BEFORE:



"You know," says Evan with a smile. "One fight in all these years, with all the success I've had both on the screen and in rings at lower levels tells you something. Girls aren't lining up to get a piece of this. And, Hunter King's about to find out why."



"Look," says Hunter with a shake of the head. "I'm not taking this girl lightly. But. I AM taking her out of there. No question about that. None at all."



ROUND ONE:



O'Dell: "Back at ringside, and that's 'If I Fell', but, of course, this isn't the version by The Fab Four, but a cover version by the lovely young lady coming to the ring, the star of 'Westworld', Evan Rachel Wood!"



McCarthy: "Truck, cue the video of me saying 'Typical Dancing Hooker opponent. NO FCBA wins...'"



Cassie: "Of course, let's not forget that Evan's only had ONE FCBA fight..."



McCarthy: "Even WORSE! I don't know how Weirdo gets away with this. One STIFF after another to pad the records of his talentless stable of hookers!"



O'Dell (sighing): "Wood into the ring and helped off with the robe to reveal a black and white striped number that shows she's clearly trained hard for this one, and that's 'Shake It Out' by Florence and the Machine you hear behind us, and that can only mean that 'The Ventura County Volcano', Hunter King is coming down to the ring!"



Tess: "King, of course, the newest member of a suddenly stacked Front Street bantamweight division, and, while she's been doing quite well since signing here at the end of January, she definitely needs to keep impressing to keep up."



O'Dell: "Hunter into the ring and helped off with the robe by Jewel and Neve. She's wearing that aqua number we've seen before, and the crowd definitely impressed once again..."



McCarthy: "Again, Philly. Low standards."



O'Dell: "And, we're about ready to go. Time for some picks. Tess favors Hunter. Mac?"



McCarthy: "ZERO FCBA wins. King!"



O'Dell: "Cassie?"



Cassie: "I agree with Tess!"



O'Dell: "It's unanimous. Let's see if the ladies are right. Feeling out process to begin this one. Ladies on their toes, moving, bobbing, weaving, snapping out jabs, probing for openings. Both women showing some caution right now, and that's to be expected early in a fight..."



McCarthy: "Which is why you can sometimes throw an opponent off by getting very aggressive early. I used to do that sometimes. I was all ABOUT out-thinking my opponents..."



Cassie: "Which makes it all the more amazing that you ended up two fights over .500..."



McCarthy: "I would have been TWENTY fights over .500 if I hadn't been ROBBED a dozen times!"



Tess: "Actually, you'd have been 26 fights over .500 if you'd won a dozen more and lost a dozen less..."



McCarthy: "'Shut UP, Walmart!"



O'Dell: "Drink up, boys! Feeling out process continuing as we reach the midway point of the first. Not a ton of leather flying, but plenty of action as both fighters are in motion, lots of feinting and jab steps as, again, the ladies probe for possible openings, try to get the lay of the land."



Cassie: "Wood's starting to double-tap that jab."



O'Dell: "Is, indeed. We're into the closing seconds of the opening stanza now. Neither fighter going to get sloppy at this point. They're going to continue boxing and moving the feet all the way to the bell. There it is. End of round one. Not a lot in it, but Wood getting a bit more done and taking the 10-9 lead."



ROUND TWO:



O'Dell: "Second begins with more aggression from Wood. Evan stepping to Hunter, looking to throw some heavier leather. Hunter not going to give any ground. Blonde firing right back and we've got some serious action going on all of a sudden. GOOD right hand from Wood and a BETTER one from King!"



Cassie: "Crowd getting into this now!"



O'Dell: "Yes, they are, and they've got plenty to get excited about. Both ladies sitting down on their punches all of a sudden. Neither willing to allow the other to grab any canvas. GOOD body shot from Wood and King bangs right back in kind. Ladies clinch and the referee breaks them, but they're right back at it!"



Tess: "All about imposing will right now, Jenny!"



O'Dell: "Certainly is, and neither fighter going to let the other do it. Wood WORKING some body now, and King digging right back at her. They're in a phone booth, chin on shoulder, just banging away. And Neve Campbell can barely keep the smile off her face as the bell rings. Close again. King."



McCarthy: "I try not to look at Campbell's ugly face. And, we're even at 19."



ROUND THREE:



O'Dell: "Wood back after King to start the third, and the blonde just not HAVING any. She's not going to let Evan get physical without responding in kind. Again, they're in close, banging body, working upstairs and then right back down. And, Mac, I've got to think these terms are going to, eventually, benefit King..."



McCarthy: "Not sure I agree with you. King may LOOK sturdier, but Wood may know what she's doing."



O'Dell: "She's definitely holding her own at the moment, giving as good as she gets in there. King THUMPING her some ribs right now, but Wood backs her up with a short right hook to the chin. Evan putting together a flurry now, but Hunter lands a SERIOUS right hand in response and backs WOOD up a step!"



Tess: "Again, crowd just LOVING this..."



O'Dell: "It most certainly is. We're into the final 30 seconds of this round and there's not much in it. A lot of leather being traded in close. Good left hook, Wood, solid right from King. Another clinch. Referee going to break the ladies apart, and, before they can come back together the bell rings. Even round, ladies."



