Pre-fight:
Katie McGrath makes her debut tonight, and word has it her opponent’s management actually spoke to her at the same time they were interviewing Daisy for a contract. We know how that all worked out, as Daisy is now with Alpha Boxing Club and Katie is, well, unsigned, but here is McGrath’s chance to prove Connelly and friends wrong.

Daisy Ridley on the other hand, is preparing for her fifth bout tonight, after impressing early with wins over Lucy Mecklenburgh, Lauren German, Dakota Johnson, and most recently, Leah Dizon. Ridley has certainly shown potential, and if you ask ABC manager Jennifer Connelly, she has plenty of it, but it is always difficult to bet on a still fresh fighter when her opponent is such an unknown commodity.

Still, Daisy seems quietly confident pre-fight. “I have been feeling great lately,” Daisy smiles, “and I’m happy with how things have been going in the ring. I couldn’t have imagined being four and oh, so I’m just waiting for reality to strike. Hopefully it’s not tonight. I’d love to beat Katie. Nothing against Katie, she just seems like a tough cookie, so I feel like I’d be proving something to myself. I think she’ll be a great challenge.”

Katie also acknowledging the task ahead of her. “Daisy has kind of flown under the radar,” Katie mused. “How many girls go undefeated in their first four bouts and don’t get hyped by the FCBA press? She worries me a little, I think she’s one of those sneaky, quiet achievers. She doesn’t make waves so you forget she’s there, but then, bam, she reminds you of what she’s got with a flashy uppercut. Yeah, I’ve watched her bouts. And I won’t let her take me by surprise.”

Round 1:
Daisy reading the rookie, thinks she has an opening, but jab-hook combo is blocked by a coolly focused Katie, who swiftly counters with a hook of her own, pounding leather into Daisy’s right ribs, causing her to wince early. Daisy, not to be intimidated by the early counter, goes once more with a hook to cross combo, which again is expertly blocked them evaded by Katie, who snaps a countering left straight into Daisy’s mouth then a right hook to the other ribs.

Daisy wincing once more, and a little taken aback now it seems by the unexpected textbook coolness of McGrath’s early moves. This is not the steel of a fresh-faced rookie, and Daisy knows it. But Katie has patience, and allows Daisy to come once more, this time shifting right as she swipes away a hook attempt from Ridley, and instantly pumping her right fist out at Daisy’s mouth. Spittle flying to Daisy’s right as her head snaps the same way, and by the time she’s turning to look back at Katie, another glove flashes up into her right eye, sending her backwards.

Daisy is staggered, and Katie pounces now, burying left glove into fit abs, doubling Ridley over just enough to rip a quick uppercut through mouth, straightening her back up, and then repeating. Daisy is battered embarrassingly by the rookie for a few sequences of this strategy, until eventually she manages to bury her head behind her gloves, at which point Katie decides to simply pound away at abs and ribs until Daisy is weak in the knees.

The bell rings before Katie can bring Daisy down, but Ridley is certainly shaky and ginger on her way to her corner. Her midsection is bright red and mouth is bleeding. Daisy clutches gently at ribs and grimaces as Jennifer Connelly has a word to her after this disastrous beginning.

Round 2:
Katie McGrath looks a million dollars, or perhaps a billion, as she saunters back into centre-ring and fakes a head-hunting left only to cleanly bury the right deep into Daisy’s rippling stomach. Ridley groaning in pain as she shuffles backwards, lean butt sticking out, legs stiff. And Katie comes in for the kill, ripping an uppercut pointed for cute Ridley nose. Daisy manages to lift the arms just in time, dulling the blow and eliminating any real pain. The force of the shot sends her straight up and backwards again, and Daisy is able to keep on her feet, shuffling and using the guard to dodge and deflect Katie’s next incoming attempt at another onslaught.

Katie throwing mostly bombs, and Daisy is able to read and evade, even switching the footwork left to right and stinging some jabs into Katie’s face on the counter. Daisy starting to find a little momentum through movement and quick jabs, until Katie steadies herself again, does a little rope-a-dope type manoeuvre, and then smacks a left-right-left into Daisy’s poor face, leaving her staggering again with a bloodied nose.

