Millie Bobby Brown versus Jessica Lowndes (Flyweight Title)

BEFORE:

The Unified Flyweight Championship is on the line in a battle between a pair of brunettes who've both worn the belts in the past, challenger Jessica Lowndes and champion Millie Bobby Brown. And, while it's quite likely both fighters have respect for the other's skills, it's not apparent in the pre-fight. "She's a challenger, I suppose," says Millie. "But, she'd be better off on the beach than in here with me, as I'm about to prove."

"This girl," says Jessica, "Is going to look great lying at my feet somewhere around the fifth round."

ROUND ONE:

Brown likes to move, and that's what she does early in this one. It's not jab-and-circle, more angling, bouncing, then bouncing FORWARD to put punches on target before slipping away to avoid rejoinders. Brit very effective on those terms, but she's not getting as much of them as she wants. Because, the Canadian has other ideas. She's a hard-hitting fly and she wants to bring that power to bear. So, she looks to cut the ring, step to, force the champion to battle. And, when she succeeds in doing that, Lowndes is plenty effective herself. Add it all up, and it's a very competitive first, and, when the bell rings, it's close, but it's Brown who's got the points and the 10-9 lead.

ROUND TWO:

More of the same. Both brunettes are determined to get the terms they want, but neither is able to impose them upon the other...except in brief flurries. Result is the same as the last round, when Lowndes was able to pile up points when she forces battle on the inside and Brown offsets all of that when she can move freely about the cabin, snapping the jab and then bouncing forward to get off quickly in combination. As a result, we get our second consecutive two-way round with the points there for the taking right up until the final seconds. When the bell rings, it's another razor-thin margin, but, again, it's Millie, and she's now built a 20-18 advantage.

ROUND THREE:

Ladies have settled into the pattern now. Both are determined to work their fight plans, and both are doing so with a bit more aggression as things progress. Lowndes is sitting down on punches on the inside, working some body, backing up Millie at times. Brown, meanwhile, is moving a little more, sometimes putting together flurries from the outside, using her speed to score points and keep Jessica at bay as much as possible. Once again, one offsets the other pretty well, and there's not a lot in it when it comes to the cards. At the bell, it's another close one, and it belongs to the champion, who's jumped out to a 30-27 edge.

ROUND FOUR:

More of the sa...BOOM! A right hand from Jessica in the first fifteen seconds of the round and BROWN IS HURT! Millie wobbles and then SLUMPS TO THE CANVAS after a barrage of blows from the Canadian! Lowndes to a neutral corner. Referee counting over Millie, who's down on her right side. Brown pushes to hands and knees at six, manages to make her feet at eight. Ref gives her the mandatory and WAVES ON JESSICA! Lowndes the proverbial house a fire as the THUMPS the champion back into the ropes. Canadian POUNDING ribs and tummy, then going upstairs trying to finish this thing. Brown hanging on, running the clock that seems to have MUCH too much time on it...but somehow she runs it out while staying on her feet and keeping the ref at bay. It's a big 10-8 round for the challenger, though, and she's cut Jessica's lead to 38-37.

ROUND FIVE:

Lowndes all about finishing now. She's backing the champion up with flurry after flurry of hard shot. Brit wobbly, unable to trust the legs to do any moving, making her easy prey for the challenger. Jessica working some body in spots, but she's mostly concentrating upstairs now, trying to end things and reclaim the titles. For her part, Brown is firing back here and there, but mostly giving ground, playing defense, playing for time, the way she did in the previous round. And, for the second stanza in a row, it works. Millie takes a beating, and Lowndes takes the points wide, to even the cards at 47, but, Brown is still standing.

ROUND SIX:

Lowndes in control early, doing what she's been doing since that big right hand in the fourth. But, by about the second minute, Brown's legs have come around, and Millie's able to get back to what SHE was doing in the first three frames. Result? Another good, two-way round, with Brown in and out, and Lowndes trying to stay in, working a ton of body when she's able to get there. It's back and forth for those final two minutes, with both fighters landing some solid shot at times, but it's that first minute that plays. The challenger's built up enough of a lead there to offset anything Brown did in the final two thirds, giving Jessica the points and her first lead of the night, 57-56.

ROUND SEVEN:

We're back on even terms as we begin the seventh, in fact, right back to where we were in the third. Brown is looking scuffed after the punishment she's taken in the last few rounds, but youth is serving her well and she's not slowed a bit. Neither has Jessica, who's still aggressively coming after the cham...BOOM! Right hand, MILLIE and Jessica is HURT! Lowndes' knees do a shimmy and Brown OPENS UP, staggering the Canadian backward and DROPPING HER TO HER BACK! Champion to a neutral corner to watch and wait. Jessica wide-eyed, staring up at the referee as the numbers get larger. Staring. Staring. Until the count reaches TEN! It's OVER! That quickly, it's OVER! And your winner by KO7 and STILL Unified Flyweight Champion is Millie Bobby Brown!

AFTER:

Brown puffy with a mouse over one eye, but triumphant. Things looked plenty grim for a while, but the British beauty's pulled it out and retained her titles. "She can HIT," Millie admits. "Maybe as hard as anyone I've been in with. But, against me? That won't get it done. Because I'll come back at you double, as Jessica found out!"