CELEBRITY BOXING AFTER DARK

Beth: 36 YO, 5’6 (1.68 m), 14-21-1 since 2005, Foxfire Boxing

Autumn: 35 YO, 5’4 (1.63m), 0-1-0 since 2016, Pretty Little Punchers

Results: Lookout / Writing: Archer

Before: Beth Harnois shaking her blonde head in apparent disbelief: “I thought Danielle Harris and Nia Peeples had more sense. Why in the world are they allowing Autumn to embarrass their organization by fighting a kid like Debby Ryan? Anyone could have told them Autumn would get her butt kicked and that’s pretty much what happened. She should have found some over-the-hill cupcake to the start out with! Worst sort of career management I’ve seen in years!”

Beth Harnois’ explosive comments to reporter Skip Tracey, provoke icy fury in the PLP offices, though both Danielle Harris and Nia Peeples will only say on the record: “The Debby Ryan fight was competitive. Autumn didn’t win, but she didn’t embarrass herself or anyone else.” Danielle Harris does add: “For someone who has lost 21 of 36 fights, Beth’s got her nerve passing judgement on Autumn!”

“Beth needs to be taught to watch what she says,” Autumn herself says to Skip Tracey, “and I think she needs to put her big ass in the ring against me. I know I can put said ass on the canvas. All I need is for her to come out of hiding and accept the challenge.”

“What?! Beth Harnois has never hid from any opponent! Especially one with her nasty mouth! To think I used to try to help her learn the ropes as communications director! She has no gratitude whatever!” Beth fumes. “Of course I’ll fight her—and there is nothing wrong with my ass—though if I had her skinny ass I might be jealous too!”
Oh boy! Nothing like former friends and allies having a falling out. Press events are interrupted by frequent quarrels and shoving matches between Beth and Autumn. At 5’6 Beth has two inches on Autumn, but brunette gives as good as she gets, though all-out brawling is prevented by Security intervention.

The night of the fight finds Beth coming to the ring in a striking midnight blue one piece cut high in the hips and with a nice scoop to show off her breasts. Dark blue gloves and boots along with a simple battle braid complete her attire. Autumn has selected a red one piece with gold trim, high cut hips. She’s wearing gold gloves and boots. Hair in a ponytail. Two fighters glare at each other. Both stables well represented at ringside (opposite sides, of course). Hayden Panettiere, Addie Kane, Sarah Carter, Willa Holland, Rachel McAdams, Laura Vandervoort, and general manager Jennifer Garner on one side. Danielle Campbell, Lucy Hale, Ashley Benson, Shay Mitchell, Sasha Pieterse, and Troian Bellisario are all present on the opposite along with general manager Danielle Harris. (Dani Fishel Foxfire member but also close to the PLP is conspicuous by her absence at ringside, though she can be seen watching unhappily elsewhere in the arena. Sources tell Skip Tracey that Dani is very distressed about this falling out and she is feeling seriously conflicted with the situation, though she has refused to comment on it for the record).

Referee manages to get the fighters through the instruction, but barely has he finished before another pushing match breaks out. Referee sternly warns both fighters to calm down “or I’ll call this whole fight off!” Faced with this threat, Beth and Autumn calm down and meekly go to their corners to await the bell.

R1: Both fighters move quickly to mid-ring and start circling as they punch away. Beth develops a quick in and out style with some nice footwork that keep Autumn off balance. Autumn banged steadily to the head, until she is hunched down behind her high guard. Beth then shifts her attention to scoring against Autumn’s body especially the ribs as she gets shots into the brunette’s sides under her up-raised gloves. Autumn firing back with the jab, but it doesn’t seem to be discouraging her blonde tormentress. Beth upping the pressure late, this time hooking into Autumn’s belly and trying to get at the chin, though Autumn’s able to block those efforts, Still Beth Harnois puts this away comfortably.

R2: Autumn challenging Beth this round moving aggressively to hammer the blonde’s midsection and breasts. Beth twisting under the bombardment, manages to find some openings to score against Autumn’s chin and even get a quick swipe against her left jaw. Autumn hanging tough as she and Beth getting toe to toe as the round progresses. Beth just grinding in those body shots and absorbing Autumn’s answering body blows. Really tough action with neither fighter willing to back up. Then Beth scores with quick uppercuts to chin which forces Autumn to cover up and slow her counters. Gives the blonde just enough of an edge to win the round on the judges’ cards.

R3: Autumn still challenging this round, but she shows better footwork this time in drawing Beth off balance and allowing Autumn to strike hard with rights and lefts to the head. Beth now doing the hunching but she is still trying to keep coming forward working on Autumn’s body, but her head is getting knocked back by Autumn’s strong defensive jab. Beth starts to lose steam and Autumn goes on the attack sending powerful hooks into Beth’s stomach driving the blonde up on her toes from the impacts. Beth gasping for air, pulls back, but quickly has her jab up to discourage pursuit. Autumn circling around the perimeter trying to find holes, but Beth keeps up and blunts most of these efforts. Still, Autumn wins a close round, her first of the night.

