Kira: 19 YO, 5’6 (1.67 m), 1-2-0, 1 KO since 2016, Bonzo’s Gym
Results: Lookout Writing: Archer

Before: Vanessa, a regular on the CBS series “Blue Bloods” as well as the reoccurring character “CeCe Drake” on “Pretty Little Liars”, is all smiles and eagerness as she meets the press ahead of her official FCBA debut.

“I want everyone to understand that I am not some 36 year old rookie who has never had a serious fight,” Vanessa announces. “Maybe I wasn’t in the FCBA but I have seen plenty of action on the independent circuits. I was beginning to think I would never get the chance to show what I could do until this opportunity came along. I jumped at it. Kira’s just a kid, she’s the real rookie in this fight.”

“Oh good,” pipes up Kira, her dark eyes shining with mischief, “I was wondering if I was risking being charged with ‘elder abuse’ fighting Vanessa. Gosh, it’s going to be tough on her when I ruin her one and only chance at the ‘Big Show’.”

“You let me worry about that, kid!” Vanessa snaps. “I’ve beaten lots of girls.”

“Have I heard of any of them?” Kira inquires.

“Have I ever heard of you before this?” Vanessa retorts.

“I was just asking,” Kira says innocently. “Did you ever get knocked into a lily pond? I hear that happens in garden fights.”

Vanessa scowls: “It’s part of the garden fight genre. You wouldn’t know about that.”

“No—fortunately,” Kira replies. “It’s all right. You got to take the fights you can get. Luckily that’s not been my problem.”

“I’d say you have a big problem winning,” Vanessa jabbed. “1 win and 2 losses so far.”

“Yeah, but my one win was beating the snot out of Sasha Pieterse. I just feel lucky fighting someone from your show. I’ll bet I can knock the snot out of you,” Kira declared with a grin.

“Don’t count on it,” Vanessa fires right back. “You’ll be the one bleeding blood and snot when I turn your nose into a punching bag!”

“Scary talk, let’s see if you can do it, Old Timer,” Kira gloats.

Vanessa glares at Kira: “Oh, I can, kid, I most definitely can!”

The ill-will from the press conference is still hanging over the bout as Vanessa and Kira come to the ring. Vanessa in a dark blue one-piece swimsuit with light blue trim. Dark blue boots and gloves (light blue laces). Hair pulled back in battle braid. Kira is in a gold one piece with black trim. Black boots and gloves with gold laces. Hair in a ponytail with a gold ribbon. Kira doing her best to irk Vanessa with a smirking smile and trying to make her 2-inch height advantage seem more, Vanessa stony-faced and seeming to ignore the younger woman. Referee gets the instructions done and there is a hard swipe of gloves, then the pair return to their corners. A seemingly long pause and then the bell sounds. The fight has begun…

R1: Vanessa moves quickly to put her gloves into Kira. The blonde smacks the brunette hard to the chin with some quick uppercuts and then a swatting right to the jaw. Kira falling back as she ducks down behind her gloves, but Vanessa on her with tasty hooks to the midsection. Kira trying to employ her jab, but it is poorly aimed and isn’t doing much to discourage Vanessa. Vanessa then working to cut off the ring and herd the younger woman to the ropes. This seems alarm Kira who tries to stand her ground and jab. Vanessa takes some stinging leather to the face and grows more cautious in her attack. Kira able to stay of the strands, but the round is easily won by Vanessa.

R2: Kira using the jab with increasing effectiveness as Vanessa tries to force her way in and the blonde turns to circling and making quick feinting moves to draw Kira off balance. Kira banged up to the head and body by these new tactics, but then she manages to stun Vanessa with a short right cross off the chin as she is trying to slip in again. Vanessa recoiling and Kira now goes to the attack pounding blonde midsection and flicking quick rights and lefts into her chest. Vanessa counterattacks and this becomes a brisk exchange of head and breast shots. Then Kira gets a strong hook into Vanessa’s stomach and the blonde stutter-steps back gasping for air. Kira swings for the head, but Vanessa ducks down behind gloves and brings her jab into the picture. Kira seems to be trying to figure out Vanessa’s jab, but runs out of time. Judges give the stanza to Kira by a close margin.

