Lauren Mayberry
(31, 5’0, 90 lbs, 6:4 FCBA, The Dollhouse)
Vs.
Rachael Leigh Cook
(39, 5’2, 103 lbs, 17:26 FCBA, Free Agent)

Results: Lookout!; Story: Caspian & The Dollhouse

BEFORE:
"So here’s the deal: I've won my last 6 fights. But does that make me a favorite here tonight, against someone with 44 fights under her resume?” Lauren chuckling as she tries to lighten the mood backstage. “I’m not entirely sure! But I sure as hell don't want my current streak to end, so I'm gonna make sure it doesn't. I know Rachael wants this win just as badly though, and she's bigger and more experienced than I am. So I feel like this fight is going to be one of my biggest challenges so far, and I’ve come prepared. I wish Rachael good luck but in all honesty…” Lauren turns towards Rachael on the other side of the stage. “You're going down tonight, sister!"

Lauren ending her segment with a halfhearted mean-face directed at Rachael, who’s sitting across the table from her in the press hall. The Scottish singer’s really done well for herself in recent months, scoring knockouts against Cher Lloyd and Rachel Bilson before the fifth round ended in both fights. Rachael Leigh Cook however is known in the FCBA as one of many veteran fighters of her time, having started her career all the way back in 1999, back when Mayberry was only 12 years old! Cook therefore smiling at the youngster’s tough-girl act, before responding in kind:

"You know what? I’ve watched all of Lauren's fights. She really did struggle at first, and it looked like she didn't belong in the ring with the rest of the girls. But then something changed, and I've been pretty impressed with her most recent wins. She's learning, adjusting, and not giving up, which is admirable to me. At the end of the day though, I feel like being younger is pretty much the ONLY advantage she brings to the table tonight, and I’m sorry to say, dearie, that it won't be enough. Like you said, I need this win probably more than you do - it's been a while since I've won a fight - probably 3 years? But I’ve faced some tough competition. So I guess you'll be my first victim in years tonight, but I promise to go easy on you Lauren. Who wouldn’t, she’s such a cutie!"

Lauren’s face again half-turning pink and half-fuming. She can’t quite decide whether to get offended by Rachael’s comments or take them as a compliment. Regardless, that handshake in the middle of the podium perhaps speaks volumes on its own: both girls do indeed respect each other, despite their more than 10-years age gap.

Rachael first to enter the arena later, dressed to kill in a black bikini top and dark blue boxing trunks and matching gloves, her dark-raven hair tied up high into a neat ponytail. The old-timer manages to garner a fair share of cheers here despite not being the crowd favorite as she makes the way to the ring, all smiles. It’s true that the veteran fighter could use a win tonight, having not won a single match since 2016. Lauren’s turn at the entrance and she pops into existence with some loud pop music and white-blue light bathing the entire arena, contrasting sharply with that focused, semi-serious glare on the Scottish singer’s face. Dressed in her old-pink sports bra and black medium tights, Mayberry strides into the arena like she owns the place, high-fiving the fans on her way to the ring accompanied by Carmen Electra to her side and Dollhouse staff right behind them.

Later in the ring, there’s more mutual touching of gloves as Rachael again smirks in the younger singer’s direction. For all her tough talk of respecting her opponent’s tenacity, perhaps there’s still a small part of Cook that believes that this fight might be one of the easiest fights in years for her and a golden opportunity for a much-coveted win for her. Mayberry of course looks locked and loaded, ready to prove everyone who thinks that way wrong. Referee waves his hand and there goes the bell! HERE we go with ten rounds of Flyweight action!

ROUND 1:
Rachael is definitely the bigger, stronger, and wilder card on display, still grinning to herself from behind half-raised gloves as she takes the fight to the newcomer. Cook immediately relying on her overwhelming power to try and put Lauren down and away early, but Mayberry’s smartly avoiding her hooks and crosses right out of the gate, instead retaliating with short but effective jabs into Rachael’s body and face whenever possible, trying to fell this goliath of the ring instead, and draw out the fight to the later rounds, where she knows for sure that she has the advantage of her youthful stamina. Rachael’s smile clean gone by the end of the third minute, after her repeated swings in Mayberry’s direction all but miss into the void. Mayberry still not sailing inwards to capitalize, however, despite her opponent’s evident, long-drawn breaths - Lauren playing her cards close to her chest: a safe, sound and deadly strategy that’s gonna take her to the finish line.

