BEFORE:



"I've been looking forward to my FCBA debut," says Poppy with a smile. "And, the way Leven's been going lately, no one can accuse me a beating a soft touch when I turn it into my first FCBA win."



"Poppy can fight," says Rambin, with a smile of her own. "No doubt about that. But. I need to take care of business tonight, and that's exactly what I plan to do."



ROUND ONE:



O'Dell: "Back at ringside, and that's..."



McCarthy: "HORRIBLE! That is TERRIBLE! What kind of music IS this?"



O'Dell: "That would be 'Until We Go Down,' by Ruelle, which happens to be the theme song from 'The Shannara Chronicles'. And, the young lady heading to ringside, one Poppy Drayton of Girls Friday, happens to be one of the stars of that series..."



McCarthy: "Never heard of it!"



Tess: "Are you telling me that a television series was cast and went to air without your agent even TELLING you about it? I mean, Mac, you could have had a PART in that thing..."



Cassie: "No question about it. I mean, aren't YOU hotter than Drayton? And, she's one of the stars..."



McCarthy: "SIRI, CALL MY AGENT!"



O'Dell (sighing): "You know, I'm going to cross you two off my Christmas card list. Drayton into the ring and helped off with the robe by the Girls Friday corner crew. Hmm. She's wearing a pink and white striped number..."



Tess: "Which, while it's bad, is not as bad as what we're GOING to see..."



O'Dell: "And, that's 'Stray Heart' by Green Day, and on her way to the ring is the star of that video, 'The Houston Solution', Leven Rambin..."



McCarthy: "Oh, I'm going to leave a MESSAGE all right. And, here's the message. You'd better call me back FRUIT SWEET or you are FIRED!"



Cassie: "Fruit..."



Tess: "I think Mac thinks she's speaking French..."



O'Dell: "I am SERIOUSLY going to ask Wiz to build a drawer into this table so that I can store a bottle down there. Rambin into the ring and helped off with the robe by Jewel and Neve and there's that bubblegum pink number she prefers..."



Tess: "Just an AWFUL color..."



O'Dell: "And, we're about ready to go. Time for some picks. Tess likes Leven. Mac?"



McCarthy: "And ANOTHER thing..."



O'Dell: "MAC!"



McCarthy: "WHAT?"



O'Dell: "We need a pick!"



McCarthy: "This Drayton has actually won fights in the BBU. She'll beat the Dancing Hooker!"



O'Dell: "Cassie?"



Cassie: "I agree with Tess!"



O'Dell: "And, there's the bell. Feeling out process commences. You have two tall bantams here. Leven's 5'8" and Poppy 5'6", so both have excellent reach for the division and both have shown they can use the jab very well. That's apparently going to be the game here early, as blonde and brunette play the tactical game..."



McCarthy: "This Drayton girl has some snap to that left hand. If that's any indication, she'll have some power in the right."



Tess: "You know what ELSE might indicate that? The fact that she's had three BBU fights, won them all, and they've lasted a TOTAL of eleven rounds!"



Cassie: "Which you would KNOW if you did any prep!"



McCarthy: "SHUT. UP. BOTH. OF. YOU!!!"



O'Dell: "Drink up, boys. Drayton definitely snapping that jab, and Rambin responding with her own. Both ladies getting some follow on rights going, but neither getting too aggressive early. Both want to probe defenses, get a sense of what the other fighter wants to do before deciding how to go about attacking."



Tess: "I wouldn't be surprised at a lot of ranged stuff. Again, both have shown a comfort level fighting there."



O'Dell: "And, efforts to crowd and bully Poppy in the BBU turned out to be less than successful, so I doubt that will be Rambin's tactic tonight. We're down to the final 30 seconds here in the first. It's been a quick-moving round with lots of movement and some accurate punches. There's the bell and there's not much in it, but Rambin gets the points close."



ROUND TWO:



O'Dell: "More ranged boxing as we start the second. Both fighters working off the left, looking to put punches together. Neither interested in closing or changing terms in any way. Both looking very comfortable where they are, and, Mac, Poppy with only three fights in top-level feds and none before tonight in the FCBA not looking like she's out of her element..."



McCarthy: "Absolutely not. Give the kid credit. It doesn't look to big for her."



O'Dell: "Drayton managing distance very well. She's giving up a bit of reach here, but it's not bothering her. She's getting to where she needs to be to get off and score points. Rambin, meanwhile, getting work done as well, just as she did in the last round. Both fighters effective. Both looking pretty sharp, too."



Tess: "No doubt about it. Feeling out's over and the fighters seem to be on their respective games now."



O'Dell: "Final 30 seconds of round two. Fighters moving the feet well. Moving the hands, heads, and shoulders. This is sound, effective stuff from both blonde and brunette. And, again, we've seen this before from Rambin, especially this year, but Drayton holding her own very well to the bell. Close again. Poppy."



Cassie: "Even at 19 after two."



ROUND THREE:



O'Dell: "Back to range in the third. Both fighters busy early. Drayton, though, starting to get into a nice rhythm now. Brunette finding the range and really getting rolling here. She's throwing Leven onto the defensive, making her cover up and now making her back up. Rambin not hurt, but she's getting peppered with leather right now..."



Cassie: "This really is some good stuff from Poppy. She's got Leven on her back foot as she's not letting her off."



O'Dell: "Definitely is not. Rambin can't get much going at all. She's countering in spots, but that's about it. Drayton really feeling it now, just getting more and more confident as this round goes on, while Rambin's covering up and trying to find spots to counter in. Not having much success, though."



Tess: "Front Street corner shouting at Leven to get busy and get off, but that's easier said than done right now."