R4: Beth feels obliged to go on the attack this round, dipping and bobbing as she tries to work her way in and catch Autumn in a defensive lapse. However Autumn well able to handle the blonde’s rush and brings it to a halt with good, hard jabbing mainly to Beth’s forehead and breasts. As Beth grinds to a halt, Autumn moves forward and bangs back to the already aching midsection of the blonde. Beth not liking this at all keeps trying to get out of range, but Autumn not giving her any rest. Beth keeps trying to make stands with her jab, but Autumn lets the initial flurry pass and then goes back to the body. Beth looking pale after the buzzer as she makes her way slowly to her corner. Autumn more stoic.

R5: Autumn resumes the attack, but this time Beth seems better prepared and hammers away at those ribs. Autumn’s flanks are starting to redden from the steady leather and she is trying to keep them out of Beth’s sights. Two get into another round to toe to toe action. The intensity of the punching grows and both are scoring hard to the body. Then Beth slips in some quick lightning shots to the chin to make Autumn retreat. Autumn doesn’t go far and uses her jab to good effect to bring Beth’s follow-up to a halt with hard shots to the breasts. Beth goes back to circling, but can’t find much open. Still the Foxfire spokesperson gets a close win on the cards.

R6: Autumn seems to focus on Beth’s body in this round, hammering the blonde again and again as she tries to come in. Beth stubbornly tries, but when she takes a straight right to the mouth, she seems to lose interest in offensive moves. Instead, Beth goes to the defensive and tries to use her jab to punish Autumn. Trouble is, Autumn’s footwork is getting better (or Beth’s reaction time is slowing down) and she is scoring with more and more leather to Beth’s increasingly shellshocked body. Beth starts resorting to clinching to gain herself some rest, but this only seems to give Autumn encouragement. She mains increasing body pressure right to the bell. Beth panting hard and on shaky legs as she returns to her corner.

R7: Just more of the same from Autumn Reeser as she just keeps roasting Beth Harnois’ tenderized body. Beth seems to looking increasingly forlorn and is struggling to keep her protective guard up, but Autumn then strikes with a strong, digging right that catches the blonde in the solar plexus as they battle along the ropes. BETH FALLS TO HER KNEES. Beth trembling as she uses the nearby ropes to steady herself while the referee counts. She takes full advantage of the few seconds before rising to beat the count. Autumn moves in crisply, but Beth has that jab up. A shot to the mouth gives Autumn some pause and allows Beth to back out of range, but the knockdown has assured Autumn of winning the round. After the bell, Beth seems to deflate and looks even more rubbery legged turning to her stool. Autumn expressionless, just turns and walks briskly back to her own corner.

R8: Beth somehow finds the reserves to make a charge off her stool trying to catch Autumn by surprise, but Autumn stands her ground. Fierce exchange in which Autumn is able to evade most of Beth’s desperately flung punches and strikes back with her own straight rights and lefts into Beth’s now unguarded face. Beth starts being pushed back as Autumn just fires away with every punch she can think of to whatever part of Beth Harnois’ body is available. Cracking rights and lefts to the jaw send Beth spinning into the ropes. She sags to her knees pawing at the ropes but seemingly unable to grasp them. Referee has seen enough, he steps in and waves this off as Beth ends up clutching the man’s knees, tears running down her cheeks.

THE WINNER: AUTUMN REESER TKO8

After: Autumn breaks into a huge smile as she realizes it is over and she’s got her first win in the fed! She runs to the nearest turnbuckle and climbs up to hold her arms over her head. Then she jumps down and is congratulated by her PLP teammates. Then Autumn looks for Beth who has been brought back to her stool for treatment with her Foxfire teammates surrounding her in case Autumn and the PLP have any ideas about post-fight punishment.

“I didn’t need to walk her,” Autumn proudly tells the press, “I made her cry. That was plenty good enough for me. Beth has always had a big mouth but she usually can’t back it up. That’s what happened this time. So now I have my first win AND I shut that annoying blonde up. Maybe she’ll just stick is issuing press releases from now on.”
Beth plainly mortified at being reduced to tears by her rival. “I have no idea why I was crying. I was more numb than hurting. I think it was probably just frustration that I knew I had lost and how insufferable Autumn would be in victory, As you have all heard and seen—I was right about that.”

No one from either Foxfire or the Pretty Little Punchers has any comment about the cooling relations between the two stables. Which, of course, leaves room for outsiders to offer their insights.

“If you ask me,” says Michelle Trachtenburg Communications Director of Lookout Boxing, “Foxfire has always treated the Punchers like they were poor relations whom they could toss a worn out towel or two and they should be grateful. The PLP has realized they can be just as good as the Foxies, but, of course, they still have a long way to go to prove it. Mark my words, there is even more trouble coming there and, well, it couldn’t happen to more deserving girls!”

Autumn Reeser seemed a lot more comfortable fighting someone her own age in Beth Harnois which could point to further bouts with overlooked veterans. Yet can Ms. Reeser resist the opportunity for lucrative fights with younger fighters eager to build up their records at her expense? Meanwhile Beth Harnois licks her bruises from this setback and may well wonder idf her desk isn’t the best place for her now. We shall see.