After the rousing success of the first “Howard Stern Invitational Tournament” he was understandably eager to hold a second one. First, Howard called Cat Bell who’d won the first tournament and asked her to "defend your title." Cat just laughed at him, explaining in no uncertain terms she had NO intention of defending her title. She suggested he call Charlize Theron, sneering, "....she's technically the co-champion since, according to your stupid ruling, we tied after five events. Besides, I don't think the end result sat very well with her - or her mother - heeheeheeheehee! Maybe she's eager to try and resusciate her 'fighting girl' reputation." Before Howard could reply, Cat burst out laughing and hung up!

Once his blood pressure came down to earth and he stopped huffing and puffing, Howard told Robin, “I got no intention of calling that bitch Theron - especially after all the problems she caused in the first tournament. She sure was an ungrateful cunt," he said during his program one morning while he was running teases to get his listeners excited about the next tournament. "I gave her all kinds of exposure and all she did was bitch and moan....didn't like the costumes I made her wear; didn't like the rules; didn't like the sets; didn't like....Hell, she sure seemed to like Cat Bell well enough when it was over!! I wonder what those two did behind closed doors anyway? God, I’d sure loved to have had a camera THERE," he said with a lecherous laugh.

"I'm kinda surprised Howard," Robin chided. "After all, this seems like the perfect opportunity for payback - I mean, if you really feel Theron done you wrong there must be a way to teach her not to piss on the King of All Media...isn't there?"

Suddenly, Stern's eyes lit up and he spun around in his chair, "You're abso-fuckin'-lutely right Robin! No wonder I pay you the magnificent salary I do. You’re right, this is the opportunity of a lifetime!"

During the next commercial break, Howard got Charlize's agent on the phone and talked her into coming on the show the following week. In her appearance, Stern begged and pleaded with Charlize to agree to appear in the next Stern Tournament. He appealed to her ego, her vanity, her sense of fair play, he even played the "Cat Bell's-afraid-to-do-it-so-you-can-show-you're-the-better-woman" card. Nothing worked. Then, just when he was about to give up, Howard tried a final, desperation, Hail Mary gambit.

"Charlize, how about if I GUARANTEE that if you come and defend your championship, I'll call the studio and get you an opportunity to produce a movie of your choosing. Any vehicle you want with you…or someone else you want…in the starring role. Hell, I’ll even write the script for you if you want…you know the kind of kinky stuff I like, it’s right up your….um, alley!”

The young blonde wasn’t naïve by any means, but a chance to produce a movie - maybe even direct - was too attractive to pass up. Blinded by her ambition and without thinking it through or consulting her agent, Charlize leaped at the chance for super-stardom, and signed the contract with Stern right there - live - on his show. As Robin rubbed her hands eagerly, then picked up her cellphone to start making calls to several actresses, singers and ‘adult’ stars who’d expressed an interest in Howard’s tournament, her boss kept Charlize in the studio, busily answering questions from panting callers while the show’s producer kept Charlize’s agent fuming on ‘hold’ until it was too late to prevent her from commiting to Stern’s Tournament.

In the week since Charlize agreed to come on his show, Stern had been finalizing the rules for the new tournament. These were far different than the first one when all the possible events were agreed ahead of time and drawn from a hat. This year, Stern had promised each ‘challenger’ she could choose any contest she wanted; whatever she was best at, wanted to do or simply thought gave her the best chance to win. Charlize had no say at all in what events she competed in. In fact, she wouldn’t even be told what type of contest it was until after both girls had been introduced. It gave each of the challengers a HUGE advantage and almost guaranteed Charlize would be humiliated and embarrassed several times…or more. Exactly what Stern wanted! To sweeten the pot even more, Stern announced that the winner of each event would get $50,000 for her favorite charity and the loser only $5,000. In addition, if Charlize won 4 or more events, her charity would get an additional $50,000. If not, that $50,000 would be split among the other celebrities charities!

Charlize, being a natural blonde, never bothered to read the contract before she signed, trusting Stern would keep his word - since he’d promised on national radio to help get her a production deal. And Howard, being a man of his word and honorable, did exactly that. He called his friends at “Vivid Video” and easily got them to agree to let Charlize not only produce, but also direct, a ‘straight to video’ feature film. The only conditions were that it had to star EITHER Charlize herself, or her lover Sunny McKay along with several veteran porn stars whom the executives at Vivid would choose. Charlize got exactly what she’d been promised, and no more, but she would probably pay a heavy price for her chance to produce her first ‘feature film’.

Stern quickly made arrangements to hold the tournament in Miami, Florida; using the University of Miami stadium during the Christmas-New Years break or other locations in the city as necessary - depending on the event and the size of the crowd. Tickets and PPV subscriptions sold like hotcakes and for the first event the stadium was a sell-out. Even “cheap seats” were being scalped for 2-3 times face!

Naturally, when Charlize realized how badly she’d been duped she was livid, but Stern’s attorney’s had drawn up an ironclad, unbreakable contract. Charlize had no choice but to go through with the Tournament or risk being ruined in Hollywood! She wasn’t told who her competition would be until a few hours before fight time, and then only her name; the rules wouldn't be revealed until she was in the ring, or wherever the fight was held. The fights would be held once-a-month for seven consecutive months and televised live on a PPV basis on Saturday nights. The first two fights were held outdoors at high noon under the broiling sun (unless it rained!); the others on prime time PPV cable. Charlize knew she'd be better rested then in the first tournament when she had to fight several fights per night, but now she'd face a fresh opponent in each bout, unlike the first Tournament when she fought Cat Bell in all the fight.

The day of the first fight arrived; Charlize took a deep breath and prepared to meet her first ‘mystery opponent’…..