Scarlett Johansson versus Sarah Shahi
(Words: O & E / Results: Lookout!)

They’ve come full-circle, in 2011 Scarlett was looking to bounce-back from a title-fight loss with a “no-cupcake” win. Now it’s Sarah who is trying to use Johansson as a springboard back into the title picture. “You can’t afford to be complacent. There’s so many entrenched rivalries that you have to knock loud and long to get yourself in the picture.”

Scarlett knows this is do-or-die for her. Almost five years since she’s held a title, falling out of the limelight, this Lohan-Portman-Shahi trifecta is the toughest schedule she’s worked in years. “It’s good to be back in demand. None of these flys have had the guts to get in with me for a long time, I had to go after Lawrence just to get rounds, fer crissake! It’d be flattering if it wasn’t so frustrating!”

Fighters looks are a study in contrast: Sarah’s gypsy curls flowing down her back almost to her waist, Scarlett’s blonde hair close-cropped chin-length. Black neoprene scuba-bikini for Johansson, Black crochet bikini for Shahi, black gloves all-around.

R1: Sarah prefers to come out strong, tackles Scarlett to ropes and roughly pushes her square. Brunette fighting off taller blonde's chest, scrounging for points from tummy, ribs, and jugs at all times. Johansson getting bumped and slugged by a furious, stamping little hellion, just defending the pocket, being as cute as possible by presenting either shoulder to Shahi and rolling with the DCC gal’s pummeling. Job of work for Sarah to push Scarlett flat to ropes so the torso may be properly walloped: Johansson not panicking, always seeking to close-up stance, shove a shoulder into Shahi's chest and crowd her. Good sensuous grind-out, Scarlett rarely clinching outright, instead trying to slip and bump with her shoulders while moving her head. Sarah pouring on with vigour, looking like a champ in her first fight back!

R2: Stop and go action, Sarah’s hands loose around her stomach as she stalks Scarlett jumping in from time to time with fast punches. Johansson evasive early, pivoting right around her front foot in her southpaw stance, neatly rolling the incoming. Middle minute, Scarlett dipping down, then shocking Sarah with a thrusting lead left hand to chin, jolting her head violently back, sending her hair flopping prettily. Sudden violence at the 2 minute mark as Johansson drives Shahi backwards in wild, frothy toe-to-toe. Scarlett keying on her foe's breasts and ribs, looking to keep her breathless. Johansson reaches in to clinch, very sloppy as girls tumble along ropes, wrestling and straining with each other. Both earn warnings for headlocking, face rubbing, and the like. Battlers part panting, glaring at the bell in a back-and-forth second.

R2: Sarah snarling as she repeatedly jams prodding left jabs into Scarlett's right ear, turning her blonde off balance at the open. Shahi pushing forward, backing Johansson up: Scarlett's resistance firms up as her back touches ropes--hot two-way punching erupts. crowd roaring as Johansson gradually backs Shahi up toe-to-toe--merciless hup-hup punching downstairs as little cuddlers lean forward and dig away at offending breadbaskets. Final minute, Sarah's steady work holds sway, Scarlett backed back onto the ropes where she covers up earmuff. Shahi’s free to ransack her blonde, humming on all cylinders, punching freely to the flanks, pushing in all brawny, tossing rich uppercuts against Johannson’s guard at the bell.

R4: Sarah wades into Scarlett once again - and is promptly rebuffed, backed up to the ropes by a side-to-side barrage of clubbing Johansson lefts and rights. Apron action: Shahi tilting forward behind her mitts--Scarlett pushing in with both hands to smear her prey to her right, blonde hooking brunette in her midsection to crumpling effect. More pushing along the strands, Sarah having a hard time staying square as Johansson keeps smudging her sideways, then digging hooks from outside brunette’s left shoulder. Scarlett planted sturdy, punching, then bodying on to stack Sarah, bigger blonde doing a good job of hounding and pounding her foe bell to bell.

R5: Sarah’s hands down around her waist at the bell, is the punishment starting to add up? Scarlett twisting slightly left as she takes a pair of clubbing hooks meant for her belly on her hips, then hacking back a short-chopping left to jaw, prompting a pony-trot of hurt from Shahi's buzzed legs. Johansson over to offence, hopping in close, chopping an extra left; turning over right hook against cheerleader jugs as Shahi totters back into the ropes. Scarlett hopping forward to crowd her close, shifts her weight to back (left) leg, and draws a right hook clean across Sarah's open mouth. Crowd roaring: Scarlett enjoying her time atop Shahi, nice and relaxed, feeding her brunette pesky, straight lefts to set up swiping right hooks. Sarah touched up, but stubborn: toned legs holding her up as Scarlett collects stiff points. Final minute, swinging right hand jams onto Johansson's jaw, Scarlett frozen in place, AND DROPS TO HER BUTT IN A DELAYED REACTION COLLAPSE!

Sarah over to offence out of the neutral corner, hooking Scarlett high on right temple; reaching in under her arms; turning her/packing her into ropes all ragdoll. Shahi's turn to bully Johansson! Left hand bracing Scarlett's right shoulder while right hand PLOWS deep to belly! Johannson groaning, ashen faced...she turns her left side into ropes/left hip taking a seat on cable as she doubles forward. SHAHI’S HELPING HERSELF! Scarlett slumping into ropes, sponging up hurt; Sarah’s left hand on blonde's lower back, anchoring her for rising rights to rack! BELL: ref pulls belligerent little brunette off her prey as Johannson blinks away tears as Sarah scores the first major breakthrough in this fight!

R6: Scarlett bodying Sarah to ropes, smothering her, punishing her in the clinch. Southpaw with the right shoulder in Shahi's chest - cramming lefts to tummy, or pushing off to deploy both fists in pumping romps to breadbasket, or thick blasts to jug & jaw, then bodying up to smother receipts. Shortly into the second minute, Sarah’s able to wrap her blonde up tight, Scarlett writhing in the grasp, digging the heel of her hands into Shahi’s back, feeling for those kidneys, but Persian Princess is able to get the ref’s break she needed. Johansson surging back in, looking to slug for the win, Sarah sidesteps to her right, jabbing jug, turning into short left hooks sweet to chin. Scarlett slugging from wide stance, lashing punches to ribcage, but getting turned counter-clockwise. JOHANSSON'S LEGS GIVE A SHIMMY! Covered up face-in-gloves, giving away her flanks/tummy as Shahi goes all in! Sarah stepping close, big, thumping lefts and rights crammed to tummy - Shahi slugging with teeth bared, punching her blonde into the ropes! Sarah unleashing the hounds - bending into blockbuster lefts and rights...fists caroming off head and shoulders, or slamming to shivering halts in behind either elbow. SCARLETT GOES DOWN! Blonde girl pitching-in face-first and rolling to her back and SHE'S DONE! Sarah Shahi shows herself to be still in championship form with a back-and-forth KO6!

After: Sarah overwhelmed with finisher's lust for a few moments, but she sobers up as Scarlett's a long time coming around. Johansson tender, helpless as she's slowly sat up and tended to, Shahi’s face showing a complex mix of fascination with her own power and concern for a respected rival. "I'm glad she's okay," Sarah says, keeping it classy in postfight. “She gave me my first big bump, let people see what level I could work at. She deserves better than she’s been getting.” Scarlett’s best successes these last few years have been at bantam, are the cuts to get down to 110 becoming too much?