KIRA KOSARIN (19 y/o, 5 ft 6, Debut) vs SASHA PIETERSE (20 y/o, 5 ft 6, W: 8, L: 8)
(Words: Bonzo / Results: Lookout!)
 
Before: Kosarin making a well-observed debut match – pretty brunette known for Nick’s The Thundermans got signed by Bonzo’s Gym before Christmas in a surprise move. Kosarin relatively tall compared to most of her Nickelodeon peers, making a robust, athletic impression – the Bonzo gym obviously hoping to translate its well-known welter brand into the sluggin’ bantamweight decision, with legendary multi-time champion Evangeline Lilly reportedly giving the debut fighter some polish in training sessions while making sure in interviews that she doesn’t see Kosarin as a threat to her status. “I’m bringin’ the Bonzo brand to bantam, that’s right”, Kira declares, “The fitness regimen around here’s amazing, mostly it’s just unheard of in the division, really, AT ALL I mean, – girls will literally be shocked by my stamina, devastated by my right hand power. I won’t just be a slugger, I’ll be an administrator of beatdowns that will break other girls’ hearts.” PLL fighter Pieterse had a 1-2 year in 2016 and is currently ranked #50 by BWO – pre-fight expectations for athletic Kira get out the snarky compete mode in Sasha instantly. “Gee, Kira’s sounding like she’s a Regan, Righetti type ready to plow through those wimpy girls at bantam – get down to earth, girl, for real. I don’t care if she’s a gym rat or not, but trust me, this ego balloon’s gonna get popped, pretty little liar style. You won’t talk about Kira being “sturdy” any more when my first hooks have wrecked the Kosarin gut and my rib-bustin’ right hands have brought tears into those pretty hazel eyes.”

 
Fight:

R1: Kosarin with a springy, athletic stance: motivated brunette hungry, eager to prove the punches behind the words – she circles close on a bouncin’, boppin’ left foot, zippin’ her left jab…she wants to back her girl up from second one. Pieterse accepts the aggression, goes on to use her legs to step out, making Kira walk n’ stalk her, but jumps into little counters, bang-bang-ing hooks back on either side. Early, Kira’s a-running, attempting to apply her pressure, just walking forward and punching – Pieterse’s greater experience clearly showing during these instances, as she’s not only avoiding Kira’s jabwork, but actively forces own control via ferocious, blasting hooks to tits/hips on her aggressor. Kira bravely takin’ it on the chin early two, three times – despite getting picked up on the spot, brunette doesn’t seem rocked or concerned…she’s right back going to work again. Kosarin’s got fast legs, but lacks the polish – Sasha obviously more elegant, smooth in her movement, looking to douse some of Kira’s fire in the first via counter-centered punching. Round stays close until the end – Kira steps off the gas, no longer walking forward by the second minute, so Sasha’s ahead with her early counters, her legwork, but not really taking over, wary of what to expect from Kosarin’s as-yet-unseen right hand. Down the stretch…Sasha drifts forward, rolling her shoulders into rising hooks to guard, looking to secure her points on the cards…then she does step into that right hand! Kosarin with a beautiful, jolting counter, leanin’ under Pieterse’s straight hook, then hoistin’ her torso into a rising right cross…on the mouth. Oh, Sasha’s hurt when she steps out, turned wobbly, wobbly butt: at bell, blonde looking a bit huffy on her way to corner as plan to bring Kosarin down to earth doesn’t materialize early…Kira notices, with a short smirk.
 
R2: Pieterse with a much more controlling, effective stance this time out – early in the first minute, she catches bouncy, confident Kira plop-plop to the cheek via short, bolted hooks, puttin’ Kira into hurt, her legs pancaking – Sasha pursues her girl, eyes staring wide. Kosarin not bouncing back: she’s punched out of her stance, not getting it back – spends minutes circling out, aggressively stalked by Sasha’s pivoting jab-work. Kira’s got her legs but Pieterse rolls smoother, smoother – she’s edging closer to the body, jerking hooks into brunette’s ribs/gut, getting her girl to gurgle, guu-guuh, in pain. Late…Sasha jabs more to guard, then whippin’ a right hand round Kira’s elbow, tearing into that mid-section, and again, and again – oh, Kira’s stoopin’ forward in pain, steppin’ hastily to the side, hands outstretched, rubbing back little hooks up top. Pieterse: hungry eyes, looking excited – she said she wanted to hurt Kira to the tummy, does just that.
 
R3: Pieterse’s found her way to control Kira – it’s that jab-jab followed by a sly, slingin’ hook into tummy/ribs…she does it early, and she does it with brutality. Kira looking unexperienced, unsuspecting – she preps her guard up top, looking careful…taking it with a little shock in her eyes when Sasha spins that right down into body instead, just not knowing. Pieterse does it two, three times…rendering a hurt Kosarin into ropeside positions for the first time. Zoom in to Kira in the turnbuckle, her butt on ropes, body swaying miserably – Sasha, in mid-range, takes weight on left step, right step…bop-bop, her jabs chuck into Kosarin’s guard, bop-bop, her rights drift into Kira’s tits…this girl’s clearly enjoying herself. Third minute: first time we see Kira’s stamina talk not just talk – she’s firmly under Sasha’s control, but handling the pain, the tummy-rippin’ work, somehow adjusting to the power – down the stretch, Kira’s even erupting to answer hooks thru the middle, once catching Sasha with a clout – on her teeth – in between two of Pieterse’s short, straight jabs.
 
