5. Jessica Clements vs Barbara Palvin

Jessica:
(26, 5’9, 7:2 FCBA, SIRENs)

Barbara:
(26, 5’9, 10:10 FCBA, Free Agent)

BEFORE:
Another sad turn of affairs from the once-glowing Jessica Clements, who’d arrived on the scene and quickly set the set on fire at the beginning of 2019, racking up 13 wins across both sides of the Atlantic before her momentum suddenly blunted by some shock losses to Cara Delevingne and Alexis Ren. Clements hasn’t really recovered since, now on a three-fight losing streak that shows no signs of abating.

Her opponent tonight is the more well-known Hungarian model, Barbara Palvin, who’s no stranger to bad fortune. The brunette smirks as she answers a reporter’s question about why she’s here.

“I think we’ve all been there: bad luck, bad luck and then more bad luck. Trust me, my losing streak’s longer than yours, Jessie. But one thing’s for sure: we always bounce back, and I believe that’s why the both of us agreed to take on this fight. We both know the other girl wants to win. That’s gonna make it an interesting contest.”

Clements nods along before responding: “Barbara’s absolutely right. We’re both here to win and those losses simply make us tougher. I have tremendous respect for her body of work, so I was elated when her team said yes to this. We’ll put on a hell of a show for you guys, losing streak or no.”

Ladies are cordial at the podium, calm shifts from leg to leg as they pose with their fists raised for the cameras. Same height and age, but Clements will need to be wary of Barbara’s mean right hook that’s knocked out the likes of Nina Agdal and Bar Refaeli. Still, compared to some other models on the roster tonight, these two shake hands as they’re led backstage for the final countdown.

Later in the ring, Clements ready to fire all cylinders as she bounces on her toes, wearing a bright red bikini top and white boxing trunks. Barbara goes for a more conservative one-piece swimsuit, sparkling gold under the stadium lights and hiding that massive chest of hers. She dons white gloves to Clement’s black. HERE we go with ten rounds of Lightweight action!

ROUND 1:
And Barbs comes out of the gate swinging! She must know about that slump that Clements is in as she hammers the beleaguered girl with heavy hooks from the start! Clements wants to take this slow and steady by contrast, but no dice from the eager Hungarian, who barrels inwards with a straight hand slammed to the arms, then a pull-back right hook almost SNAPS Jessica off her feet right there and then! Clements experiencing her foe’s power first-hand, grunts as she’s thrown off to the side, the force of that one blow shocking her to her system, but hey, at least she didn’t get sent down to the floor in the first minute. Rest of the round goes as one would predict: Palvin not letting up, jabs pounding the guard, her attacks quickly escalating once Clements gets in range. Not the comeback our guest Siren was looking for, that’s for sure.

ROUND 2:
More power attacks are sent towards Jessica, as Palvin knows she can’t let up the pressure. But the Hungarian finds it harder to pin Clements down, who’s moving like her life depends on it. Clements with her arms raised in perpetuity, deflecting whatever barrage Barbs throws towards her, but of course leaving her tummy exposed to some gut-wrenching shots to the sides. No choice for Clements, who’d much prefer to not eat a tight hook to the face as she jabs back towards Palvin whenever she can. She’s not retaking much ground here but at least she’s stopping the wanton bleeding. She shoves another stiff right hand between the arms and into Barbara’s lips in the final seconds, drawing a much needed gurgle from her lips. Palvin however swings back even harder and faster, an enraged counterattack that goes nowhere, leaving both ladies winded at the bell.

ROUND 3:
But HERE comes Clements! This is where we see all that training pay off: the Siren’s attack patterns make her sidestep and then pepper the bigger girl’s body, then weaving out of the way to look for the next assault vector. Palvin groans as her body’s targeted by quick and decisive strikes, her return hooks just too tired and slow to land on anything significant. This is what Jess needs to do: hang on and slowly build towards a climax as she drives Palvin back step-by-step, keeping herself focused as she claws her way back to the winning column. She nails Palvin straight on the nose in the final seconds, drawing another loud grunt as Barbara’s back is forced to touch the ropes. But before Clements can turn the tables a full 180 degrees, her followup hook’s ducked under as Barbara chooses to clinch up instead! Referee separates them at the bell, and it looks like this fight is just getting started!

