Imagine, if you will, a room packed to the gills with testosterone. Over at the end of the room is a stage with a long table on it. There sits Denver promoter Barry Fey, sipping his water and uncomfortably staring at his feet while Steve Farber, an attorney, sits next to him giggling like a schoolboy.

Here comes a very shapely woman clad in nothing but a g-string and triangle bikini top that is struggling to hold together her rather large breasts. She is holding a giant card with the number four on it above her head (upside-down, by the way), and shaking her hips while 200 men hoot and holler.

This was the scene last Wednesday night at Red and Jerry's, where 22 Colorado women all competed for the title of "ring card girl" for the Stevie Johnston fight at Magnus Arena. Fey, fight promoter, had to ensure that only the "crème of the crop" were selected for his fight that brought Stevie Johnston, WBC lightweight champion, to Denver to defend his title in front of a hometown crowd.

Colorado showed its support from the moment Johnston stepped into the sold-out arena Friday night, as 8,000 screaming people greeted him. This was Johnston's fight, and he paid for it, taking a six figure hit in the old pocket book by not taking the fight to Las Vegas. Unfortunately for Colorado, not even concert giant Fey can compete with Las Vegas because of all the money casinos generate. Vegas will always be able to offer more to the fighters.

Nevertheless it was like a dream come true for Johnston to defend his belt at home.

"I've been waiting for this since I got the belt." Johnston said at the weigh in last Thursday.

This event had the making of a Las Vegas fight right down to the "let's get ready to rumble guy" Michael Buffer, and celebrities in attendance such as Sugar Ray Leonard and certain members of the Broncos. Even the crowd played the part, dressed to the nines and throwing out phrases like "forget about it." All that was missing was Don King, and given the right haircut, Barry Fey would suffice.

Johnston calls himself "little but bad." After Friday night, he was not only "little but bad," but "little and fast." Johnston took opponent, Julio Alvarez, through a round and a half of pummeling until, at only two minutes into the second round, he unleashed a series of "how do you do, welcome to my world" punches that sent the referee running to rescue Alvarez as he slumped into the ropes.

"I trained for this one, because usually I am used to going in other peoples' backyards and beating them up," Johnston said. "I couldn't handle anybody coming here and beating me up in my home town."

So, can fight fans expect more boxing in Denver? "Yeah," Fey said. "I mean, Denver could never become a stop for championship fights without a local on the fight card, but we deserve a shot. The fight was well attended and I think I did a good job. I tried real hard anyway. It definitely turned the city on. Fight fans can't wait until the next one."