Maddie Ziegler versus Rachel Zegler

(21, 5’6, 20-8 FCBA, The Dollhouse)

Vs

Rachel Zegler
(22, 5’2, FCBA Debut, Free Agent)

Results: Lookout!; Story: Caspian & The Dollhouse

BEFORE:
And we’re LIVE and back in the Staples Arena, for yet another exciting Flyweight battle. It’s Maddie ZIEGLER vs Rachel ZEGLER as these two young starlets will fight it out for glory and surname supremacy tonight.

Ziegler and Zegler are both measuring each other up on the podium earlier during the press tour, wanting to prove themselves the better “Z” girl but at the same time, sharing several looks of confusion whenever one of the announcers or reporters call out one of their names, not pronouncing it properly to distinguish who they’re asking the question to.

“Rachel started her boxing career with two wins in the UK,” Maddie starts first, responding to a reporter who asks how and why the Dollhouse blonde chose her opponent. “So she has some experience, and she’s coming in hot...So I don’t think this is going to be an easy fight for me, but my plan is to show her things aren’t as easy here in America” She turns to Rachel, who’s seated across the room, and smiles. “Hope you’re ready.”

Zegler (dammit) tries to remain calm and composed throughout, but then responds with eagerness at the end to Maddie’s question: “I’m made of steel, honey. And look at you, picking on girls just starting out. You must think of yourself as a bit of a badass, amiright?” Rachel says, meeting Maddie’s glare head-on. “Well, I haven’t lost yet, and I don’t plan on losing tonight. It’s my FCBA debut, something I’ve been waiting for for a while now, and I’m here to make the most of it. Which means.....knocking Maddie the f*ck out.”

The staredown, as you can imagine, is tense, as both ladies stride up to each other and face off with their fists clenched and raised. They whisper more taunts in close proximity , lips moving but their words barely audible to the rest of the room, but from the narrowed gazes and faces screwed up, we’d bet they’re none too flattering.

24 hours later, both Maddie and Rachel are squared off at opposite ends of the ring. The crowd is a mixed bag of fans of both girls, plenty of which are here to watch Rachel making her debut in the American ring.

Hopping up and down in her corner, Maddie’s dressed in neon yellow sports bra and blue long tights, her blonde hair tied in a bun, raising her blue gloves as they call out her name. Across the ring, Rachel’s looking eager and ready to go. She’s wearing a black sports bra and white short tights, her dark hair braided into two ponytails out back. She’s wearing black gloves for this contest.

Finally, there’s the opening bell, and HERE WE GO with ten rounds of Flyweight action!

ROUND 1:
Maddie takes the center early, with jabs thrown out freely and frequently. She knows she’s the favorite coming into this fight, and isn’t afraid to show it. After all, she too remembers a time when she was fighting her third ever fight in the ring, and banks on Rachel’s hesitation and relative rookie-ness to score her punches early. It works, her aggression forcing Zegler to cover and defend, in the first minute taking a steady barrage of jab-jab-cross combos that sink into her arms and tag her on the lips and nose. Whenever Rachel fires back, Maddie’s just faster, more hungry, shooting those punches in to score off the body and whatever flesh she can find. Final minute and Zegler gets a rude wake-up call, going for broke with a sudden haymaker designed to take Maddie’s head off. But the Doll’s trained for that kind of stunt, too easily slipping to one side and under, then snagging the Latina girl’s chin with a lunging uppercut to secure the round wide. At the bell, both girls retreat to their corners, breathing hard, but we think the Doll’s achieved what she set out to do.

ROUND 2:
Maddie comes in quick again, back to pestering the head with punches. Zegler, however, has other ideas, and in the very first exchange, immediately STUNS her back with a return right hand to the kisser, snapping her head and throwing the rest of her game plan into the gutter. Ouch!! And Ziegler looks stunned, backing away suddenly, shaking her head, allowing Rachel to charge her down and blast away at her arms and sides, the brunette also hungry to even the score and make her surname the premium currency in this here parts. Maddie resists, blocking and holding her ground in the second minute, but gets a couple of gloves stuffed into her tummy that knocks the wind out of her sails even more, and she’s forced into a defensive pattern for the remainder of the time, trading jabs with her counterpart until the bell rings. It’s a great comeback performance for Miss Zegler, who shows off her own potential doing this boxing thing.

