

Mandy lifts her head, heaving a long, forcefully determinedly sigh, then setting her strong legs and swinging for the head. First a wicked left that Theron's wearily rising right arm only partially deflects but the almost instantly following right catches only jaw. Charlize's head whips backward, her mouthpiece sailing up as her knees unhinge....then she sinks slowly down now with a low, guttural groan as her long legs shake violently, splaying outward until her butt comes to rest on the middle strand of ropes; her limp arms are dangling at her trembling flanks, her dazed head nodding forward. The ref moves in quickly, wrapping his arms around Mandy and pulling her back toward the neutral corner before he returns to begin to count out the slumped, half-erect blonde.

Charlize's bobbing head jerks up suddenly as she hears the referee's count reach "3". She struggles with the balky, rubbery, legs beneath her, her butt rising off the middle rope at '6", her back still propped up against the ropes on wide-spread, violently trembling legs at "8". The count pauses as the referee shakes out the blondes gloves, checks her eyes, then waves the young brunette in to finish what she'd begun! Mandy leaps in quickly, descending on the dazed, helpless blonde; the rubber legged wreck of a former great champion still groggily trying to lift leaden arms, like a raptor going after a helpless prey.

But Moore is betrayed by her inexperience yet again, and rather than setting up a foot or so away to take pot-shots at the weaving, woozy, virtually defenseless ex-champ, the young brunette instead bulls into the helpless veteran, bodying poor Charlize back and bending her over the top ropes; the sagging blonde seemingly held up only by Mandy's young body pressing her against the ropes! Mandy unleashes a firestorm of short, frenzied uppercuts, left-right-left as she batters away at Theron's lolling head from point blank range, the third and final punch knocking Charlize's mouthpiece clear out in a spray of blood-specked spittle. The battered blonde's eyes roll back in her head as she sags forward, her unsteady legs wavering, blood trickling from a corner of her mouth as she is literally draped over her young tormentor's shoulder.

In Theron's corner, her manager has apparently seen enough and, frantically grabbing a towel, she starts to wave it overhead; then abruptly drops it when she sees the ref, who has been intently watching the steamy beating from a few feet away, belatedly move in to stop the carnage, prying the stunning young brunette away from her feebly moaning blond victim.

As Mandy slowly peels herself away from the draped former champion, poor Charlize is already in total collapse; shot legs buckling, sliding down limp into the refs arms. He props her body in the corner ropes, then turns to check on Mandy who is still standing and staring wild-eyed a few feet away. The roar of the crowd is deafening but somewhere in the wild confusion, the bell clangs and the referee, hearing it, catches Charlize, who is once again sliding slowly, helplessly, down the ropes, before she hits the canvas.

Over in Theron's corner, her manager having quickly dropped the towel she'd started to wave, watches the ref as he assists her woozy, rubbery legged fighter. Confusion reigns as he props the limp blonde beauty on the turnbuckle as best he can, then turns to wave his arms up in the air, shouting hoarsely, "There will be no count, the fight ended with the bell!"

Behind him, Charlize, insensate, her head nodding forward, her rubbery legs folding up beneath her, collapses completely; her sweet round butt sliding down and back, slipping over and hanging outside the bottom strand of rope, the back of her neck hitting the middle strand as she drops, whip-lashing her lolling head forward and sending her body off to her right before it lands on the apron outside the ropes as she stretches out on the canvas. She lays unmoving, her long, lovely legs draped over the lower rope inside the ring, her upper body twisted on the ring apron outside, her right arm on the apron behind her head, her left arm hanging straight down off the apron as blood seeps from the lower corner of her gaping mouth and her eyes stare glassily up at the ceiling lights.

Charlize's handlers rush to their crumpled girl as, across the ring, a stunned Mandy Moore has finally wandered back to her corner where she plops down on the stool, her sweaty bottom making an audible THWAP in the hushed auditorium. The adrenaline rush that fueled her frantic last minute pummeling of the helpless Theron is replaced almost instantly by a numbing exhaustion as she drapes her weary arms over the ropes, her head nodding as her handlers remove her mouthpiece and give her an infusion of the water her dehydrated body needs. Several are slapping her on the back as, in the confusion, some think their young charge has pulled off a last second stoppage of the great Theron, scoring one of the hugest upsets in 'Joe's Bar and Grill Boxing' history.

Across the ring, Charlize has finally been peeled off the canvas, freed from the ropes into which she'd become entangled as she fell and is unceremoniously dragged back to her own corner with her limp arms flung over the shoulders of her two corner women, her long legs dangling uselessly as they trail behind her. There's pandemonium in the arena, the crowd sitting stunned, unsure what to make of the bizarre ending. Many thought they saw Charlize's manager briefly waving the "surrender towel" before the bell; but equally as many were so glued to the frantic action along the ropes that they never saw any towel waved; and few could even hear the referee's words as he waved his arms at the conclusion of the fight and everyone is asking the people around them, "Did he stop it, or not?" and "Is it going to the judge's decision?"

