Billie Eilish versus Emma Roberts (Flyweight Title)

BEFORE:

Stakes don't get much higher than this, with Ice Queen Emma, fresh off a huge win over rival and stablemate Avril Lavigne, gets a chance to claim the flyweight gold for, amazingly, the FIRST time. Standing in her way is Billie Eilish, who's on quite the roll. But, if that bothers Emma, she's not letting it show. "I'm the better boxer. She'll try to brawl, of course. But, I won't allow that. I'll beat her up and beat her often and walk out of here with the gold."

"I've been in with some of the best flyweights in the world," Billie says, "But, none of them are any better than Emma. Unfortunately for her, I AM."

ROUND ONE:

Emma wants to get her box on, but the brunette's not having it. Billie stepping past the jab, getting in Roberts' grill and backing the blonde up again and again. Emma works to solidify her front, but she can't get it done. Billie's getting physical here, and the champion's got the advantage when that happens. Robert's tries tying up, but Eilish simply shoves her off and goes right back to work. Brunette spending plenty of time on the body, but not neglecting the upstairs. Meanwhile, the challenger is reduced to countering in spots, and, while she gets a little work done, it's not nearly enough to offset what the champion is doing. At the bell, there's no doubt. It's Eilish wide and with the 10-9 lead.

ROUND TWO:

Emma adjusts. Blonde using more movement now. It's not jab and circle or stick and move stuff, mind. It's more subtle. She's just doing enough to foul Billie's aim and stay off square. And that allows the challenger to get back into the fight. Now, Eilish isn't simply lining her up and forcing her back. Billie's having to work to locate. Result is a good, two-way round in which both fighters get some, but not enough of what they want. Emma's boxing with now, and that plays to her strengths. But the champ is showing she can play on these terms, too, holding her own against the older woman right to the bell. When it rings, it's Roberts, narrowly, and we're even at 19.

ROUND THREE:

More of the same. Roberts working to stay slightly off square, playing the angles, using all of her significant store of boxing skills to keep Billie from squaring up and banging away. Works after a fashion. There are times when the ladies are boxing, and Emma is able to get, albeit slightly, the better of things when that happens. At other times, Eilish gets it going, forces the Ice Queen back, works her over to head and body, and, at those times, the brunette makes up the stagger. Result is a second two-way round with neither fighter able to create any real space in the scoring. When the bell rings, though, it's the challenger who's taken the points again to pull into the 29-28 lead.

ROUND FOUR:

Same again. Emma controlling pace with her boxing, but the champion holding her own on those ter...BOOM! Right hand, BILLIE and Roberts is HURT! Ice Queen stumbles backward, nearly goes down, and the champion goes ALL IN. Eilish letting the hands go, driving all before her, trapping the challenger on the ropes and going body in a big way. Emma leaving it on sale. She's keeping the guard high, trying to ride this thing out. Champion downstairs, up, back down, piling up the points and hurt while looking for the finisher. Roberts can't do much, but she CAN deny Billie that. Blonde hangs on until the bell rings. When it does, the champ has claimed the round wide and evened things at 38.

ROUND FIVE:

Eilish takes control. She's got Roberts in trouble and she keeps her there, working the blonde over to head and body before DROPPING HER WITH A RIGHT HOOK! Emma down on her right side after a short hook to the chin that looks like it might end things. But, the Ice Queen is made of sterner stuff. She pushes to her feet at eight and takes the mandatory and ON COMES BILLIE. For the second round in a row, the champ looking to finish this, while Emma plays defense, hangs on, runs clock. Roberts spends the last minute of the stanza trapped on the cables, but, once again, she manages to escape the round. At the bell, Billie's taken it 10-8 and pulls into a two-point lead, 48-46 at the half.

ROUND SIX:

More Billie. Champ in control early as a buzzed challenger finds herself on the back foot. Roberts able to counter in spots as she shakes the worst of the damage, but the brunette's getting what she wants to do done here. Emma gets stronger as the round goes on, however, getting the legs back under her and being able to move a bit more. When that happens, the blonde begins holding her own against the brunette. It's far to late to make any difference in the sixth, of course, but with Roberts back to boxing with, it's clear Eilish's chance to finish this thing has gone wanting. When the bell rings, it's Billie wide and with the 58-55 lead, but Emma's back in the fight.

ROUND SEVEN:

Roberts getting her box on. She's managed to extricate herself from a serious pickle and is now back to where she was in the second and third, boxing with, staying off square, keeping Billie from getting into her grill and getting physical...most of the time, anyway. Because, Eilish is able to overcome Emma's defenses at times and pile up points with heavy leather to head and body. All of that, as it did in those earlier rounds, offsets the slight advantage the challenger has when the pair are boxing. Once again, there's pretty much nothing in it when we get to the bell, but, once again, Roberts has done just enough to collect the points and cut the brunette's lead to 67-65.

ROUND EIGHT:

Emma ups the ante just a bit. Blonde hears it in the corner. She's behind and time's running out. So, she gets a bit more aggressive. She's still boxing, mind. She's not going to stand in front of the brunette and trade. Instead, she's committing a bit more, hanging in a bit more to extend combinations. Yes, it means taking a few more chances, but, for one round at least, it works out in the blonde's favor. She never hurts Eilish, never takes complete command of the round, but, unlike the seventh, she does establish some control and build a lead. Thus, when the bell rings, for the first time tonight, Emma's taken one wide and, with two rounds to go, the challenger trails by a point, 76-75.

ROUND NINE:

Eilish the one turning up the heat in this frame. She's working past Roberts' jab, getting inside, working her over to the body. Emma giving ground, trying to get space, but the champ isn't giving her an...BOOM! Right hand, ROBERTS and EILISH IS HURT! Emma lands a PERFECT right hand counter and the champ is in DEEP TROUBLE! Roberts lets the hands go. She's pouring fire on the reeling brunette and DOWN GOES BILLIE! Eilish dropped to her back by a SCINTILLATING right! Roberts to a neutral corner. Seconds from finally claiming gold. BIllie to hands and knees at eight. Pushes to her feet and...IT'S TOO LATE! The ref waves it off! Eilish can't quite beat the count and it's OVER! And, your winner by KO9 and NEW Unified Flyweight Champion is EMMA ROBERTS!

AFTER:

The new champ has not a WORD for the old in the post-fight. No, the subject of her rant isn't the former champ but Avril Lavigne. "You know what's absolutely DELICIOUS about all this," says Emma with a puffy-faced smile. "I have it on good authority that if Avril had beaten me in our last fight, SHE would have had this shot. But, instead, I left her sucking canvas and now she gets to watch ME walk out of this ring with all this GOLD. Delicious. Simply DELICIOUS."