2. Ginny Gardner vs. Anya Taylor-Joy

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Ginny Gardner
(26, 5’8, 127 lbs, 17:14 FCBA, The Dollhouse)
Vs.
Anya Taylor Joy
(25, 5’7, 118 lbs, 11:1 FCBA, League of Mighty Women)

Results: Lookout!; Story: Caspian & The Dollhouse

BEFORE:
"Anya is a pretty big star right now and I think Carmen mostly wanted to bring her to the Doll Ball to get a lot more people watching. Which is of course fine with me, because if I can beat her tonight I'll have all those eyes on ME,” Ginny Gardner first chuckles from her perch at the press table. “I know it's going to be a hell of a challenge though...she doesn't lose much. I mean, at all! Her only loss was actually... to Bella, 4 years ago. She's 6-0 this year! Anyway...still worth a shot. Imma give her hell!"

Anya Taylor-Joy is of course one of the breakout Bantamweight stars of 2021, first bursting onto the Hollywood scene with her role in the Netflix series, The Queen’s Gambit. Since then, she’s made the ring a nice side-hustle for herself after beating girls like Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and most recently, the illustrious former Bantamweight champion, Nina Dobrev.

How she’ll stack up against the Dollhouse’s Ginny Gardner tonight is anyone’s guess, though Anya is ever respectful when it’s her turn at a response:

“I admire Ginny - I really do. She’s had almost three times more fights than I’ve had, and against a host of more dangerous opponents. She hasn’t always won those fights, of course, but I admire her courage for trying. Either way, it’s going to be a hell of a war tonight. So bring it on!”

Only about an inch of difference in height between these two, and the two blondes square off from opposite ends of the stage due to current CDC recommendations. You can still feel the electricity in the air, however, as they stare each other down, lock eyes with both fists trained upwards to the chin, before they’re pulled back by their respective fight teams to head backstage for final prep.

Fight night rolls around and it’s Anya coming into the arena first, the American blonde with a long ponytail flicking and swishing out back, dressed in a white sports bra lined with black splotches and a midnight pair of black briefs for bottoms. She’s pumping yellow gloves into the air as she strides down the ramp. Up next is Gardner’s own energetic entrance, the Doll wearing her signature baby blue sports bra and knee-length grey tights, semi-dancing to the rock music playing throughout the arena as she shakes her arms and limbs loose to the cheers of her fans.

We’re finally ready to kick things off at this latest Doll Ball, with both ladies set in their fighting stances in their respective corners, giving mutual nods to the referee. And HERE WE GO with ten rounds of Bantamweight action!

ROUND 1:
Ginny wants to win this one really bad but knows she’s coming into this fight as the lesser of two favourites. She starts off focused and cautious, both arms up and locked over her head and only intermittently jabbing at Anya’s from a distance. Anya, for the most part, is keeping her distinct space as well, her head bobbing and weaving from side to side and trying to anticipate Ginny’s movements and speed. First round, however, is marked by Ginny’s fast combos streaking in at opportune moments, actually landing on Anya’s face and stunning her to the nose a couple of times. Maybe Anya needs a little more time to acclimatise to her newcomer foe, but her own punches are hitting the arms and barely making a dent throughout this opening. Bell rings and Ginny’s patience has paid off, walking back to her corner with her head held high. Anya, however, doesn’t look too worried by her lack of progress, circling back to her own turnbuckle, breathing hard but still with a smile on her face.

ROUND 2:
Anya picks up the pace here, moving in greater tandem with Ginny’s advances and generally confounding the Doll in this next chapter of their epic showdown. Previously, Ginny was able to land her combos no problemo, her one-two practiced jabs smattering into Anya’s arms and body. But now, Anya’s gotten some sense of the Doll’s rhythm, evading her attacks and slipping back each time she senses one of Gardner’s patterns coming. Instead, Anya’s employing effective counter-jabbing, waylaying the other blonde with short, snappy hands to her face and forehead, at one point bunching up the cheek in with a well-placed cross that’s delivered clean. Ginny’s in trouble early, probably didn’t anticipate this counterattack arriving on her shores so soon, and the third minute sees both women content with staying backwards and circling wide, with Anya looking smug behind her gloves at having managed to crack Gardner’s code.

ROUND 3:
Back to basics, it seems, as Ginny keeps herself well and away once more, locking her arms and trying to tag Anya on the face with counter-strikes. But the problem is Anya also has the same idea, and the first minute is spent in a mutual dance of death, with both ladies afraid of moving in too close before their fists start flying wildly at each other’s head. Not all of the punches are landing clean, of course, in this dance of cautious adversaries, and only one or two stun the nose or lips before the two blondes back away again, looking for more space. Anya picks up the pace in the third minute, however, strategically going after big holes in Ginny’s defences, earning several grunts as she bangs a one-two combo off the tummy to drive the Doll back further, ending the round close in her corner.

