SHELLEY HENNIG VS HAILEE STEINFELD
Shelley: 29 YO, 5’8 (1.73 m), 2-4-0 since 2012, Unmanaged
Hailee:  19 YO, 5’7 (1.70 m) Debut, Unmanaged

Before:  Young Hailee (she turned 19 on December 11th) featured in such films as “True Grit”, “Barely Lethal” and “Picture Perfect 2”  is smiling broadly as she takes the podium: “This is my first time in meeting the celebrity boxing press. I hope you all know how exciting this is for me. A lot of people told me I might have to wait a long time to make my debut, but here I am and I can want everyone know how much I want to show what I can do. I think I can do a whole lot in the boxing, I’ve preparing myself for over a year now. I have even seen some films of Shelley over there back when she was pageant boxing as ‘Miss Teen USA’ I know I’ll be in a tough first fight, but what would I learn from an easy one? I want to win, of course, but I want to learn, too, so I can be better with every fight until I am champion. That’s my goal. To be a champion!”

When her turn at the podium comes Shelley Hennig of the TV show “Teen Wolf”  is smiling a certain amount of veteran condescension: “Hailee, I hope I can call you Hailee, if you are looking to gain some experience in the ring you will find with me. Oh, I know my record is only 2 and 4, but I’ve had fights with Kaley Cuoco and Olivia Wilde among others. I have learned a lot from losing to them. As for my pageant boxing, I am very proud to be a former Miss Teen USA—and Miss Teen Louisiana. I can honestly say those pageants gave me a good education in boxing fundamentals.”

“You lost to my ‘Barely Lethal’ co-star Sophie Turner, too,” Hailee interupted, “you learn much from her? She got a TKO6 on you. I hope I can fight her some day. It would be nice if we had both beaten you. “

Shelley’s eyes narrow: “I wouldn’t count on that.”

“Just thought I’d mention it,” Hailee says sweetly as Shelley regards her with disfavor.

“Maybe after I knock you out, I can fight Sophie again and knock her out too,” Shelley said darkly.

Hailee just smiles some more: “You’ll have to take that up with her.”

There is a chill in the air that is still hanging when they come to right on fight night. Shelley is in a royal blue bikini with black gloves and boots (royal blue laces). Hailee is in red spangled short shorts and a black halter top. Red gloves and black boots. Her hair pulled back and held in place by a red ribbon. The two eye each other coldly. Fans take note how appealingly leggy they both are and apparently the ladies realize it to as they seem to be posing trying to show off their gams to best advantage. Then both strut confidently back to their corners having plainly gotten the crowd excited and eager to see this fight start. The bell rings…

R1: Both fighters move quickly to mid-ring, but the more experienced Shelley seems to have the quicker footwork as she moves around Hailee firing long-range punches at the rookie’s head. Hailee getting her head knocked against her shoulder repeatedly as she tries to keep up with the former beauty queen. Hailee finally backs up and circles behind a jab that grows stronger as the round progresses. Shelley taking hits to the head, but she strikes back showing a sharper eye for openings than Hailee. Hailee struck over the right eye causing a swelling mark in right eyebrow. Hailee crouching down now, trying to protect her face, but Shelley striking at Hailee’s chest bringing a startled look to the newbie’s face, but fires back at once catching Shelley on the mouth splitting her lower lip. Shelley now firing her Hailee’s stomach with rising hooks and the impacts send Hailee into retreat, though she maintains her jab to slow the follow-up. Round ends with Shelley Hennig talking a close round.

R2: Hailee lets Shelley come gliding in, apparently ready to return to her circle-and-punch tactics, but then the rookie boldly cuts Shelley off and plows into her with arms churning punches into Shelley’s midsection. Shelley struggling to get her defenses organized as Hailee just uses her legs to lean in and force Shelley back. Shelley tries to move around Hailee, but the rookie is cutting her off while maintaining pressure. Shelley then does a feint-to-the right, move to-the –left which allows her to get away from Hailee. Hailee looks irritated and quickly moves to regain control over Shelley, but his turns into a fierce, swirling battle at center ring as the two are constantly circling and constantly punching. Shelley working her way back into this round, but Hailee willing to take the incoming as long as she can smite Shelley’s body and head. They blaze away to the bell, in fact, the referee has to jump up in to separate them, asa the judges decide this one goes to Hailee (close).

R3: The young ladies must have gotten a taste for close-up action because they fall right back into this round. Really quite impressive to watch those straining legs trying to gain purchase for Shelley and Hailee’s punching. Punch rates rising rapidly with most of the banging going into those sweat drenched and heaving bodies. Late in the round Hailee gets banged under the chin by muscular Shelley uppercuts. Hailee’s body shuddering, but she stubbornly hangs in, forced to belabor Shelley’s breasts rather than her jaw. Then Shelley shifts to Hailee’s belly and sends her stumbling back all doubled up and gasping for air. Hailee darting away from Shelley’s pursuit and shows some decent evasion skills to get to the bell without further damage, but Shelley has won this around—but again it is close.

