Robyn Lawley vs Ashley Graham (words Anon, results Lookout!)

"Both of us are most known for Sports Illustrated and our sizes. Obviously we're much more than that, but that means people assign us both to a certain space. I have to rule that space! So naturally Ashley Graham has been on my list for a while." Robyn Lawley, on the usual morning show circuit, squeezed in some thoughts on her next opponent between promoting her swimsuit line and arm wrestling the braver hostess. "And Ashley is going to keep fighting until she makes it to the top... or she'll take some bad beatings trying. I'm sure I'm on her short list for the same reason she's on mine, so I'd rather just start fighting it out right away instead of milking the hype."

Ashley Graham seemed equally eager to get started. "I love boxing!" she exclaimed, pausing to laugh. "And because it's hard to keep as active as I might like, each fight is extra exciting for me. But fighting Robyn Lawley on the beach? It's perfect. She made it to the swimsuit issue before me, I made it to the cover before her... to me, this fight feels like a tie breaker. And I know that feeling is going to motivate both of us to go all out."

The sun was shining on fight day in the secret beach location. The two fighters had gathered with their entourages on opposite ends of a bare, damp patch of sand by the water. Lawley, in a bright red one piece, had brought along Christina Hendricks and Anna Popplewell, while Graham, in a blue one piece, had two other models to serve as her seconds. Without a clearly marked ring, the two women simply left their groups, standing and facing each other at a safe distance while they waited for the signal.

Round 1:

Graham managed to pull ahead early, driving Lawley towards the ocean early in the round. Ankle deep in water, Lawley faced Graham and attempted to drive her rival out of the way. Graham, forty pounds heavier, refused to budge an inch, punishing Lawley with bruising blows as she struggled. Graham was able to keep Lawley off balance and limit her mobility for most of the round, and exploited the taller model's disadvantage to land her choice of punches.

Round 2:

Lawley kept herself more mobile in the second round, but Graham kept the pressure high. Sticking to the taller woman as she attempted to maneuver, Graham struck Lawley in the side as she slipped past her punch. However, with more options, Lawley was more dangerous. The taller model was able to drive Graham back repeatedly, delaying her but not preventing her from regrouping and going on the attack again.

Round 3:

Lawley surprised Graham with a straight right to the nose early in the round, and held onto the momentum tightly. While the blow itself hardly slowed Graham down, Lawley was able to keep her at a distance even as the shorter model threw herself back into the fight. The taller model stayed close to Graham, avoiding the bulk of her attacks, and tagging her back with several head shots as well as a rising right to the jaw. Graham put the brakes on Lawley's momentum midway through the round, trading punches with the taller model for a time, but soon Lawley took control again.

Round 4:

Lawley attempted to push Graham around again in the fourth round, but Graham was more prepared and less cooperative. When Lawley charged in swinging, Graham met her charge confidently, not entirely avoiding the taller model's attacks, but surviving and striking back effectively enough that eventually Lawley sidestepped, jabbed, and disengaged. Several bruising skirmishes later Graham had pulled ahead on points, even as Lawley wore her down and made her regret it.

Round 5:

After both women took a beating in the fourth round, Lawley seemed content to play keepaway, jabbing and keeping her options open. Graham, also bruised, seemed content to take it slowly as well, giving up control of the terrain and darting in and out of reach. This worked well until Lawley chose to go on the offense and Graham was forced to choose between retreating outside of the fighting area. Though not clearly marked, the organizers were prepared to penalize fighters for straying too far. Graham split the difference, ducking and repositioning and jabbing in a fighting retreat. Neither her fight nor her retreat proved effective; Lawley stuck to her firmly, parrying and landing a right hook to her cheek. Lawley's straight follow up snapped Graham's head back and caused her to retreat further down the beach by the shallow water. In danger of a penalty, Graham stood her ground, and Lawley immediately clobbered her with a rising left to the chin. Graham pushed back, but Lawley continually shut her down, shaking her with powerful head shots. The end of the round saved Graham from the painful blows, but during the break, the model struggled to catch her breath, mouth open and arms loose at her sides.

Round 6:

With much more energy than her opponent, Lawley went on the offense immediately, landing powerful straight shots to Graham's face in the opening seconds. Graham stubbornly fought back, but Lawley herded her about without much difficulty, facing the shorter model's back to the ocean. When Lawley surprised Graham with a rising right, it was almost enough to get Graham airborne. The dazed model was thrown backwards, landing on her back with a large splash. A small wave covered Graham before lowering as she lay still through the count. The winner by round 6 KO, Robyn Lawley, was still looking energetic.

Lawley, fists clenched at her sides, shouted at the downed woman angrily, as if challenging her to get up and try again. Meanwhile, quietly but not escaping all notice, Popplewell and Hendricks moved in to block any attempts to interfere with their victorious stablemate. Lawley, pacing back and forth, muscles tense, seemed prepared to continue to fight with anyone who got close, but had accepted Graham's decision to stay down. As the beaten model rolled onto her hands and knees in the shallow water, Lawley casually strolled up to her and pounced on top, pushing Graham's face down in the mud firmly.

Graham's seconds, who had squared off with Hendricks and Popplewell, had enough. One, having taken a guess at the weak spot in the duo, stomped forward and shoved Popplewell aside forcefully. The aggressive model moved past, but Popplewell clung to her side, grasping the model's arm and swinging her in an arc that left her face down in the sand. Before she could rise, Popplewell had gleefully trapped the model's arm between her legs, and threatened to pull it out of its socket grasping the wrist in both hands. The model protested, but went limp. Hendricks' model, seeing the strong redhead step forward confidently, fists at her sides, backed off.

Meanwhile, Lawley had pinned Graham down on her back. Graham struggled as much as she could, maintaining a little bit of dignity, while falling short of the point where Lawley would pummel her unconscious a second time. Straddling Graham's midsection, Lawley held Graham's wrists down in the damp sand, snarling in her face. Graham turned away, wincing as Lawley's body crushed one of her many bruises.

The two models held the pose for the photographers, and Lawley gave Graham a final downward shove as she rose to her feet. Chasing away anyone who might help the fallen fighter with a glare, Lawley made her exit.

"I absolutely will not hesitate one second to go after her if she puts one foot wrong. Stay out of my spotlight Ashley!" commented Lawley after the match. "I'm sort of hoping she does, though! But if she learns her lesson I will still call it a win."