ROUND 3:
Back and forth we go, with Ziegler now the one being more cautious with her words and weapons, counter-jabbing whenever Rachel tries to rush her down again. It’s only the third round and both fighters want a piece of the other, with Rachel expending crucial reserves to suddenly swerve in and HAMMER the blonde’s body and arms, trying to take her out! Ziegler survives the initial flurry, gritting her teeth as she weathers and moves, trying her best not to get caught against the ropes. Occasionally, she blasts her own hook out suddenly, painfully, slamming it right across the other girl’s temple and jolting Rachel to the side. The first few blows seem to have NO effect, however, as Rachel simply bares her own teeth and MOVES right back in to bang another left-right hook combo off her waistline, before she EATS yet another side-hook to the chin! This last one’s the last straw, sending her reeling off to the side, struggling to maintain her balance… AND HERE MADDIE COMES, using the final few seconds of the round to try and BEAT HER DOWN! The Doll sends flurries to the head, battering down her guard, before going south to the body to repay some of that earlier abuse. Her fists bang off the tummy before the bell rings and both women have to be separated back to their corners, with Miss Ziegler back in the driver’s seat!

ROUND 4:
And Rachel STUNS her opponent back with an early right hook! OUCH! That came outta nowhere!! Maddie was stalking in as usual, aiming to finish up and call it an early night, only to have her punches blocked, and blocked, and BLOCKED again! And before she knew what was happening, Zegler had a right hook ready and waiting, PLOWING her glove into the side of her chin! AND THERE THE DOLL GOES, floundering in shock but luckily having the nearby ropes to stabilize her! But Rachel’s already marching in after her, ramming choice hooks off her arms and the tummy, showing NO quarter! Maddie barely has time to walk back into the ropes when she’s thumped and BENT over by another double-whammy combo that slams into her trembling abs, before a mighty uppercut ALMOST takes her head off! STILL she’s rattled badly, barely swerving to one side to avoid that Rachel number. And Zegler also GROWLING in frustration, chasing after her, sending overhands and haymakers FLYING towards her with wild abandon! Maddie GETS NAILED again by a stray hand -- and it’s only inevitable that she GOES DOWN, collapsing to the canvas onto her side, looking shocked at the sudden turn of tables! It’s a KNOCKDOWN for Rachel Zegler, who might just score the upset here tonight!

Mad Dog Maddie is DOWN on her back for the first few long seconds, breathing heavily and staring up at the stadium lights. She’s not out yet, though, and the Dollhouse corner breathes an audible sigh of relief as she forces her head and back off the canvas and begins a slow march back to her feet. Strands of blonde hair have come undone and are sticking to her sweaty brow, but at the count of 8, she’s standing right back up, her chest still heaving, lips parted as she nods to the referee to continue! Final minute and Rachel comes in hot, looking smug at her knockdown achievement, her fists resuming the talking with steady bang bang BANG off the Doll’s arms and guard. Zegler tries to KO her again with the odd big swing high, but Maddie’s staying out of reach this time, using excellent footwork and weaving to stay alive till the bell! A close scare for the Doll, who might have a fight on her hands!

