SF #1: Barbara Palvin vs Miranda Kerr

(Results: Lookout!, Writing: Vassago)
(Alpha Boxing Club vs Downunder Boxing)

BEFORE: 
We've reached the semi-finals stage of the Victoria's Secret War In Heaven tournament and while Miranda Kerr's presence among the last four doesn't come as a surprise, the otherwise underrated Barbara Palvin has turned some heads getting this far.

"I'm the best lingerie model nobody has heard of!", she tells the press gathered here in the Luwan Stadium, Shanghai and the alleged anonymity could be blamed on her Hungarian nationality. While VS is an international brand, models from USA and South America tend to shine in the spotlight a little brighter. However Palvin vows to defy the odds the send the Aussie veteran packing home tonight.

Miranda usually avoids getting into verbal arguments before the fight: "I do my talking in the ring, not outside of it!" which reflects her humble career beginnings as a AWUBA/ACB-turned-BBU champion. This is a very rare path to earn the FCBA recognition and some US-based pundits still refuse to accept her elite status on this side of the Atlantic or indeed the Equator.

Barbara Palvin wears a pink bikini set with silver trim and silver gloves. Long dark brown hair tied in a custom ponytail. Miranda Kerr wears a navy blue bikini set and golden gloves. Long light brown hair tied in a braid. The fight is scheduled for ten rounds in the lightweight division.

ROUND 1:
Miranda is the betting favorite tonight and she puts the younger brunette under immediate pressure at the start of this fight. While several fans expected Barbara to storm out of the gates, she gets blasted across the mouth and sinks on her heels when the Aussie veteran unloads a nasty jabbing drive straight up the middle to dominate the early action. Palvin tries to swing back from the behind the guard but soaks up more heat and has to yield real estate as Kerr chases her around the ring in hurry-up mode thereafter. The Hungarian struggles to stay away from more punches slicing her defense up and gets backed into the ropes where Miranda simply lays into her body to close out a surprisingly one-sided round.

ROUND 2:
The only way is up for Palvin following that poor opener but the clinching tactics she applies here win her very little support from the Chinese crowd. Some of the pundits believe the Hungarian babe simply got spooked by Kerr's aggressive drive and combined with the underdog status - it's simply too much for the younger brunette. Of course she could have always planned to wear the Aussie veteran out but it's a dangerous tactics against someone so successful. And let's be honest, Miranda is no Jeri Ryan so one would be ill-advised to question her age even with a flock of new talent entering the modelling pool. Barbara manages to drag the wrestling struggle into a lengthy stalemate but Miranda herself appears unmoved by this behaviour even though it hardly serves as Palvin's comeback into this contest.

ROUND 3:
Miranda avoids another clinching struggles and shows superior footwork which allows her to dance around the Hungarian's single-hand approach before a steady overhand attack keeps the younger brunette behind a high earmuff. Kerr sends numerous crisp punches while planting firmly on the forward (left) leg and Barbara doesn't have the agility to match her in a classic slugfest. She tries to settle into this kind of action but gets outworked in close range and pummelled back to the ropes down the stretch. Miranda gives her a proper lesson in boxing come the final minute and picks her off repeatedly with this semi-final bout turning into a rout. Ugh! Palvin's head snaps back & forth during the dying seconds and the Hungarian babe is unable to mount any sort of recovery as the Aussie veteran keeps it strictly business and avoids showing signs of pure emotion on her face.

ROUND 4:
Palvin jumps into a hectic assault with the fight slipping through her grasp already. She nails Kerr with a wild swing on the right temple and sinks her on wobbly knees but that was a suspiciously lucky punch even if it leads into an extended period of Hungarian pressure. All or nothing approach from the struggling Barbara allows her to back the hitherto dominant opponent into the ropes where she rains punches all over the Aussie defence. The sheer production might well do the trick but the questionable accuracy leaves Miranda in competitive spirit once the Hungarian runs out of steam. This is a raw display of power and outright fury that might have been good enough to break one's resilience in round one but not during the semi-finals. Kerr weathers the Hungarian storm well and even applies her own clinching tactics to prevent further damage. Still, Barbara needs to improve her performance if she's truly going to bother the betting favorite here tonight.

ROUND 5:
Barbara goes for another jabbing rampage but Miranda adjusts well and ducks underneath the overhand route before blasting the fellow brunette to the body. Ugh! The initial punch pierces the Hungarian's solar plexus and folds her into a repeated assault which Miranda only thrives on! She leaves the younger model aching in pain but increases the workload to literally pound the suddenly hapless looking woman back to the ropes. Palvin sags on jelly knees and can only find a clinching respite but Miranda's fully in the groove now and keeps pounding away to the body which prevents any comeback efforts from the embattled Hungarian. This is now a one woman show that sends a huge message to the boxing universe that Miranda might just be on par with Adriana Lima. Poor Barbara couldn't wait for the bell to come any sooner but she looks hurt out there as she slumps against the ropes while hugging her midriff. The Aussie tourist gives her a long stare before turning back to her corner where coach Nikki Visser looks just about the happiest person in the arena!

ROUND 6:
Barbara tip-toes around the ring early on, seemingly in pure survival mode as Miranda has knocked a lot of stuffing out of her during that furious body assault in the fifth. It's obvious the Hungarian stunner needs a longer respite here but she's given none and Kerr nails her with another brutally effective jabbing drive downstairs that folds the high guard and leaves all the room in the world for the Aussie to wrench Palvin on the exposed jaw! Uh-oh... Barbara goes into shimmy shake mode as she desperately tries to maintain her balance but Miranda pours through for more success and snaps her head back & forth with another powerful hooking series. Ugh! Barbara's eyes begin to drift away to the back of her head and she doesn't even notice the last punch on the nose that half-spins her FACE DOWN ON THE CANVAS!!! The destruction job is complete and Miranda raises her arms in the air when the ref abandons the count at five... poor Barbara remains motionless on the canvas and has been removed from her senses here! KO6 Miranda Kerr!!!

AFTER: 
That's a huge victory for the Aussie model, not the result itself but the manner which she simply blasted the Hungarian foe into a complete mess deserves the biggest credit. However the Down Under entourage remains tight-lipped over the Grand Final chances: "We take it one fight at a time! The job is not finished here. Some girls have the better press but there's no one as ruthless and effective as Miranda Kerr! Well, this side of Adriana Lima anyway! She might have arrived in the FCBA too late to be considered for all these P4P rankings but she's not going anywhere! Just one more... one more", coach Nikki Visser takes over the PR duties as Miranda is busy with a exclusive piece for 'Green & Gold' Magazine. Can she go all the way now?

Final result: Miranda Kerr def. Barbara Palvin KO6.