Olympic Games Boxing on NBC: Lindsey Vonn vs Alex Morgan

Olympic Games Boxing on NBC
Lindsey Vonn vs Alex Morgan
(Alpine Skiing vs Soccer)
(2-0, 2 KO vs FCBA Debut)
Results: Lookout!; Story: Vassago

BEFORE: It's been a rough start for the US women's soccer team at the Olympic Games in Tokyo so star striker Alex Morgan is ready to vent her frustration in the boxing ring instead. The Japanese hosts made some unwanted buzz with cardboard beds in the Olympic village but that doesn't bother former alpine skiing champion Lindsey Vonn who made a quick trip across the Pacific to enter the ring for FCBA glamour value. And it just so happened Hope Solo was unavailable to square off against her former teammate for financial reasons!

Vonn never participated in the OG summer editions but it's tough to find many A-list athletes walking in the same weight as these soccer women. And ESPN has been outbid by NBC so the fight couldn't take place during the recent ESPY Awards back in the USA either! Cashflow answers the demand so it's still everyone's gain we are treated with this match-up in Tokyo instead!

Lindsey Vonn wears a red crop top, white hotpants & red gloves. Long blonde hair tied in a braid. Alex Morgan wears a navy blue crop top, matching hotpants & silver gloves. Long dark brown hair tied in a half-up ponytail. The fight is scheduled for ten rounds in the welterweight division.

Round 1:
Lindsey's power supply has turned some heads before and she tackles the soccer star to the body trying to figure out whether Alex can take a mean series or two. The shear effort catches Alex off guard at first and sends her into a hectic retreat which only fuels Vonn's attacks down the stretch. Lindsey can still move around fast but she eventually needs to punish Morgan upstairs or risk losing the edge. Alex won't be ducking away from a proper response forever and sure enough, she stuns the Minnesota native with a quick hooking combo over the top just before the two-minute mark. Alex barely escapes getting trapped in the corner but jumps on her chance once she clatters into the blonde's face. She tries to steal the round late but misfires off the skier's forehead and eats a wicked uppercut bomb on the jaw herself. Ugh! Morgan slumps on the ropes with a whimper and Lindsey takes the opener close even though she'd hoped to make more inroads after that big uppercut in the end.

Rounds 2 & 3:
Lindsey's core upper body strenght allows her to follow through on several meaningful shots but she fails to land a proper combo as Alex displays dominant mobility to neutralize the skier's power advantage during the next two rounds. For every single punch landing on target Alex dekes away from the follow up before tacking the older compatriot over the top. And this approach allows Morgan to win each round by numbers which visibly frustrates Vonn at the bell who knows exactly when she's been outworked in the proccess. Alex's head-hunting attack might be a little too predictable for some but she's not gonna punish Lindsey's midriff enough any which way so why bother to begin with?

Rounds 4 & 5:
The action picks up more steam when Lindsey fires back over the top to knock Alex's head back often enough to prevent the looping overhand response. Alex has to seek mid-range adjustements but the blonde's aggressive pounce swings the fight back into her favor and clobbers Morgan butt-in-ropes where she has to slug it right back at the Minnesota native. And she's unable to powers through Vonn's sustained jabbing assault while getting tagged on the body late in the fourth as the skier puts the icing on the cake. More of the same in the fifth, Lindsey gains steady head-hunting control and dumps the soccer star into more trouble when she adds the gut-checking bonus. Alex survives the slugging rush in hectic retreat along the ropes but she avoids another phone booth trap outright and taunts the blonde at the bell: "You have to do a lot better than that!"

Round 6:
Lindsey blows the jabbing gasket early in the sixth as she still fumes over those late taunts in the previous rounds. She plugs her mitts into the brunette's midsection and tries to slam dunk her into real disarray but Alex finds more overhand success on the counter and she's not that vulnerable while getting worked downstairs either! Both women exchange nasty head shots to see if someone blinks... no dice... Lindsey still leaps forward and tries to push the younger opponent onto the ropes but gets clocked with a quick scything blast and turns back against the ropes when Morgan barges her in the breasts. Vonn swings high... and misses! Alex drills a hard right on the nose and beats Lindsey for a quick punch on the jaw that finally rattles the champion skier into spasms. Another hard right nails her on the nose and she drops her mitts just so Alex can SMOKE her with a quick uppercut on the jaw... DOWN GOES VONN!!! The former Olympic champion crashes down on her knees just before the bell and avoids a looming disaster thanks to the "saved by the bell" rule which makes Alex visibly upset in the other corner. She'll have to go for the rebound whether she likes it or not!

Round 7:
It seems like Lindsey has recovered from that late knockdown in the sixth but Alex locks her down with a jabbing barrage and splits the high-guard from both flanks before a looping shot on the ear makes Vonn yelp in pain. Ugh! So much for that recovery as Alex goes on a head-hunting rampage to destroy the blonde's guard outright and leave her glued to the spot in the center of the ring. Lindsey groans in pain as she gets cut up below the left eye and just can't clinch the soccer star anymore... she wobbles to her heels and gets CAUGHT by one vicious hook on the jaw too many... DOWN GOES VONN again!!! She crashes down on her knees and bends her head against the canvas while Alex struts back to the neutral corner. The count is slow but Lindsey simply makes no effort to beat it so the soccer entourage can celebrate the first win here in Tokyo! KO7 Alex Morgan!!!

AFTER: No harm no foul as Alex helps Lindsey to get back to her feet before the two women exchange a warm embrace in the center of the ring. The Olympic spirit remains united for Team USA and Alex even jokes about the lumps she inflicted on Lindsey's face. However NBC reports that Hope Solo is still determined to prove she's the best boxer among soccer players (both active & retired) and hopes to face Alex once she returns home next month. There's no doubt Hope can put the money where her mouth is so Alex acknowledges her boxing endeavours might not be over just yet!

Official Result: Alex Morgan def. Lindsey Vonn KO7.