Hailee Steinfeld versus Kaya Scodelario

BEFORE:

"Kaya," says a hard-eyed Hailee, "Is old news. She was champ, like, a hundred years ago. Well. I'm going to BE champion. And, all SHE is is the next girl standing in my way."

"Hailee's cute," says Kaya with a grin. "She wins a couple of fights and she thinks she's in MY class. She's about to find out how wrong she is."


ROUND ONE:

Steinfeld has excellent physicals for bantam, and she's determined to put them on display early. She's working the left, looking to try to walk down Kaya behind it. Scodelario, however, isn't having any. She's moving laterally, working the jab, getting the distance she wants to box at range. And, when she does, she takes the younger brunette to the woodshed. Scodelario gets everything working almost instantly, tossing Hailee onto the defensive and pretty much keeping her there for the entire round. Steinfeld has moments here and there, but there's no doubt she's coming off second best. When the bell rings ending the first, it's Kaya wide and with the 10-9 lead.

ROUND TWO:

Hailee backs off the pedal some. She's realized she's not going to be able to walk Kaya down, so she stays at range. boxing with. For a while, it doesn't go that well, as Scodelario has the better of things in the first minute. But, soon enough, Steinfeld finds her rhythm and starts using that speed and athleticism to her advantage. By late in the round, the younger brunette has made up the stagger and everything is in the balance. Final thirty seconds see a TON of action with hot tossing from both brunettes, but, when the bell rings, Hailee's done enough to slip past Scodelario into the lead, taking the points to even things at 19.

ROUND THREE:

Third looks an awful lot like the second. Fighters boxing and range and both doing so pretty well. Kaya the slicker of the two, moving the head, hands and feet, feinting, working to set up punches. Younger brunette relying more on her feet and quickness, bouncing on the toes, working to get to spots, getting off before Scodelario can. Add it all up, and you get another good, two-way round with not a lot in it, as both fighters impress both offensively and defensively. The points are, once again, in the balance in the final thirty seconds, and both brunettes turn up the heat trying to steal them. At the bell, it's very close, but, this time it's Kaya, and she goes back on top 29-28.

ROUND FOUR:

More two-way stuff in the fourth. Everybody seeming to be comfortable on these terms, so no one looking to make any chan...BOOM! Right hand, HAILEE and KAYA IS HURT! Scodelario stumbling backward, nearly going down, and Steinfeld is ALL IN! Younger brunette letting the hands go in a BIG way, backing the older woman into the ropes and then LETTING HER HAVE IT with everything in the arsenal. Hailee digging body, then going back upstairs as the referee looks in closely. Kaya hanging on in a tight earmuff as Steinfeld does everything she can to finish this thing...but she can't quite get it done. At the bell, Scodelario is still standing, and, while Hailee's won the round wide, we're even at 38.

ROUND FIVE:

Steinfeld pushing forward, determined to end this thing. BOOM! Right hand COUNTER, KAYA and HAILEE IS HURT! Younger brunette's LEGS DO A SHIMMY and Scodelario quickly over to the offensive. She's backing the younger woman up with a blizzard of hard shot. Hailee looking ready to go and the older woman more than willing to assist her on her way. By the final minute, Steinfeld is trapped on the cables and taking as Kaya looks to finish in a complete 180. Steinfeld clinching, hanging on desperately as the British beauty gives her a pasting. Final seconds see Hailee beginning to shake the worst of it and fire back, but it's too little, too late. Scodelario has the round wide and leads 48-47 at the half.

ROUND SIX:

Kaya doesn't push the issue. She knows Hailee's got the legs back under her. So, we go right back to ranged boxing and good, two-way stuff, as both brunettes again show they can do this and do it at a high level. For a minute and a half, we're all even. Then, we're not. BOOM! Right hand, HAILEE and KAYA IS HURT! Scodelario wobbles and Steinfeld lets the hands go! Three-punch combination and DOWN GOES KAYA! Scodelario puddles in at Hailee's feet. Steinfeld quickly to a neutral corner to watch and wait, but there's not much to watch. There's no movement at all from Kaya as the count passes her by. It's OVER! And your winner by KO6 is Hailee Steinfeld!

AFTER:

Steinfeld jubilant in the post-fight. That's a big win for the Lookout! beauty, and she knows it. "Like I said," Hailee exclaims, "I'm on my way to the bantamweight gold. I know there are girls in my way. I KNOW that. But, all of those girls are going to be just like Dobrev and Kaya. At my feet. They're going to be at my FEET."