Post by Lookout! Boxing on Mar 31, 2017 at 11:34am

Gigi Hadid vs. Kelly Rohrbach

(Words: FS / Results: Lookout!)

BEFORE:

Hard to think of two girls who've created more buzz in a shorter time than these two. Hadid is only 3-3 in six fights, but she's already beaten a top ten welter, Bianca Kajlich, gotten a title shot, and proven she belonged in same by taking Kate Upton to the limit. And, if anything, Rohrbach's been even more impressive, winning six of her first seven and claiming the Ice Hotel. So, as you might imagine, both fighters are more than a little confident coming in.

"Sure," says Gigi with a flip of her hair, "Kelly can fight. But, she doesn't have the physicality I bring to the ring. She couldn't handle girls like Kajlich and Upton, and I can. And, that will be the difference."

"If Gigi thinks she's going to be more physical than me," says Kelly with a stare, "she's got a very rude awakening coming. And, by that, I mean, she's going to wake up lying on the canvas."

ROUND ONE:

Kelly wants to box early, but, Gigi, as good as her word, comes after the blonde. Rohrbach wants to work at range, but Hadid is having none of it. She works forward behind the jab, commits on her punches, backs Kelly up with heavy leather. Rohrbach initially decides to give ground in an effort to get the distance she wants, but, about a minute in, decides to hold canvas. And, Gigi makes her pay. A hard right hand gets Kelly's attention, and Hadid follows with a nasty flurry and ROHRBACH IS HURT! And, Hadid is all in! Gigi letting the hands go, sending a wobbly Kelly reeling back into the ropes and then letting her have it. Blonde looks ready to go as the younger woman pours it on, looking for a shocking KO1. It doesn't happen. Somehow, Kelly takes a minute and a half of shelling and remains on her feet. But, at the bell, it's Gigi wide and with the 10-9 lead.

ROUND TWO:

Experience. There's no substitute. And, neither of these fighters, despite all their early successes, have a lot of it. And, that leads to things like what happens in round two. Hadid gets too aggressive. She wants to finish Kelly and goes after her hard, getting somewhat sloppy in the process. And, that allows the blonde to play defense and counter, exactly what a fighter still trying to get her legs back needs to be able to do. It's Gigi driving the action for three minutes, but, she's mostly not getting any leather home. She's either missing or having her punches blocked. Kelly, meanwhile, is throwing a lot less leather, but she's landing a much higher percentage of it, using the openings created by Hadid's offense for sharp counters. It's frustrating stuff for the younger woman, who enters the second looking to finish and exits it even on the cards at 19, as Kelly claims the second close.

ROUND THREE:

Hadid may not have experience, but she learns quickly. She hears it in the corner between rounds and she listens, coming out in the third fighting the way she did in the first. She's working forward behind the jab, getting physical but not sloppy. For her part, Rohrbach remains on the defensive early, giving ground, working the counter. As the round goes on, she begins getting off more offensively, using the legs, which are now all the way back, to try to create space and allow for ranged boxing. It's all about terms from there, with Gigi having the better of things when she's able to close and square and the blonde doing better when she's able to get the space to box. And, as both girls get some, but not all of what they want, it's another close round, coming right down to the bell. When it rings, however, it's Hadid who's gotten a bit more done and gone back on the lead 29-28.

ROUND FOUR:

Both fighters again working to negotiate terms. Hadid showing excellent hand, head and foot movement as she comes forward, making herself a difficult target for Rohrbach's jab. For her part, Kelly working hard to get the left on target so that she can stop Gigi's forward motion and set her up for right hands. Add in some excellent lateral movement of her own, and, the blonde's able to box more in this round than in any before. Still, though, Gigi's having her moments, closing, getting heavy leather on, getting HURT! It's that left jab that's the key. Kelly lines Gigi up, stops her, then drops a nasty straight right on the younger woman's chin. Hadid wobbles, staggers, nearly goes down. And now Rohrbach's all in, winging away with both hands looking for the finisher. Gigi driven to the ropes and abused as she hangs on in a high guard. Kelly's firing all the big guns looking to finish, but the bell rings before she can do it. It's Rohrbach wide to even things at 38, but, to the blonde's disappointment, Hadid is still standing.

ROUND FIVE:

Now, it's Kelly looking to finish. Blonde getting after Hadid from the opening seconds. Gigi still shaky, forced to back and cover as her rival begins an effective clean up. Hadid keeping the guard high playing defense, jabbing back in spots, but mostly on the receiving end of quite a lot of leather from Rohrbach. Kelly finding the range, getting some hard shot on target, snapping back Gigi's legs, shaking her time and again. Referee taking notice, not going to watch much more of this. Then the blonde lands a booming right and and DOWN GOES HADID! Gigi ragdolls to the mat, power completely cut, crashing in a heap at Kelly's feet! Rohrbach allowing herself a smile as she makes her way to a neutral corner. She watches the count, nodding with each finger the referee raises. She knows what's she's done. She's knows Hadid's finished, and she is. The count passes Gigi by and it's OVER! And your winner by KO5 is Kelly Rohrbach!

AFTER:

"I TOLD you she was going to wake up on the canvas! I TOLD you she was going to wake up on the canvas!" Kelly jubilant post-fight. She had her hands full, no question, but the blonde stunner's come through again and is becoming a legitimate threat not just for the lightweight straps. "She came in here trying to get physical and she found out what happens when girls do that with me. They end up right where Gigi did. At my FEET!"