Nina Dobrev versus Kira Kosarin (Bantamweight Title)

Unified Bantamweight Title
Nina Dobrev (Champion) vs Kira Kosarin
(Lioness Club of America vs Bonzo's Gym)
(37-24-1, 29 KO vs 15-6, 15 KO)
Results: Lookout!; Story: Vassago

BEFORE: "I won't make it personal, I promise!", new unfied bantamweight champion Nina Dobrev enters her first defense answering questions about the Minka Kelly payback as Bonzo's Kira Kosarin is solely responsible for Nina teammate's well-documented fall from the elite grace over the past few months. "You guys always pick these little wars but Minka is a big girl! She got challenged by someone young enough to be her daughter and she lost! Big deal! I admit that Demi Lovato going on rehab spoiled my perfect plan but Kira is widely regarded as future champion so I'd be honored to shut her up tonight! It's always better to silence these prospects early before they catch some fire. So, let's just watch and enjoy MY show!"

Meanwhile Kira Kosarin is no stranger to high-profile opportunities having battled for the unified bantamweight title six months ago already where she took Emily VanCamp all the way to a judges decision. She earned this follow up challenge thumping the crap out of Emily Ratajkowski on the 'Fights & Frights' PPV but the real spoiler in the pack comes courtesy of her Doll Ball punchout of Bella Thorne, the very same Bella Thorne who knocked Nina Dobrev out in JMD rules early last month! Oh yeah, forget Minka Kelly here for a moment, Nina might just have challenged her worst possible enemy and the way Kira grins at her during the introductions makes one or two fans realize this is not a mandatory title defense against an elite wannabe! Kira belongs to the divisional elite already...

Nina Dobrev wears a leopard print bikini top, black knickers and green gloves. Long dark brown hair tied in a curled ponytail. Kira Kosarin wears a red sports bra, black knickers and red gloves. Long dark brown hair tied in a half-up ponytail. The fight is scheduled for ten rounds in the bantamweight division.

Round 1:
There's a great deal of respect in the early stages as both girls refuses to engage in a classic punchfest and settle for a single strike dispute that carries little urgency and power supply but Kira eventually becomes animated and swings promising efforts upstairs to force Nina into defensive circles. The champion relies on her counterpunching stance to block the challenger off before a cruel hook tags Kosarin on the jaw and makes her think better off it... very briefly though. Kira jumps into a steady jabbing pursuit testing more Bulgarian agility alas it's Dobrev who finds the better punches come the final minute and rattles the challenger onto her heels with a nifty one-two combo on the temples. A power hook then cleans out the tummy and bends Kosarin into rare spasms right at the bell.

Rounds 2 & 3:
Kira keeps hassling the older brunette with arrogant punches but the Bulgarian's guard holds up well and allows Nina to cash in with meaningful counter-strikes down the stretch. Both girls tangle in the middle of the ring and while Nina gets more aggressive, she eats several crisp shots from the inside with Kira punishing her chin a little too often for comfort which staggers the champion back. Kosarin leaps through with additional strikes and bumps Dobrev onto the ropes to rally for artistic impression come the final minute while Nina fails to punch herself into contention being trapped butt-in-ropes. She clinches the challenger to run down the clock but that's not the way to impose the champion's presence at all so coach Eva Mendes has every right to be upset about that approach.

Round 4:
Nina finally shows proper urgency and beats Kosarin for the overhand strikes which keep the younger brunette in mid-range and neutralize her aggressive plan to the point she has to weave around on her toes rather than apply any meaningful punches. Dobrev is much quicker on her feet and keeps landing single punches up the middle however most of the fans and pundits believe she still holds something back here. It's efficient enough to swing the judges' approval but straight out of Minka Kelly's chapter and not exactly pleasing the blood-thirsty fans in the audience. Of course that Bella Thorne defeat could still linger on Nina's mind and the word is she was forced to issue this challenge on LCA manager's orders alas she looks more nervous on her maiden title defense than expected.

