Alyson Michalka (32 / 5’8” / 33-21 / Left Turn Knockouts)
 

Pre-Fight:

“Oh man is this exciting or what?” asks a constantly swaying Laura. “I can’t even relax, I’m so excited. There’s one fighter I wanted to get in the ring with when I signed on and I can’t believe it’s happening in my second ever fight. I know I shouldn’t let my emotions get the best of me, but I’ve never wanted to win something more in my entire life.”

“I think her little crush on me is cute,” says Alyson. “It’s not gonna stop me from punching her face in, though. She’s got a win over a fighter significantly older than her, so I don’t weight that too heavily. And while she’s listed as a lightweight we’re really similar in size and body type. So I think my experience and athleticism will end up winning out.”

R1:

The bell rings and both fighters emerge from their respective corners. Laura with her dark locks pulled up in a bun, opting for beige shorts with black trim and black gloves. Aly’s blonde hair is tugged back in a ponytail as she wears yellow and blue shorts with yellow gloves.

The two lankily athletic frames circle around the center of the ring for a bit before Alyson starts the action with a few jabs. Laura is able to evade them. Alyson again after a few more seconds throws some more jabs. Laura’s head dips out of the way. Aly a bit more active in the early going, trying to work Laura’s defense open with her jab. But Laura shows good awareness and makes herself hard to hit.

Aly misses with a right and that gives Laura the opening to slip a few of her own jabs past the blonde’s defense. These two continue on like this for the majority of the round. Trying to just feel each other out. Some jabs hitting here and there, but nobody taking a distinct advantage. Alyson shows better footwork, Laura shows better head movement. Neither girl gives up much and the bell rings.

10-10 end of round 1.

R2:

More of the same for the first minute of round two. It feels as if neither girl wants to get caught by something big. They continue to feel each other out, nobody making any daring moves. Both are moving very well though and not really giving any openings for anything big.

Laura is able to sneak in a few jabs and then a right to the body of Alyson, but that’s the extent of her offensive peak so far in the fight. Aly does a little bit more as the round dwindles down. She catches Laura with an overhand right and tries to pound her back towards the ropes, but Laura savily keeps her guard up and slips away before there’s any real damage.

Still, they loosened things up a little and at the end of round 2 Alyson takes a slight lead.

20-19 Michalka.

R3:

Something the crowd notices is a small cut over Laura’s eye as she comes out of her corner. A bit of a concern, especially if Alyson can take advantage. And she tries to early.

She goes head hunting, a stark difference in tactics. She figures if she can exploit the cut early she can put the rookie to bed. Laura proves to be too savvy for that though and smoothly counter punches Aly’s swinging hooks with one-two combos. She sticks then she moves. Aly goes after her again. Laura does the same.

Laura really protecting that eye, perhaps she knows it’s trouble if it opens up even more. Alyson sees this and switches it up again. Instead she starts to work Laura’s body, which Harrier has left exposed. A few well-timed lefts to the gut and the rookie’s face contorts with pain. She bends a bit as her guard drops. Now Michalka has an opening. She hits Laura with a huge right to the temple, swung at a downward motion. Laura stays on her feet, but stumbles away in clear pain.

Alyson comes in to try to finish Laura off, but Harrier dodges a sweeping left uppercut and hits Michalka with a left uppercut of her own. She follows with a few right hooks to the ribs and then a left-right crosser to Aly’s chin.

The bell rings and it was a close round, but Harrier takes it.

29-29 at the end of 3 rounds.

R4:

Lucky for Laura the cut on her eye didn’t completely split from Alyson’s right hand, so she comes out firing on all cylinders. Finally able to get some use out of her small reach advantage, Laura’s jab works wonders to control Alyson around the ring.

Michalka can’t find an opening as Harrier methodically forces her into a corner.

Aly covers up but Laura starts throwing some brutal body shots. Alternating left-right uppercuts to the ribs. And as soon as Aly’s guard drifts down, Laura has some hooks for her cheek. Laura pounds away at Michalka, really doing some significant damage to the blonde. Michalka digs deep though and is able to slip a clinch around Laura. A risky move, but it works out as when the ref breaks them apart Aly is able to fire off a few jabs and get out of the corner.