R3: Kira seems encouraged by her previous round offense and comes out ready to resume the attack. However Vanessa is waiting and as Kira comes lunging in she hits a barrage of blonde leather to the head. Kira knocked back on her heels throwing her gloves up to protect her swollen and bleeding face. Vanessa goes to town Kira’s undefended torso. She is working the brunette’s body over from breast to belly in a methodical pounding, Kira driven into the ropes where she finds herself taking a seat and going face in gloves as Vanessa sends sheets of leather rain slamming into her body. Kira just riding it out to the bell. At the bell, Vanessa steps back and draws a forearm across her sweaty brow as she surveys a pale and shaken Kira peeling herself off the ropes then walking rubbery legged to her corner. Shut out round Vanessa Ray!

R4: Kira getting some urgent advice during the break as the Bonzo corner crew tries to get her ready. Kira nodding along, but seems slow coming out as the round gets started. Vanessa looking eager to finish the younger woman off, comes in swinging for the head, but Kira ducks under the punch and pops up with an uppercut to the chin that puts a rattle in Vanessa’s knees. Kira then attacks to the body and Vanessa is driven back. Kira working to get Vanessa on the ropes, but Vanessa now getting her jab going to disrupt the attack. Pause as the two circle and regroup, then plunge in for some toe-to-toe in-close body punching. Breasts and ribs getting most of the attention at this point, but Kira able to slip some unexpected uppercuts into Vanessa’s jaw to put a bobble in the blonde’s head. Vanessa hanging on, but she can’t seem to find the power to drive Kira back. They battle down to the bell. Kira emerges with a close-won round and she’s got Vanessa panting hard as the sweat drips off her body.

R5: Kira emboldened to open this round with a driving, but not reckless attack on Vanessa. Bangs the blonde’s head around with lightning quick rights and lefts before Vanessa can get her high guard up. Vanessa’s legs showing tremble as Kira now goes to the gut with hard hooks and doubles the blonde forward. Vanessa’s head now the target as she desperately tries to get away from the brunette’s determined punching. Then Kira moves to the side and smashes a straight right into the side of Vanessa’s head. Vanessa lurching away, but Kira moves with her and gives a smashing right to the jaw. DOWN GOES VANESSA! Vanessa corkscrewing to the canvas and lands on her face in a heap. Kira retreating to neutral corner and watching as referee starts to count. Vanessa trying to use herself up off the canvas, but she’s only able to get to knees before the dreaded: “….TEN!...YER OUT!”
Vanessa hangs her head as Kira leaps up in joy at the victory.
THE WINNER: KIRA KOSARIN DEFEATS VANESSA RAY KO5!

After: “I was just too much for her,” Kira cheerfully tells the press. “She just didn’t have the steam to stay with a young fighter like me. Sure she had some tricky moves, but once I got my good punches into her, I knew she’s fold and she did. Maybe she stick with fighters her own age.”

Vanessa steamed by Kira Kosarin’s remarks: “I should have taken that mouthy kid out when I had her on the ropes. I didn’t and she came back to beat me. It’s a lesson that never gets old: you hurt a girl, you better finish her—you may never get another chance to do it! No, I don’t know what happens next with me. I hope there will be more chances in the FCBA, but if there aren’t at least I was here. This isn’t the only boxing game in town. You haven’t heard the last of Vanessa Ray!”

Kira Kosarin’s comments may not have tactful, but it did look like Kira was just more than Vanessa Ray could handle. Vanessa did have punching power, but, as she herself admitted, it wasn’t enough to take Kira down when she had her on the ropes. Not a happy night for Vanessa, but Kira and her management can no doubt feel encouraged that she was able to come back a disastrous R3 to win it all in R5. Kira still has much to learn, but she does seem to be going in the right direction. Meanwhile, it may be back to garden fighting for Vanessa Ray, but she will no doubt be alert for future FCBA chances.