Charlotte Church versus Ashley Benson (JMD)

vs. 

Charlotte Church vs Ashley Benson

BEFORE:

Church a girl who's not gotten a ton of FCBA chances, but, when she has, she's shown plenty, beating a quality opponent in Carlson and a former champ in DeCesare. Just thirty, plenty sturdy, and with a ton of power for the weight, Church still has a chance to make an impression in the division. And, she knows it. "I won the title in the bloody BBU, didn't I? And the girls over there are every bit as tough as the girls over here. All I need are fights. And, after I beat Benson tonight, perhaps I'll be able to get them."

Benson, on the other hand, has been luckier. As a charter member of PLP, she's gotten the work she needs, and, with plenty of talent at her disposal, has shrugged off the early struggles so many young fighters face to break through and become a factor in the division. And, she doesn't believe the likes of Charlotte Church are going to stop her ride up the rankings. "Church doesn't impress me. I've fought better and beaten better than Charlotte Church."

ROUND ONE:

So. Not a lot of love lost. And, plenty of contrast. Blonde vs. brunette. American vs. Brit. FCBA vs. BBU. No surprise then, especially with this being JMD, that things get hot and heavy very quickly. The ladies meet in the center and begin letting the hands go. Now, that's not to say there's no defense being shown. This isn't a wild brawl. Both fighters are smart and neither is going to leave herself or her rack open to the not so tender mercies of the other. But, while there's plenty of soundness, there's plenty of aggression. The work rate is high, even for JMD, and both fighters land plenty of heavy shot to head, body, and, of course, to the bra cups. There's frankly not much in it for two and a half minutes. At that point, however, Benson turns up the heat a little, backs Church up with some nice combinations to the head, and ends the round on a roll, stealing it right at the end to take the 10-9 lead.

ROUND TWO:

Church not at all pleased about what went down in the last thirty seconds, and she's out aggressively to start the second. Benson, aware of Charlotte's power, tries to manage things a bit, work the jab, give some ground. Church playing bull to the matador, not exactly walking through Benson's left hands, but not exactly avoiding them either. She wants to bring the blonde to battle, get the heavy guns going. Amber not having any. At least not right now. She wants to keep Church at bay, make her work to close. But, Charlotte won't be kept. As the round goes on, she begins to have success cutting the ring, getting this thing in the phone booth, and giving Benson's body a nice beating when she does so. Ashley, realizing the matador stuff isn't going to fly, responds in kind, and we get down to some serious banging in the final seconds. There's not a lot in it at the bell, but Benson's score enough early to take the points and lead 20-18.

ROUND THREE:

More aggression from Charlotte, this time met in kind and immediately by Ashley. Benson standing her ground, firing back at the Welsh beauty. Brunette more than happy to fight on these terms. She's becoming a body punching machine now, working the abs, the ribs, the sides, the rack. Every inch of legal flesh is getting tenderized as Church gets rolling. Benson fighting more of a two-way game, working up, then down, then back up again. Both girls effective. Both landing a high percentage. There's still defense being played, but, with the fighters concentrating on inflicting punishment, both are finding it easier to hit the target. And, targets are hit. Four targets in particular as the round rolls into its final 45 seconds. The concentration on the jugs becomes almost complete at that point, as blonde and brunette use hooks and uppies to punish, bringing little gasps of pain from their respective rivals. At the bell, it's close again, but Church. And the cards are now at 29-28.

ROUND FOUR:

BOOM. Right off the bell. The pair are again aggressively at one another, and, just seconds in, Charlotte lands a heavy right hook to the chin that sends Ashley staggering backward. Benson, expecting a renewed body attack, has been caught unawares, and it's about to cost her big. The blonde stays on her feet, but Charlotte immediately makes her wish she hadn't Church's body attack is redoubled, and, with Benson's legs lacking and the blonde forced to keep her guard high to prevent more damaged up top, her body, including her jugs, sits unprotected. And, Charlotte does not need an engraved invitation. For the next nearly three minutes, the brunette absolutely abuses the blonde, battering her body mercilessly, thumping her midsection and sending shot after pulverizing shot into her bikini cups. For the last minute, Ashley's rope bound, taking, doing just enough to stay alive. At the bell, she's a wreck. And Charlotte's got it wide to even the fight at 38.

ROUND FIVE:

Church looking to finish immediately. She has Benson in trouble, and she knows it. Charlotte's after Ashley, working body, trying to either bring down the guard or simply finish her to the jugs. Benson clinching, wrestling around inside, trying to slow down the Welsh offensive, but nothing works. Until something does. Church drops the head to work the body and, as she's doing so, Benson launches an uppercut. It catches the brunette under the chin, and only Church's sturdy legs prevent her from going down. As it is, Charlotte's gobsmacked, staggering backward, getting the gloves up in a tight ear muff, preparing for some payback from a now energized Benson. And, she gets it. Now, it's Ashley going body in a major way, working over Charlotte's rack, thumping her midsection, but not ignoring the upstairs. She's splitting the guard with right hands an quickly has Church on the ropes. And, for the last minute, the brunette takes the same kind of beating the blonde got a round ago. But. Charlotte's sturdy. She ships the damage and hangs on. At the bell, it's Benson wide and back on top 48-47.

ROUND SIX:

Now, it's Benson looking to finish. Blonde more retrospect, though. She's working the jab, trying to set up right hands, backing Church up when she can do so. Charlotte trying to firm up her front. She was expecting an all-out assault from Benson, and must be happy that it isn't materializing. She's getting time to get her legs back, shake off the worst of the last round. Ashley seemingly not concerned. She has a plan, and she's working it. She's at range, jab, jab, right hand. Jab, jab, right hand. Church giving ground, firing back in counter in spots. Jab. Jab. Right hand. Jab. Jab. RIGHT HAND AND DOWN GOES CHURCH! Benson sets up a BOOMING straight right and drops Charlotte to the canvas! Ashley to a neutral corner. Numbers quickly adding up on Church. But. The Welsh beauty back to her feet at nine. Referee thinks long and hard during the mandatory, but waives Benson forward. Charlotte with the guard high. And. Ashley. Goes. RACK. In a big way. In a HUGE way. POUNDING those puppies, driving Charlotte to the ropes and just abusing her to the jugs. Finally, Church can take no more and drops the guard. Right hook! Down goes Charlotte! Church dropped to her right side along the ropes. Referee begins counting again, but Church drapes one arm over her face to hide the tears and the other across her bust. It's over! And your winner by KO6 is Ashley Benson!

AFTER:

Jawing has been going on between PLP and LCA for the entire fight and now it's boiling over. JMD is about to ensue, but something else gets in the way. Both stables in the ring and it's about to be ON. Shoving and pushing. Campbell and Hale squaring off with Lowndes and Gomez. Kelly and Mendes standing in front of Pipes and Pieterse. Mitchell eyeing Scherzinger. Yustman nose to nose with Bellisario. Atwell taking the measure of Freeman. Tinderbox. Only a match needed. Security. And, none too soon. Quickly between the fighters and herding them back to their corners. Among those swept out of the ring? Benson and Church. Reward denied for Ashley. But. For how long?