Round 5:
Kosarin comes roaring back at the champion and enforces the close range test of attrition which earns Dobrev a fat lip when she gets smacked up the middle and wobbles to her heels far too easily. She misses the back-foot swing and gets pounded back to the ropes with Kira ripping more damage through the leaky guard. Ugh! The champion bolts to the right and escapes the ropes alas struggles to tame the challenger's hectic pursuit and eats more crisp punches on the fly with Kosarin barking in anger. She avoids getting laced with another desperate swing from Dobrev and bursts through on the body to trap the champion in the corner where she cleans out more tummy and leaves the older brunette gasping for air at the bell. Huh! That should be advantage Kosarin at half-distance and she has every right to taunt Eva Mendes in the LCA corner with Nina just trying to ignore her instead.

Round 6:
Neither girl can secure a lenghty spell of dominance though and Kira's aggressive approach backfires into her pretty face early in the sixth when she jams her hand on Nina's hip and gets whacked on the jaw instead. The champion rallies with an uppercut drive that wobbles the fellow brunette on her heels but it's a piercing hook on the boobs that does the trick and makes the youngster scream out in pain. Huh! Guess Nina learned some lessons from Bella Thorne after all and she picks Kira off to the body while dropping her butt-in-ropes in the process. Kira eats more leather on the jugs and has to clinch the champion but then struggles to embrace the breadbasket pounding and we go back & forth here with Dobrev on top of a phone booth exchange in the corner in the final seconds of the round.

Round 7:
Kira launches a hooking attack to catch the champion upstairs and she works around the swollen lip repeatedly while preventing Nina from further jug muggin' action. However the Canadian citizen responds with improved mobility and steps away into mid-distance which triggers another hectic pursuit once Kosarin realizes she's misfiring badly and losing her momentum wholesale. Nina goes all Minka again and it works when she stuns the younger brunette with a left cross on the eye that wobbles Kosarin into a brutal uppercut on the chin. Ugh! Kira yelps in sudden pain and fails to connect with a desperate hook while Dobrev SLAMS a left hook on temple to sink her on visibly jelly knees. A powerful double on the nose sends the challenger reeling and Kira doesn't have the legs to escape a trap on the turnbuckle where Dobrev ravages her exposed breadbasket and tops it off with a piercing hook on the liver right at the bell. Ouch! Kira groans out her loudest right there but avoids going down and even tries to eyeball the seething champion. So much for not taking it personal, Nina?

Round 8:
Nina rallies to punish her rival to the body and perhaps Kira should finally think about not responding in a slugging fashion anymore? Oh wait, too late... she wants to add to the lip swelling after all and smacks a couple of nasty hooks on target alas gets picked off with a stinger when Dobrev barges ahead and uppercuts the rack before adding a brutal hook on the liver again... Oi, Kira!!! The challenger bends forward with another shrieking volume and fails to lock the champion down in time to avoid a wicked follow up that NAILS her on the liver one time too many... Dobrev hits the jackpot this time and SENDS KOSARIN CRUMBLING ON HER KNEES!!! Even the toughest cookies don't recover from that one so Kira is left in turtle-like stance hugging her midriff when the merciless count passes her by! KO8 and STILL your unified bantamweight champion, Nina 'The Bulgarian Princess' Dobrev!!!

AFTER: "Awwww!!! It was such a nice try, kid! Better luck next time!", Nina acknowledges Kira's championship effort that came up short once again. The Bonzo youngster disappears into a sobbing mess and tries not to look too dejected here but it's basically impossible with the cameras flashing straight into her face. She enjoys a quick hug from the champion but Nina soon climbs the ropes and prefers to salute the crowd with her beaming smile instead. "How about that! Who needs Evangeline Lilly anyway?" (laughs).

When the belt is wrapped around her hips again Nina can't stay away from firing another shot at Demi Lovato and even the usual pundits are puzzled whether this is a genuine offer or another way to mock a "down on her luck" ex-stablemate that effectively forced Dobrev out of the Lookout! Boxing line-up.

Lioness Club of America refuses to reveal details regarding the identity of Nina's next opponent and the champion herself is equally tight-lipped while dancing her way through the rampant crowd. "You'd all like to know too MUCH!!! Make way, bytches! The drinks are on me tonight! Woo!"

Official result: Ch Nina Dobrev def. Kira Kosarin KO8.