Evangeline Lilly versus Claire Danes

BEFORE:

Not a lot of hype needed for this one, matching a pair of fighters with a combined 34 years FCBA experience and 12 titles. Of course, despite fifteen years together in the FCBA, the two have met only twice, mostly since Claire spent most of those years at flyweight. And, while both fights were competitive, one even going to a 13-round decision, both were also won by Claire, who has no doubt this third match up is going to end the same way. "Look," says the Hall of Famer, "It's nice that she's getting this late-career boost. Nobody saw her getting management again, and, who knows? Maybe she'll even get another title. But. One thing she's NOT going to do is beat ME. Because, as I've proven twice, I'm simply better than she is."

"No, I didn't manage to win either of my fights against Claire," says Lilly with a shake of the head. "Close both times. Had chances and didn't finish. Well. I've learned a few things in those two fights. And, this time, I WILL finish."

ROUND ONE:

Vangie brings the physical early. And, this is clearly the fight plan. Lilly the stronger fighter, and she wants to bring that power to bear. Danes appears a little surprised by the extent of the aggression, as she finds herself put on the back foot almost immediately, and, soon after, thrown completely to the defensive. Brunette stepping to, banging body, sitting down on shots to the head. Blonde reduced to a counter puncher, trying to ride out an Alberta clipper of a storm being tossed at her by a determined brunette. Evangeline may not have any illusions about finishing this thing in the first round, but she's clearly all about ESTABLISHING things in the first round, and that, she accomplishes. Final seconds, in fact, see Danes backed to the ropes, covering up, taking heavy fire. Claire not hurt, but she's banged around for three minutes, and, when the bell rings, Lilly has it wide and takes the 10-9 lead.

ROUND TWO:

Lilly sticking with the plan, stepping to Claire early, roughing her up, going body, levering her inside. Danes again giving ground, covering up, playing defense. BOOM! Right hand counter! And LILLY IS HURT! Evangeline stumbling backward after a perfectly-timed right to the chin and the fight has turned on a dime. Now, Claire's on the offensive, banging away at a gobsmacked Evangline, sending her reeling backward into the ropes. Danes hooking body trying to bring down the brunette's high guard, then working upstairs, buffeting Vangie's head back and forth with hooks and straight right hands. It's a blonde onslaught for a full two minutes, as Claire punishes her brunette rival and piles up gobs of points. Lilly hanging on, doing enough to keep the referee from stepping in, but no more than that. When the bell, mercifully, rings, the brunette is still plenty unsteady and the blonde is holding back a smile. Danes has won the round wide and evened things at 19, but, she may have done much more than that.

ROUND THREE:

Lilly in deep trouble in the third, as Claire goes all clinical. Blonde knows her rival doesn't have any legs, and she takes advantage as only a Hall of Fame boxer can. Now, there's no stepping to and throwing bombs. Instead, she simply stands in the middle of the ring and picks Evangeline apart, setting up hard right hands with pretty jabs, slipping any rejoinders the Canadian tosses back at her. It's not just one-sided, it's as one-sided as you can imagine. Lilly lands almost nothing for three solid minutes, while Claire is able to put together accurate flurry after accurate flurry. The one downside is that the blonde doesn't manage to finish. In fact, she doesn't manage to land anything big enough to send the brunette to the canvas or even wobble her. But, she DOES pile plenty of hurt on the Canadian, who's abused to both head and body from start to finish, as Danes pitches a shutout to take a 29-28 lead.

ROUND FOUR:

Danes train keeps on rolling. Claire's hitting on all cylinders now, and that's bad news for ANY opponent, even one as decorated as Evangeline Lilly. Canadian still completely on the defensive, unable to hold ground or do much more than counter in spots. Claire again not doing much stepping to. She's fighting at range, picking Vangie's defenses apart. She works mostly head, but there's body work, too, and it's as vicious as you can imagine, nasty shots to tummy and ribs that pile up much hurt and many points. Lilly perseveres. But, she's unable to do much more than that. Claire buzzes her once with a sharp flurry, but doesn't manage to do more than that. Still, while the brunette's legs appear to have recovered some, they're nowhere close to all the way back, and the result is yet another wide round for Claire, who's now up 39-37.

ROUND FIVE:

Danes right back to work early. Brunette now giving ground before the blonde onslaught. Lilly backed quickly to the ropes, where she goes into the pocket. What? What's going on here? Evangeline Lilly playing Britney Spears on the ropes? That's exactly what's going on here, and she's suckering a Hall of Famer with it. Claire, for all her experience, doesn't realize she's getting played, because this is, simply, something Evangeline doesn't do. So, she can't be doing it. But, she is. Danes remains the aggressor, tossing loads of leather at the brunette, but Lilly's blocking and slipping and firing back with sharp counters into the resultant openings. Now, Claire's plenty accurate, so, she's landing, despite the Canadian's defensive efforts, but Lilly's scoring just as well in counter, and, after three one-sided rounds, we get a very competitive one, which stays that way right to the bell. And, when said bell rings, Vangie's claimed the points narrowly to even cut Claire's lead to 48-47.

ROUND SIX:

Danes rarely gets a talking to in the corner. I mean, after all, she IS Claire Danes. But, she gets one this time as the corner crew reminds her, firmly, that she doesn't want to get into siege warfare with Lilly on the ropes. Claire's responding glare icy, but the blonde, whether she needed the reminder or not, is no longer playing that. Instead, she sets up mid-ring and goes to work boxing. She's not following if Vangie gives ground. So, Vangie doesn't. She steps to and lands a brutally efficient combination. Hook to the belly, hook to the head and CLAIRE IS HURT! Danes' immediately covering up after the legs do a shimmy, and now the brunette is all in, letting Claire have it with everything in the arsenal. Danes quickly rope bound as Evangeline gets off lusty. Blonde plenty slick in defense, but Lilly's piling up the points and the hurt right to the bell, claiming the round wide and evening things at 57.

ROUND SEVEN:

Lilly all about the finish now. She's got an opportunity in front of her, and she's not about to waste it. She's walking Danes down early, battering the blonde with hard right hands to the head. Claire on defense, high guard, jabbing back, trying to slow down the brunette, but not having much success. Instead, Evangline's getting off lusty, piling up hurt, and DROPPING CLAIRE WITH A RIGHT HAND! Danes sent SPRAWLING to her back with a BOOMING right about 40 seconds in! Lilly quickly to a neutral corner. Ref's count looking like being a formality...but Claire struggles to her feet at eight. Ref thinks about it during the mandatory, but waives on Evangeline. And, here COMES Evangeline, letting the hands go, hammering Claire back into the ropes, working her body with some heavy shot, then going back upstairs to send her stumbling along the ropes with a right hook and IT'S OVER! Ref has seen enough and he bundles the protesting blonde to safety! And, your winner by TKO7 is Evangeline Lilly!

AFTER

Evangeline clearly pumped up. "You SAW that! I GOT her," the Canadian beams. "I KNEW this was how this had to go down. I had to get my power on her. I knew if I could do that, she couldn't stand up to it, and she didn't. No shame in it, because no one in this division can."