Julianne Hough vs. Anna Kendrick
(Words: Front Street / Results: Lookout!)

BEFORE:
A year ago, this would have gone down on paper as a major mismatch. But. No longer. Kendrick has established herself as not just a legitimate flyweight threat, but a legitimate flyweight contender. And. Oh, yes. She's also beaten Julianne, who's clearly still smarting. "Yes, she got lucky one," says a hard-eyed Hough. "But, does anyone really think she hits the lottery twice in a row? The physicals between she and aren't even CLOSE. And, the talent isn't close, either."

"I'm the underdog again," says Anna with a smile. "Kind of interesting, since, you know, I WON the first time. But, that's OK. I'll just surprise everyone a second time. Because, I'm GOING to beat her again."

ROUND ONE:
Contrast in styles immediately apparent. Brunette wants to close, brawl. Blonde not having it. Julianne as athletic as they come, and she's using all that speed and all that quickness to frustrate Kendrick's efforts to get the offense going. Hough bouncing, dancing, jabbing, so smooth. Constantly in motion. Never where Kendrick needs her to be. Anna simply can't get square and can't close distance. Kendrick stays sound, doesn't force anything. Knows she can't with Hough's power. Instead, she keeps working, keeps trying to cut and close, but it's not happening. Hough not exactly getting a lot done. She's playing matador and doing it well, but she's not doing much damage to the bull. She's landing some jabs, but that's about it. Any follow on rights are being picked off by the brunette's solid defense, as Kendrick keeps the gloves high. At the bell, it's Julianne's round, but by anything but a wide margin. Still, Hough leads 10-9.

ROUND TWO:
Terms stay the same. Julianne dancing and jabbing. Kendrick stalking, trying to close and bang. Anna having a bit more success this round. In spots, she closes distance, works some body. But, mostly, it's Hough using the stick and move successfully, just like in the first. About mid-way through, Kendrick able to cut and slip inside the jab. Feints to the body, drops the blonde's guard, WHACKS her with a NASTY right hook and Julianne is GOBSMACKED! That quickly, Hough hurt and in trouble and Kendrick swinging for glory. Anna in her element now. Banging with both hands, turning up the volume, working the blonde over to head and body. Hough trapped on the ropes, worked over, keeping that guard up now, trying to survive the onslaught. And, she does. Late in the round she shakes the cobwebs, begins countering solidly. Hard-fought stuff to the bell. But, when it rings, Kendrick has claimed the second wide to even things at 19.

ROUND THREE:
Hough flat-footed to start the third. Can't be sure if the legs aren't all the way there yet or if she wants to engage Kendrick, but, whatever the reason, the result is the same. Hard-fought banging, with both bodies taking some serious abuse. Anna K, again, in her element. She's loving the grinding, the whacking, the brawling. Blonde, though, showing she can't play this game, too, and, with the kind of power Hough has, no surprise. Again, the half-way point of the round is a turning point. And, again, it's that right hook of Kendrick's. She times it beautifully over a straight left from the blonde. Hough stumbles forward and grabs Kendrick to avoid going down. Anna not having any of that, however. She immediately fires up the buzzsaw and sends Julianne staggering backward. Anna spends the next minute and a half battering Hough around the ring, but those great dancer's legs hold the blonde up despite the abuse. Hough survives, but Anna claims another wide and leads 29-28.

ROUND FOUR:
Kendrick looking to finish. She's after Hough hard from the opening seconds. Blonde in retreat, taking lots of fire. She's able to move, but clearly doesn't have the legs she had in the first. Anna K boring in, delivering plenty of heavy shell. Kendrick committing on everything, almost ignoring the body now as she hammers away at the head. And, yet again, the halfway point of the round turns things. Only, this time, it's a right-hand counter from Hough that catches the brunette stepping forward. Kendrick wobbles and Hough sends a vicious barrage at her that nearly sends her to the canvas. Julianne's got all the guns blazing now, as she looks to take advantage of the wounded brunette. Anna in desperate trouble, worked back into a corner and abused to head and body. Kendrick looking like going at any time as Hough reefs heavy leather at her. But, the brunette has plenty of want-to, as always. She hangs in and hangs on, surviving the round, which goes wide to Hough. And, we're even at 38.

ROUND FIVE:
Now, it's Hough looking to finish. Anna definitely still buzzed as the fifth begins, and Julianne's all done dancing. She's flat-footed again, coming forward, grabbing canvas from a game but retreating brunette. Kendrick trying to hold ground, firing back with all she's got, but Hough has the heavier guns at the moment, and she's using them to batter Anna backward. Would you believe. At the midway point AGAIN? It's ANOTHER right hook from Kendrick! Again, she's able to time it over Hough's left hand and blast it into the side of her face, and, again, the blonde is GOBSMACKED! Hough DESPERATELY hurt this time, and, it's perhaps only the fact that Anna's still wobbly, too, that allows her to hang on in this round. Kendrick tries to follow up. She's coming forward and winging away, but it's sloppy stuff. Her legs aren't back and she can't get to the right positions. She still lands, but she's not landing sharp or clean. She's not hurting Hough, and she can't come close to finishing. When the bell rings, both fighters are looking shabby. But, it's Kendrick who's back in the lead 48-47 after claiming this one wide.

ROUND SIX:
Again, both fighters are looking shabby, and it shows. Neither girl has her legs, and that means the punches that are being thrown are basically arm-punches. Some land, of course, but there's not a lot of power behind them. There's plenty of effort, though, on both sides. Both fighters are game and as busy as they can be after what's happened in the first half of the fight. Body work begins again in earnest. With neither fighter moving well or much, it's close-in stuff, again, Kendrick stuff. but, again, Hough holds her own. She hangs in there and bangs. Working just as much body as the brunette in front of her. And, while the punches being exchanged don't have the power to do much damage to the head, they're plenty effective at tenderizing the flesh below the waist. Thus, as the round goes on, there's more and more body work done. By the end, both fighters are wincing at every blow. The stanza ends close, but it's Kendrick who wins it, extending her lead to 58-56.

ROUND SEVEN:
A little more life creeping into the fight. Ladies getting past the worst of the damage. Legs coming back. Punches landing with more sharpness. Both girls moving better. Hough actually getting back to the jab and circle, now. Showing those great gams that are such a weapon for the blonde. Kendrick again in pursuit, working to cut and close, her own legs showing more spring in this round. It's good, two-way stuff, with Hough scoring at distance and Anna matching those points when she's able to get in close and bang. And, guess when all that changes? Halfway point? Ding! Ding! Ding! And, yet again, it's a right hand. Once again, Kendrick feints to the body, and, involuntarily, Hough's guard drops just a bit. And, just a bit is all Anna needs to get that right hook on. BOOM! Hough again stumbles forward, this time into a left uppercut that blows her to her back. Hough crashes, bounces once, comes to rest. The referee counts. Because, you know, he HAS to count. And, that's the only reason. Julianne is OUT and it's OVER and your winner by KO7 is Anna Kendrick!

AFTER:
Hough brought around slowly in her corner. She's absolutely bereft when she realizes what's happened. Kendrick, on the other hand, enthusiastic as always. She came up hard and this is never going to get old for her. "The underdog again," she says with a grin. "Well, I know MY fans were betting on ME tonight, and now they've got winning tickets to cash. And, they're not the only ones betting on me. Diamond Boxing has been betting on me. And, I'm just going to keep proving that Benny put his money on the right horse."