Iggy Azalea vs. Gigi Hadid
(Words: Front Street / Results: Lookout!)

BEFORE:

Lots of jawing in the lead up to this one. Fighters may HAVE respect for one another, but neither seems eager to actually show any. Big blonde Aussie, coming off her first FCBA loss, is keen to get back on the winning track and plans to run over Gigi in the process. "She's not big enough or strong enough to handle me," says Iggy with a scowl. "You saw what happened when she got in with real hitters like Kloss and Upton. She couldn't hang. And, she can't hang with me."

"I can't hang with big hitters," asks Gigi with a sneer. "Did this bytch SEE the Kajlich fight? Did she see me go ten with Kesha in my debut? Did she see the Upton fight, when Kate needed to pull a horseshoe out of her a** to beat me in the tenth? If I can hang with them, I can hang with the likes of Iggy Azalea!"

ROUND ONE:

Iggy wastes no time getting physical. She is heavier than Gigi, and, as game as Hadid is, she's getting pushed around early. Iggy just boring in behind the left, banging away, backing the brunette up, getting inside her defenses, then wrestling around in there, shoving Hadid, shouldering her, leaning on her, making her take weight. Nothing at all wrong with this strategy from Azalea. It's a stronger, heavier girl making good use of her advantages. Hadid, who's been in with stronger, heavier girls before (see: Upton, Kate), nevertheless has quite a bit of trouble with the blonde, mainly because of just how aggressive Iggy is. There's nothing arty about this at all. This is "Hulk smash". And, it's all Gigi can do to avoid BEING smashed. She does, mind. She takes some shots, but she ships them, and she blocks and dodges others. But she can't get anything going offensively, and spending three minutes getting roughed around can only lead to losing the round wide. And it does. It's Azalea 10-9 after one.

ROUND TWO:

Iggy smash! Azalea forward, banging away, brawling, slopping in spots, just throwing heavy shot after heavy shot. Hadid trying to move the feet. She's very athletic, a high school volleyball player, so she moves well. But, the movement isn't enough. She's got to do something to keep Iggy off, and she can't get it done. Azalea just walking through everything Gigi's throwing, committing on everything, looking for a big shot and GETTING IT! It's an overhand right that catches a retreating Hadid on the chin and DOWN GOES GIGI! Iggy puts the glove to her mouth and blows off the smoke before sauntering to a neutral corner. Hadid stunned on her back. Watching the numbers get bigger. Rouses herself. Gets to her knees...pushes to her feet at nine, a wreck. A shambles. Referee thinks about ending it, but, for some reason, waives Iggy forward after the mandatory. ON COMES AZALEA. And, she's firing shell after shell into the smoking ruins of the S.S. Gigi Hadid. Gigi being battered around the ring. Referee can't allow much more of this carnage, but, before he sees enough, the bell rings. Hadid can barely make it back to her stool. Iggy, meanwhile, veritably dances to hers, up now 20-17 and in total control. 

ROUND THREE:

Hadid goes to the ropes! With no legs available, the American decides to fight with her back to the cables! It's desperation stuff, sure, but it turns out to be somewhat effective. Gigi gets the guard high and keeps it there. Iggy bangs away at it, throwing thundering punches that buffet Hadid's head back and forth. But, Gigi rolls with, leans back in the ropes, moves the head and shoulders, jabs back in spots. Azalea's corner wants body work, but the Aussie's not interested. She wants to finish this here and now and knows she can do it with one well-placed shot. For three minutes, she tries to land that shot. But, she's unable to do so. All is not lost, though. Because, while Azalea doesn't get the finish she wants, she does win the round. Hadid's limited offense in counter is not enough to offset all of the heavy shot the Aussie tosses her way. So, while Hadid survives, Azalea's now won three straight to lead 30-26.

ROUND FOUR:

Gigi's great legs working now, and the rangy model is using them as effectively for the first time. Now, she's a blur of motion, looking more like a flyweight than a girl who's fought for the welterweight title. She's jabbing and moving, circling, bouncing around the ring, making Iggy work hard to square up, making her work harder to close. But, that left jab is the key to everything. It's stiff and it's slowing Azalea down, and that's allowing all the movement to create and maintain space. Iggy slowly adjusts, however, working to cut the ring, to get past the Hadid defenses, and, when she does, she gets the heavy shell loaded and fired. Some of it lands, and some of it doesn't, but, the stuff that gets home forces Gigi to back and cover. After getting the worst of things early, the blonde rallies late, closing some of the gap that her rival's built up. Some, but not all. At the bell, Hadid has the round close, and she's cut the Aussie's lead to 39-36.