ROUND 5:
Maddie’s got an uphill climb all of a sudden if she wants to turn things around. Those cocky words from earlier have come back to bite her, and now that expression on her face is filled with fraught nerves but grim determination to prove them right. First minute and neither girl manages to capitalize, with Rachel’s push last round having also sapped her of her energy. They dance and circle slowly, throwing jabs to the head but neither really finding success in breaking through. Zegler tries a mid-round push, throwing a couple of feints to the body before trying to BLAST Maddie’s head off with another haymaker to the temple. But Ziegler expected it, and raised her arms just in time to fend off disaster. The punch connects off her guard with a WHACK! and just before Rachel can pull back to launch another, Maddie strikes back! A right cross flies in and over the Latina girl’s arms to SINK right to the middle of her face! OUCH! Zegler lets out a low gurgle as her nose and lips get pressed in hard, and her head snaps back with force to send her stumbling towards the ropes! The Doll has a chance to rush in and capitalize, but only succeeds in shoving her further into the ropes with several flurries pounding into her arms and tummy, ending the tirade with a double-swing across her faltering guard, hoping her stopping power would be enough to put her down for some revenge good! But Rachel STAYS upright, her face a swelling mess and her butt hanging onto the middle ropes for support. And it’s a close round at the bell soon after, with Maddie needing to use the second half of this fight to try and turn things around!

ROUND 6:
Ziegler’s experience comes into play, and like it or not, that trumps ANY winning streak, folks, after being tried and tested by multiple trials of fire. Rachel is on the downwards swing here, looking shaken and running out of stamina. Meanwhile, Maddie’s looking like she’s got plenty left, slowly stalking in and pummeling the newcomer with heavier and heavier blows. Rachel takes several hard knocks off the sides of her head, falling for low swings to the body before the Doll follows up quickly with a third such swoosh to the temple, which connects, ROCKING her head and torso awkwardly to the side each time. Zegler’s in trouble by the third minute, gets CLOCKED by another step-in punch to her face, JOLTING that pretty head to the side and letting out a grunt of pain. Here comes Maddie, looking for blood, chopping more lefts and rights into that lean body of hers before testing the remainder of her defenses: one more snap uppercut to rock her head upwards with a groan, ANOTHER for good luck, before a final hook sends the poor girl REELING off her feet!! DOWN ZEGLER GOES, doing a half-spin before CRASHING down to the canvas and onto her face and chest! It’s a KNOCKDOWN for Maddie Ziegler, with the referee swiftly waving his arms overhead at the sight of the other barely moving on the ground, her limbs splayed in four ways and her gumshield knocked out clean and lying by her pursed lips! It’s OVER!

Official Result: Maddie Ziegler defeats Rachel Zegler via KO6!

AFTER:
Our heartiest congratulations to Miss Zegler, who can be proud of this debut performance! But the only girl left standing is Ziegler, who gets her hand raised in victory as she stands tall above the defeated Rachel. Maddie throwing up her tired hands in semi-relief, semi-glory, parading about the ring to the delight of her cheering fans. Indeed, some would argue that while her more illustrious stablemates are busy waging their Best-of-Seven series war, perhaps it’s finally time for this Dollhouse Flyweight to take her turn in the spotlight.

But of course, that will all depend on whether her fellow Doll, Emma Roberts, manages to clinch the Flyweight gold in a later bout later tonight. For now, she pays her counterpart no mind, passing the fallen Rachel multiple times by the ropes with a hint of a smile on the corner of her lips, the medical team doing their best to help Rachel recover.

“She’s pretty good, I can’t lie...” Maddie shakes her head smirking to the assembled press. “She managed to knock me down and that’s impressive. Her punches are kinda weak compared to other girls, but she managed to catch me. She can aim. Unfortunately for her I don’t go down that easily...but she sure did.” Maddie chuckles. “Good luck next time Rache, and if you want to try me again you know where to find me...”

Ziegler continues to impress with three wins in a row now, her most recent and impressive win over Olivia Holt has catapulted her to become a serious contender for the gold. With her stablemate Emma Roberts getting a shot at the gold tonight, we’ll see if the Dollhouse higher-ups will manage to get their youngest superstar a shot at the belt too this year. Meanwhile, Rachel Zegler has proven she has what it takes to compete in the flyweight division here in the states. Hopefully she can get herself a contract soon and get a team behind her. Whatever happens, we’re pretty sure Zegler is going to come back strong, and not let a single loss stop her from making a name for herself in the FCBA.