Adriana Lima vs Romee Strijd (QF #4)
(Odds & Ends Fight Studio vs Lioness Club trialist)
(30-20, 27 KO vs 3-1, 3 KO)
Results: Lookout!; Story: Vassago

BEFORE:
Adriana Lima might no longer hold the unified lightweight title which she conceded at the expense of Kendall Jenner during last month's Asylum PPV however she still remains the biggest favorite to win the Victoria's Secret War In Heaven tournament. Her quest doesn't get any easier though as she faces a genuine welterweight in the quarter-final battle tonight. Romee Strijd is the woman in question and the buxom Dutch blonde simply doesn't care that just about every expert around dismisses her chances to defeat one of the most dangerous women on the planet. "Underdogs have thrived on adversity before!", she explains the BLONDE! Magazine reporter, "I have no fear in me! This might be a trial by fire but so many of 'em experts didn't believe I can win a single fight in this draw. And just look at me now! This is just a start to my elite boxing career and I'm gonna enjoy every minute out there!"

Adriana Lima wears a black bikini set with silver trim and red gloves. Long dark brown hair tied in a sleek ponytail. Romee Strijd wears a pink bikini set with white trim and orange gloves. Long blonde hair wrapped in a loose bun at the back of her head. The catchweight fight is scheduled for ten rounds.

ROUND 1:
Romee explores her longer reach in the early stages and peppers the brunette with crisp overhand jabs while Adriana remains covered behind a high earmuff. Perhaps the Brazilian wants to see what the blonde brings to the ring here since the Strijd sample size is still very brief and neither Olga Kurylenko nor Brooke Hogan - whom she has destroyed in the opening round before - pose a severe threat to Lima's status. The laid-back approach only fuels the blonde's aggressive ideas and she flicks several promising hooks without actually hurting Adriana in the proccess but the brunette is forced to yield the real estate while ducking underneath the younger model's onslaught. Romee leans on the front (left) leg and tries to stuff her in the corner come the final stretch but gets blocked off as Lima channels the counter-punching mode and finally lands some meaningful punches on Strijd's face.

ROUND 2:
If the Dutch boxing fans expected Lima to suffer from the Jenner post-fight hiccups, they won't see them anytime soon as the favorite abandons the seeing out tactics and lays it straight into the blonde's midsection early in the second. And those are some strong punches that drop the taller model on her heels despite her coming from the heavier division. Adriana dominates the close range tussle and with Romee unable to stretch her elbows properly, she gets pummelled back to the ropes where the rapid fire approach gives the brunette a clear edge over the subdued opponent. Strijd has to clinch the older woman but gets drilled to the ribcage even during the apparent stalemate and bellows out into worrying spasms come the dying few seconds. She manages to survive the Brazilian's body assault but her mirdiff looks visibly bruised and the smirk on Adriana's face tells a familiar story here.

ROUND 3:
Romee connects with the initial tangle and scythes the former lightweight champion across the nose before delivering a left/right combo on the temples that would have taken a girl or two down... but Adriana shakes off the double blast and ducks underneath the follow up before bursting into the blonde's body in a familiar jabbing rush. However this time Romee finds the overhand route and doubles up on the initial combo on the temples which finally reels the brunette backwards. Adriana just doesn't have the reach to dominate the mid-range exchange and gets outworked during the second minute when Strijd rallies back into contention, a truly admirable showing from the underdog and perhaps the reason why the Lioness Club executives have offered her the trial contract. Lima stays in the exchange as long as she can but another nasty cross tears a patch on her nasal ridge and drops her behind a high earmuff in the final few seconds. 

ROUND 4:
One could say that Romee has exceeded some expectations already but the nasal cut has truly angered Adriana now and she leaps after the blonde-haired woman in such a frantic fashion even some of the veteran reporters are caught off guard. A nasty hook stings the taller model on the chin before a quick follow up rattles her on the ear and drops her guard just as Lima sends in the uppercut menace. She punishes the blonde's jaw with a hectic close range assault and drops her on the heels before another nasty hook finds the temple. Strijd wobbles back to the ropes, a desperate effort to switch back to mid-distance fails in wake of Adriana's leather rush and the second minute belongs to the Brazilian who pours vicious punches straight up the middle and stuffs Romee in the corner. Ugh! The blonde upstart finally feels the pound-for-pound elite artist's wrath and begins to scowl in pain when she eats punches on the fly but it's the drilling series to the solar plexus that eventually does her in. Adriana renders the blonde vixen breathless and lifts her jugs in a familar JMD-like ordeal just as Romee's chin slumps between her shoulders AND SHE SIMPLY HAS TO TAKE A KNEE here just to force a break in the one-sided beating! Adriana yells out in delight and you can tell she still wants to make a statement tonight regardless of her opponent's limited experience. No prisoners allowed! The Dutch model fights back to her feet at eight and tries to put a war face on but Lima has seen plenty of those along the way and she intends to expose the window dressing if only the clock allowed her to do that in the fourth. Romee sidesteps from more jabbing pain and survives the hectic pursuit thereafter but Adriana eyeballs her all the way back to her corner and doesn't even take a seat during the interval.

ROUND 5:
Romee realizes she must attack the lightweight champ now and she lands some promising jabs early in the fifth but the injection of pace helps the Brazilian to neutralize the power supply and another stinger to the body exposes the blonde's vulnerable spot tonight. Strijd skims off the top of Lima's shoulder and just can't stay away from a jug-lifting uppercut that allows the Brazilian to take control of the close range action. Romee needs more space to work her overhand drill but she gets shoved back to the ropes and soaks up more body assault as Adriana leans on her and punishes the ribcage in the process. Strijd just can't shake off that heat and her desperate efforts to swing back from behind the guard are thwarted by the brunette who then switches upstairs and NAILS the taller model with a swift double combo to the temples. Ugh! Romee wobbles forward with another loud scowl and gets blasted with a brutal uppercut on the chin that sends her into fish-tailing mode. Adriana's eyes glare with that elite spark and she barks in delight when she delivers the cross hooking mayhem that bursts the blonde's lips into a bloody mess and CHOP HER DOWN ON THE CANVAS... Ugh! And that's 5'11" of Dutch flesh getting chopped right there! Romee crashes face-down at the Brazilian's feet and remains in dizzy mode right until she makes it back onto all fours and realizes there's nothing left there anymore. She gets promptly counted out and slides down on her face with eyes closed to complete the Dutch misery. KO5 Adriana Lima!!!

Official Decision: Adriana Lima defeats Romee Strijd via KO5!

AFTER: 
Adriana's losing streak ends at one and that's not exactly a surprise even though she fought a welterweight opponent tonight. You just can't buy experience and performance like that and Romee - for all her jaw-dropping performances vs Hogan and Kurylenko - found out there's more to the elite boxing than only the weight scales. Her power supply advantage was neutralized by a superior opponent and majority of the bout was fought on Lima's terms. Knocking her out would be perhaps even more difficult than coming from behind to upset her however she has learned a valuable lesson tonight which she can only profit from going forward. And the Lioness Club front office remains committed to the trial concept, not even relative welter newcomers can be criticized for losing to a pound-for-pound Top Five ranked fighter!