Adrianne Palicki vs. Erin Heatherton
(Words: Front Street / Results: Lookout!)

BEFORE:

Heatherton doesn't do things the easy way. After starting her career against one of the biggest fighters in the FCBA, Antje Utgaard, she followed up with another big, hard-hitting welter, the streaking Kate Upton. And, now the six-foot beauty's climbing into the squared circle with no less than 'The Chin Checker' herself, former lightweight champion Adrianne Palicki, who may hit harder than either of the two welters. So, there's no questioning the Skokie native's guts. "I'm not afraid of any girl in the FCBA," Erin says with a nod. "And that includes Adrianne Palicki."

"I kind of like this girl," says Palicki with a smile. "She's diving right into the deep end of the pool. But. She's in WAY over her head tonight."

ROUND ONE:

This is an Arte Johnson round. Very interesting. Very. Because, what we have are two fighters who are used to having reach on their respective opponents. That's what happens when you're 5'11" like Palicki or six feet even like Erin. But, in this case, neither fighter has the advantage. The reach is just about equal. So, it's all about who handles that better. And. Shockingly, it's not the veteran Palicki. Adrianne's off early, short on everything, not able to get the jab on. And Heatherton, like a good underdog, pounces on the opportunity. She DOES get the jab home and quickly begins following on. She's getting off in combination, forcing the veteran to the defensive, even backing her up. Heatherton's corner shouting encouragement as their girl with all of two fights under her belt takes the fight to the former lightweight champion in a BIG way. Before anyone realizes what's happening, Heatherton has Palicki ropeside and is working her over. To quote Lombardi "What's goin' on out here???" Well, Vince, Palicki's shellshocked and Erin's swinging for glory, landing haymakers and actually shaking Adrianne in the final few seconds of the round. Good lord! It's a shutout for Erin Heatherton, who's got the 10-9 lead.

ROUND TWO:

Erin's not afraid of Adrianne, but she's not stupid, either. She comes out for the second looking to work at range, just like in the first. She looks for an opportunity to come forward, but she doesn't force the issue. And, when she realizes that Adrianne's solidified her front, she remains at gunnery range. For her part, the former champ appears to have shaken off the surprising first. She's adjusted to the geometric challenge posed by the rangy Erin and has settled into ranged boxing with her. But, again, Heatherton surprises. Because, one would think Adrianne would gain the advantage on these terms. Not so much. Instead, Erin holds her own with the more experienced fighter, giving as well as she gets in what turns out to be an excellent two-way round showcasing some nice boxing skills from both ladies. Again. No surprise on Palicki's part, but a bit of an eyebrow raiser on Heatherton's. At the bell, it's close, but it's Erin, who now leads 20-18.

ROUND THREE:

Back to ranged warfare, and, again, Erin shows herself capable of holding her own with Palicki. This, again, is interesting stuff. There aren't exactly a ton of data points on Heatherton, but we have seen that she can box some and use her length effectively. Still, you wouldn't expect her to be able to go punch for punch with Palicki on these terms, but, that's what she's doing. And, the issue here isn't Palicki, as it was in the first round. Adrianne's got the geometry down now, and she's putting punches together well. But, so is Erin. There's no question the veteran's landing with a bit more power, but the tyro's getting just as much leather home. She's in rhythm and clearly feeling very comfortable. And, while one might expect Palicki to try to take her out of that comfort zone, that's not the game plan for 'The Chin Checker'. She boxes with right to the bell. It's close again. But, Adrianne's on the board and it's now 29-28.

ROUND FOUR:

More of the same. Neither woman able to grab control of things, despite their best efforts. Or, maybe only Palicki's best efforts. Because, Heatherton seems quite content to box on these terms and, absent an opportunity to score something big, take her chances on the cards when this thing is over. And, that's exactly what her game plan should be. She doesn't have Palicki's power and forcing heavy exchanges will not go well for her. The question, then, is why Palicki doesn't change tactics. Why is the former champion content to box here. There are a few explanations. One, of course, is that she believes that, over time, she'll gain command. Another is that she wants some rounds tonight, especially considering her lack of activity over the past year and a half due to injury. And, a third is that she believes she'll find the opening she needs to turn the fight on these terms. Whatever the reasoning, boxing continues at range for the full three minutes. And, Erin grabs another close one to extend her lead back to two points, 39-37.

ROUND FIVE:

Nice start, kid. Now, to the regularly-scheduled portion of our program. BOOM! Perhaps it was reason number three. Because, just seconds into the fifth, Palicki FINDS the opening she's looking for. She lands a solid left jab  and blasts a right to the left cheek bone in behind it. Heatherton's legs go rubbery and she nearly goes to the canvas. Immediately, the younger woman is covering up, and Adrianne's all in. Palicki thumps away with both hands, literally pounding the model back into the ropes and then buffeting her head back and forth as punch after punch lands on Erin's high guard. The referee's looking closely here, but Heatherton's doing enough to stave off a stoppage. She's jabbing, moving the head, trying to slide along the ropes. None of it does any good, mind. Adrianne has the range, and she's pouring shot onto the gutty blonde. Somehow, Heatherton makes it to the bell, but she's taken a shellacking. She's scuffed and wobbly on the way back to the corner after a Palicki shutout. But. Erin still leads 48-47.

ROUND SIX:

Palicki right back to work. She's getting off heavy on a still-buzzed Heatherton. Erin's got very little in the leg department, meaning the former champion can walk through her weak counters and sit down on heavy blows that, again, literally pound Heatherton back into the ropes. Erin does some clinching this round, tying up Palicki at every opportunity, doing everything she can to slow the stronger woman's offensive down. Not much works. Adrianne's strong enough to wrestle free, and smart enough to work some body while she does so. The one positive for Erin is, she's able to limit the damage upstairs somewhat by forcing all the wrestling and body work, but that's cold comfort for the blonde, who's taking quite the licking. And, take it she does for a full three minutes. Again, though, she's still on her feet when the round ends, and, though Palicki's grabbed it wide, Heatherton's still right in the fight, as the cards now say 57-57.

ROUND SEVEN:

Erin looking a bit reduced now, which is no surprise, considering the punishment she's taken in the last six minutes. The good news is, her legs look better and she's able to stabilize her front as a result. Adrianne's not walking through now. Instead, she's staying at range, working her left, looking to drop in those big, heavy right hands. Heatherton working the counter now, definitely on the defensive, but she's able to score some on those terms. There's no question Palicki's taken charge, but Erin's competing again, not just taking fire and holding on. As the round goes on, Heatherton gets better. She's getting more done, countering with sharper blows, getting close to matching Palicki's output and her effectiveness. But, the FCBA is a cruel place my friends. You can spend four rounds fighting well and building up a lead against a heavy favorite. And, you can spend two more holding on desperately in the face of heavy fire. And, then, just when it seems like things might be turning around. BOOM! Palicki threads the proverbial needle a thunderous right hand. Chin? Checked. Heatherton goes limp and crashes to her back, arms and legs thrown out at crazy angles as she hits the mat. All the power's been cut and it's not going to be restored any time soon. And your winner by KO7 in Chin Checking fashion is Adrianne Palicki!

AFTER:

Heatherton brought around slowly. Palicki over to her corner to check on her before the post-fight interview. Gloves are tapped and then Adrianne is pulled to the mic. "She's not kidding when she says she's not afraid of anybody in the FCBA. She came AFTER me in that first round, and I didn't expect that. She's a better boxer than I thought, too. She's got some skills. Just needs time and some rounds. And, speaking of rounds, I need some, too. Against Blake Lively. For those belts. You know my number, Blake. And, I've GOT yours."