Nicole Scherzinger vs Poppy Montgomery
(Lioness Club of America vs Downunder Boxing)
(25-22, 19 KO vs 9-11-1, 6 KO)
Results: Lookout!; Story: Vassago

BEFORE: Nicole Scherzinger scored her first victory since August 2015 last month when she knocked out Roselyn Sanchez on the Fight Night Live card but her future on the Lioness Club of America roster remains uncertain. Another win over the otherwise struggling Poppy Montgomery would release some pressure from the Hawaiian singer even though few pundits believe it won't matter anymore and Nicole will be shown the door sooner rather than later regardless.

Nicole Scherzinger wears a red bikini top, black panties and red gloves. Raven-black hair tied in a custom ponytail. Poppy Montgomery wears a light blue bikini set with white trim and white gloves. Long dyed strawberry blonde hair loose & straight. The fight is scheduled for ten rounds in the bantamweight division.

Round 1:
Nicole's visibly fired up after snapping that cold streak last month and she dances around the otherwise sluggish actress to the tune of repeated jabs that provide quite a test to the redhead's high guard. Several pundits question the strenght of Poppy's defence at this stage of her career and she lacks mobility against a former dancer which is destined to unravel whatever plan she had for tonight. Almost one-way traffic in the opener as Poppy fails to adjust to Nicole's expected high-octane rush but it's only when the brunette switches downstairs to punish the midsection that the difference between the two cougars becomes blindingly obvious. Poppy remains caved in behind a tight guard and is fortunate that Scherzinger's punches don't have enough strenght to reel her onto the ropes.

Round 2:
Poppy shows signs of life on offense when an accidental clash of heads allows her to dig a nasty hook on the tummy and she takes advantage of the singer's brief lack of balance. Nicole wobbles to her heels and before she can swing back the redhead NAILS her with a nasty cross on the lips that triggers a sustained period of Aussie dominance. Ugh! Poppy was perhaps lucky to land that shot but she thumps the stranded foe straight up the middle and rocks Scherzinger raven ponytail back & forth until she traps her along the ropes. Nicole tries to get out of there thru her footwork alone but stumbles and gets blasted with another cross on the mouth which sinks her on the turnbuckle and allows the older woman to rally around her midsection for more damage. A late clinch salvages very little Hawaiian pride but at least halts the Aussie progress.

Round 3:
Poppy comes in hot with another jabbing rush and Nicole only stops the initial hooking rush with her face! Ugh! That's a cruel reminder of the main reason behind the brunette's cold streak as she struggles to take a punch and becomes erratic in response. She stays in the exchange but bounces off the forearms too often to make a difference and Montgomery's visibly committed to her attacks after that promising previous round. She sticks more juice into the singer's tummy and bends her forward with a loud shriek before almost head-butting her in the proccess. Scherzinger just can't stretch her elbows in close range here while Poppy mounts another midriff assault that forces the younger woman to seek a clinching respite. This just isn't good enough from the singer and no wonder LCA coach Claudia Schiffer is extremely upset at the bell.

Round 4:
The Aussie actress seeks another run at her opponent's midsection but Nicole's mobility emerges on top again and allows her to stay clear of the redhead's path. Poppy becomes too hectic in her pursuit which shifts her balance forward and when she can't sting the brunette with one of these low shots, she leaves too much room upstairs and Scherzinger BLASTS her with a vicious cross on the nose before a follow up from the right finds the solar plexus and sinks the redhead on shaky knees on the spot. Ugh! Montgomery needs a quick breather here as she shrieks in pain but Nicole's all over her now and hauls in several jabs upstairs that allow her to pound the hapless foe back to the corner. Poppy just doesn't have the moves to escape the heat and spends the final minute backed into a tough spot as the brunette rains punches on her from both sides to restore some Hawaiian pride. If only her execution was slightly better...

Round 5:
Montgomery tries to upstage another Hawaiian rush and as both women trade punches in close range, she switches low and spikes the brunette to the body. She skims off the hip with a follow up but Nicole misses the exposed target upstairs herself to trigger a lenghty clinch that drags into the second minute. Sme pundits believe that Poppy's cardio must suffer at this stage of the fight already but she fends off the singer and actually beats her for a quick strike to the body. Scherzinger tries to find her range again but only grazes the flesh and eats a late hook on the brow ridge that sinks her on wobbly knees and enables the Australian redhead to slam another one-two on the nose just as the clock expires.

Round 6:
The back & forth nature of this bout has Nicole on top early in the sixth as she ducks underneath a slightly predictable overhand approach to counter with a nasty cross on the nose that dumps the redhead on her heels. However Montgomery refuses to back off and tries to reach out with another aerial strike yet the singer has it all covered and romps clear with a drilling series to the body. Poppy slumps forward and bangs her chin against the brunette's shoulder but then she gets wrapped in a midriff-busting assault that reels her onto the ropes where Nicole rains punches like skittles to sink her foe on jelly knees half-way through the round. Another wild swing then finds the nose and makes the redhead scream out before Scherzinger just lets it rip to the body again. She spikes the older woman's solar plexus to leave her breathless and delivers an uppercut one-two on the chin THAT DROPS POPPY FACE-DOWN ON THE CANVAS!!! Whoa! That was too much for the redhead's vulnerable defence and she only makes it onto all fours at six that suddenly spells big trouble for all the Aussie hopes. She makes a late attempt to get back onto her feet and she's there at nine and a quarter but her misty eyes and lack of breath indicate she needs extra time to recover. The ref decides that will only happen in the locker room and waves it off!!! TKO6 Nicole Scherzinger!!!

AFTER: The defeated redhead tries to contest the decision but she can barely catch her breath and that's a harsh reality of running under the cougar banner. Durability becomes a liability when a fighter reaches a certain age and Montgomery fell victim to this unwritten rule of combat sports. She gets escorted out of the ring while Nicole yells back at her: "Wanna some oxygen? I hope you're not having a heart attack right now!" (laughs).

Yes, Nicole has every reason to laugh for the time being but rumours about her future simply won't go away as she vows to take it one fight at a time next season: "Look, I'm still here! Minka isn't getting any younger! It's not like Mr. V found another Kira Kosarin out there! We're all good, really... If Claire Danes is still out there, so am I. You people need to give me a break. I think I've earned that luxury! Besides, I'm two fights off the landmark 50. I will be there to celebrate that half-ton whether some crazy BLONDE! Mag reporter likes it or not!"

Final result: Nicole Scherzinger def. Poppy Montgomery TKO6.