MANDY MOORE VS KAREN GILLAN
Results: Lookout Writing: Archer
Mandy: 32 YO, 5’10 (1.78 m), 25-33-0 since 2004, Foxfire Boxing
Karen: 29 YO, 5’11 (1.80 m) (FCBA), 2-5-0 since 2011, Lookout Atlantic Boxing

Before: “I have been out of action for too long,” Mandy Moore declares to the press, “I will be the first to admit I am feeling rusty. The best way to knock rust off is in a good fight. That’s why I am fighting Karen Gillan: she will be just the tune-up I need. I don’t expect it to be easy, but I do expect to win it.”
Karen glowering during Mandy’s time at the podium: “I see the girls at Lookout were right about you Foxfire girls—you’re all conceited and think the rest of us are here to be used by you.”

“Now wait a minute! I never said that!” Mandy protests. “And you shouldn’t listen to anything those jealous losers at Lookout say about Foxfire.”

“I am just here to tell you that I don’t care about your ‘rust’—I’m going to knock you out and win the fight. I’m going to build a career here in the FCBA and YOU will help me do it!”

“Please!” Mandy says dismissively. “You should stick with your Lookout farm team in the UK—you will so much better back there.”

“I am not taking advice from the likes of you!” Karen fires back. “And Lookout Atlantic is NOT a ‘farm team’. We are a first-rate organization and we’re certainly better than the pack of losers at Foxfire Atlantic.”

“I doubt that very much,” Mandy said, “but I do know you are going down Ms. Gillan ! Get used to the idea!”

“Never!” The re-haired Scotch actress declared. “your arrogance will bring you down Mandy Moore and I put my foot on your flabby ass to prove it!”

“My ass is is NOT flabby,” Mandy growls.

“It will be after I get done kicking it around the ring,” Karen sneers.

“You will not!” Mandy cries jumping up her fists clenched.

Karen goes into a defensive crouch, but FCBA Security is again alert and move in quickly to escort the angry ladies away. It does end up creatring some extra interest in the fight. Karen appears in a white top with the LOOKOUT logo across the front and black short trunks. Black gloves and boots with white lacings. Karen’s red hair pulled in a ponytail. Mandy in navy blue short trunks and matching top with FOXFIRE across the front in white lettering. Navy blue gloves and boots (with white laces). Mandy’s hair pulled back in a ponytail. Tense meeting at midring. All the referee can do to keep the two clearly angry ladies from starting the fight prematurely. Finally they are in their corners, eager to go, and then the bells rings.

R1: Long legged fighters swiftly out to midring where they strike hard and fast. Shifting, circling, they struggle to get position on each. Karen making solid contact with the side of Mandy’s head, then ducking down to smack the ribs under her extended right arm. Mandy striking back into Karen’s face and chest. Circling, ducking and punching, it is quite a show and they are both landing a good percentage of their blows. Then Karen hunches up and goes after Mandy’s midsection. Mandy not liking leather slamming into her gut backs up and she takes a right uppercut to the chin. Mandy covering up as Karen leans in smite the brunette’s chest and then digs more hooks into her belly. Mandy jabbing back to the face and chest, finally gets Karen to back off, but as the bell rings, the judges give the round to Karen by a close margin.

R2: Mandy seems to shake off the effects of Karen’s punching and greets the redhead with a flurry of head shots as Karen tries to come in. Karen backing up as Mandy circles and fires away, but this time going after Karen’s belly. Karen doubling up, scoots back and uses her jab. Mandy very mobile as she circles, reverses and strikes to the head and body of the redhead. Karen not wanting to get too close, but Mandy’s long-armed reach makes this difficult. Karen getting hit to the head steadily to the bell as Mandy scores her first round by a wide margin.

R3: Karen presses in close as she hooks Mandy to the body. Mandy can’t get quite the power into her arms as she is cramped by Karen’s pressure, but finally she is able to use some short right and left hooks for own to pound Karen’s chest and abs. Karen stubbornly hanging in, but she is taking more than she’s able to dish out. Finally, Karen pulls back and tries some long range action. Mandy more than happy to oblige and they fire away at each other. Mandy starts using upper body movement to reduce Karen’s accuracy and it probably is what ensures she takes the round by a narrow margin after the bell.

