Post by Lookout! Boxing on Nov 29, 2019 22:52:43 GMT -6
Nina Dobrev vs Hunter King
(Lioness Club of America vs Front Street Gym)
(46-25-1, 38 KO vs 17-1, 17 KO)
Results: Lookout!; Story: Vassago
BEFORE: If Nina Dobrev defeated Demi Lovato back in April this would have been the next bantamweight title defense for then-champion but the 'Bulgarian Badass' doesn't forget about her past ideas so Hunter King has been invited to the PPV dance here some six months after the original plan fell apart. Anyone who follows the Front Street narrative realizes this is one of the "make it or break it" kind of fights which defines one's career over in the Pennsylvania-based stable while Dobrev has moved past Minka Kelly as the Lioness divisional Alpha so this is one of the hidden gems of the entire card.
Nina tries to tease Hunter into some reaction during the introductions however the blonde vixen refuses to buckle; she remains one of the chief mysterious characters in the game which annoys the brunette a little. Erin Andrews in the booth doesn't believe Hunter's roster spot is under scrutiny before the January makeover so it's hard to explain why she looks so tense here as Nina gives her the proverbial death stare at the last moment.
Nina Dobrev wears a red crop top with black trim, white hotpants & red gloves. Long dark brown hair tied in a high ponytail. Hunter King wears a light blue crop top, matching hotpants & black gloves. Long blonde hair tied in a high ponytail. The fight is scheduled for ten rounds in the bantamweight division.
Round 1:
Hunter's laid-back approach allows Nina to pick her off up the middle in steady albeit lethargic fashion. Both girls refuse to kick into a higher gear but punches still fly around the ring to avoid the classic tactical opener. Nina gets a little more aggressive down the stretch but meets a better defensive effort as King seems happy enough to channel the counter-punching route with the brunette unwilling to follow the swarming ideas. A couple of single punches slip through and catch the blonde on the lips but make little impression and Hunter bumps Dobrev with a belting shot almost out of nowhere that makes the former champion scowl in sudden pain right at the bell.
Rounds 2 & 3:
Hunter gets more aggressive and outworks the charging foe through supreme jabbing drive that slices Nina's guard before the Lioness fighter thinks better off it and retreats into mid-range. However King doesn't push the button enough to keep the brunette guessing and wastes a potentially great opportunity to make a proper statement. She allows Dobrev to channel a duck & weave tactics and almost gets sucked into a counter-punching stinger herself but the former champion misses on the put away and gets clattered in jug-to-jug fashion instead. Both girls also clash heads late in the second which prompts a lenghty stalemate before King recovers to dominate the early part of the third where she connects with more crisp jabs while Dobrev remains stuck in neutral and struggles to land a good punch from mid-range. She bounces off the blonde's forearms and has King browsing the midsection whenever she tries to close the distance. Hunter makes a better impression by the numbers but there's no genuine punishment involved which frustrates both camps and the fans in the audience.
Round 4:
It's Hunter who scores the big punch as she beats Nina for the right-on-right exchange and wobbles her on the heels following a nasty hook on the nose. Nina swings nowhere from the back foot and has the blonde crashing into her tummy before a half-uppercut bursts into her chest as well. Ugh! Hunter lets the jug muggin' power loose and backs Dobrev onto the ropes where the high-octane rush takes over and enables both girls to trade vicious blows until Nina squeals in pain and bends to the side. Hunter belts her in the gut once.. twice even and lands an uppercut double on the chin shutting the brunette down in the process. Nina just can't break out of the hole and bellows out behind a tight earmuff which fuels a late ribcage pounding that King uses to secure a 39-37 lead on the cards. Uh-oh! That 17-1 record doesn't look so hollow anymore as LCA coach Eva Mendes smacks Nina with a towel during a heated verbal exchange during the break.
Round 5:
Nina uses some fancy footwork to buy some time in mid-range but the Lioness plan to lure King into a proper slugging war of attrition simply doesn't work as Grace Park & co. have seen right through it. Hunter prefers to sit on the scorecards lead and forces the brunette's hand which doesn't carry enough power to make a difference. Back & forth struggle ensues but Hunter has it all under control until a desperate push from Dobrev allows her to land some meaningful punches come the final minute. Hunter shakes off the brief attack and explores too much midriff for Nina to settle down though before a booming hook finally wobbles the blonde onto her heels. Nina jumps into immediate jabbing push but another clash of heads slows her effort right down and King clinches her into safety to run out the clock.
Round 6:
Nina's fallen back on the scorecards and she's unlikely to wear Hunter down into exhaustion so she blitzes the hitherto superior blonde only to walk into a massive overhand double that tears a bloody patch below her left eye. Ugh! Hunter just nails her with a perfect combo and lets a belting hook rip through her jugs moments later... Oi, Nina!!! The Lioness brunette trips back onto the ropes with a loud whimper and sinks on her heels when King cranks up the volume and bursts ahead with another vicious left/right double. She tags Dobrev's chin and keeps raining punches up the middle while the aching former champ tries to hang on here... one-way traffic threatens a Hunter King walk-off home run and she gets vocal while pounding Dobrev from both flanks deep into the final minute... the brunette's guard finally collapses and the blonde has a free run and she SMOKES her prey with a left hook on the chin THAT FOLDS DOBREV ONTO HER BACKSIDE in blink & you've missed it fashion!!! Grace Park thinks it's over and Nina looks to be done here alright... until the bell saves her half-way through the count... uh-oh!!! Saved by the bell!!! It's a non-title fight so the rules let Nina off the hook however Hunter has this all under control and should complete the job soon enough according to Erin Andrews in the booth.
Round 7:
Some fans from Philadelphia expect Dobrev to quit on her stool but there's too much Lioness pride at stake and the former champion gets up to meet a blonde jabbing buzzsaw... Hunter has a famous win right in front of her and she knows it... she pancakes the high guard and sets up a left/right combo to smash the brunette's nose into a bloody mess before she can swing for the home run... and Nina somehow slips underneath to blow into her liver with the lucky punch for the ages... Woof! Hunter is stopped in her tracks and eats a crippling shot on the solar plexus before Dobrev flies in with another gut shot... Hunter rolls forward but bounces off the top of Nina's shoulder, she turns away but not fast enough and Nina NAILS her on the liver to blow up the Front Street victory parada... HUNTER IS HURT!!! She turns away with a whimper and crashes onto her knees with eyes closed... she hugs the aching area but even coach Grace Park knows it's all over!!! Hunter bends her head against the canvas and the ref waves it off as the old reliable liver shot has risen to the fore again. KO7 Nina Dobrev in lucky punch fashion!!!
AFTER: Talk about getting away with one... Nina Dobrev was outclassed for majority of this contest and still has her arm raised in victory! It's brutal stuff for Hunter King who has to soak up her second career defeat despite winning five of six rounds before it all went downhill in the seventh. Grace Park is speechless, she can't even show any signs of frustration or call for a rematch here... Meanwhile both Eva Mendes in the LCA corner & Erin Andrews in the TV booth know the rematch is coming since one rarely moves on from such a bitter & undeserved defeat... hell, Nina Dobrev tones down her celebrations and knows she's getting an 'E' mark for tonight's performance. The "better be lucky than good" cliche isn't the way around for a Lioness bantamweight Alpha seeking a pound-for-pound Top 10 recognition.
Boxing World Online meltdown incoming in five... four... three... to be continued!
Official Result: Nina Dobrev def. Hunter King KO7.