Even Beyonce on TV is confused, telling viewers to, "hold on while I get to the bottom of things."

But Mandy's manager knows the awful truth, he saw the way the referee waved his arms, though he barely heard him above the din saying the fight had gone the distance. But he also saw the towel being waved, however briefly, by Charlize's manager before the final knockdown and he's incensed!

Mandy lifts her head between deep, ragged gulps of air, and asks, "What happened? Did they stop it? Did I win?"

But Mandy's manager hasn't heard a word she said; he's already stomping out to mid-ring, angrily yapping at the ref, who's toweling off in the same neutral corner where he deposited a woozy Charlize Theron just a moment ago.

"What in the HELL is this, ref?... she was out on her feet!" Then pointing angrily at Theron's corner, "They were waving the towel; why didn't you stop it?.. what's going on here?"

The ref takes a quick glance at Charlize's manager, who shrugs as if in blissful ignorance about any towel that might, or might not, have been waved. She's been in the fight game a long time, knows the ins and outs, and how to take advantage of them. The ref obviously didn't see it, so why belabor the issue (she's doubtlessly thinking.) "Besides which," she's now reasoning, "in the heat of the moment maybe I was just picking it up to wipe my own profusely sweating face ... that certainly doesn't constitute surrendering the fight on behalf of our fighter, does it?" And, as she further reasons, "Gawwd, Char would kill me, or worse, fire me, if she ever saw me try to stop one of her fights like that... she'd never live it down and never forgive me for doing that... no, I was just toweling myself off," she silently re-assures herself, her post-match observation solidified - at least in her own mind, just in case anyone asks!

Just to be sure, she leans in and whispers to the other handlers in the corner, making sure they're all consistent in any public comments they make later. Satisfied, perhaps, that Mandy's manager is merely exaggerating in his rage, the ref reacts with quick anger, himself, wheeling, snapping at Mandy's incensed manager, "Wha happened, ya blithering idiot; is your fighter simply ran out of time... in my judgment the blonde was on her feet at the bell."

"The bell, my ass!" Mandy's manager hollers back. "How'n hell could you even hear the bell, ya dumb shit? You're not only blind, but deaf too, ya flamin' arse 'ole!"

"Enough of that!" the angered ref yells back. "One more word and I'll turn you into the commission for official sanctions!"

"Fuck the commission too," the manager mutters as he finally turns and heads back to his corner, where he's patting a gasping Mandy Moore on the shoulder, his angry tone instantly softening now as he encourages his girl. "In my book, you won this fight, kiddo... you knocked her out, no question about if, even if the damn ref didn't see it that way."... Mandy nods her head mutely between still ragged gulps of air, shoulders slumping. She may be a relative newcomer to the game, but she instinctively knows how things work; Charlize is the NAME fighter, a former champion, three time champion actually; they ain't gonna take a win from her on a close decision....no way, no how. And they don't!

After a long break, five minutes, maybe more; with the judge's conferring amongst themselves and some angry words from one, they talk to the referee, then hand the official scoring sheet to the ring announcer. Charlize, feverishly worked over on her corner stool all that time, moves out shakily, still very wobbly but at least under her own power, to stand at mid-ring on the left side of the ref before the official announcement while Mandy slumps in resignation to his right.

He grabs each of their wrists as the ring announcer raises his notes and solemnly intones, "Ladies and gents, we have a split decision... " Then, after a pause to let the loud buzz in the crowd subside, "Judge One gives the nod to Theron...." A big roar from the blondes remaining supporters goes up. "...while Judge Two says the winner is Moore...." The youngster's fans, both those who came with faint hopes of just seeing their heroine not be embarrassed, plus the many new fans she'd won over with her gritty performance, all rise out of their chairs screaming her name. But Mandy knows, her shoulders slumping, head hanging gloomily. The announcer again has to wait to be heard over the uproar as it appears most of the arena is on their feet screaming. Finally he concludes, "...and Judge Three gives the decision to .. your winner....Charlize THERON!"

Charlize shudders in weary relief as the referee signals her controversial victory by raising her right arm, then she forces a weak smile across her puffy lips. Mandy pulls away quickly and heads to her corner, disconsolate, where her handlers embrace her, pat her on the back and try to encourage her. Charlize, ever mindful of the cameras, gives a tired wave and a bit wider smile for her many still-loyal fans before wandering on still shaky legs back to her corner. Many in the crowd though are lustily booing; but the decision, however tainted by controversy and questions about the actions of Charlize's manager and/or the referee at the end of the fight, stand. Not being a championship fight, there is no instant replay, no over-ruling the refs decision, which is final.