Daisy naturally holding the guard a little closer to her throbbing nose now, and Katie gladly whacks away some more at those red abs. They’re a purple tinge by the time the bell comes, and Daisy is once again a bit sad and sorry taking her seat after the second. Katie looks proud and focused, and mostly unscathed.

Round 3:
After an obvious chat from ABC head trainer Alyssa Milano in her corner, Daisy uses a little patience early in the third, sidesteps a straight right from Katie, evades the lunging left, and then springs forward and jabs a left into McGrath’s face to ready her for a heavy right underhand that booms into Katie’s abs, bending her in the middle.

Katie looks a little shocked, and the crowd is roaring at this turn of tides now. Daisy takes it in stride, jabbing the left into centre of face again, and following with a crisp cross through McGrath’s jawline, wobbling those long legs! Daisy presses, and Katie tries to keep her at bay with a right that Daisy blocks before launching a right overhand of her own that crashes into Katie’s left temple.

McGrath looks a little flustered, and wobbly in the legs, particularly when Daisy lays on the pressure now, pumping leather into taut midriff. Katie simply doing her best to endure, looking a little lost and clearly not sure what to do when on the receiving end of a beating, as this seems to be her first moment of taking such a lesson.

Katie tries to shrug Daisy’s gloves away, and Ridley responds by flashing the leather up at open face instead, banging fists into centre-face, causing some wincing and further retreating from McGrath.

Daisy helps herself to reddening tummy and stinging face for the remainder of the round and she looks much more comfortable as she takes to her corner after the third. Katie with a few things to think about and suddenly realizing this is a real fight and not one of her lead-up sparring sessions. Daisy actual hits back, and hard.

Round 4:
Katie is a little more aware of what is required now, and she is less reckless to start the fourth, though still keen to find some offence. Perhaps still slightly too keen however, as a few jabs are blocked and then the counter is on, Daisy ducking a predictable head-high jab just to rise back up with an uppercut that pops under Katie’s chin, reminding her of both Daisy’s agility and power.

Katie more willing to try some defensive tactics now, though they’re raw and one may assume she has done more reading about them than actual practice. Daisy banging some straights at head height and Katie dulling the blows with gloves, but still feeling some impact and wearing herself down absorbing the full brunt of the blows, even if not with her open face.

Katie starting to look a little taxed towards the end of the round and really huffs when Daisy belts some leather into that red midriff, doubling her over and leaving her vulnerable to a heavy cross through left temple that sends her for a loop.

Katie looks tired as she takes a seat after the fourth, while Daisy is sweating, having worked, but still looks to have plenty to give.

Round 5:
Conditioning and real-fight experience may be secondary for Katie, but raw talent, smarts and power certainly aren’t, and she proves that early in the fifth, moving her feet better now and deflecting Daisy’s opening straights before whacking some of her own leather into Ridley’s cheeks.

Daisy seems happy to take a few shots in order to make a play, and she opens up Katie’s midsection for a little more peppering. Katie wheezing, but showing great fortitude to fight through and defiantly bang a right overhand into Daisy’s left temple. And the shot is felt. Daisy staggering and eyes blinking as Katie’s big hammer hits the sweet spot.

Daisy tries to lift the guard for incoming McGrath straight, but she is too slow and Katie connects solidly with her opponent’s face, crunching nose and wobbling Daisy on shaky stems, pretty eyes blinking wide. Daisy doesn’t even react to the follow-up cross that bangs right under her eye and sends the undefeated rookie slumping to the mat on her face!

The crowd going nuts as Katie watches eagerly, a sly grin on her face like the cat that caught the canary. Daisy looking all kinds of sad as she tries to pull herself off of the canvas. But, eventually she does, and this bout is going to continue.

Daisy absorbing a few more blows to close out the fifth round, though mostly to the midsection and a couple of cheeky shots to jug, as she deftly defends that woozy head of hers.

Round 6:
Katie enters the sixth round looking to finish this, though she again forgets to exercise patience, and her clubbing swings at temple are ducked by a desperately focused Daisy, who isn’t after too much, and simply whacks leather into red abdomen and then retreats, staying at light on her feet as possible.