ROUND 4:
Clements keeps going, eye on the prize, but first, she has to retake lost territory. She keeps the pressure on Barbara early, snap jabs tugging at her cheek and chin, then the occasional hook dug into the big girl’s tummy for emphasis. Barbara’s still too winded from the first two rounds to do much about the bullying, can only weather on the ropes as she waits for Clements to make a mistake. More dirty tactics from Barbs as she repeatedly wraps up with Jessica rather than eat a hook and get sent down, wasting precious seconds for Clements to win this round outright, so much so that the Siren’s heard cursing and swearing on her way back to corner after the bell rings, whereas Palvin’s smiling slightly, having gotten the breather she needed.

ROUND 5:
Girls are effectively even, the fifth round bringing opportunities to break the tie. Clements’ corner urges her on, of course, sensing that Palvin’s continued losses are not just there for show and the fact that the model has always suffered from a lack of stamina. Clements presses in, no fear in her eyes as she lands more combos on Barbara’s guard, thinking she can both punish her and deny her another respite on her shoulders. Barbara however, just playing possum, sees the overeager Clements skipping towards her and then WHAM - nails the hapless girl straight on the face!! Ouch!! That right hook was timed perfectly as Jessica’s head is turned painfully to the side! Collective groans from the audience as Jessica is left to pick up the pieces, clutching at her face in agony as she tries to fend off the Barbara freight train! Palvin spends the rest of the round pushing forward, back to nailing hooks on the arms, slowly loosening Clements guard for a big huzzah! Clements groans as she’s the one who’s forced to clinch up this time, arms wrapped around the neck and shoulders as Palvin goes to work on her body below, thundering hooks pounding on tummy flesh until the bell thankfully saves Clements from certain death. A BIG return for Palvin!

ROUND 6:
Both ladies are expending energy left and right as they each look to pull ahead. Barbara with some early success as she slams a right cross into the arms, making Jessica grunt and wonder if this round might be a repeat of the first. But Barbara’s heaving just as hard, winded after spending so many rounds chasing after her foe, thereby allowing Clements to regroup at a distance. Clements doesn’t take long to go back on the offensive, landing a series of jabs to the face as she outpunches the other model from a distance. Palvin groans as another one-two combo stuns the nose, snapping her head backwards and throwing her further into disarray. Clements however not in a rush to finish this, parries another incoming hook before nailing the big girl with a swipe across the chin! Barbs is swaying in the wind, her back slumped against the ropes and about to go down… when the bell rings to save her this time! Plenty of luck from these two fighters, we’d say, especially since they each could have used some of that in their earlier fights!

ROUND 7:
Bad news for Barbs as she just can’t capitalise on her earlier success. She rushes at Clements once or twice this round, expending the last reserves of her energy and where possible, eager to latch onto her foe’s shoulders again, just to clinch up and play the waiting game. But Jessica’s much more attentive, steps back each time this happens, keeping Barbara at bay with a continuous stream of jabs that scrunch up that pretty face and withers the big girl down! Palvin’s swings now look like the desperate flailing of a mad woman - she misses another left hook and then EATS a return hook to the side of the face, making the Hungarian stagger, about to tip over, if not for Clements helping her along with another swing in the opposite direction. Barbara’s head gets swivelled the other way as the big girl goes DOWN! This might be the night Clements was waiting for, as Barbara free-falls onto her face, the rest of her body lying completely still! Referee takes one look and immediately waves his arms for the bell! It’s over!!

Official Decision: Jessica Clements defeats Barbara Palvin via KO7!

AFTER:
Clements finally snaps that irritating losing streak, a wide smile on her face as she strides back to her corner to celebrate.

“Let that be a lesson to all the doubters,” the Siren says later to reporters. “I’m not going anywhere, so the rest of you had better get used to it!”

Palvin on the other hand might want to learn a thing or two from her opponent tonight, as the poor girl lies by the ropes, having been turned over by the medics and now staring up at the ceiling lights: anyone can come back from a dip, even someone with six losses in a row!