Azealia Banks vs. Jennifer Lawrence
(Words: Front Street / Results: Lookout!)

BEFORE: 

Banks quickly becomes Banks in the pre-fight.The Harlem-born diva showing no respect for Lawrence or for anybody involved with the FCBA. "I got to go over there to the UK to get fights?" Banks says with the shake of her head. "Can't get booked here. Nobody wants to fight me. So, I go over there and beat up a bunch of these European chicks and that makes things worse. Everybody running scared. Well, give Lawrence credit. At least she isn't afraid to fight me. Still gonna whip that ass, though. Still gonna whip that ass."

"Azealia is very physical," says Jennifer with a nod. "Well. I know physical. And, if that's the game she wants to play, we'll just see who wins."

ROUND ONE:

No mystery about this one. Both fighters usually very aggressive, and that's exactly the game plan here. Banks out of the corner and right after Lawrence with both fists, looking to back her rival up and walk her down. J-Law not having any. Standing her ground and firing right back at an initially surprises Azealia. But, that initial surprise quickly wears off, and, by the smile on the face of the Beever's Babes beauty, it's clear the terms are definitely to her liking. And The Academy's representative in this little set-to is liking them just fine as well. So, the pair simply have at it, banging away toe to toe in the center of the ring. Nobody's moving the feet very much. Nobody's doing much angling. Both are showing good, slick defense, moving head and hands, slipping and blocking shots, but there's absolutely no maneuver going on here. Contact with the enemy has been made. Battle is given. It's a close, two-way opening stanza that goes to J-Law by a slim margin.

ROUND TWO:

Second verse, same as the first. Everybody likes where we are, so nobody's changing anything. What we have is carbon copy round, with the fighters simply meeting in the middle of the ring and having at it at middle distances. Again, the defense is good, and nothing's sloppy. Both fighters set their punches up, and neither gets overly aggressive, but both sit down on everything, clearly looking to impose will, though neither is able to do so. Instead, set piece battle rages for the entire three minutes. Both girls eat some heavy shot, but, even heavier bombs are blocked or rolled with. Plenty of shell is shipped, but the fighters manage to do that and keep on firing. In the final seconds of the round, the tempo picks up as both fighters know this thing has been near run and both are looking for the closing kick to claim the points. At the bell, it's Banks who's done so in narrow fashion and evened things at 19.

ROUND THREE:

Right back to the exchange of heavy fire in the third. Neither fighter interested in changing tactics, and neither willing to give an inch of canvas to the other. But. With two hard punchers going at it like this, sooner or later, something has to give. And, what gives is the knees of Azealia Banks. It's a straight right hand from Lawrence followed by a short left hook that wobbles Banks. She manages to stay on her feet, but is clearly hurt, and J-Law, smelling blood in the water, lets her rival have it in a major way. She batters the listing S.S. Azealia back into the ropes and lets it have broadside after broadside. The ship continually shakes, but it stays afloat. Somehow, it stays afloat. Banks is reeling, hanging on into the final seconds, and the referee is looking closely, but Azealia doing just enough to keep him at bay. At the final bell, Banks gives a defiant look to Lawrence, as if to say, "You couldn't put me down," but there's a definite wobble in her step as she heads back to the corner. It's Lawrence wide and J-Law now up 29-28.

ROUND FOUR:

Amazingly, Azealia back for more! Not at all taken aback by the results of the last round, Banks sets up in front of her rival yet again and makes with the heavy guns. The mid-range violence resumes as if nothing special happened in the third, though with one slight tweak, a bit more body work. It's Lawrence who starts things going in that direction, thinking to kill those legs of Azealia's one way or another. Banks responds by making an equal investment into the body of J-Law, and, soon, we've got up and down, back and forth stuff, with, again, the two fighters continuing to sit down on punches and get everything they can on everything they toss at their respective opponents. Then comes a short right hook by Banks. It plows into Lawrence's left bra cup, hurting J-Law and forcing her to cover up. Banks puts together a short rally before a seething Jennifer begins banging back. Rubicon? Crossed. At the bell, it's Banks narrowly, that flurry after the rack punch providing the difference. And, on the cards, it's 38-38.

ROUND FIVE:

Azealia Banks knows not what she's done. But, she finds out in short order, because what she has in front of her to start the fifth is a VERY angry Jennifer Lawrence, and that is NOT good news for the Ms. Banks, especially as J-Law knows how to control that fury and channel it right through the leather she sends flying at her rival from every possible angle. Quickly, Banks is overwhelmed and the four-round battle for canvas is over. Azealia's in full retreat, backing and covering, taking fire both upstairs and down, and getting a taste of rack work that has her frowning in discomfort. In the final minute of the round, Banks is mouth-breathing, taking shot after shot, trapped on the ropes and getting absolutely BOMBED by her determined opponent. Still. The legs hold up. The will doesn't break. Banks counters in spots, guts it out, takes her medicine and makes it to the bell. It's Lawrence wide, but, at the half, The Academy beauty is up only 48-47.

ROUND SIX:

J-Law still after Banks, still forcing her rival to retreat. Azealia not used to fighting off the back foot, and not able to do much on those terms save back and cover, back and cover. Lawrence clinical now, picking Banks apart while beating her up. Hard look in the lovely Lawrence eyes as she punishes her rival to the head and body, slowly working her back to the ropes again. And, when she's there, Jennifer lets loose with barrage after barrage of heavy leather. Banks is ROCKED, wobbled, she's stumbling along the ropes as the referee looks in closely. And then Lawrence slows the pace again. She has Banks on the ropes in a high guard, putting the body on sale. J-Law, however, isn't interested in long-term attrition. She's looking to finish. She splits the guard again and again with hard left jabs while using the right to hook ribs. Then, she splits it one more time and drops the right in behind it, right on the chin of her opponent. Banks goes down like a rag doll, landing on her right side parallel to the ropes. And never moves an inch during the count. She's out, and your winner by KO6 in absolutely brutal fashion is Jennifer Lawrence!

AFTER:

Banks being brought around in stages while Lawrence is all smiles in the post-fight. "She wanted to bully me in there," J-Law says with a shake of the head. "Well, I've been in there with some of the best and toughest women in the FCBA. I wasn't getting bullied by the likes of her!"