ROSE BYRNE VS EMMA MARRONE

Writing: Archer Results: BBU

Rose: 37 YO, 5’6 ½ (1.68 m), BBU: 2-4-0 since 2012, Foxfire Atlantic Boxing

Emma: 32 YO, 5’6 (1.67 m), BBU Debut. Latin Union

Before: Opening bout of this Latin Union vs Foxfire Atlantic Boxing mini-card in being held at Black Swan Hall, the FAB Headquarters mansion located just outside Cardiff, Wales. Ring has been set up in what was once the mansion’s ballroom. Stands have been set up to accommodate an enthusiastic crowd. BBU veteran Rose Byrne is representing FAB. The Australian-born actress hasn’t had a lot of celebrity boxing success, but she’s always ready for a fight and she eager to go tonight.

“I am excited to be fighting in Black Swan Hall. It’s intimate in a good way. I don’t know much about Emma except that she is an Italian singer and that this is her debut. I’ll just have to see what she’s got and go from there,” Rose tells FAB reporter Davina Sheffield.

Davina speaks to Emma Marrone: “I have done a lot of backstage boxing in Italy and around Europe when I go on tour, but this is my first chance to fight with a comparatively larger audience, but it’s not a big arena. I feel comfortable here and that should help. I have been able to review some of Rose’s fights and that should give me edge against her. I am just hopingto show the Latin Union they were right to have me on their roster.”

The ladies enter the ring. Rose is in a white with green trim one piece swimsuit. Green gloves and boots. Hair in a ponytail with a white ribbon. Emma is in a lacy purple one piece with a halter top. Purple boots and gloves. Hair piled in a top knot. Two look eager to go as the ring instructions. Crowd already excited as they go to their corners to await the bell. It rings.

R1: Rose and Emma approach each other with caution and fire off some exploratory punches to get things going. Emma hunched up against incoming punches is trying to work her way in close to strike at Rose’s body. Rose in constant motion so as to make a reduced target and is striking back to the head as Emma comes forward. Emma makes a big effort to just bull her way through Roses defenses and get her backing up. This sets up a furious exchange of body punching as ribs, stomach and chests are pounded in this extended punching session. Neither fighter wanting to back up, but Rose gets in some quick little chin chuckers that make Emma drop back, Emma showing some jabbing skills and Rose is circling to find some openings. Emma doing a good job of blunting the attack to the bell, but Rose pulls out a close win on points.

R2: Emma trying some footwork of her own. She’s pretty good at a quick step one way, but then smoothly reversing course. Rose getting wrong-footed several times and then having one of Emma’s gloves suddenly exploded into her face. Rose trying not to fall for the tricks, but seems confused at times as Emma works her to the head with some hooks to the tummy just to keep Rose even more confused. Rose then tries to neutralize Emma’s success by counterattacking with a pounding series of shots to the ribs and then up into her breasts. Emma seems to be the one looking confused now, but she rallies late behind her jab. Rose smacked up good to the face, gets a bleeding lower lip and bruises forming along her cheekbones and jaw line. Rose not back off too much as she hangs in against Emma to the bell. Hwoever Emma is the one awarded a close round by the judges.

R3: Emma strikes early and often this round. She moves across the ring with gracefully quick moves and catches Rose early in a digging hook into the solar plexus. Rose shuddering and suddenly rubbery legged. She stumbles back as Emma follows up with more hooks to the body and she does a pretty good job of driving the wounded Rose into the ropes. Rose finding herself taking a seat on the ropes, going face in gloves as Emma bangs away at her. Emma trying really hard to take Rose down, but Rose seems to be using the ropes to keep herself up. Finally, Rose clinches and uses the break to try to escape. Emma cuts off ring and tries to punch Rose back onto the ropes. Rose just not able to keep the dominating Emma off and she again gets stuck in the ropes, but again Rose stays up to the bell, Emma looking frustrated as she marches to her corner. Rose looking hollow-eyed and rubbery-egged as she returns to her stool. Emma looking dominate as wins the round wide.