ROUND FIVE:

Gigi back on her bicycle, jabbing and moving, making Iggy work hard to find her. Azalea willing to put the work in. Iggy's athletic, too, and she's moving well, looking to match footwork, get the big guns on target. BOOM! Within thirty seconds of the beginning of the round. BOOM! And, this time the big shot comes from Hadid's guns. She catches Azalea stepping forward with a perfect short right hook and Iggy's GOBSMACKED! Azalea wobbles, nearly goes down, and then it's buzz saw Gigi as Hadid goes all in, ripping punch after punch at a wobbly Iggy. Azalea's staggered again and again, and eventually pinned to the ropes where Hadid thumps away looking to get her out of there. Iggy covering, holding on, trying to fire back in spots, but Gigi's letting her have it with everything in the arsenal. Those great Aussie legs are tested. And, they pass. Iggy's still standing at the bell. But, Gigi's got it wide, and the once-impressive Azalea lead is now 48-46.

ROUND SIX:

Gigi playing this smart. She's not exactly laying up, but she's not going all in to finish, either. Instead, she's going to move, jab, work the right hand, make Iggy use those still unsteady legs. Azalea's game, but she's at a disadvantage, and it shows. The much more mobile Gigi's having her way early, touching up Iggy, making her look slow and clumsy. As the round goes on, though, Azalea's gams begin to return to form, and Iggy begins cutting the ring, closing, banging, doing some body work. Some fierce exchanges result, with the heavier-hitting Azalea getting the better of most of them...though not by much. Because, Hadid's setting the feet and firing back hard, giving almost as good as she gets. It's grim, bitter stuff late, with both fighters trying to impose will and neither able to do it. At the bell, it's close, but the early edge Hadid piled up wins the day, and she closes to a single point, 57-56.

ROUND SEVEN:

Azalea getting more aggressive. Gigi wants to box, but Iggy wants to bang. Hadid again showing great athleticism as she works the legs, bouncing on her toes, banging out stinging jabs. Azalea bobbing the head, showing her own excellent feet as she works forward, closes, bangs body and then head. Again, Hadid hangs in, not retreating, willing to trade for short spurts with the hard-hitting Aussie. And, again, Gigi nearly holds her own. But, not quite. The weight of shot advantage the blonde has is a little too much, and it begins to play. Hadid ties up, shoves off, circles away, but, again, Azalea works forward, cuts, closes, bangs. Tons of heavy shell going back and forth in this stanza, but both beauties ship it and keep on firing. Late, a heavy Azalea combination backs up Gigi, but Hadid steps right back forward and counters with a flurry of her own. At the bell, they're still banging and the referee is forced to jump between them and send them to their corners. Close again. Iggy. And, she's back up by two, 67-65.

ROUND EIGHT:

Azalea feeling like she's got the plan down. Work in, bring Gigi to battle, then use the heavier guns to batter her into submission. But, the proud Hadid won't submit, nor will she retreat. Instead she stands ground, fires back, and, again, she's coming off second best, but just. Azalea workin more body this time around, trying to grind down Hadid and get into her legs. Gigi staying up top, doing just enough downstairs to keep Iggy honest. And, half way through the round, it pays off. A hard right hook wobbles Iggy! Azalea's hurt! And Gigi quickly follows up with a devastating three-punch combination and it's BLONDE GIRL DOWN! Azalea puddles at Gigi's feet and Hadid steps OVER her, staring down the entire time, to get to a neutral corner! Iggy pushes to her hands and knees and then sinks back to her belly twice. The third time, she manages to get to all fours, but that's it. The count passes her by and it's OVER! And your winner by KO8 in comeback fashion is Gigi Hadid!

AFTER:

"They told me this girl could hit," says Gigi with a sneer. "Well, she can't hit like Kesha and she can't hit like Kloss and she can't hit like Upton. She's nothing special, really. And, she's definitely not in MY league. As i just proved."