Amy Acker seemed quite opinionated on the subject of her opponent for the night. "Zoe's one of those girls that you look at and wonder what happened. She got a bump from Avatar, and she wins most of her fights, but then she just sort of falls of the radar as far as her boxing career's concerned. She's tough, she's gorgeous, and she's a big name. There should be a line to fight her. Are people just worried that they'll end up as the feature story of the month in the entertainment section if she punches their lights out? Sounds like a good fight to me. Bring it on, Zoe!" 

Zoe Saldana was reserved in her reply. "It's true that I haven't been as active as I would have liked lately. As an independent fighter, it really is difficult to set up regular matches and stay on everyone's radar. But even though I've been out of the spotlight, I've been keeping myself in shape, and if Amy thinks I'm going to be a pushover she's in for a surprise." 

Acker in pink athletic wear and Saldana in red both seemed unusually friendly before the fight. With their demeanors more appropriate to the red carpet than the boxing ring, the two women gave no indication that a rough, competitive fight was about to commence. The stakes were high -- Saldana, unmanaged, last active over a year ago and with no wins years before that, was in dire need of a win to keep her career as a boxer relevant. The fact that the woman standing in her way was coming off of a four fight knockout win streak did not even put a dent in Saldana's well practiced charm. 

Round 1: 

Saldana set a quick pace early on, going after Acker aggressively with some success in the opening of the match. However, she soon found herself out maneuvered at every turn as Acker seemed to learn her tricks. Managing to find an opening every time Saldana made a move, Acker tapped away at her opponent relatively freely until time ran out. The victorious actress looked cheerful and eager to start again during the break. 

Round 2: 

In the second round, Saldana managed to be much more dangerous. Showing less self preservation, the shorter actress waded into the fight, not discouraged so quickly on her second try. While Acker was still dangerous, she was forced to stand and trade hits with Saldana, coming out behind on each exchange. Of course, the increase in action kept the crowd much happier, but left both fighters in worse shape -- with Saldana clearly in the lead. 

Round 3: 

Perhaps regretting her decision to go head to head with Acker, the third round saw a more cautious Saldana in action. Though she stumbled early on, punished firmly by her opponent, Saldana did take control as the round progressed. Striking and fading carefully, Saldana pulled further ahead on the scorecard while leaving some bruises on Acker as a bonus. 

Round 4: 

The fourth round looked to be more of the same as both fighters took it slow and shot for steady gains over higher risks. At first, it seemed that the round could go either way, with both fighters managing to prove themselves dangerous, but neither managing to claim dominance. However, when a solid hit from Acker left Saldana open for a fraction of a second, the taller actress suddenly took control. Saldana was briefly helpless, with each of her attempts to drive Acker off only allowing her further chances to strike. Between some inspired parrying and a few risky counterattacks, Saldana was able to slow Acker down, but the damage was done. 

Round 5: 

While there were brief periods in the fifth that looked like a contest, it was otherwise Acker from start to finish. Sneaking solid hits through an increasingly worn out Saldana's defenses, the taller actress consistently got her way. Saldana, meanwhile, was left with a swollen eye and weaker responses. Despite all of this, Saldana was still standing at the bell, perhaps due to the slower pace that Acker had set. 

Round 6: 

The sixth round saw Saldana dive back in, stubbornly attempting to turn things around. Though much of the match had not been kind to Acker, she was much fresher than her opponent. Quickly taking control, Acker's persistent offense put Saldana into a death spiral as each hit left her less able to fight back. While she managed to last long enough that some predicted the fight might continue, towards the end of the round Acker's attention proved too much. Saldana fell forward onto her hands and knees, managing to hold her head up for a few seconds before hanging it down tiredly. Saldana stayed put for the duration of the count -- KO6 Acker. 

As Saldana struggled to get herself upright, Acker grinned and leapt into the arms of her crew, allowing herself to be carried for a moment while she pumped a fist in the air. Saldana, meanwhile, had risen to her feet and was leaning against the ropes in her corner, facing away from the action. Once Acker got over the rush of victory and settled down, the victorious actress approached her opponent for a conciliatory hug and a few whispered words in her ear, getting a weak smile and a nod in return. Shortly after, both crews went their separate ways. 

"She had me nervous until I got a few rounds in!" laughed Acker, addressing the press after a short respite. "You know, with someone like her, the name just gets in your head. You know everyone is watching and it really puts the pressure on! But I like to think that by now I'm used to the cameras, and the results speak for themselves, right?" 

"She got me," admitted a still puffy-faced Saldana once she managed to escape the crowd's attention backstage. "I like to think I gave almost as good as I got this time around, though. I'll say this -- I'm regretting my inactive period. Stepping into the ring with a talented woman determined to knock you out is rough enough even when you're as prepared as you can be."