Romee Strijd vs Ana Ivanovic
(Netherlands vs Serbia)
(3-2, 3 KO vs 4-6, 4 KO)
Results: Lookout!; Story: Vassago

BEFORE: Some experts say Romee Strijd is just another new name that made her break into FCBA due to favorable Sports Illustrated/Victoria's Secret backing that seems to be the easiest way to book yourself a fight these days however the Dutch stunner scored back-to-back KO1 wins over Brooke Hogan and Olga Kurylenko to show a glimpse of real elite prospects. Top P4P contender Adriana Lima eventually proved too much for Strijd but she returns to the ring with nothing else in mind other than winning tonight.

Winning was a big part of Ana Ivanovic's tennis career but she's retired now and that opens the door for some genuine boxing action that was deemed unsuitable by non-pro athletes before. Bo Krsmanovic exposed Ana's raw skills during a Serbian derby clash last May but it's supposed to be different tonight as Ivanovic firmly believes she can turn few heads around in this universe as well. She's based in Chicago these days where her husband continues to play for the Fire MLS team and earns the bigger crowd support compared to the VS model.

Romee Strijd wears an orange bikini set and navy blue gloves. Long blonde hair tied in a sleek ponytail. Ana Ivanovic wears a red bandeau bikini set and silver gloves. Long dark brown hair tied in a braid. The fight is scheduled for ten rounds in the welterweight division.

Round 1:
Romee powers ahead like she seeks another huge KO1 result and sticks quick punches into Ana's face due to a leaky high guard from the brunette. Ana was never the defensive type on the WTA courts and she won't be one in the ring either but that's a dangerous recipe when you intend to slug it out against a fellow offensive opponent like Strijd. Ana's footwork prevents her from working around the blonde's aerial attacks and she scowls in discomfort when the younger woman simply carries on with the drill. She drops Ivanovic to her heels but finds a quick switch on the exposed ribs to bend her in half. It's clinch time for Ana who really struggles to find her rhythm however Strijd lacks experience and versatility to avoid getting clinched to the ropes and she's denied another KO1 script which makes her look visibly annoyed at the bell.

Round 2:
Ana comes flying out of her corner as she realizes she may struggle to embrace another high-octane rush from the Dutch girl and lands the intial one-two combo before piercing the blonde's solar plexus with a lightning strike up the middle. Strijd isn't exactly known for her defense either and needs time to catch her breath but it's the blonde ponytail that begins to swirl around as Ana barks in her efforts to cash in with more facial shots. She traps the leggy model in the center of the ring and whacks her straight up; a nasty bruise appears over Romee's left eye which only fuels the brunette's attacks while Strijd remains trapped in the phone booth and only bounces off the forearms in a lacklustre effort to tame the Serbian juice. Both women really struggle to find any meaningful footwork which is old news at this weight division but it's a true head-scratcher why the blonde allows her foe to dictate the pace so much in a complete turn-around from the opening round. A loud "Ajde!" marks the end of the action and that's a signature tune from Ana well known to the WTA fanbase.

Round 3:
More Serbian juice cashes in as Romee's comeback exploits holes all over her high-guard and Ana isn't one of these bulky 5'7" tall veterans who can't outbox a lanky model like that. This is a swarming display staright-up and Strijd is reduced to second-string when she eats another vicious combo up the middle that allows the brunette to settle in with immediate pressure. Everything happens in a phone booth here and even the pundits wonder whether these two are glued to the boards or something. Romee shows some bendiness when she tries to weave herself out of the superior striking range but Ana harpoons her to the liver and maintains her control even though she lacks outright success with the head-hunting assault down the stretch. Strijd's high-guard clicks on late but she doesn't have enough of willpower to mount a comeback in the final minute and still manages to get punched back to the ropes with Ivanovic getting a little too careless in her push for success. Another "Ajde!" is heard at the bell and that's two in a row for the Serbian babe.

Round 4:
Romee triggers another wild punchfest in the center of the ring and given the weight division, a knockdown certainly looms large here however Ana's precision goes south during this exchange and she gets caught by the biggest punch when the Dutch model scythes her across the nose before adding a follow-up on the lips. Ugh! Ana drops back to her heels and she must have felt that while Strijd launches a head-hunting galore and reels her onto the ropes come the one-minute mark. The brunette's resilience seems to be rattled now and Romee is smart enough to switch her targets and attack the completely exposed midsection. Defense? Don't tell me about any defense and Ana really suffers with the body-busting juice during the second minute which leaves her slumping on the ropes down the stretch. Strijd leans on her and just keeps on piling the pressure which is more than enough to force painful squeals from her aching opponent. Ugh! Ana screams out at the bell and needs extra time to recover from that beating to the body while the blonde shakes her glove in pure delight.

Round 5:
This ain't flyweight and both girls are worn out by the fast pace however Romee is keen to regain the momentum and tackles the otherwise slow-moving Serbian to the body. Ana tries to protect herself while looping single punches over the top but her defense lets her down again when the blonde NAILS her with a vicious uppercut to the jaw and sends the guard into a tailspin. Another piercing hook on the solar plexus follows which bends the former Grand Slam champion forward and Romee hauls in a classic harpoon to the liver area next... IVANOVIC CRASHES DOWN ONTO HER KNEES and that happened so fast!!! Oi, Ana! The brunette really feels the heat now but there are no medical time outs in the ring! She drops onto all fours and keeps moaning in pain with the count mercilessly passing her by! Cue in the Dutch joy! KO5 Romee Strijd!!!

AFTER: The welterweight power prevails in sudden death fashion again but most of the pundits believe Ana soaked up too much damage during a wild Dutch run in the fourth and when you have no defense or agility to speak of, you're gonna go down in flames faster than a snowball in hell in this division. Both these girls are genuine power-hitters and that's a high-risk, high-reward situation that can lead to ultimate stardom. While Ivanovic has shown promising moments, she really needs to work on her defensive skills. Boxing is a little more complicated sport than tennis.

On the other hand Romee continues to thrive on the Lioness Club trial. While she's in no direct competition against Cassidy Freeman, the Florida-based stable simply has to cover it's options given the new influx of talent sponsored by Victoria's Secret and Sports Illustrated. And orange IS the new black after all.

Final result: Romee Strijd def. Ana Ivanovic KO5.