In the only view that officially counts, the referee's, Charlize was still on her feet, not OUT, before the bell; therefore no stoppage or count. Given the judgment call by the ref, the split decision victory for Theron that followed was pretty much expected by boxing experts. As Mandy's manager surmised, “They aren’t gonna go against a former three time champion in a close decision like this; it's just how the fight game works!”

But young Mandy Moore has come of age as a fighter in this, her first ten round bout although, officially at least, her fledgling record falls to 1-3. Theron, on the other hand, looked aged beyond her still tender years. She came into this fight looking trim and in great shape; had looked great sparring in the final weeks. But her already much questioned punch wasn’t nearly enough to take out an outgunned youngster early - then she faded badly down the stretch, punched out, legs gone. By the final stanza, the younger, fresher, stronger brunette came on and on and on, pinning the spent blonde on the ropes and battering her with both hands.

Down at ringside, still providing her vivid color commentary for one of the TV networks is Beyonce Knowles. As Charlize trudges by surrounded by her entourage, looking much the worse for wear despite her supposed victory, Beyonce can't help adding one more public dig at the battered and exhausted blonde.

"Hey Charlize, last time I saw you leaving the ring you were horizontal and twitching, remember that, honey? Oh, ‘scuse me, I forgot; you don't remember much since by then you were out cold….hee-hee! But, hey, things are looking up, sort of, girlfriend. Now you've held off - oh ‘scuse me, I guess the ref thought that way at least... well, you survived against that young fluff!"

Charlize ignores the cruel barbs hurled her way by the Bootylicious Babe, trudging on to a sorely needed shower and massage. Behind her, Mandy and company move toward Knowles, who gives her some sincere words of encouragement.

“You ain't fluff any more dear. I just had to say that to take a dig at OLD Char just then.... You won this thing Mandy, no matter what the ref or judges say. I saw enough here tonight to give you a shot once I take the title, which I will do!"

Mandy nods, smiling thinly as she moves on by while Beyonce turns to the TV camera, sassily remarking to millions of viewers, "Let me just end my comments with this... I'll say it for the record right here.. Charlize is S-H-O-T... she don't have it any more; she only won this fight ‘cause the ref made terrible mistake... oh sure, it's a judgment call, ‘specially when you may have to stop the fight in the final seconds and the helpless fighter is somebody with Theron's reputation... but in my book he made the wrong decision, he shoulda stopped it... Charlize couldn't defend herself and coulda been seriously hurt because of the ref not stepping in soon enough! Basically, Mandy Moore got jobbed out of a victory she’d earned. But there won't be any question - if and when Charlize and I get out second fight - because I'll make her QUIT, period!"

Her co-commentator eggs her on, "So if Charlize is shot, as you say, doesn't that diminish your KO win over her a few months back?"

"It don't diminish nuttin!" Beyonce snaps somewhat irritated. "You don't understand! Charlize was maybe on the downhill side of her career by then... and I'll give her all the credit in the world... she'd been a great fighter, emphasis on BEEN... and she was still pretty good until she met me... I beat on her pretty bad and that beating is the biggest reason she's a SHOT fighter now. You saw her just now, lying in the ropes lettin’ Mandy Moore beat the snot outta her! She never gonna be the same after the whuppin’ I lay on her….sad thing is, for her at least, the next time we fight, it'll only be worse. Like I said, I'll make her QUIT, pure and simple."

"You're pretty full of yourself, aren't you?" her co host asks.

The tawny young black beauty nods, flashing those pearly whites, responds, "Listen, buddy boy, you don't get where I am professionally - in music or movies or now with my boxing career taking off - without being sure... you can afford to be cocky, full of yourself, as you say, but only if you can back it up - and I can! Theron of all people, should know that. Enough said!”

The cocky Beyonce signed off with another big grin, clearly, as her co-commentator said, "...full of herself."

Back in her dressing room, Charlize is mostly full of hurt; her long, lovely body bruised and aching from the body shots taken late in the fight, her jaw tender and those full lips swollen and bloodied by the wild shots that almost took her head off near the end.

But she's smiling, telling her manager, "Hey, I beat a pretty good fighter today. That Moore kid is gonna be a great one in time, mark my words. I would’ve liked to put her down and out, but she can really take a punch, much better than Beyonce! And she's strong. So it was a good, hard test, and we'll build on this, hanging in, outlasting, and defeating a good, strong young fighter." Her manager nods her head mutely, knowing the awful truth; that Charlize was lucky to make it to the final bell, that she was so sure Charlize was out on her feet she was ready to wave the fight off with mere seconds left; but she lets Charlize have her say. Then turning to her fight agent, Theron tells him, "Get me Beyonce, six weeks from now oughta be about right!"

