Hailee Steinfeld versus Anya Taylor-Joy (Bantamweight Title)

Hailee Steinfeld versus Anya Taylor-Joy (Bantamweight Title) 
BEFORE:

Blonde/brunette battle for the bantam gold sees two of the hottest fighters in the FCBA squaring off in a rematch of a bout from 2023. Challenger Anya has won nine in a row and comes into this one brimming with confidence. "I'm better than she is," says Taylor-Joy dismissively. "I proved that in our body saddle bout back in October. Tonight, I add the bantam gold to my collection."

Hailee, meanwhile, has won six straight, her last loss being that body saddle bout against Anya. "I have not FORGOTTEN," says a hard-eyed Hailee, who then turns and stalks off the screen.

ROUND ONE:

Ladies like to work at range, jab, counter, so it's no surprise that that's where we find ourselves in the first. The blonde's the one with the reach, but Hailee's got plenty of experience dealing with Anya and she puts that to use early. Champ is a bit quicker and more athletic, so she's playing the angles, moving the feet, getting to spots and getting off, forcing the blonde to the defensive again and again. Challenger is able to find some spots for good, solid counters, but not nearly enough of same to offset what Steinfeld, who, soon enough, is fighting lead in this one, is able to do. When the bell rings, Hailee's grabbed the first wide and taken the 10-9 lead.

ROUND TWO:

Anya has plenty of experience dealing with Hailee as well, so the blonde challenger adjusts. She's moving hands and feet more, making it difficult for the champion to find openings. She's blocking and slipping and countering very, very well. All of a sudden, it's Anya who's getting the better of things. The champion doesn't back off the throttle, though. She's determined to get back to what she was doing in the first. Taylor-Joy, however, is not going to allow it. Instead, Anya's in control from the opening bell, touching up the brunette, piling up points, and even getting some blood from Hailee's nose right before the bell. When it rings, Anya's got it wide and we're even at 19.

ROUND THREE:

After hearing it in the corner, Hailee adjusts. Now we're boxing at range, with both blonde and brunette setting up punches and picking spots. No one's pushing the pace, and that results in things slowing down a bit. But, for purists, this is a fantastic round. Champion and challenger are both showing some serious skill and smarts, using feints, moving the head, hands, and feet, creating openings and filling them with leather. There's almost nothing in it until we hit the final thirty seconds, and then Steinfeld turns up the heat, landing a series of hard combinations that back up the challenger and pile up enough points to give the brunette the round and the 29-28 lead.

ROUND FOUR:

Same again. Ladies at range working their boxing magic, and both showing the ability to succeed on these ter...BOOM! Right hand, ANYA and HAILEE IS HURT! Steinfeld staggers backward, almost goes down, and Taylor-Joy is ALL IN, letting the hands go, battering the brunette back into the ropes and then HAVING AT HER! Blonde ALL OVER the champion with the ref looking in closely. Hailee in DEEP trouble, hanging on in a tight earmuff, jabbing back in spots to keep the ref at bay, but looking ready to go at any second. Taylor-Joy abandons body work and just head-hunts as the round ticks away. BELL! With the blonde seemingly one decent shot from ending it, BELL! Anya, clearly disappointed, stalks back to her corner while Steinfeld wobbles back to hers. The challenger has the points wide and evens things at 38, but the champion is still standing.

ROUND FIVE:

Anya looking to finish this thing. She's backing up the brunette, winging away with heavy shot. Hailee still wobbly, trying to play for time here. The problem is, Taylor-Joy knows exactly what she's doing and isn't having it. Instead, she's tossing volley after volley of hard leather at the brunette, all while trying to work her back to the ropes. Steinfeld mostly manages to stay away from the cables, but she's on the defensive the entire round. Very late, though, it seems as if those sturdy legs are starting to come back, and the brunette is able to get some things done offensively. It's much too late to matter in the fifth, however, as Anya takes it wide and leads 48-47 at the half.

ROUND SIX:

This time, it's Anya who makes the mistake. Like the champion in the second, the challenger gets too aggressive trying to keep doing what she did in the previous round. BOOM! Right hand, HAILEE and Taylor-Joy is GOBSMACKED! Anya wobbling backward and now the champion is all in! Steinfeld tossing everything but the kitchen sink at the blonde, hammering her back against the cables and then BANGING away with both hands to head and body. Taylor-Joy hanging on grimly, taking an absolute THRASHING as the referee looks in closely, clearly on a hair-trigger. Somehow, though, the blonde makes it to the bell before he jumps in. Hailee, though, has pitched a shutout and evened things at 57.

ROUND SEVEN:

Steinfeld in control, backing up the blonde with hard right hands. Anya still buzzed, legs still iffy. She's just trying to run some clock here, shake the worst of the damage. Hailee, though determined to press the advantage. She wants to finish, but, absent that, she's determined to effect a complete clean up. Blonde giving ground, jabbing back here and there, but that's about all she can manage. Late in the stanza, like the champion did in the fifth, Anya begins to get the legs back under her and get some offense going. But, the damage is done for the seventh. When the bell rings, it's Hailee wide and she's pulled into the lead 67-66.

ROUND EIGHT:

Hailee not going to make the mistake Anya made. She knows the challenger has shaken the worst of the damage, so the champion is not going to continue to push the pace. Instead, we're back to boxing at range and both women are...BOOM! Right hand, TAYLOR-JOY and Steinfeld is HURT! Champ staggered and then DROPPED BY A THREE-PUNCH COMINBATION FROM THE CHALLENGER! Anya quickly to a neutral corner to watch and wait. Steinfeld on her back, staring up at the referee. The lights are on, but NO ONE IS HOME! Hailee just staring blankly as the numbers get bigger and it's OVER! The count passes the champion by and it's OVER and your winner by KO8 and NEW Unified Bantamweight Champion is Anya Taylor-Joy!

AFTER:

Anya scuffed and puffy but the smile on her face tells you all you need to know about who won one heck of a fight. "Like I said", the blonde says with that beaming smile, "I'm BETTER than she is. In fact, I'm better than ANY bantam in the world, and that's why I'm walking away with this gold!"