A game of cat and mouse ensues as Katie follows, wanting to end this with the killer blow, while Daisy tries to bring herself back into this bout with patience and evasion, and the willingness to frustrate and wear Katie down. McGrath swinging for the fences, and Ridley pumping herself back up with some fine footwork and head movement.

Katie almost catches Daisy, but her guard flashes in time and takes the full force of McGrath’s heavy right, knocking her back a step. Katie hesitates, growing lethargic, and Daisy dives straight back in with a straight right, banging leather into Katie’s mouth, stunning her. And in a flash, Daisy is lighting up that red midriff, causing agonised grimacing from McGrath and some loud wincing.

Katie’s arms flailing a little, unable to immediately return glove, and Daisy breaks the belly bashing only to crack a BIG uppercut straight under chin, sending McGrath to the canvas on her back!

Katie is loopy, though attempting to pull herself up from the mat. It is a groggy Irish lass that takes her feet eventually, and Daisy sighs aloud, obviously disappointed that Katie is making this as difficult as possible.

Round 7:
Both women showing great resolve as they bang leather into opposing midriffs to begin the seventh round. They have taken some serious punishment this bout and still continue to do so, valiantly hoping to be the last to dish it out.

The pair enter an exchange of underhooks to abs, and it seems to be a game of mercy now, neither stopping until the other gives. It takes some time, but eventually Katie begins to wilt first, Daisy’s gloves starting to make fleshy slapping sounds rather than the previous tight banging noises of leather on muscle. Katie tries to retreat, dropping her gloves to her shaking belly and trying to prevent further trauma from Daisy’s still incoming fists.

Daisy follows swiftly, and with tummy protected, decides to bang a few shots up high, stinging McGrath’s pretty cheeks instead. Red and flushed all over, Katie tries to find a way out to get through the round, and flashes some jabs, keeping Daisy mostly at bay and even causing a little more blood to seep from her nose as she connects here and there.

The round closes out with Daisy looking to have a little more control now, and some seriously strong constitution, and with Katie looking fatigued and very sore.

Round 8:
One might expect Daisy to hunt the win after the last couple of rounds, but she enters again looking patient and focused, working the jab coolly, but not overcommitting early. Katie looks gassed, but tries to force some leather down Daisy’s throat. Of course, the result is a prepared Ridley slipping off sideways and leaving Katie to overexert herself some more. However, she doesn’t retaliate just yet, instead allowing Katie to come to her once more. As McGrath does, Daisy waits, spots the incoming overhand, ducks, and bangs a fist into that Irish tummy, wobbling the poor debutante with a sickening slap.

Katie teeters, arms pawing at sore midsection, and now Daisy pounces, banging a left cross through jawline, careening her opponent sideways. Katie somehow keeping her feet, but slowly straightening up right into the follow-up from Daisy. Ridley’s right glove slams uppercut style directly through Katie’s chin, sending her sprawling into the ropes. And as McGrath bounces back, eyes already glazed, Daisy winds up with a big haymaker of a right that smashes straight through the centre of Katie’s beautiful face, dropping her like a sack of potatoes, straight to a crumpled heap on the canvas. Daisy Ridley wins, KO8!

Post-fight:
“Five and Oh! Five and Oh!” Daisy is pumping her fists in the air, her celebrations running on pure adrenaline after that sapping fight. But she is ecstatic, having remained undefeated here against a very promising fighter in the debuting Katie McGrath.

“I can’t believe it!” Daisy is squealing excitedly. “I couldn’t have dreamed of winning five straight. This is amazing. Katie was seriously tough, and I’ll vouch for her any day of the week. But knowing how tough she is just makes this all the more incredible. I’m pumped. I feel like I can take on the world.”

Katie McGrath was equally as impressed with her opponent, though a little less enthusiastic about the result. “I thought I really had a chance to beat her,” Katie frowns. “A few chances, even. But, she is a talented fighter. She was a great challenge for me first up. I think I can definitely cause some waves in the FCBA. I’m only hungry for more now.”

Daisy Ridley may still be fresh, but there is certainly a lot of potential there. Only time will tell whether the team at ABC will be able to build on this incredible talent and produce an elite fighter. Either way, she sure is fun to watch at this point.