Her agent looks at her with some disbelief, stammers, "Are you sure, champ?"

"What's your problem?" she snaps. "You don't think I can handle that tramp?"

He shakes his head, privately doubting whether Charlize even won THIS fight... he saw the towel come out, but he ain't talking about it either. Stammering back at his bruised and battered signature client now, "No, no; I didn't mean shit!"

She cuts him off, clearly agitated, adds, "Then get me the damn Beyonce fight! Do your job or I'll get someone who will... that bitch ain't gonna say those things about me and get away with it.... I'm gonna shut that fat mouth of hers once and for all.... We'll see who ends up horizontal and twitching next time!"

Big words perhaps from the clearly struggling ex-champ who was ‘toast’ through the final minute of this fight and ended up wrapped around the lower ropes “after the bell,” in the opinion of at least one viewer; the referee.

LATER THAT NIGHT

At a post-fight press conference, Judge two, the lone dissenter who gave the nod to Mandy, is being interviewed by the TV types, and he's irritated.

"I gave the fight to the kid for two reasons: #1, the fight should have been stopped; and #2, given that it wasn't stopped, then my card still showed the girl Moore ahead on points. But let me explain reason #1. It's my belief that the fight should have been stopped.... and the referee and I have had some heated discussion about his decision making there at the end of the tenth round. In the final minute Theron shut down almost completely; she couldn't respond as the other girl pummeled her along the ropes. If a fighter's just hanging in, taking punches with little defense, not answering with any punches of her own, that there should be a signal to the ref that she's had it. It could have been stopped even earlier perhaps; but in any event, in my opinion this fight was clearly over when Theron slumped down against the ropes and was given an eight count. She was in no condition to go on, but since he saw it differently and didn't stop the fight right then and there, Ms. Theron needlessly took those last several head shots that could have seriously injured her. And then, inexplicably, he failed to stop it a few moments later after the damage was done and Charlize was clearly out on the ropes.... that's unthinkable in my book, letting her helplessly take those closing head shots, but then I'm not the ref."

A reporter tosses in a quick question, "Sir, some in the audience, and some of us here, even, thought they saw Charlize's manager waving a towel to call it off after her fighter took those last few head shots... did you see that towel?"

"No, I didn't," the Judge flatly states. "However it's disturbing if she did wave the towel and the ref didn't see it, because it's automatic then... you stop the fight and save the fighter from grave injury at her manager's request...but the short answer is NO, I didn't see any towel being waved, and apparently the ref didn't either."

"So what about the judges decision, he's asked, you think your card is correct? Why was it different than the other judges?... were you guys all watching the same fight?"

Judge Two doesn't look amused by the sarcastic joke at the end of that question. He takes a deep breath, glaring at the questioner, remarks, "We were all watching the same fight, no question about it; and we're only talking about a few points difference on all three judges cards. It was a very close fight, and scored that way by all the judges. As I said earlier, there were two reasons I went with Moore in this fight, the first being the fight should have been stopped, the second being I had her ahead on points. The fight was Theron's early on, as most everyone would agree. But, to be brutally frank, the blonde spent a lot of time, even in the middle rounds, coasting; taking a lot of body punishment, particularly in the final minutes of many rounds... I had Ms. Moore scoring points in there. They weren't knockdown punches, but they still counted... So I had Theron ahead, though narrowly, after eight... I believe the other judges may have given her a few more points by that time... it's a judgment call, and we're only human... But then the youngster scored big at the end of the ninth to take that round, and completely dominated the tenth...As I've already mentioned, Theron was doing nothing but laying on the ropes, riding out the round without really trying to fight; and, in the final minute or so, as I've said, to me she could not fight back or adequately defend herself from the other woman's punches. So I had the young fighter, Moore, clearly winning this fight, regardless. The other judges disagreed with me. That's their prerogative, and they have to live with their decision."

He starts to walk away and is asked, "Are you implying then that the other judges were wrong to go with Theron? Were they favoring her because she's an ex-champ and Mandy Mandy's a NOBODY in the fight game?"

He stops, turns and tersely responds, "No comment," then comments anyhow, adding, "Lets just say I've been around the fight game a long time, my reputation as a judge speaks for itself. I always endeavor to judge a fight, the fighters in it, purely by what they put out there on that day. What they did last month, two years ago, how many fights they've had or how many titles they won, all of that...that doesn't matter to me when I'm judging a fight on a particular day. I can't speak for the other judges. Let's leave it at that," he grumbles as he storms out, refusing to answer any more questions.