Post by Lookout! Boxing on May 31, 2024 23:23:37 GMT -6
Maddie Ziegler
(21, 5’6, 21-8 FCBA, The Dollhouse)
Vs.
Andrea Botez
(22, 5’3, 4-2 FCBA | 2-0 BBU, Free Agent)
Results: Lookout!; Story: Caspian & The Dollhouse
BEFORE:
"I'm gonna try my luck with Andrea again today. Been waiting for this for a few months now,” Maddie speaks first from the press conference. The Dollhouse blonde has a hunger in her eyes, with the thought of her first loss to Andrea Botez still burning bright in her mind. “She's on a four-fight winning streak and she also beat Maisie Williams in the UK. I guess SOMEONE needs to end her streak and I'm sure it's going to be me tonight. I've been on a little streak of my own, so I'm feeling great. You're definitely going down tonight, Botez."
Botez, of course, has been the master blender of defying expectations ever since she burst onto the FCBA scene all those years ago. She might not have Ziegler’s record or immense resources at her back, but she DID flatten the Doll at the start of this very year to win via a shocking KO6. This time, Botez has a firmer smirk plastered on her face -- she knows she can beat her foe tonight, and just needs to repeat the same performance.
"Hey, whatever you wanna tell yourself Ziegler. Tractorpull has their money on me, like most people. I'm more explosive and I punch harder than her. She's kinda fragile. When I managed to get in on her she crumbled pretty fast. But...she wanted a rematch and I'm a nice girl. Last time wasn't a fluke. I'll knock her out again tonight and hopefully she'll get the memo this time."
Same as last time, Maddie with the slight height advantage when these two square off at the podium, fists raised and glares hardened. If Ziegler’s having second doubts about challenging one of the few women who’s managed to KO her in recent memory, she ain’t showing no fear, simply standing tall and squaring those broad shoulders. Botez being the cocky one, smirking and puckering her lips, finally taking the world by storm after constantly living in the shadow of her sister, Alexandra, when it comes to pure chess playing. Here, instead, in the boxing ring, she’s master of her own fate, and you’re only as good as how hard and fast your fists fly.
Later, we’re back in the ring and the arena is popping off at the prospect of this rematch showdown. In one corner, Maddie’s dressed in a baby blue sports bra and white long tights, her blonde hair in a tight ponytail and she’s smiling for the fans as she waves her white boxing gloves at them, garnering louds cheers when her name is announced.
In the opposite corner, Miss Botez is wearing her signature red sports bra and short black tights, her brunette hair braided into two pigtails just like the time she faced Michelle Khare for Creator Clash 2.
Referee gets the nod from both fighters, and signals for the opening bell! HERE WE GO with ten rounds of Flyweight action!
ROUND 1:
Action kicks off with Maddie staying in her own pocket, arms up and moving sideways, playing it defensive after last time didn’t end well for her. Understandable. Totally understandable. But that’s not going to stop Botez from punching her out, of course. Miss Botez still filled with excess pride as she skirts in quick and immediately gets to work: hammering those arms with a steady stream of lefts and rights before snagging either the Doll’s tummy or forehead up top with follow-up jabs, at once testing Maddie’s reflexes and defenses, and seeing if she’s learned any other tricks in the interim. “Come on, Ziegler, you wanted a fight, didn’t you??” Botez can be heard shouting mid-round, barely having to defend against any incoming fire in return, with Maddie still in survival mode and moving and fighting as though she’s still reeling from her KO in the previous round. Bell sounds and Botez takes it wide -- not even a dissenting opinion from the judges!
ROUND 2:
More of Botez’s aggression here, as she sends a flurry right into Maddie's arms before zooming straight in for her toned tummy, rocking a couple of hooks into the sides before the Doll drops her guard to start blocking that more vulnerable part. Botez STILL stays in the Doll’s face, wailing and whacking away at her as though she’s a spent piece of meat just waiting to go down another time. And the Dollhouse corner is getting really worried by the second minute, with their fighter eating another lunging hook to her body to force her to lurch forward with a grunt. But the most worrying is Ziegler is BARELY fighting back, perhaps still too afraid of leaving herself open to a blistering shot to the face. In the final seconds, however, Botez is the one who gets stunned, one of her many overhand swings dodged by a sudden side-step, before -- KAPOW -- Maddie strikes back with a blistering hook sent across her cheek! The crowd ROARS their support, as Ziegler tries to make up for lost time in the final moments, battering back with vengeance, till Andrea is the one left breathing hard and cursing out loud by the ropes. Bell rings and you Dollhouse fans have NOTHING to worry about, with Ziegler determined to strike from the shadows, and strike hard!
