Priyanka Chopra versus Sydney Sweeney

BEFORE:

Blonde/brunette bantam battle features a pair of aggressive fighters who've been going pretty well of late. Sweeney is four of her last five and followed the only loss in that group, to the bigger Steinfeld, with a nice win over Ratajkowski. Chopra's five of seven, with one of those two losses having come to current Unified Bantamweight Champion Kosarin and the other, earlier this month, to Selena Gomez at the Ice Hotel, with Gomez claiming the Princess crown Priyanka held for over a year. So, while Sydney's looking to build off her most recent win, Big Choppy wants to get back on track and is confident she will. "So, I don't have the Ice Hotel anymore," the hard-eyed brunette says. "Well, some day, I'll reclaim it. But, right now, my eyes are on a bigger prize, the bantamweight gold. Sydney is in the way. But. Not for much longer."

"Some girls," says Sweeney with a smile, "Are ripe for the pickings coming off a loss. But, I'm betting Chopra is the OTHER kind, never more dangerous than when she's wounded. I'd favor her against most of the division in this fight. But, she's in with the wrong girl tonight."

ROUND ONE:

Or, maybe not. Big Choppy has quite a bit of reach here, and she's using it very effectively early, keeping Sydney at bay with the long left poke, then dropping hard right hands on her. Sweeney's trying to get to spots, but that's not happening. Instead, she's being held by the jab out on the end of Priyanka's punches, which is absolutely NOT where she wants to be. Blonde game, working hard, trying to get something going, but, instead, she's being picked up and touched up as Chopra is firing on all cylinders, perhaps imagining that's Gomez's face she's punching again and again. Final seconds sees Sweeney actually land a combination, her first of the fight, but Big Choppy responds with a flurry that backs the blonde up at the bell. When it rings, Priyanka's taken it wide to lead 10-9.

ROUND TWO:

Priyanka turning up the heat. She's walking forward behind the left, backing up the blonde, bringing the phy...BOOM! Right-hand counter, SYDNEY and BIG CHOPPY IS HURT! Blonde going all in now, as she has the brunette reeling. THIS is what Sweeney's been waiting for, the opportunity to step to and get physical and IS SHE EVER! She's hammering away to head and body, even hooking a little jug, all while the brunette backs and covers until there's no where left to back to. She's rope bound as the blonde invests in body, tenderizing tummy and rocking ribs with hooks. Priyanka ties up, hangs on, gets a break, but Sydney right back at her, landing a HARD right hand that wobbles the brunette's legs again. Ref on high alert now, but before Sweeney can do any additional damage, the bell sounds. It's Sydney wide in the second and we're even at 19.

ROUND THREE:

Sydney rolling, stepping to a still buzzed Priyanka and backing the brunette up with heavy fire. Chopra making it a fighting retreat, but she's still retreating and that's not ideal for a fighter with her style. But, after a minute or so, Big Choppy is able to firm up her defenses and hold canvas. But. Sydney isn't taking a step back. Result? FIREFIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RING! Both women BANGING away to head and body, determined to impose will. But, nobody wants to be imposed upon. Crowd on the edge of its seats as some SERIOUS leather is landing, but both women ship the shell and remain afloat, and neither is willing to disengage. Final seconds see two NASTY right hands landed, one by each fighter, but, still, nobody's backing off. At the bell, it's close, but Sweeney, and Sydney has her first lead of the bout, 29-28.

ROUND FOUR:

Both ladies hear it in the corner, and both get back to the fight plan. Big Choppy working the outside with that reach advantage, coming forward behind the jab when she has the opportunity. Blonde angling, moving the head and feet, keeping the gloves high to pick off jabs, stepping in, working body-head-body, scoring well until Priyanka is able to restore the distance she wants. Everybody getting SOME of the terms she wants to fight on, but nobody getting ENOUGH of those said terms. Result is a very even round, with neither fighter able to gain any sort of advantage and both working hard into the final seconds competing for the points. At the bell, there's absolutely nothing in it. It's an even round, and that means the blonde continues to lead by a point, 39-38.

ROUND FIVE:

Big Choppy gets rolling again. All of a sudden she's back to where she was in the first, and it's all thanks to an adjustment. She's doubling up on the jab now, using it to pick off the blonde, hold her, open her up for the big right hands zooming in behind the lefts. Sydney figures out what's happening pretty quickly. What she can't figure out is a way around or through Priyanka's now-strengthened defenses. Result is a difficult round for Sweeney, who's working hard to get to spots and get off, but is mostly being preempted. She's never hurt, but she's definitely taking a beating from the opening bell to the final one. And, when that final bell rings, there's absolutely no doubt about who's getting the points in this stanza. It's Chopra and it's wide and we're dead even at 48 at the half.

ROUND SIX:

Now it's Sydney who adjusts. She's moving the head, hands and feet, finding ways past the jab, getting inside and banging. Chopra willing to trade with the blonde in there, but Sweeney's getting the better of th...BOOM! Right hand, SWEENEY and BIG CHOPPY IS HURT! For the second time, the blonde lands a NASTY shot and Priyanka's sturdy legs give a shimmy. Again, Sydney ALL IN, firing away with every available big gun. Chopra in full retreat, backed to the ropes yet again and worked over in a BIG way. Ref watching as Sydney goes head-body-head and the brunette hangs on desperately in a high guard. Chopra clinching, hooking around the head, doing anything she can to run clock. Sweeney punching free, piling up points and hurt. But, once again, Chopra makes the bell. The blonde's taken the round wide, though, and gone back into the lead 58-57.

ROUND SEVEN:

Sweeney aggressively after Big Choppy early. Priyanka again giving ground and playing for time, slowly getting those legs back under her. And, when she does? Yep. FIREFIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RING! It's the third round all over again, as the blonde is determined to continue the cleanup and the brunette ISN'T HAVING ANY! Result is exchange after exchange of absolute BOMBS, with first Chopra backing up Sydney and then Sweeney backing up Priyanka. Crowd going nuts as both fighters look to impose w...BOOM! Right hand, BIG CHOPPY! Sydney's GOBSMACKED! Right hook, Priyanka! BLONDE. GIRL. DOWN! Chopra to a neutral corner. Sydney spilled to her left side. Manages to get to elbow and haunch at seven...but no further! The count passes her by! It's OVER! And your winner by KO7 is Priyanka Chopra!

AFTER:

Yeah, judging by Big Choppy's face, she's been in a fight...and, if you hadn't just SEEN that fight, you might think she ended up with second prize. But, she's clearly pleased in the post. She's back on track after winning one of the more physical battles we'll see at bantam this year. "She can hit," Priyanka admits. "We all knew THAT. What I didn't know was how well she can take a punch. I hit that girl with stuff that would have knocked half this division cold, and she took it and kept coming. But, I knew I'd get her. And, I did. And, to all the other fighters standing between me and bantam gold? I'll get YOU, too!"