R4: Emma came out swinging as the round got started. Rose was moving forward, trying to rush the Italian singer. They maneuvered around each other at mid-ring and Rose lunged forward, firing a straight right at Emma’s head. Emma sidestepped so that that right whistled passed her ear and then she drove her own right straight into Rose’s nose. Rose staggered back with blood spurting from one nostril and then Emma banged a left-right combo off her chin. Rose’s legs flew up and she landed hard on her butt. Rose sat there looking up at Emma who looked down at her with a look of triumph. Then the referee sent Emma to the neutral corner. Rose let the count go to “FIVE!” and then got to her feet. Emma scowled to see her rival back on her feet and charged in as soon the referee re-started the action. Rose gave Emma a defiant look as she unleashed a barrage of jabs that caught Emma in the face with splattering power. Emma lurched backwards and Rose fired a left hook to the jaw at sent Emma spinning away. Rose pursued and drove a hook deep into Emma’s belly. Emma’s knees buckled and she sank to her knees. Rose cracked a right off Emma’s chin as she went down and then stepped back. Emma was on her knees looking dazed as the referee moved in. Somehow Emma made it back to her feet to avoid the knockout. Rose was slow to resume the action and, indeed, Emma was equally sluggish. The round ended. The matching knockdowns seemed to confirm what the judges finally when they called the round a DRAW.

R5: Both FAB and LU corner crews have their work cut for them during the break,. Rose and Emma both badly bruised about the face and unsteady just getting to their respective corners. As bell rings to resume the fight, Emma and Rose have made recoveries and come at each with determination. They clash at mid0ring in a furious exchange of punches as they bob and weave around each other, Bodies and heads getting smacked hard, but each fighter seems to ignore the incoming as they just punch back with their own avenging leather. Rose seems to push Emma back at one point with shots to the chest, but then Emma comes back with breast pounding shots of her own to push Rose back. Then stomach shots are used to push back and forth. Finally chin are knocked back with a late exchange of head punching. Not much defense this round as both seemed intent on the offense, but neither could take down the other for long. As round ends, the two stand looking at each other, then exchange nods and turn away. Crowd seems to like this and applauds for both. Indeed, for the second straight round, the judges call it a DRAW.

R6: Rose and Emma go right back at each other as the action resumes, but Rose moves quicker when she spots an opening. Emma takes a terrific uppercut right as she is lunging in aiming a right at Roses head. Emma lifted off her feet and crashes hard on her back. She lays there stunned and gasping for air. (Apparently the wind has been knocked out of her). Rose to neutral corner as referee starts to count. Emma sits up, shakes her head and then slowly pushes herself up, breaking the count at “EIGHT!” Referee checks Emma and then waves Rose back in. Emma tries to use jab to keep Rose away while she recovers, but Rose is now using the step-reverse footwork that Emma had used earlier. Emma caught off balance and Rose slams rights and lefts into her head. Emma stumbling backwards into the ropes, just hangs there, not fighting back as Rose bangs away at her helpless opponent. AND THE REFEREE JUMPS IN! Emma sags into the officials arms as Rose Byrne steps back with a relieved look on her face.

ROSE BYRNE DEFEATS EMMA MARRONE TKO6

After: “Wow, where have they been hiding Emma Marrone all this time?” Rose says to Davina Sheffield after the bout. “I was afraid I really hurt her at the end. I am so glad the referee stopped it. She’s got fighter’s heart. Just wait until she gets some experience to go with it. “

Emma able to stand unaided as she speaks to Davina: “I was disappointed not to win, but I think I did well for my first time out. I have a much better idea of what it takes to win and you will see: next fight I will win.”

Then Rose suddenly appears to hug Emma: “You keep at this Emma. Our sport needs fighters like you.”

“Thank you for saying that, but I liked looking down on you sprawled on the canvas. Then you had to get up and knock ME down. You are good fighter, too, Rose Byrne,” Emma says and gives Rose a hug. Then they head their entourages for the trip to their changing rooms.

Davina addresses her audience: “I hope you fans at home enjoyed that fight as much as we did here at Black Swan Hall. It wasn’t easy, but Rosie Byrne came through for Team FAB and got the win for the home team. Latin Union should feel encouraged by Emma’s performance and all of us at the BBU can look forward to next fight.”