"I definitely feel that backstage politics took a big bite out of my career," said Poppy Montgomery. "For a while I was going up against tough opponents regularly, and then everyone stopped returning my calls. I know the official story is that I fell off the radar after poor performances, but the fact is that those losses happened after the opportunities dried up. I know Nicki's stable isn't really reputable... they ran that ridiculous event last year, and dealing with them hasn't been very fun. But I'll do whatever it takes to get back in the ring!"

For Nicki Minaj, getting in the ring was slightly less momentous. "Poppy wants a fight and she fits into my plans. How can I say no?"

In the ring, Minaj spent the final moments before the fight doing her pattented strut, with the effectiveness reduced slightly by her practical black athletic wear and bun. Montgomery, in blue, used one gloved hand to make a lazy dismissive gesture at her opponent before finishing her warmup.

Round 1:
The fight started with a bang, or whatever noise Nicki Minaj's fist makes when it collides with Poppy Montgomery's face at full force. The opening skirmish was quick and even, before Minaj shot out a sudden left hook and landed it cleanly. Montgomery, stunned, began an adrenaline fueled explosion of effort, swinging at Minaj fiercely only to be interrupted as the shorter fighter repositioned for a straight punch to the mouth, or as straight as she can manage with the height gap. Montgomery went into a fighting retreat at that point, as Minaj chased with modest but survivable success. Montgomery attempted to come back later in the round, only to find Minaj in equally good form and absorbing a few more painful blows to the head in the process. Montgomery clinched to avoid catastrophe, and by the time the fight resumed, the round had nearly finished. Minaj pumped one fist in the air with a hint of a smile on her face as she returned to her corner, while Montgomery held her head in one hand, stumbling back to her stool.

Round 2:
Montgomery, taking better precautions this time, dealt with Minaj's opening salvo much more efficiently, parrying her rival's attacks and taking only a graze as the shorter woman's fist clipped her right cheek on the way past. Montgomery's return fire was slightly more effective, striking the rapper's jaw once from each side. For the duration, neither woman fully committed or fully backed down, a marked change from the furious pace of the first round. The final score favored Montgomery, but Minaj seemed to have survived without being hurt badly.

Round 3:
Minaj struck back hard in the third round, building up the pressure in the opening minute and then making her play, lunging and getting inside Montgomery's reach to land a rising hook to her midsection. Montgomery didn't miss a beat, despite the fact that Minaj nearly put enough weight behind the swing to lift her off the ground, and the taller actress began to bravely battle it out... with similar results to her first try. Minaj thumped Montgomery's body several times before the actress covered herself and cut her losses. Montgomery spent the remainder of the round using her reach advantage to stay afloat, but still fell victim to well placed punches that het rival set up.

Round 4:
Another all out war between the two fighters erupted early in the fourth round, to excited shouts from onlookers. While Minaj managed to contest the opening, it was Montgomery who took control, deforming the rapper's nose with a straight right and then letting her have it during the chaos. Minaj tried to rush her rival as she had before, but this time Montgomery was not easy prey, driving the rapper to arm's length and bashing her freely. Minaj looked dazed at the bell, shaking her head and stretching her arms as she prepared for the break.

Round 5:
Montgomery seemed content to keep Minaj at bay while firing off surprise shots to the head to keep her from getting any ideas. The plan worked, more or less, aside from a few chaotic seconds in the second minute when Minaj decided not be uncooperative, landing a rising right to Montgomery's chin before the actress could get back on track. A victory on the scorecard again for Montgomery, who manages to give the front row fans a confident grin during the break.

Round 6:
Minaj pursued Montgomery aggressively in the sixth round, not discouraged by her effective resistance in the previous. The rapper was rewarded almost immediately, opening up Montgomery's guard with her first attacks and then ramming the actress's face with a straight right. Montgomery, eyes wide, immediately displayed her vulnerability when she tried resisting, moving too slowly and catching Minaj's left hand on her chin. Taking a severe beating, the taller actress eventually escaped, spending a welcome but brief period holding Minaj back. The rapper was unwilling to back down, however, and was able to have her choice of targets until the bell rang, allowing Montgomery to limp away, hurt but still standing.

Round 7:
Therr was little activity from Montgomery at the start of the seventh round; though she made her stand against Minaj, the previous round had clearly taken its toll on the actress. Soon, Minaj put her weight behind a right, left, right, and stepped away taking a deep breath as Montgomery's arms fell to her sides and she collapsed face down. The actress showed signs of life, moving her hands by her chest in an attempt to push herself up, but she was still down at the end of the count. The winner -- Minaj, KO7.

Minaj, making the most of the opportunity, stood directly over Montgomery, looking down with the most intense look of contempt she can summon. Montgomery was likely unaware of it at the time, but likely noticed in the morning when the resulting photo spent a few hours circulating among fans and the press. By that time, Minaj was already looking ahead. "I would definitely like to take my boxing career to the next level in the near future," she said in a brief interview. "I'm already working with management to pick my next target!"