Mandy Moore vs Cassidy Freeman
(Foxfire Boxing vs Lioness Club of America)
(28-33, 19 KO vs 22-15-1, 18 KO)
Results: Lookout!; Story: Vassago

BEFORE: Mandy Moore appears to be heading back to her glory days on the back of three straight wins last season and she's scored a big win over Cassidy Freeman before when she stripped the Illinois native of the unified welterweight title back in December 2014. So, is this a genuine revenge mission for the exciting redhead? The Lioness Club front office won't openly admit it but booking Moore for tonight's PPV suggests that particular script indeed.

Freeman usually avoids getting involved in any pre-fight trash-talking and so is the case here again meanwhile Moore claims she can see another divisional title shot on the horizon once she takes care of the redhead tonight. This fight has an old school feeling to it as the wave of new Sports Illustrated/Victoria's Secret talent has taken the 130+ lbs division by storm lately but the Staples Arena audience is eager to see some proper boxing action regardless and these two veterans answer the demand in more ways than one.

Mandy Moore wears a red sports bra, black hotpants and red gloves. Long dark brown hair tied in a sleek ponytail. Cassidy Freeman wears a neon green sports bra, silver hotpants and matching silver gloves. Long red hair wrapped in a loose bun at the back of her head. The fight is scheduled for ten rounds in the welterweight division.

Round 1:
These two girls have seen it all over the years so they prefer to see each other out during the opening minute but Mandy is the one who ignites some pace into her attacks and begins to stalk the redhead with a repeated overhand assault down the stretch. Cassidy has knocked several opponents out with a single-punch drill yet that loss to Moore from years back could play on her mind here tonight as she refuses to engage in a proper counter-punching effort and gets knocked around the ring with the brunette looking more and more comfortable out there. Freeman isn't exactly a speed demon across the ring either and she has trouble avoiding Moore's head-hunting tactics however a lack of a truly big punch only gives the Foxfire veteran the artistic impression advantage without inflicting serious damage on the surprisingly anemic redhead.

Round 2:
More of the same in the second as Moore stalks Freeman around the ring and Erin Andrews in the booth begins to wonder whether that's the original Lioness plan all along. Teasing the former three-time welterweight champion into a mistake is a bold idea but if there's anyone who can shut down the lights with a quick one-two response, it's Freeman alright. Mandy bunny hops around the older woman and simply keeps firing away from both flanks while the redhead responds infrequently and struggles to place a single combo on target which only underlines the brunette's superior impression. A couple of quick hooks split the Illinois guard and snap Freeman's head back but even for all her past glory and determination, Moore is unable to trap the fellow actress on the ropes with Cassidy stepping away at the last moment whenever her rival tries to sink her with a body shot. The lack of success downstairs prevents Moore from really enforcing her dominance in the ring thus far.

Round 3:
Lioness head coach Claudia Schiffer has a lenghty conversation with the redhead during the interval and Cassidy finally opens up in more aggressive fashion literally sending out an invitation for the slugging brawl that promptly ensues here in the third. The redhead beats the brunette for the opening punch but then Mandy ROCKS the older girl with a nasty hook on the temple only for the redhead to sink a piercing hook on the solar plexus that leaves both hellcats gasping for air. They almost clash heads as they lean onto each other so much but Freeman finds a breakthrough in tackling her opponent to the body which wobbles Moore onto her heels for the first time tonight. A well-placed uppercut double crashes into her chin a few seconds later and the Foxfire veteran can only clinch the redhead but still gets driven onto the ropes where she catches a helping hand from the referee who somehow allows the stalemate drag all the way until the bell. Well, we have two East Coast girls battling it out in L.A. after all so no one should feel hard done by a controversial decision or two...

Round 4:
Mandy tries to stick it up the redhead's gut but has repeated problems with landing her shots and bounces off the forearms while leaving too much room for Cassidy to counter over the top. The brunette gets whacked across the lips a couple of times and loses her balance however she refuses to back off and drills the older girl's chest with a heavy punch. Ugh! Freeman gasps in pain and wobbles forward almost head-butting her foe in the proccess and Moore can't quite stretch her elbows to punish the briefly vulnerable redhead. Both women end up tangled on the ropes where Freeman recovers to pierce the brunette's ribcage but only finds the desired punch when she NAILS her on the chin with a vicious uppercut followed by a quick hook on the right temple. Mandy leans over the ropes and throws a desperate series through the middle but she finds no way through the high guard and sinks on her knees when the Illinois native delivers a one-two combo on the lips right at the bell.

Round 5:
Cassidy has truly recovered from the difficult opening couple of rounds while Mandy looks clearly annoyed as she charges at the older woman with another head-hunting drill. She bounces off the redhead's high guard though and eats a crunching strike to the jaw followed by a nasty hook right across the nasal ridge that results in a bloody patch and a significant wobble to her heels. She tries to let one go amid a whimpering gasp but misses the target and Freeman PLOUGHS right through her mouth so hard it sends the gumshield flying off.... AND MOORE GOES DOWN ON THE SPOT!!! She got whacked with a proper welterweight power and there's no cure for such a rough treatment! KO5 Cassidy Freeman!!!

AFTER: "She's still got it!", Erin Andrews is quick to praise Cassidy's devastating punch which ragdolled a very demanding opponent in a blink of an eye! That's the old school tale of the 130+ lbs reality and a worthy reminder why the celebrated veterans shouldn't retire from the limelight just yet. While Hannah Ferguson, Tahnee Atkinson and their Sports Illustrated peers got the "wow" factor all covered up lately, there's still room for old champions in their mid- to late 30s to make some noise. Even the LCA's courting of Romee Strijd doesn't change the fact Cassidy Freeman remains their most valuable welterweight asset. And tonight's result only confirms that!

Final result: Cassidy Freeman def. Mandy Moore KO5.