"There isn't much of a story about this one," said Anna Popplewell in the days before her fight against Clare Bowen. "She was looking to end her hiatus at about the time I was looking for my next opponent, and everything fell into place. Not that I mind! She's really pretty. I'm done being surprised when a pretty opponent turns out to be really tough by now, of course."

Clare Bowen seemed ready to return after a bad loss to Lucy Hale over a year earlier. "I'm sure the critics have written me off as finished, but the fact is, I haven't vanished. The last year has been a sort of cocoon for me. I entered as a caterpillar, and now I'm coming out. My opponent seems nice enough, but she's going to be the first to experience the beautiful butterfly that I've become."

Bowen, in white athletic wear, arrived in a flurry of attention and discussion. The actress was scheduled to fight again shortly after, against newcomer Holland Roden, proving that if nothing else, her move had involved some organization. Popplewell, in pink, was much more of a known quantity.

Round 1:
Popplewell opened well, working the jab and keeping her blonde rival in check without making any big moves. Bowen struggled briefly, but rebutted the inevitable accusations of rust and under preparedness towards the midpoint, pushing Popplewell back fiercely. Her efforts were not enough to turn things around, and a final push from Popplewell allowed the brunette to land a rising hook to Bowen's midsection, giving her a good moment for the highlight reel as Bowen winced.

Round 2:
Bowen pulled ahead in the second round after a few fairly even skirmishes, hitting Popplewell cleanly in the nose unanswered. Popplewell, in a bad position, briefly ceded control, allowing Bowen to expand. Though Popplewell rallied to attack Bowen later in the round, the blonde held up under pressure and ultimately drove her back, looking quite pleased at the Bell.

Round 3:
With each actress having taken a round, both seemed to independently decide to pick up the pace in the third round to break the tie. Bowen, winning an early exchange, caused a small panic in Popplewell's corner as she nearly drove the brunette back onto the ropes. However, Popplewell escaped at the last moment, earning space with a counter attack and using it to flee and start from scratch. Popplewell, pushed to strike back, put her rival on the defense with great effort, sneaking a straight punch past her guard. However, Bowen adapted, managing to keep the brunette away for the remainder and taking a narrow decision.

Round 4:
The fourth round began slowly, with Popplewell bobbing and weaving against an aggressive but ultimately ineffective Bowen. Popplewell, throwing punches to keep Bowen under control, got the opportunity she had been waiting for eventually, lunging in to deliver a right cross to the blonde's cheek after weaving past a swung. Bowen covered up, quickly going in for a second try, with similar results. At the end of the fourth round, Bowen had expended a lot of energy, but her opponent was looking little worse for it.

Round 5:
Once again Popplewell slowly pulled ahead, this time pacing herself, but putting pressure on consistently. Bowen pushed back hard before the midpoint, only to back down as the brunette slowly piled on the attrition. Looking out of breath, Bowen covered up, striking back when necessary to avoid allowing her rival free reign. Popplewell failed to make significant plays despite two rounds in a row of dominance, but judging by Bowen's posture during the break, she was having an impact.

Round 6:
Bowen charged Popplewell immediately in the opening of the sixth round, clearly not ready to quit. The short but intense battle took a sudden turn when the Bowen managed to pummel the other actress with three sharp blows to the head. Popplewell saved herself from a sudden, utter defeat, but with momentum on her side, it was not long before Bowen was on her again, taking advantage of her disorientation. Popplewell alternated between suffering under Bowen's offense and pulling herself back from the brink. By the finish, she was unreliably battling it out again, but the small success did not balance out a one sided round.

Round 7:
The break seemed to have given Popplewell enough time to come back, and in the seventh round, she had returned to her old groove, frustrating Bowen. The rug had been yanked out from under the blonde in her moment of triumph, and now she found herself throwing herself at Popplewell only to bounce off. While competitive moments occurred, the brunette wore her opponent down, and as time ran low, she struck. Bowen had just enough time to see the first punch coming, but not enough to stop it. As the blonde shook off the blow, Popplewell's second swing struck the worn out actress in the jaw. Tilting her head to the side from the impact, the defeated actress swooned, landing on her hands and knees, facing away from her celebrating opponent. While Bowen merely sat, chest rising and falling, she was spared the sight of the brunette bouncing up and down with her fists raised. However, she heard the result -- KO7 Popplewell.

With Popplewell standing on the turnbuckle, punching the air with a big smile on her face, Bowen unsteadily stood up, holding her head. The blonde glanced up at the winner's display, and just then, the brunette glanced over her shoulder and beamed, causing Bowen to look down and make her exit.

"She could only slow me down. Sooner or later I was gonna get her!" Anna Popplewell spoke with interviewers shortly after the fight, proudly wearing her battle damage. "Clare, if you're listening, good luck to you next time against Holland, and you're welcome to try again with me if you're feeling brave enough!"

Clare Bowen did not directly respond, but she did comment on the fight once the smoke cleared. "No, it isn't the result I wanted, but I'm still glad I took the fight. It's in the past now, and now I'm looking forward to taking what Anna taught me and using it to wreck Holland."