Millie Bobby Brown versus Olivia Rodrigo

BEFORE:

Two of the FCBA's top young prospects meet at catchweight, 115 pounds, in a bout that could fairly be described as "hotly anticipated". Of course, calling Brown a prospect might be doing her an injustice, since she's already claimed a lineal title, but, considering she's about a third of a year past her 19th birthday, it's fair to assume she's only scratched the surface of what she'll eventually be in the FCBA, and she's plenty confident coming into this one. "I won't bash Olivia," Brown says with a shake of the head. "She's good. Very good. And, someday, she'll be a champion. But. I'm a champion RIGHT NOW, and that's the difference."

Olivia, meanwhile, isn't lacking confidence herself. "Is she the best I've ever faced? She might be," the brunette admits. "But, is she better than me? No. She is NOT."

ROUND ONE:

Brown is better, at least in the first round. She's giving up a little height and reach, and a little size to a natural bantam, but it doesn't matter. The former flyweight champ takes Olivia to school, then takes her out to the woodshed BEHIND the school and gives her a whipping. Rodrigo's out of sorts from the beginning. She can't get the distance she wants, she can't get to spots where she can punch, and she can't seem to find a way to stop getting hit in the face repeatedly by Brown's left, followed by Brown's right. Rodrigo has one brief chunk in the middle of the round where she's able to score, but, most of the way, Millie dominates and thoroughly, taking the first wide to lead 10-9.

ROUND TWO:

Rodrigo hears it in the corner and gets to work. She spent most of the first round on the defensive, but now she's working to take the initiative away from the smaller woman. She's not sitting back and jabbing, she's coming forward behind the left, dropping in right hands, scoring points. But, Brown can PLAY this game, because she can play MOST games. She's scoring well in counter at times, going over to the offensive at others. It's very good two way stuff from two talented young fighters, and there's not much in it at all right up until the final seconds when Olivia lands a pair of nice flurries that back up Millie and grab the points for the taller brunette, evening things at 19.

ROUND THREE:

Brown takes control back...by force. She begins stepping to herself, getting inside the taller woman's defenses, going body-head-body, throwing Olivia onto the back foot. Soon enough, Rodrigo's in retreat and Millie's reprising the first round, where she's doing pretty much what she wants when she wants to do it. Olivia has a moment here or there when she puts punches together and scores points, but for most of the three minutes, there's ZERO doubt who the better fighter is. Final seconds see Brown land two of her best punches of the fight, hard right hands that back up the California girl to put an exclamation point on another excellent round for Millie, who pulls right back into the lead 29-28.

ROUND FOUR:

Brown aggressive, forward, sitting down on punches. She's the smaller woman, but she's taking the fight to the bigger girl physically...BOOM! Right hand, OLIVIA! Rodrigo with a right hand counter and MILLIE IS HURT! Brown stumbling backward, covering up and DROPPED WITH A STRAIGHT RIGHT HAND! Rodrigo to a neutral corner. She's turned this fight on a dime. Ref counting down on a dazed Mille. Brown sitting up at six. Takes a breath, gets to her feet at eight, Ref gives her the mandatory and waves on Olivia! Singer GOES TO WORK, battering Millie around the ring. Brown on wobbly legs hanging on desperately. She's trapped on the cables for the final thirty seconds, but manages to do enough to keep the ref at bay. When the bell rings, Olivia's taken it 10-8 and pulled into a 38-37 lead.

ROUND FIVE:

Rodrigo in command. Millie in deep trouble here. She doesn't have the legs under her, making her an easy target for the taller woman. Olivia's working that left, setting up hard right hands, backing Brown up again and again. Millie's just trying to run clock here, but she's taking an awful lot of punishment while she's doing it. Rodrigo, meanwhile, looking to finish, and she's going about it the right way. Everything is sound, but she's committing on her punches, determined to get the smaller woman out of there. Can't do it, however. Millie hangs on desperately, despite getting taken back to that woodshed and being beaten with just about every piece of kindling in it. At the bell, it's shutout, Olivia, giving Rodrigo a 48-46 lead at the half.

ROUND SIX:

Brown shaking off the worst of the damage early. She's holding her ground and banging back as Rodrigo tries to walk her down behind the jab. Result is several NASTY exchanges mid-ring, with both fighters landing some solid shot. Taller woman thinks better of continuing to damn the torpedoes, and, instead, goes to gunnery range and begins to work. This is effective for a bit, but Millie then turns the tables by, again, looking to close and bang. Olivia made uncomfortable for a while, but she then begins to respond in kind, and we see some good inside work, especially to the body, from both fighters. Again, it's good stuff from the two brunettes, and, when the bell rings, it's close. But, it's Brown, who's cut her deficit to 57-56.

ROUND SEVEN:

Good two-way stuff to start this one. Both ladies have it going now. Brown's putting punches together well, stepping to and going body at times, working at middle distances or even at range at others, and getting work done everywhere. Rodrigo's not being preempted anymore, though. She's staying busy, letting the hands go, scoring points, even when Millie's crowding her and hooking body. BOOM! Right hook, BROWN and Rodrigo is hurt! Olivia staggered and then DROPPED by a three-punch flurry! Brown raising her arms in victory as she stalks back to a neutral corner. Rodrigo down on her right side. Pushes to hands and knees at six. Reaches for the bottom rope and begins climbing at seven...but she can't get there. Olivia still climbing when the count passes her by. It's OVER! And your winner by KO7 is Millie Bobby Brown!

AFTER:

Brown right back on track after besting MegaFox and now the formerly-undefeated Olivia, but she clearly wasn't sweating the brief period of struggles when she lost three of four. "Like I said," Millie says with a grin. "I'M a champion. She may get there some day. But, she's not there NOW. That was the difference today, and that will be the difference the next time...if she's GAME for a next time."