MELISSA BENOIST VS RAQUEL POMPLUN

Results: Lookout Writing: Archer

Melissa: 31 YO, 5’7 (1.71 m), 11-13-0, 11 KO since 2015, Pretty Little Punchers

Raquel: 32 YO, 5’7 (1.71 m), 1-1-0, 1 KO since 2019, Latina Knockouts

Before: “I am not going to make the mistake Laura Vandervoort did and underestimate Raquel,” says Melissa Benoist. “She is clearly a strong puncher and can take plenty of punishment. Still, I think I can find ways to beat her.”

“I am ‘Rocky’ Pomplun now and proud of it,” declares Raquel when she takes the podium. “That win over Laura was my first and it made me realize how good it feels to win. Melissa may claim she’s not underestimating me, but I see thinks I’m just another rookie who’ll go down with one good punch. She’s in for a big shock.”

“I would say,” Melissa replies calmly, “that you are the one in for the big shock, but I’m prepared to educate her. It’s just that it will probably hurt quite a bit when I’m through with her.”

“I won’t be hurting as much as you will be!” snaps Raquel. “Remember that.”

“We’ll just who learns the lesson and who gives it,” Melissa retorts.

Chilly conclusion of the presser is carried on at the actual fight. Melissa and Raquel enter the ring and give each other icy looks. Melissa in black and white high waisted bikini. Black gloves and boots with white laces. Hair pulled back into a ponytail. Raquel in zebra striped bikini with white gloves and boots (black laces). Her dark hair is pulled back in a battle braid. Melissa and Raquel bodying up on one another, trying to show intimidation or defiance (depending on your POV), and getting some stern words from the referee. The two subside, but when they touch gloves it is with a loud, hostile SMACK that tells fans this is going to be a grudge match of sorts. They go back to their corners, The bell rings…

R1: Raquel very aggressive in the early action. She is working Melissa hard to the ribs and belly and Melissa trying to back away, Raquel hanging in there close gives Melissa’s rack some nasty uppercuts to the undersides. Melissa trying to counter to Raquel’s rack, but these efforts are broken up when Raquel starts swatting in hard blows to Melissa’s jaw. Melissa in retreat as the round ends. Raquel Pomplun wins the first round wide.

R2: Raquel getting bolder in attacks as the new round gets going. She’s snapping fast rights and lefts into the sides of Melissa’s head. She also tests Melissa’s high guard by trying to ram shots between Melissa’s mitts. Melissa’s defenses hold, but she’s not doing much in the way of countering Raquel’s incoming. Then Raquel rams a series of hard, fast hooks into Melissa’s belly just above the waistband of her bottoms. Melissa’s abs and ribs taking a roasting from these blows and Melissa struggling to stay upright against the impacts that keep threatening to double her up. Round ends with Melissa breathing hard her abs all mottled with bruised flesh. Raquel smiling as she goes to her corner having won another round wide

R3: Melissa told by her counter to show more aggression does just that as R3 opens. Melissa out quickly and catches Raquel with driving right to the mouth. Raquel knocked bac on her heels and Melissa brings right/left combos against Raquel’s jaw. Raquel pulls back, but then returns to the battle going for Melissa’s abs once again. Melissa firing very rapid hooks that tear into Raquel’s abs and ribs. The two are now at a standstill, just heaving the leather into quivering bodies and struggling for control. Then Melissa goes after Raquel’s plush melons with hooks that make the rookie gasp and shudder. Raquel struggling to answer with jugg punching of her own, but Melissa’s not stopping. Bell sounds and now it is Raquel Pomplun panting for air and Melissa Benoist regarding her with a grim smile before they depart for their corners. Close round, but Melissa pulls it out.

R4: Melissa feints to the body as the 4th Round open and it works quite nicely in drawing down Raquel’s guard. Then Melissa strikes hard with jolting right to Raquel’s chin. Raquel hastily retreats as Melissa advances behind rights and lefts that bounce off Raquel’s head. Then Raquel suddenly stops and CRACK! She lands a right uppercut of own to Melissa’s chin. Melissa goes wobbly and Raquel eagerly attacks with vengeful blows to the jaw. Melissa under pressure, but strikes back with a right to the jaw that swivels Raquel’s head. Melissa tries to add more punches to the jaw, but Raquel gets her gloves up around her head. Melissa then goes to the body. Raquel trying to answer with jabs, but Melissa wading through them to work the body. Raquel finally stalls Melissa attack with desperate jabs over Melissa’s gloves into the blonde’s face. Melissa moving to one side and preparing a new move forward when time runs out on the round. Another close round, but again Melissa able to gain the points edge on the judges’ cards.

R5: Raquel trying to answer Melissa’s aggression with a fresh burst of offense as soon as the bell rings to start the round. Raquel out quickly and going for Melissa’s head. Right bounces off Melissa’s noggin, but blonde counters with a right under Raquel’s jaw. Raquel lurches back and Melissa pounds away at Raquel to the body. She works quickly, pushing the dazed Raquel into the ropes and take advantage send lightning crashing into the brunette’s chin and jaw. Raquel’s knees collapse and Melissa jumps back as Raquel lands on her knees and then topples onto her side next to the bottom rope. Melissa scampers to the neutral corner and watches. Raquel has one gloved hand on the bottom rope and tries to rise as the referee counts. However she doesn’t get very far before she gives a shudder and collapses into a heap.

“NINE!...TEN!...YOU ARE OUT!” The referee proclaims.

THE WINNER MELISSA BENOIST DEFEATS RAQUEL POMPLUN KO6!

After: “That was quite a fight,” Melissa Benoist says as she watches a groggy Rebecca Pomplun being helped to her feet and back to a corner. “She does hit hard, but I hit back harder. It took a while for me to get going, but when she came rushing at in in the 5th I saw my chance and took it. Just a matter of stunning her, getting her to the ropes and finishing her off. I trust Ms. Pomplun will appreciate my lessons—some day.”

Raquel not able to respond until the next day and it is clear she is not amused by Melissa’s remarks: “I know I was hurting her. Maybe not as much as I thought, but she was feeling my punches and she would have cracked if I hadn’t tried to rush things. Yes, I learned a lesson and I hope some day I can show Melissa just how well I learned it!”

Fight can’t be called an upset, but It was a needed win for Melissa who was under .500 (11-13) coming into this fight. A loss to a rookie even a rising one would have been bad news for the veteran blonde. So now Melissa got the win she needed and can work to getting back to .500 and beyond it. As for Raquel, loss as to sting after she had finally won her first fight, but she continues to show talent and hopefully experience will polish that talent into consistent victories as her FCBA career unfolds.