Lili Reinhart versus Naomi Scott (Bantamweight Title)

BEFORE:

It's champion vs. champion next, as former Unified Bantamweight Champion Naomi Scott squares off with current champion Lili Reinhart, and, there's plenty of respect being tossed around in the pre-fight. "Lili's a two-time champ, and that's all you need to know about her," Naomi says. "But, I've proven before and I'll prove again that I'M the best bantamweight in the world."

"Scott's a great boxer, slick and quick," says Lili. "But, there's a reason I'M holding these belts. I'm the best in the world under 120."

ROUND ONE:

Reinhart looks like backing up what she said in the prefight as she immediately takes control of the proceedings, walking down the brunette behind the left jab. The champ's got it all working almost immediately, and the brunette is out of sorts and on the back foot. Lili sound but aggressive, coming forward, putting punches together, while the brunette beauty is reduced to the counter. Scott's never hurt, but she's getting taken to the woodshed in a major way, as Reinhart becomes ever more effective as the round goes on. By the time the bell rings ending the stanza, the blonde champion's taken the points wide and grabbed the 10-9 lead.

ROUND TWO:

Complete 180. Scott makes an adjustment, gets off square, and gets her box on, and, all of a sudden, it's woodshed, population: Lili Reinhart. There aren't a lot of fighters who can absolutely SCHOOL Lili boxing, but, at least for this round, Naomi is one of them. The slick, smooth brunette gets all pistons firing and repeatedly powders Lili's face with lefts, all while landing solid right hands on the follow. Reinhart has a moment or two when she gets some offense going, but that's all she can muster in what turns out to be a superb round for the challenger. At the bell, it's Naomi and wide and we're all even at 19 after two frames.

ROUND THREE:

More Naomi. Scott's found something here and she's exploiting it. She's got everything going and has the champion out of sorts. Brunette is SO smooth, so slick. Everything follows everything else. It's an unbroken chain of of excellence, as cross follows jab, feint sets up hook. It's brilliant and beautiful and frustrating as heck for the blonde, who, again, can't get things going. For the second round in a row, Lili has moments, but those moments are fleeting. She lands a good shot here and there, but, for most of the round, she's on the defensive and taking, as Naomi piles up points right to the bell. When it rings, Scott's taken her second consecutive round and pulled into a 29-28 lead.

ROUND FOUR:

Reinhart begins to get back into the thing, and the trick is a bit less aggression and a LOT more movement. The blonde's boxing with now, rather than trying to continue to walk her rival down, and it makes a difference. Scott's still plenty effective, mind, putting together punches and piling up points, but now the champion's getting work done, too. It's the first real two-way round of the bout, and there's virtually nothing in it the entire way. Entering the final fifteen seconds, we're dead even, but then Scott puts together a couple of nice combinations that back up the blonde, and it's enough for Naomi to steal the points and extend her lead to 39-37.

ROUND FIVE:

Good two-way stuff once again. Both blonde and brunette showing their boxing abilities in this stanza, as we see tonos of movement of both head, hands, and feet. The battle rages all over the ring as both fighters not only score effectively, but play great defense as well, blocking and slipping punches very well. Once again, there's virtually nothing in it the entire way. This time, however, there's no last fifteen second rally from Scott, instead, there's quite a firefight over the last thirty seconds that sees both champion and challenger land a bunch of solid stuff. When the bell rings, it's Reinhart who takes the points and cuts Naomi's lead to 48-47 at the half.

ROUND SIX:

Scott gets rolling early. She's got the jab going again and she's using it to set up solid right hands. Lili again getting thrown to the defensive too often, spending too much time covering up, waiting her turn to get off. Naomi's unrelenting offense is suppressing the blonde in a major way. As the round goes on, Reinhart begins to find ways to get to spots and get off, but she's still coming off second best to the brunette challenger. Final thirty seconds sees Scott land a pair of NASTY combinations that back up the blonde and put an exclamation point on another strong round from Naomi. It's Scott wide in the sixth, and the challenger is back to a two point lead, 58-56.

ROUND SEVEN:

Back to two-way stuff. Lili boxing with again, not trying to force the issue, all while the challenger, who's gotten plenty of work done on these terms, is more than willing to play this game. Both blonde and brunette have their moments in this stanza. About half way through, Naomi puts together a series of nice combinations that leave the champion with a cut over her left eye. Late in the round, it's the blonde who gets it going, backing up the challenger repeatedly with hard shot to the head and even working a little body. Add it all up, and it's close once again, but it's the champion who claims the points and cuts the challenger's lead to 67-66 with three to go.

ROUND EIGHT:

Ladies again getting their respective boxes on. Brunette slick and smooth as always. Blonde getting that left out and back, following on with right hands. It's good, two-way stuff between top bantams, a close round in what's been a close fig...BOOM! Right hand, LILI and Naomi is HURT! Scott RUMBLIN', STUMBLIN', FUMBLIN' around the ring. Blonde immediately begins calling in the artillery and DOWN GOES SCOTT! A straight right hand from Lili and Naomi is dropped to her back. Reinhart to a neutral corner. Ref counting down on Scott. Naomi rolls to her belly, pushes to hands and knees at seven...and SINKS BACK TO THE CANVAS AT EIGHT! It's OVER! The count passes Scott by and it's OVER and your winner by KO8 and STILL Unified Bantamweight Champion is Lili Reinhart!

AFTER:

Lili puffed, cut above the left eye leaking a little blood, but the blonde is all smiles in the post. "She's really something," the champion admits. "As good a boxer as I've ever been in with, and that's saying something. But, I knew I could get her. And, I GOT her."