Post by Lookout! Boxing on Jan 27, 2023 19:34:40 GMT -6
Unified Bantamweight Title
Ch Minka Kelly vs Samara Weaving
(Lioness Club of America vs Odds & Ends Fight Studio
(73-31-1, 69 KO vs 14-10, 13 KO)
Results: Lookout!; Story: Vassago
BEFORE: Hall of Fame members can choose their own schedule without having to look at the rankings and Minka Kelly decided to offer a voluntary title defense to Samara Weaving who might be one of the most underrated bantams this side of Anya Taylor-Joy. There's a lot to like about Samara who mysteriously skipped the Odds & Ends beach card amid rumours she's skating on thin ice with the organization. Despite actually holding the belts Minka isn't a designated pre-fight favorite against anyone in their early 30s and Samara was supposed to fight Bella Thorne this month before she was offered this title opportunity. As much as fans love Bella, she had to take a backseat for once in her otherwise successful career!
Minka Kelly wears a leopard print bikini top, black hip-huggers & red gloves. Long dark brown hair tied in a custom ponytail. Samara Weaving wears a golden bikini top, neon green hip-huggers & golden gloves. Long blonde hair tied in a braid. The fight is scheduled for ten rounds in the bantamweight division.
Round 1:
Samara takes advantage of Minka's trademark slow start and makes sure the champion doesn't have much time to react when she blitzes her up the middle in true slugging fashion. Minka comes in almost too confident for a change and gets laced on the chin a couple of times which helps Weaving to settle down in the hole and the younger actress easily enforces the close range stance to dominate the high-octane delivery. Minka swings from the southpaw position but bounces off the top of the blonde's forehead and has to soak up a heavy pressure up the middle as the Aussie shows no signs of slowing down to the point even the LCA coach Eva Mendes begins to lose her patience. Samara has nothing to lose and she bangs into the brunette's body to circumvent the earmuff cover come the final minute but it's all blonde girl here in the opener as she pummels the subdued champion into the corner and only gets pulled away by the referee at the bell.
Rounds 2 & 3:
Weaving keeps on going with her slugging approach but this time she gets shut out of the zone as Minka uses her mobility to navigate the danger. Those 42-year old legs can still move around and force Samara into a hectic pursuit that seemingly gives her the impression edge until Minka's counter-punching efforts start to connect with the blonde's face. Ugh! Samara gets whacked with one vicious combo that cuts her up across the nasal ridge and triggers immediate payback only for Kelly to spin away from the striking range and counter over the top even some more! Weaving suffers more damage as the cougar champion uses her face as target practice and this experience completely slows the challenger down in the third allowing Minka to methodically pick her off and dominate the medium dispute that lacks a true bite but this is how Minka cut her spurs in southern California all those years ago. Samara scrubs off the losses and...
Rounds 4 & 5:
...picks up the heat in the next round blowing up the brunette's high guard and blasting her on the chin with several wild swings. Minka can't rely on her counter-punching success anymore but she avoids a true haymaker banana skin as well and remains in high alert as the Aussie challenger drops one menacing shot after another. Ugh! Just can't quite lace it up before a clinching stalemate terminates the effort. No better luck in the fifth where Kelly keeps working the single hand delivery to keep Weaving honest and the overall production meets a stubborn guard before Minka forces a phone booth tangle that neutralizes the blonde's power supply. Samara begins to lose her temper and even though she whacks the American up the chimney late in the going, she runs out of time to really hurt the LA veteran. It's another close deal at half-distance but one simply cannot wear Minka out like that.
Round 6:
Samara tries another head-hunting blast but she becomes a little too predictable in her attacks now and gets busted in the chops instead with Minka blasting her to the body thereafter to expand her striking zone. Samara briefly loses her footing but recovers only to meet an uppercut stinger that bellows her out behind the guard and she can't match the brunette's firing precision which leads into a hectic tussle along the ropes until Kelly grinds the younger actress onto the turnbuckle. Samara keeps slicing her punches but she loses all her accuracy come the final minute and gets clobbered into more lumps on her face with Minka rolling from the both flanks to punch the challenger into a yelping standstill at the bell. Ugh! Most fans didn't see it coming and Samara is furious while talking to compatriot Claire Holt during the interval.
Round 7:
Minka cranks up the hooking volume and catches Samara cold with a quick inside out series on the chin before looping a left hook on the ear. The Aussie challenger swings for the fences but only finds thin air while the southpaw champion turns up from the inside to SMASH a left hook on the jaw that sends the younger woman into jelly mode upon impact. Ugh! Samara goes all numb here and drops her gloves so Kelly almost performs a mercy shot and KNOCKS HER DOWN with a left hook on the nose. Down goes Weaving with a loud thump off the boards as she rolls to her left side with eyes closed and suddenly the quick count favors the champ as the Aussie blonde tries to push herself off the canvas but falls flat on her face and remains in spread eagle position when the ref shouts "TEN!!!" pointing at your winner and STILL the unified bantamweight champion Minka Kelly!!!
AFTER: Some pundits begin to wonder if Minka can put up the best resume for anyone on the wrong side of forty in the 120 lbs division and even the usual suspects like Kate Beckinsale or Jenny McCarthy might have to fold their hand when asked to raise. The gritty veteran does it again and it's anyone's guess where she goes from here: "I can totally ignore the conventional ranking and picks anyone out there but I hope Bella isn't too upset I spoiled her party. She can always take care of Samara herself and let's see if she can even beat her? Good luck, girls!" (winks).
Official Result: Ch Minka Kelly def. Samara Weaving KO7.