R4: Pieterse’s got the groove…confident, cruising look for her…her legs keeping Kira busy, her jumped-in rights, rising left hooks puttin’ an overwhelmed Kira wobbly-butt – she’s scrubbin’ Kira’s face clean with ferocious, whizzing short hooks! Second min: Kosarin on the backfoot, taking tripling little baby-steps away from Sasha as she’s getting punched onto her heels…she’s a wretched, tortured beauty…suddenly, Kira opens up her guard for a straight, jerky right hand…stinging a crouchin’, nearin’ Sasha on the nose, blonde never expecting such an icy counter…cute blonde frozen on the spot, helpless for a sec, hangs hovering over her feet…then Sasha PLOPS DOWN hard onto her knees as her legs no longer control the weight, rolling uncontrollably onto her side, eyes flickering. Pieterse so fast to scramble, though…but she’s a confused, flabbergasted beauty sitting up, swaying on her haunches – she’s still up for a fast six, but she just got rocked! Kosarin wades in with a snarl…she backs up Sasha for ingénue beatdown session at rope positions for almost two loooong, long minutes. Give Pieterse credit – she’s recovering well, her legs wobbly but following orders, easing some pressure off those stubby rights Kira’s plucking her way. Kosarin making sure Sasha feels she’s there on top at the bell, still pushin’ a hook into Sasha’s flanks, lingering, pullin’ down a blubbering, protesting blonde until the ref steps in and warns her – on her way to corner, a furious Sasha’s muttering words that lip readers will later identify as “I’ll make you pay, b-tch.”
 
R5: Girls just start trading away: off-rhythm lefts and rights sluggin’ ensues, with Sasha the obvious aggressor – the poke’s picking up nicely on either girls’ jaw, but they keep a- pummelin’…AND KIRA’s the first to blink, coming out a little spacey, punched drowsy-faced from Sasha’s pak-pak jab combo to the mouth! Pieterse lovin’ it when she sees Kira struggling, baby-steppin’ in hurt – she wades in with a whirlwind right hook driven deeeep into Kosarin’s gut again, pinning her foe into the ropes, as Kira leans back swimmin’. Pieterse so fierce, cutely determined…she’s shark-y, smelling blood – she totally gets back into her rib-bustin’ spree, her left at chin height, pumping straight rights into Kosarin’s quivering stomach, smiling at those little gasp-y noises coming from brunette’s lips. Kosarin rallies in the third min: she forces clinches, making Sasha take weight, her own jabs still rough-n’-tumble, but some getting through to Pieterse’s guard/head, stopping the lithe blonde from penetrating her way inside. At halfway point, Sasha’s closed down on the cards, erasing the knockdown…she’s putting Kira’s ribs/body in distress, but she’s not yet fed Kira any dangerous right hands to the skull – girls rallyin’, makin’ comebacks galore, but ringside pundits don’t expect this thing to last for another five rounds – just too much KO attitude in the ring!
 
R6: Bantam girls entangle in fierce, intense sluggers’ battle…Sasha no longer trying to outwork, sidestep Kira via her legwork – she wants to plain stop the girl for good, and she wants to do it now! Pieterse shows her blazin’ temperament, scrubbin’ away on Kira’s arms/chest/guard...not rhythmic, just brutal stuff trying to numb Kira to the lats/flanks. Kosarin a little overwhelmed early – she’s trying a more set piece approach at first, in tight earmuff, waiting for countering options – but Sasha just represses her, reachin’ around Kira’s struggling hips, pressin’ her backwards, hooking to the mid-section. Around the middle of first min, Kira engages more, poppin’ in right hands straight thru the middle to answer Sasha’s jab patterns – Sasha dips down, working torso into agile low-slung body-hooking stance – but Kira’s right hand tracks her to the head, jamming it straight INTO HER JAWLINE in all­-out-ugly fashion! Blonde Pieterse corkscrews down on the spot…the sly, one-punch power simply devastating her. Poor Sasha slumps down into a heap…she’s on all fours, breathing hard, her back trembling…meanwhile, Kira’s waiting in her corner, beaming in lusty i-just-did-that-to-you delight. Willpower…determination getting Sasha back up…oh, but she’s a rickety, tremblin’ vixen now. Kosarin gets back to work – she’s walking in hands-on-hips, getting her arms up provocatively laaaaate…she pounds her blonde via left hooks, slinging her right deep into Sasha’s tummy. Pieterse starts stooping over, her legs carrying her away on autopilot…Kira stalks her, pumpin’ the Bonzo jab to pretty face…Sasha just tries to tie up, clinch, clinch, clinch. Late in the second min: Kira’s got ‘er girl in the corner – blonde in stooped stance, earmuff guard trembling…Kosarin sloshes a short, jerky left into tummy, turning the Pieterse mid-section all spasm-y, the blonde’s eyes contorting in pain – and Kira starts tossin’ her right hand through! No one-punch power seals the deal, but the barrage just too much for pretty little liar…accumulating damage loosens blonde up, finally folds her back limp-ish into turnbuckle…when she drops her hands, the ref gets in, struggles a still-hungry, furious Kira away from her battered foe…that’s a debut win via TKO6 for Kira Kosarin!
 
After: Plenty of ‘tude still in the ring…ingénues somehow succeed in blowing a debut match up into a pretty heated affair. Good for Sasha that the ref’s still holding her slackened body up in his arms…he protects her against a grappling, demanding Kira who wants to own her blonde post-fight…ref giving PLL corner enough time to get in, separate fighters’ camps. Kosarin a pretty, if arrogant winner…”Told you I’d break her heart! I won this fight when Sasha tried to slug me out brawling-style beginning of the sixth – I just won’t allow girls to do that to me, and I made her pay for tryin’. She’s got heart, but I got the right hand, baby.”