ROUND 2:
Rachael not used to Lauren’s unorthodox strategy, that’s for sure, having expected a fast and agile fighter like her opponent to employ hit-and-run tactics against her. But Lauren still staying back and out of range for the most part of this round, forcing the veteran girl to chase after her slippery counterpart and tire herself out in the process. A smart strategy for the Scottish cutie-pie, until of course it doesn’t work all the way. Cook staying back in the second half of the round herself, to catch her own breath, barely rotating her feet to face Lauren, who begins jabbing more frequently towards her. Cook as a result manages to squeak in a couple of painful shots into Lauren’s guard and body, at one point almost taking the singer’s head clean off when a wild, straight hand that lands directly into the middle of her arms like an explosive charge. Rachael might be turning the bad side of 40, but hell, she still moves fast! Lauren spooked as a result, spends the last thirty seconds running away and out of range. She got bullied in there during this second round - there’s no other way to dress that fact up!

ROUND 3:
Another mutual dance-off in the first minute as Lauren simply refuses to engage her opponent like last time, and Rachael herself also kind of reluctant to charge in with guns ablazing. Mayberry moving to the left, then her right, occasionally landing a jab or two into Cook’s arms or body, but Rachael also biding her time, rotating the front of her frame to face Lauren squarely, expertly adjusting her own arms a few inches higher and lower in order to block a majority of the smaller girl’s punches. Last minute and Lauren finds herself with her back to the ropes - it’s a split second opportunity for Rachael to leap in and strike! Cook lets out a yell of triumph as she BOUNCES a right hook off Lauren’s hastily raised arm, then a another hard swing sends the Doll packing off to the side! Thankfully, Lauren still has her wits about her, using that quick opportunity to get the f*ck outta there! PHEW. No harm done except to Mayberry’s psyche, the Doll looking rattled by that close-quarters brawling back there by the time the bell rings. If she had stayed in that pocket, there’s little doubt that Mayberry might be sleeping on the floor just about now!

ROUND 4:
Rachael growing more and more frustrated by the minute, losing her breath and energy as the rounds go rolling by and she ain’t seeing no dominating performance. Lauren anticipated this slow burn from the very beginning, and after the first minute is spent dodging and dancing around the slower woman’s pace, the Scottish girl suddenly decides to spring into action! Rachael with a shocked look on her face as she’s suddenly met by a barrage of punches that shoots in and fills her peripheral vision, her head getting knocked back by short, snappy jabs into the lips and nose! Cook letting out big yelps as she’s almost powerless to stop the quick flurries of Mayberry’s speed-dial punching, her back suddenly hitting the ropes, thereafter JUST stands there flailing at the air in front of her, as though a zillion flies are attacking her all at once! Another quick flurry to the chin and DOWN Rachael Leigh Cook GOES, still wildly buckling in a mess of flying arms and legs, simply disoriented to the point of collapse!

A remarkable KNOCKDOWN for Lauren Mayberry in the early minute of the fourth round! And what another impressive display of speed over power as the petite Scottish wonder-girl pulls off another miracle! Still looking humble in every way, Mayberry allowing just a small smile to spread over her face on her way back to her corner.

The referee’s already mid-count as Rachael scrambles over herself, pulling her body bit-by-bit off the canvas. Not looking too good for this veteran girl, with one nostril busted wide open and her head still spinning in pain as she attempts to steady herself on both feet. At least she manages to nod when the referee asks if she wants to continue. There goes the bell to resume another TWO minutes of this round - can she pull through to the end?!

Lauren measuredly coming forward to find out - none of that wild charging or crashing into her opponent from afar. Instead, short jabs testing Rachael’s resolve as they land all over her body and face, with Cook not even having the common sense to keep herself moving off the ropes sideways, simply stands there with her back glued to the ropes, covering up her face but allowing the rest of her body to absorb punch after punch. Mayberry picks up the speed of her assault, now jumping left and right as she digs more shots into the veteran’s frame, and it’s only after a minute of this non-stop abuse does the referee decide to JUMP IN and END this massacre! Rachael’s looking punch-drunk all over again as she wonders to herself what the hell just happened! Lauren Mayberry takes the win home via TKO, that’s what!

Official Decision: Lauren Mayberry defeats Rachael Leigh Cook via TKO4!

AFTER:
Lauren continuing with her modest celebration by simply taking a few steps back and allowing the older, bigger woman to plop down to her knees and then collapse onto her side. Ever the gentlewoman, Mayberry still showing plenty of grace and humility by immediately moving back to check on Rachael, and only later jumping to her feet, smiling and waving to her fans in the crowd, an obvious look of bliss on her face as she earns yet another win!

“This fight had me worried, I can’t lie.” A tired looking Lauren speaks to reporters outside the ring as she wrestles with her breathing. “I didn’t know what to expect from a veteran like her…but I’m getting pretty good at this, huh? Need to stop worrying so much. I want to be ranked in the top 20 by the end of the year. Av and Emma are not the only flyweights who can fight around here, and I’ll f*cking prove it!”

Determined words from the petite Scot as she playfully flexes her bicep and laughs before turning her back to the reports to make her way backstage, waving to the cheering fans all the way out of the arena.