Cassie: "And, we're still even, now at 29."



ROUND FOUR:



O'Dell; "Wood continues the aggression. She's right in Hunter's grill. This is a complete 180 from the first round when the ladies worked at range. They've been in close for two full rounds, and it doesn't look like that's going to change any time soon. Good left hook again by Wood and she follows on with a right uppercut."



McCarthy: "Got King's attention!"



O'Dell: "And, Wood backs the blonde up with another quick flurry. Evan getting Hunter onto the defensive now and she's all about keeping her there. Wood backing King up yet again with a short right hook. King covers up, Wood digs some body, then lands a sharp right hand!"



Cassie: "This is GOOD stuff from Wood."



O'Dell: "Evan continuing to take canvas from the younger woman now. She's got the blonde on the back foot and she's going to keep her there. It's flurry after flurry from Wood, forcing King to back and cover, back and cover. Front Street corner shouting at King to hold canvas, but she can't do it, and it's all Evan to the bell."



Tess: "Big round for Wood. She's up 39-38 after four."



ROUND FIVE:



O'Dell: "Wood continuing to press King. Looking to keep backing her up, but, King holding canvas again now. She's firing back, digging body, determined to hang in there. Ladies tying up, wrestling around now. Good left hook from Wood. She's been very effective with that tonight."



Cassie: "Definitely has. It's been a nice weapon for her."



O'Dell: "King all about the body in this stanza. She's working the ribs and midsection, making a serious investment in the slighter frame of her opponent. Wood working some body, too, but she's doing some of her work upstairs as well. Good left from Evan again. King not hurt, but, again, that got her attention."



Tess: "Went right back to digging body this time, though."



O'Dell: "Did, indeed. Blonde not getting backed up. Determined to stay right in Wood's grill, and she's doing it this time around. Twenty seconds to go. SHARP exchange there. Both ladies landed some solid shot. Ten seconds. Another good left from Wood and there's the bell. Close. Evan."



McCarthy: "And, Wood has a two-point edge, 49-47, at the half."



ROUND SIX:



O'Dell: "Ladies back to work in the phone booth. Both working some body in there. Wood back upstairs and King responds with further THUMPING of the midsection and ribs. She's definitely looking to do some attrition on the older woman. Not having much effect at the moment, though."



McCarthy: "Like I said. King may LOOK sturdier, but Wood knows what she's doing."



O'Dell: "Certainly looks like it, because she's had the better of things so far. This round, like the last one, though, is close. Neither lady able to gain much of an advantage. Both holding ground, banging body, going upstairs and then right back down. GOOD right uppercut from King. Best punch of the round so far."



Cassie: "Not seeing as much of that left hook from Wood this round. King's doing a better job of avoiding that."



O'Dell: "That, she is. Down the stretch in the sixth. Still a close one, but it's the Front Streeter who's getting a bit more done this time around. King banging away body, then back to that nice right uppie. That backed Evan up a step. Wood right back into Hunter's grill and right back to banging the torso to the bell. Close. King."



Tess: "And, Hunter's cut Evan's lead to 58-57 with four to go."



ROUND SEVEN:



O'Dell: "Everybody satisfied with the terms as we start the seventh. Right back to the close-in fighting. Ladies have the chins on shoulders as they dig body. Neither willing to give ground. Neither interested it getting any space. Wood looking to hook behind King's elbows now, get to the flanks..."



Tess: "Both fighters pinked up very nicely now."



O'Dell: "Which is no surprise considering the amount of body work we've seen in this one. Another good uppercut by King backs Wood up a step. Evan right back forward, working those flanks. Uppercut, King and a RIGHT HOOK AND WOOD'S HURT! Evan covering up and DROPPED WITH A RIGHT UPPERCUT!"



Cassie: "Split the gloves with it!"



O'Dell: "She did, indeed. Wood dropped to her back. King quickly to a neutral corner. Referee's count at three. Four. Five. Wood on her back, head lolling from side to side. Six. Seven. Eight. Not going to happen for Evan. Nine. TEN! It's OVER! And your winner by KO7 is 'The Ventura County Volcano', Hunter King!"



McCarthy: "I think she got lucky. If this had gotten to the cards, Wood would have beaten her."



AFTER:



O'Dell: "Let's go up to the ring and Tess Valmore!"



Tess: "I have our winner, Hunter King, and, Hunter, that was very, very physical in there."



Hunter (nodding): "I wasn't surprised with how aggressive she was. She's always like that, at least in the video of her fights I've seen. Didn't really expect her to bang bodies with me, though. I mean. THIS body? She wants to bang with THIS body? That wasn't going to work."



Tess: "You're coming to the end of your first year both at Front Street and in the FCBA, and, since you haven't lost a fight, I'm guessing you're pleased with how it's gone..."



Hunter: "Well, I'm learning, I'm getting better. That's the important thing right now. Just working hard and getting better every day. But, yeah. It's been a good 2017. And, I can't WAIT for 2018."