Cassidy Freeman vs Bianca Kajlich

Cassidy Freeman vs Bianca Kajlich
(Lioness Club of America vs FCBA Independent)
(23-15-1, 19 KO vs 6-7, 6 KO)
BWO Rankings: #12 vs #28
Results: Lookout!; Story: Vassago

BEFORE: It feels like the entire welterweight division is sponsored by Sports Illustrated and/or Victoria's Secret these days however there's always room for old school brawl that doesn't feature 32DD talent even if it's reduced to a mere Celebrity Boxing After Dark banner. Cassidy Freeman announced her comeback taking down Mandy Moore on the Lioness Pride PPV back in March and there was a time when beating Bianca Kajlich could guarantee you a shot at the divisional straps as well. Both veterans have agreed to a fight held in the United Center, Chicago which is Freeman's home backyard. If UFC is fine with this venue, so is FCBA!

Cassidy Freeman wears a black sports bra, matching black hotpants and pink gloves. Medium-lenght red hair tied in a curled ponytail. Bianca Kajlich wears a navy blue sports bra, matching hotpants and white gloves. Long light brown hair tied in a high ponytail. The fight is scheduled for ten rounds in the welterweight division.

Round 1:
Cassidy sets the tone early and lands several crips punches in close range to move the Seattle native around the ring. Bianca loops a promising counter-punching response but most of these efforts bounce off the high guard and fail to throw the redhead off her stance. The pace is sluggish and doesn't change for better during the opening round as both veterans accept the tactical nature of this contest and even Freeman's superior execution isn't enough to force a dominant display. Kajlich has endured a rough patch on the FNL events lately but she remains a tough gatekeeper for any aspiring welter that actually bothers to see through the Sports Illustrated hype. There's almost too much respect between the two women as they struggle for fireworks in the closing minute so the crowd feels relieved when the bell brings the action to a close.

Round 2:
West Coast girl on the charge! Bianca sells the Chicago native a proper jabbing dummy and begins to stalk her to the body which leaves Cassidy firing back over the top but unable to mount enough juice. She bounces off the top of Bianca's forehead but has to clinch her as she wades in below the elbows and shoves her into the ropes thereafter. The punches come thick & fast now but Freeman can't escape them and has to rely on the referee's help as Kajlich keeps her pinned along the ropes despite several break-ups. It's too early for the redhead to revert back to a classic one-punch glory and she soaks up more hits to the body as Bianca almost head-butts her in the proccess but keeps the midriff assault alive for remainder of the round.

Round 3:
Freeman intends to smack Kajlich straight over the top but gets beaten for a quick punch on the jaw and dropped back when the brunette camps inside her mounds for a good measure. The older actress quickly switches low to haul in more cruel harpoons around the elbows and then catches her on the brow ridge with a head-butt glance that trips the redhead back into the turnbuckle. She delivers a nasty cross hook to beat Cassidy's response for pace and suddenly the United Center crowd loses their temper as more crushing blows dissect the redhead's midsection and Kajlich stacks her up in the corner. Ugh! Lioness coach Claudia Schiffer gets very animated in the corner but Bianca works overdrive to make sure she keeps the younger woman trapped for remainder of the round. Only Freeman's elite resistance prevents her from bellowing out into proper spasms but she gives the brunette a really long stare at the bell as Kajlich winks back to her corner to indicate she's truly found her groove now.

Round 4:
Bianca's plan to attack Cassidy to the body has worked really well thus far but she's avoided a proper Illinois blast too; Cassidy storms into contention with a quick slant upstairs and manages to keep the brunette in mid-distance while Kajlich loses her poise during the opening minute. The redhead's aerial assault leaves the Seattle veteran wary of the threat but she's forced to abandon her phone booth plans and allows Cassidy to hassle her around the ring for majority of the round. This could lead into a really long affair here unless some big punches find the target however that's not the case in the fourth even though Freeman's improved agility briefly takes command and makes Kajlich look a little sluggish for a change. We're back to round one tactics and the back & forth struggle stymies the crowd's reactions.

Round 5:
Bianca's attacking approach gets neutralized again when she eats a hooking combo up the middle and her agility just isn't good enough to escape a solid assault that clips her jugs and has Freeman nicking more clear shots on the jaw. Her head rocks back several times before she finds a hook that whacks the redhead on the nose to halt the local drive. However it doesn't take long for another Freeman rush and she outworks the older woman in mid-distance which easily prevents more body-checking shots from Bianca who's forced to think better off it in defensive circles. That's not really her forte though and she struggles to embrace the bullying to the point she begins to wince when Cassidy lands countless head shots come the final minute. She wobbles the brunette onto the ropes and bursts through the mitts to lift the jugs; Bianca simply didn't see that coming and she bends to the side just as Freeman clobbers her on the temple with her best shot right at the bell. Ugh! Kajlich stumbles to the side and she got really lucky there with the clock expiring just as Freeman was ready to lay her to waste!

Round 6:
Cassidy jumps into a hectic aerial assault and she tracks Bianca down much sooner than the brunette would have hoped for; a classic head-hunting exchange leaves Kajlich rattled and she can't find her groove in mid-range whatsoever now so the redhead splits her mitts repeatedly and knocks onto her heels before zipping a blow to the liver that folds the Seattle native sideways. Ugh! Bianca is hurt!!! She wobbles forward where Freeman delivers a brutal uppercut on the jaw THAT DROPS KAJLICH LIKE A DUMMY!!! Oh-oh!! There you go!!! It's time to stop being cute and Bianca only makes it as far as sitting down on her heels before the daze takes over and rolls her back onto her side!!! KO6 Cassidy Freeman in trademark one-punch fashion!!!

AFTER: The fight was slow to get going and Bianca looked really good when she enforced the body assault but ultimately it all came down to that classic welter finish. Cassidy has smoked several of her opponents with that one-punch finish alas she channelled her superior mobility to make it count. That's one advantage she won't enjoy against these leggy Sports Illustrated models anymore and that's why her elite stock appears to be a little less intimidating than four or five years ago. Nonetherless the Chicago crowd loves to see one of their own still dishing out a punishment like that and Cassidy remains as respectful as ever when she helps the dazed Bianca back onto her feet. Who knows, maybe she does have one title run in her despite all the lingerie models hype around the league? We know Amanda Righetti won't go down without a fight and Cassidy simply isn't ready to check out either. Watch this space!

Final result: Cassidy Freeman def. Bianca Kajlich KO6.