R4: Karen seems able to adjust to Mandy evasive movements this round. She’s scoring with the longer range punching that is banging Mandy’s around early. Then, as Mandy moves to cover her head, Karen darts in to smack Mandy hard to the belly and the shifts around to smack those side ribs when Mandy extends her right arm to jab. Mandy able to use the jab to keep Karen from running away with the round, but the redhead is piling up the points on the cards to the bell. No surprise that Karen takes this round wide.

R5: Karen and Mandy maneuver around each other, long legs moving in and out. Suddenly Karen lunges forward and brings a smashing right against Mandy’s temple. Mandy’s legs give a shudder, then get tangled up AND DOWN GOES MANDY MOORE! Mandy sprawls on to her chest looks up with a dazed expression as Karen stares down at her a moment, before turning on her heel and marching to neutral corner. Referee is counting as Mandy shakes her head to clear the cobwebs and then makes a determined effort to rise. She beats the count. Referee does a quick check, then waves Karen back in. Redhead quickly to the attack, but Mandy while initially defensive, keeping her guard up high and jabbing when Karen comes in, picks up the pace as the round goes on. Karen trying to draw Mandy off balance with some quick reversals and then lunges in ready for another shot at Mandy. However Mandy is ready for her and as Karen’s right comes in, Mandy moves her head and the shot whistles past her ear. Mandy then brings her own right crashing into Karen’s. KAREN GILLAN SPINS AROUND AND LANDS ON HER BUTT! Now Karen’s turn to look up in dazed confusion as Mandy Moore gives her a satisfied smirk then quickly turns away. Karen lets the referee count while she pulls herself together and rises to beat the count at “…NINE!” Now Mandy is waved back in and quickly has Karen backing up and showing little interest in more punching until the bell rings. Takes the judges a while to figure it out but Mandy’s getting up off the canvas and putting Karen down on butt seems to have impressed them. They give the round to Mandy by a wide margin.

R6: Lookout corner working on Karen who is sprawled on her stool. She gets up at the bell, but she looks like maybe she should have stayed down. Mandy approaching cautiously firing out a few probing shots that draw weak counters. Then Mandy strikes to the belly, doubling Karen forward and then Mandy just unloads a right cross to Karen’s jaw. Karen;s head swivels. She takes a step forward and then just goes crashing into the canvas at Mandy’s boot tops. Mandy heads for neutral corner. Karen raising her face off the canvas and trying to push up with her arms, but she toppled onto her side and just lays there groaning miserably as the count goes past her.
The Winner: Mandy Moore KO6!

After: Rachel Nichols and Mary Elizabeth Winstead on hand to give Mandy big hugs at her victory. Mandy eager to get her gloves off and across the ring to haul a still shaky Karen Gillan to her feet. Karen murmuring protests as Mandy gets a supportive arm around her and takes her beaten opponent around the ring for a most satisfying Walk of Shame.

“Oh, did that ever feel good! Mandy happily tells the press. “She managed to knock me down, but I was tougher that she was expecting. I got right back and answered her knockdown with one from me! Then I finished her off next round. So much for ‘rust’ I feel great! Now, I will admit I might need some more fights to get ready, but, just you wait, I’ll be in a title fight by summer!”

“What can I say?” a rueful Karen Gillan comments later. “She took my best stuff. Got up and knocked me loopy. This is not what was supposed to happen, but it did and I will just have to find that first FCBA win from some other welter.”

A very competitive back and forth bout. It was close with Karen seeming to go ahead with that R5 knockdown, but then Mandy got off the canvas and knocked Karen down. Karen clearly not recovered by R6 and was easily finished off. Looks like Mandy Moore fans could be getting new hope their fighter will be coming back to serious welter title consideration, but it will take more than one win to confirm that. As for Karen Gillan, another disappointment, but she seems to have the talent, she just hasn’t found the right FCBA opponent to unleash it on for her first FCBA win. We hope she her management won’t give up the search.