O'Dell: "Appears to be. Rambin just taking shell from everywhere right now and can't seem to get going. Again, she's not hurt, she's just getting out-boxed in a big way right now, and that's surprising considering how close the first two rounds were. Ten seconds to go in this one, and Drayton in control from beginning to end. There's the bell. Brunette wide."



McCarthy: "And, Drayton takes the lead 29-28."



ROUND FOUR:



O'Dell: "Poppy right back to work in the fourth. She's got Rambin backing and covering right away. She's found a way to get to the spots she wants, get the angles, get leather on target. Rambin can't land anything square, can't get off, can't do much of anything right now. Leven giving a little ground, trying to get the geometry to work."



McCarthy: "You'd think a girl with as much FCBA experience as she has could make an adjustment, but, this is what happens when you have terrible management!"



O'Dell: "Leven giving a little more ground. Doesn't matter. Poppy moving well, getting to where she wants to be and getting off in combination. It's firing on all cylinders for the brunette, who's just throwing accurate flurry after accurate flurry right now. And, there's not much the blonde can do to slow her down."



Cassie: "Leven has to stop backing up. I think she ought to come forward here and get physical."



O'Dell: "Might not be a bad idea. Down the stretch we come. Another very, very good round for Poppy Drayton, who's just been absolutely dominant for about six straight minutes here. Fifteen seconds to go. Another good flurry from Poppy. Leven covering up. Five seconds. And, there's the bell. Shutout, Drayton."



Tess: "And, Poppy extends her lead to 39-37 after four."



ROUND FIVE:



O'Dell: "Fifth begins with Rambin coming forward behind the left jab. Leven getting that accurate left home and following on with right hands, and, all of a sudden, she's blunted Drayton's momentum completely. Poppy now giving a little ground, though grudgingly. Has to, though, if she wants to remain at range..."



Cassie: "Right, because she can't keep Rambin from closing. Poppy trying to back and circle instead."



O'Dell: "And, while she's able to create distance that way, she can't keep it, because Leven keeps closing. Rambin committing on punches now, forcing Drayton back, banging some body along with the upstairs work. She's now gotten in rhythm and she's disrupted her rival's. Brunette game, but now she's the one who can't get much done..."



Tess: "This is quite the turnaround, and, let me point out, Leven's doing just what Cassie was thinking..."



McCarthy: "I just threw up in my mouth a little..."



O'Dell: "Final thirty seconds of the fifth. Leven in firm control. Left jab to the head, nice right hook to the body. Poppy countering, Leven a hard flurry that backs the brunette up. Drayton nearly trapped on the ropes here, but she slips away to open canvas and there's the bell. Rambin and wide in the fifth."



Tess: "And it's 49-48, Drayton at the half."



ROUND SIX:



O'Dell: "Into the sixth and Leven even more aggressive. She's forward steadily, backing up Drayton, forcing her to give ground despite the brunette's best efforts to hold it, because that's what she's trying to do now. Poppy doesn't want to keep fighting off that back foot, but Rambin not giving her any choice."



Cassie: "We talked about good stuff from Poppy earlier. Well, this is good stuff from Leven. Imposing will in a fight she was losing."



O'Dell: "And, she's definitely flipped the script on Drayton. Poppy can't get out of reverse as Leven slowly pushes down on the pedal. She's touching the brunette up, banging hard stuff to the body, sending sweat flying with a hard right hand to the head. Drayton tying up now, but Rambin shoving off."



Tess: "Getting very physical, just like Cassie was talking about earlier..."



McCarthy: "Will you stop with the mutual adoration society!"



O'Dell: "Coming down the stretch in the fifth. We saw six dominant minutes for Drayton, and now we've seen six dominant minutes from Rambin. Leven backs Poppy up again with a hard flurry to the head. Drayton backs and circles to stay off the ropes. Rambin steps in and lands a solid three-punch combination at the bell. Shutout, Leven."



Tess: "And, we are even at 58 after six."



ROUND SEVEN:



O'Dell: "Right back to work for Leven in round seven. She's got it rolling now, and Drayton seemingly can't slow this down. The blonde working quick flurries to the head, plenty of power behind those punches. Poppy ducking and covering, trying to find spots to counter, but not having much success doing so..."



McCarthy: "Earlier, I talked about how a girl with Rambin's experience should be able to make adjustments. Well, Drayton doesn't have much at the top level, and it's showing right now."



O'Dell: "Rambin a bit more aggressive here. Not getting sloppy, but she's taking the fight to the brunette. Poppy taking heavy fire as she has been for the past two rounds. Can't seem to find a way to renegotiate terms. Rambin a nice combination that backs Drayton up again and a RIGHT HAND FROM POPPY WOBBLES LEVEN!"



Cassie: "GREAT punch! Perfectly-timed!"



O'Dell: "And Drayton going all in immediately! She's got Rambin covering up, backing up. Left hook and DOWN GOES LEVEN! Nasty left hook from Drayton puts Rambin on all fours! Poppy to a neutral corner. Count at three. Four. Five. Six. Leven trying to shake it off and get to her feet. Eight. Nine. TEN! It's over! Rambin can't get to her feet and it's over! And your winner by KO7 is Poppy Drayton!"



Tess: "This was a heck of a fight, and what an ending!"



AFTER:



O'Dell: "Let's go up to the ring and Tess Valmore!"



Tess: "I have our winner, Poppy Drayton, and, Poppy, not a bad way to make your FCBA debut!"



Poppy: "This is a great venue and I was really pleased to get a chance to fight here. I got in some trouble in there for awhile, but I knew I could come back and pull it out."



Tess: "That right hand counter was the key..."



Poppy (nodding): "I was trying to get something going, to slow her down, and I timed that one. When I hurt her, I knew I had to finish, so I put all my chips in and got her out of there."



Tess: "What's next for you?"



Poppy: "I'm hoping to get a lot more action here in the FCBA. A LOT more."