ROUND 4:
Ginny’s choosing to stay patient, however, her fight strategy having worked in the past against more aggressive foes, now apt at fending off Anya’s attacks with ease. Anya’s trying to capitalise and roar inwards to corner the Doll, but she’s taking damage to the face in turn, with Ginny smacking lefts and rights up into her temple or chin to stop her advance. Anya realises that her opponent is still very much seaworthy, and has no choice but to take a breather and stay away for the rest of the round. Gardner, however, has other ideas, suddenly surprising her back with a shut-in cross driven to the arms, which stuns the Hollywood actress with a loud gasp! AND HERE COMES GINNY, suddenly invigorated and looking for blood! Uncharacteristic aggression from the Doll who rocks Anya with another hook to the side of her head, before yet another straight hand stuns her to the chin, and DOWN ANYA-TAYLOR GOES!! It’s a shock KNOCKDOWN in the second minute, with Anya having lost her balance on those elongated legs of hers, then fallen over herself and down onto her butt! She has a shocked expression on that pretty face of hers, as Ginny waltzes back to her corner with an arm raised high in the air! But as the count passes 3, Anya has already begun her recovery to her feet, shoving off the canvas with both gloves before steadying her back against the ropes by the count of 7! This fight is set to continue!

ROUND 5:
Ginny’s laser-focused now, her head low as she marches forward with even greater purpose. She has victory within her sights and looks as though she wants to try and seize it by the end of the fifth and make a statement! First minute and Anya’s having to move constantly to defend against the barrage of attacks coming from Gardner, who’s throwing fast combos at her head before swerving in for a killing hook or uppercut at the chin. But Anya’s agility and wits are still about her, moving fast and keeping herself from being cornered against the ropes or the corner. Slowly, but surely, Anya’s exposing Ginny’s own weaknesses, crunching a return cross to the Doll’s nose before a grazing counter-hook stuns her across the chin. Ginny’s aggression is definitely something to behold, but all those bursts of energy prior has meant she’s only gotten winded since that last round, and now even more so. Anya’s fans are firmly at her back when the League of Mighty Women starlet drives another one-two combo into the Doll’s face, and GINNY GOES STUMBLING BACKWARDS, looking like she’s in tatters! It’s Anya’s turn to ROAR inwards, a mixture of fast hands slamming into the nose and across the cheek, finally driving Gardner into the ropes! The poor blonde lets out a grunt of pain before she BOUNCES off and COLLAPSES the canvas, flat on her chest! Referee immediately hovers over the fallen blonde, hoping to start the ten-count, but Ginny’s merely groaning and pawing at the nearby ropes, barely pushing up to all fours before he hits the final count of 10! It’s OVER!

Official Decision: Anya Taylor Joy defeats Ginny Gardner via KO5!

AFTER:
A good win for Anya Taylor Joy tonight, but more importantly, it might also be a good loss for Ginny Gardner, who has to be helped to her corner on shaky feet in the aftermath of the bell. The Doll gave it her all tonight, and at one point even saw light at the end of the tunnel. Who knows whether if she had stayed a little more patient, she might have been able to turn the tide in the long-run.

Anya, meanwhile, is all smiles, celebrating in her corner with plenty of high-fives and hugs with her fight team. All that cordiality from the beginning is now gone as the two women can’t bring themselves to face off one final time, with Ginny looking crestfallen and only wanting to leave the ring as fast as possible, and Anya, on the other hand, not sure if going over to comfort her former opponent will provide any benefit. The actress opts to throw concerned glances at Ginny’s direction, but ultimately decides to stay away.

Later, Anya is still grinning wide as she stops by the ringside to speak to reporters. “I didn’t want to gloat in there, Ginny put up an excellent fight…she knocked me down and proved to be a capable opponent tonight. I’m glad I was able to keep my streak going tonight…7-0 baby! There’s only one girl who managed to beat me so far and she’ll be fighting here in a few.” Anya chuckles. “I’ve been hearing Bella’s been performing quite poorly lately. I’ll be watching her fight tonight. Maybe it’s time for me to demand a rematch and even the score. It’s been 3 years. I guess we’ll see…” The victorious actress smirks as her fans go wild at the possibility of seeing her go toe to toe again with arguable the biggest Dollhouse star in the neat future.
Anya then makes her victory march to the backstage accompanied by her team and some very loud “AN-YA, AN-YA” chants from her many fans in the arena tonight.