ROUND 3:
And here comes the Doll, with revenge on her mind! She knows she’s got a long lead to catch up to, but if she was playing possum all this time, she definitely hurt Botez in that last exchange, last round. Indeed, Andrea looks slightly shocked and bothered, less of a spring in her step when the bell rings and she advances herself, knowing that a full-blown assault on Ziegler’s position might spell doom for her in the long run. Still, both girls CLASH repeatedly in the center of the ring, once in range exchanging rapid fire with flurry after flurry flying to the face, taking turns turning heads with the odd, banging hook that rattles the other’s cage. Then, almost simultaneously, they go to the bodies, shoving gloves into the ribs and sides, trying to see who has the stronger abominable core. But Maddie’s not like her more hot-headed counterparts, still mixing it up and rocking punches across the temple or jawline, at times pushing Botez further and further towards the ropes, looking to herd her in place for a neater knockdown. Bell rings before that can happen, though, and Botez has a look of stunned surprise in her eyes at the outcome of the third, having lost it by just a close margin, but psychologically, it’s the bump that the Doll needs to push herself forward with more determination.
ROUND 4:
Botez looks hella unsure, now the one playing it safe as she locks her arms over her face and tries to protect her pretty features, of course at the expense of the rest of her body getting a makeover. Ziegler not rushing in just yet, but taking her time to march several steps forward here, hammering the chess boxer to the arms and body, before resetting at a distance to safely deal with her opponent’s own punches. It works, with Botez slowly getting cut off and with her back to the ropes and nowhere left to run, all she can do is try to brace her tummy and weather the repeated slams into the sides of her ribcage and more wicked uppercuts that Maddie uses to try and break apart her guard completely, those step-in swings CUTTING down the middle landing with a dull whumpp, each time throwing Botez back into the ropes before she manages to re-steady herself. At the bell, it looks like Miss Ziegler is just going up and upwards, having evened out the score by the fourth.
ROUND 5:
Botez takes instructions and advice from her corner in between rounds, and that initial fear is soon masked by a harsh glare and refusal to quit. Damn them all for thinking they can best her, she’s probably thinking, and it’s more a drive to get out on her own and make her own name for herself. She already did so when she knocked Ziegler out in shocking fashion just four months ago, and if she manages to repeat that feat here tonight, her legacy and potential in this league would be absolutely cemented. First minute has both girls trading steady fire from afar, Botez showing off her own agility due to her leaner and smaller figure, able to weave in and out of some of Maddie’s surprise combos tossed towards her face, before counter-punching with stiffer hands that keep bruising the Doll to her nose and lips. But Maddie’s landing her own fair share of counter-shots, after the middle mark also waiting for Botez to strike first before having a hook ready and waiting, catching the smaller girl off the side of her body, with a third swing glancing off the side of her head to suddenly send her reeling. But Botez manages to steady herself against the ropes before the bell suddenly rings, meaning this fight is going into the second half!
ROUND 6:
Botez maybe needs to bulk up slightly if she wants to hang and bang with the big girls -- this was the same reason why she got absolutely gobsmacked by the smaller Khare during their first Creator Clash, each time getting wrecked by that right overhand landed to her cheek. She’s come a long way since that fight, of course, and now, is trying to land her own shots off Maddie’s frame but seems to be lacking the power to make much of an impact. By contrast, Maddie’s treating her with (ironally) the same reverence she would her other foes. In their first encounter, perhaps it was truly the Doll’s belittling of her foe’s chances that saw her being humbled. This time, she’s blocking with her guard fully up, before rocking Botez with her own signature swing, each of those rapid right hands making landfall and sending Botez stumbling several steps off to the side, a third hook landing with a CRACK -- and Andrea’s looking DAZED as hell, her mouth hanging open and gumshield halfway to kingdom come! AND HERE COMES ZIEGLER, eyes glinting with danger as she pummels her way to a potential KO here, targeting Botez’ ailing body to get her to drop her guard before PUNISHING that pretty face with a series of swift headshots, each DING to the temple or BIFF across the cheek sending Botez further down the pit! Botez NOT looking too good as her face becomes marked with pink and reddening bruises, breathing heavily, her eyelids fluttering with quit as she leans back against the ropes, arms briefly hovering in front of her face before she gets CLOCKED by a final overhand to the jawline! OUCH!! DOWN SHE GOES, turning a half-spin before COLLAPSING to the ground, completely OUT COLD!! The referee rushes in to start the count, but it ain’t no use, folks!! Botez is utterly laid out by the ropes, her head rolling to one side, chest rising and falling in steady breaths of disaster! Miss Ziegler’s scored her revenge in KO6 fashion!!
Official Result: Maddie Ziegler defeats Andrea Botez via KO6!
AFTER:
“Phew.” Exclaims a panting Ziegler after her hand is raised by the ref as Botez’ medical team rush in to her side. “Andrea is really good and really athletic...and she’s tough. It’s never going to be easy to take her out...but I’m not really looking for easy fights, so that’s OK with me. If she ever wants a rubber match I’m all in.” Maddie tells reporters.
Celebrating with her team in the ring for a few more long minutes, a smiling Maddie finally approaches the recovering Andrea and the two exchange a friendly hug, with Andrea whispering something into Maddie’s ear, probably already accepting that future rubber match offer.
We sure hope so! Who wouldn’t love to see these two talented young ladies tear at each other one more time?