Minka Kelly versus Monica Raymund

Minka Kelly vs Monica Raymund
Lioness Club of America vs FCBA Independent
(44-20-1, 40 KO vs 1-0, 1 KO)
Results: Lookout!; Story: Vassago

Venue: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA.

BEFORE: Even though former champion Minka Kelly fights on home turf tonight, all eyes are on the enigmatic Monica Raymund who made a shocking FCBA debut in August of last year stopping Pink's eleven fight win streak which basically triggered the singer's departure from the boxing universe. Apparently that result has scared away a multitude of potential opponents and the Florida-born actress is thankful to the Lioness Club brass for giving her another high-profile opportunity tonight. While there is a huge difference in experience between the two brunettes, Raymund's prospects are simply unknown and the Pink performance could well turn out to be a mere one-hit wonder. One simply has to admire her courage she has agreed to battle someone as dangerous as Kelly but as the old FCBA saying goes, free agents are no choosers!

Minka Kelly wears a leopard print bikini set and red gloves. Long dark brown hair tied in a sleek ponytail. Monica Raymund wears a red bikini set and black gloves. Long dark brown hair wrapped in a loose bun at the back of her head. The fight is scheduled for ten rounds in the bantamweight division.

Round 1:
Monica shows her aggressive nature and the confidence which allowed her to upset Pink on her debut as she jabs straight through Minka's guard and forces the older brunette into defensive circles during the opening minute. Perhaps the Lioness veteran should have expected such a feisty start from the enigmatic free agent but she still allows Monica to dictate the pace here seemingly to get a better look of what she's capable of. Raymund lands plenty of single-hands out there but struggles to really dissect Kelly's guard and becomes prone for a counter-punching response if only the Irish-American tried to pursue that option. She doesn't and prefers to see out Raymund's spirited but largely fruitess rush.

Round 2:
Things get more hectic in the second as Monica bounces off the high-guard early on and gets stunned by a vicious cross on the mouth as Minka finally unloads on offense. She traps the free agent in a steady jabbing rush with both women getting stuck in a close range tussle. Monica's guard isn't as effective as her opponent's and she doesn't have the speed required to escape the Kelly heat so she only wobbles to her heels and engages in a feisty jabbin combat she eventually concedes when Minka lands a nasty one-two on her nose. Ugh! Monica tries to get out of there but almost trips back against the turnbuckle and if only Kelly wanted to move up a gear, she'd have the younger brunette in deep trouble according to the pundits.

Round 3:
More of the same in the third, Raymund's aggressive approach gets neutralized by Kelly's superior defense and the counter-punching drill becomes too much for the free agent to handle down the stretch. An enigmatic upside is one thing but she fails to match the older brunette's agility and movements around the ring which send her into chaotic circles as she simply tries to avoid Minka's stalking procedure. She struggles to withstand the pressure and caves in when the Lioness veteran nails her with a chopping strike to the midsection and later clubs her straight up the alley with a high-tempo cross route. Ugh! It's getting clear that Monica needs to run this one from the front since there's little chance her defense allows her to remain a contender in the latter stages of the fight.

Round 4:
Reputation goes a long way and Minka's well known as one of the most durable bantamweights around, that can't be substituted with youth as Kira Kosarin proved not so long ago however Monica lacks the fresh strenght of a mere teenager and has to bulldoze her way through the fellow brunette's defense with elite striking. She manages to stay in the jabbing exchange this time - even though she earns herself a small cut under the left eye - and tackles the Irish-American to the body which finally sets Kelly back. A drilling hook on the solar plexus forces the former champion towards the ropes but Raymund finds one more cross on the nose that suddenly leaves Minka sagging in the corner. Monica comes crashing down on the vulnerable rival but her head-hunting pursuit finds the high guard again and the opportunity to really punish the Lioness brunette is wasted.

Round 5:
Monica finds more confidence and resistance to outlast Minka in another quick tangle; the Lioness veteran looks visibly upset here as she's unable to dominate the action and there's more evidence that suggests the Pink victory wasn't exactly a one-hit wonder. Even Minka's legendary bendiness doesn't overcome the aggressive rush that so few of her opponents actually pursue; another dig on the solar plexus makes the former champion wince and Monica delivers the vicious uppercut straight on the chin that sinks Kelly on soft knees, a follow up from the left finds the ear AND SENDS THE IRISH-AMERICAN tumbling down on the canvas!!! Cue in another Raymund upset? Minka blinks frantically as she tries to embrace reality and she gets even more annoyed when she notices the cheeky smile on the fellow brunette's face. She's up at seven and ready to go but the final minute is all about Monica seeking the ultimate solution as she has Kelly backpedalling and avoiding another tangle. Some single punches still bounce off the older brunette's face but Raymund just can't double up on any potential fight-ending series. Still, she's build a healthy lead on the cards now!

Round 6:
The writing's on the wall for the Lioness entourage as mauling Raymund into exhaustion isn't exactly the plan going forward anymore; Minka's forced to apply the swarming tactics just to retain a chance on the cards but that fits the free agent's tactics so both women brawl it out in the center of the ring much to the Staple Center crowd's delight! Minka keeps sending right/left crosses and Monica's guard eventually begins to leak them but apparently she's too carried away by the knockdown to adjust to the draining reality. Kelly's punches begin to stack up and give the younger brunette a fat lip but she still doesn't seek another route to success and hauls in a couple of hooks on the brow ridge; Minka squeals in discomfort but clatters into Monica's face with another left hook before digging on the solar plexus and tackling the liver area. Raymund swings over the top to snap her opponent's face one more time but then DISASTER strikes as Minka BLASTS her on the liver and FOLDS INTO SPASMS on the spot... Uh-oh! Monica immediately begins to hug the aching area, takes a couple of steps forward and FACE-PLANTS ONTO THE BOARDS at her opponent's feet! She remains in embrional position long enough for the referee to wave the fight off!!! KO6 Minka Kelly in come-from-behind fashion!!!

AFTER: The Irish-American looks more relieved than satisfied with this result as she dodged a huge bullet tonight. A lucky punch eventually led to Monica's demise and the free agent could be blamed for being too careless following that knockdown that seemingly swung the fight permanently into her favor. However she's shown enough skill to warrant further opportunities and proved the Pink scalp was anything but a one-hit wonder.

On the other hand Kira Kosarin exposed Minka Kelly before and this fortunate victory won't silence the critics who believe that LCA needs to upgrade their bantamweight corps. Nicole Scherzinger and Eva Mendes are living on borrowed time according to unnamed sources but the days of Minka Kelly as an elite contender might well be numbered. Has she officially reached the "one bridge too far" line now? Watch this space next year!

Final result: Minka Kelly def. Monica Raymund KO6.