Laura tries to walk Aly back, but Michalka finds a bit of a groove and is able to slip a right hand and land a left right on Harrier’s nose. Laura is on her heels as the bell rings. She definitely took the round, but couldn’t finish her opponent off.

39-38 Harrier

R5:

The Free Puncher tries to live up to her stable’s name to start round five and tries a few haymakers early on Alyson. Michalka is taken aback and eats the first right. Then she eats the left. Laura’s power coming into play here as she wants to just bully Aly into submission. Michalka regains her footing though and slips inside of Laura’s guard. Then she works the body.

Aly’s gloves mark Laura’s abs and ribs up and down. Laura can’t get Aly to back off. Michalka with brutal sweeping rights and lefts to the body. Laura goes in for a clinch, but as she does Aly just busts her gut over and over again. Laura’s knees are shaking. She stumbles back. Alyson swings a right that spins Laura around and she crashes down to canvas!

Laura in shock! It was her who tried to go for the knockout to start the round, but now it’s Aly who has put her down. She looks to her corner and sees her trainer Milena Govich telling her to take the eight count. Laura nods and takes the eight before continuing the fight.

She needed the breather, but Alyson is on her right away. Luckily for Laura the bell rings and ends the round.

48-47 Michalka

R6:

Harrier comes out trying to make up for the end of the last round but misses with a right hook that Aly ducks. Michalka responds with a right uppercut that knocks Harrier down, stiff as a board!!!

Laura down again. She sits up and blinks, looking around at the crowd as the ref continues the count. She pushes herself up and tells the ref she’s fine. All of a sudden she’s been knocked down twice!

Alyson comes in and continues where she left off. It’s clear Michalka’s power is starting to get to Laura, whose guard is just getting demolished by brute force. Laura is against the ropes again and Michalka continues to wail on her. Rights and lefts alternating and just busting past Laura’s guard.

As the bell rings Laura’s hands fall to their sides. Her body leaning against the ropes for support. Her head hanging to the side. She looks completely spent. Alyson meanwhile jogs back to her corner, swaying her hips and nodding her head.

58-54 Michalka at the end of 6 rounds

R7:

There are calls to the Free Punchers corner to throw in the white towel. Laura’s arms hang low and her eyes look glazed over. The ref comes over to warn them that if Laura gets in trouble against that they’re calling the fight.

The round starts with Alyson making her way through Laura’s guard again. A few jabs and then a right cross to open her up. Laura looks completely lost. She can’t seem to stop Aly’s offense. That’s when it seems to click.

She can’t stop Michalka’s offense… so she needs to create some herself. She allows Alyson to continue to use her face as a speed bag, but then finds an opening and gets off a big right uppercut to the chin. Alyson is stunned. Laura comes in for more. A left hook, then another right uppercut. Michalka on her heels! Laura charges forward, almost leaving her feet as she gives everything she has with an over-the-top right that sends Michalka down to the canvas!

Laura almost stumbles over her body her momentum carried her so far. She grabs the ropes and turns to watch Alyson. The blonde rolls over onto her stomach. Then she begins to push herself up. She gets to her feet, wobbly… as she tries to straighten out though she stumbles and collapses onto her side. The ref counts to ten.

WINNER VIA ROUND 7 KO: LAURA HARRIER

Post-Fight:

Tears stream down Laura’s face as Milena Govich and Ali Larter rush in to give her hugs. It might not be a PPV or seem like a big fight, but they know how big of a deal winning this was for Laura. And to do it in such a dramatic fashion no less.

Alyson eventually gets to her feet, head hanging low. She sorts her way out of the ring and into the locker room.

“Yeah, I’m really emotional,” says a still shaking Laura to the press later on. “Aly was nothing short of spectacular tonight. I mean, she’s got some pop and offensively I realized I wasn’t going to stop her. So I had to overwhelm her with my own offense. Maybe that’s the lesson to learn, but for a second fight I think this is a big win for me. And I really look forward to seeing what Sophie Turner has in store for me later this month.”

“I mean anytime you lose a fight like that it stings,” says Michalka. “I thought I showed that overall I was a good bit more athletic than her. Better conditioned. Maybe some more power. She just kept coming at me though. I’m going to need a little bit to recover from this, because this is a fight that really slipped through my hands.”