R4: Hailee and Shelley back to circling and string at one another. Hailee seems to be grasping this style of fighting as she darts in, smacks Shelley in a flurry and then pulls back before Shelley can strike back. Hailee really getting to Shelley’s head this round, now Shelley is the one getting her head swatted down against her shoulder. Shelley seems to grow more defensive as the punches keep landing and she does gradually get some success in blunting or  ducking Hailee’s punches, but she is not striking back nearly enough. Shelley has stabilized her situation as the round end, but it is no surprise to see Hailee smiling broadly even before it can be confirmed that she has one the round wide.

R5: Hailee moving in on Shelley once again, circling the bruised former beauty queen and whipping in the shots, Shelley hiding behind her jab at first, but then suddenly rolls forward and engages young actress in a furious leather exchange. Hailee’s right eyebrow suddenly dripping blood down her face and she is stumbling back in shock. Shelley swarms forward, but Hailee rallies and just POUNDS leather into Hennig belly driving Shelley up onto her toes and then sliding uppercuts up into Shelley’s chin. Shelley now the one driven back and Hailee flings an overhand smash to the mouth that has Shelley lower lips cut dripping crimson down her chin. Really intense action as Shelley grits her teeth and jabs back trying to halt Hailee’s advance. Hailee struck repeatedly in face (shot to the nose makes crowd groan, though Hailee quickly shakes it off) and finally Hailee slows down. Shelley and Hailee then circle and punch as each tries to recover. Bell ends a hard-fought round and the judges give it (close) to Hailee Steinfeld.

R6:  Lot of energy expended in R5 and the more knowledgeable in the crowd wonder if either fighter will have the energy to come back strongly in this round. Answer comes fairly quickly as Shelley Hennig comes charging out and slams into Hailee Steinfeld, just flinging her long-armed punches into Hailee’s belly, smiting the rookie just above the waistband of those sparkly red trunks. Hailee doubled over with a gurgling sound and trying to back away from Shelley’s leather, but the older fighter is not about to let her escape. Shelley just surging as she drives Hailee to the ropes and then bangs away in frenzied action. Hailee just shuddering and writhing under this bombardment. She has her gloves up around her head, but her body is wide open for Shelley to just pound from belly to breast and back with special attention to Hailee’s rib cage. Hailee finally thinks to clinch and this finally allows her break up Shelley’s momentum. Hailee then has to escape the ropes and she is able to jab her way free late in the round, but she’s lost this round wide and been left on trembling legs as she tries to get back to her stool after the bell.

R7: Hailee maintaining a strong defense this round as Shelley again tries to rush her at the opening. Jab is doing a good jab making Shelley pay for her aggression and some good footwork on Hailee’s part also making her a harder target to find. Shelley is determined though and by alternating her attacks at the head and body she starts confusing the battered rookie by sudden shifts in her pattern of attack. Hailee starting to back up, but then strikes with a quick flurry to the face. Now Shelley is the one recoiling from a shot to the nose (though no blood) and she gets her breasts banged up by Hailee’s follow-up uppercuts. Hailee then plants a couple of good deep hooks into Shelley’s midsection bringing the older fighter to a gasping halt. Late heroics seem to impress the judges as Hailee steals a round from Shelley, though it’s still close on the cards.

R8: Shelley comes right at Hailee, apparently determined to make up for letting the rookie get the better of her last round. Shelley striking hard, fast and often to Hailee’s belly. Hailee trying to brace herself and jab back, but Shelley has found her target and she is going at with increasing effort. Now Hailee slowly tipped forward by the repeated belly blows and this allows Shelley to bring rising uppercuts into Hailee’s  face. At first Hailee is able to keep her gloves up covering her face but Shelley crouching to her ankles and rising to force her rising right between the gloves. It takes time, Shelley has to back up and punch to the belly to get Hailee bend over for the thundering shots. Then, suddenly, a Shelley right forces it’s way in and connects with Hailee’s chin! Hailee jerks back from the impact and  Shelley smashes rights and lefts to the rookie’s unguarded jaws. Hailee spins around, those long legs get tangled up and she goes pitching into the ropes! Hailee slides down the ropes and lies in a heap under the bottom rope. The referee moves in for the count. Hailee struggles to rise, but her arms buckle from the attempt and she is sucking canvas as the count reaches  “….TEN!”
THE WINNER: SHELLEY HENNIG KO8!

After: Shelley Hennig smiling and waving to the crowd in true pageant boxing winning style. Also in winning pageant boxing style, she swoops in on a recovered Hailee Steinfeld and takes the rookie on her very first Walk of Shame. At first, Hailee seems too stunned by the KO to realize what’s going on, but as they complete the circuit, she realizes why Shelley’s arm is around her waist and why Shelley is waving with a beauty queen smile.

“How dare you!” Hailee splutters, trying to pull herself away.

“I knocked you out Hailee dear, that gives me the right to walk you if I so choose. I thought you said you watched the fights here?” Shelley mocks the mortified rookie.

“I fought you fair and square!” Hailee complains.

“You did, but I beat you fair and square. Let this be another lesson: don’t lose!”

Shelley releases her hold and Hailee, still spluttering with indignation turns to stomp off, but Shelley suddenly gives the rookie a hard slap on the butt of her red spangled shorts. Hailee lurches forward with a yelp and falls to her knees. By the time the infuriated rookie can get to her feet Shelley is out of sight.

“That was SO uncalled for!” Hailee complains to the press. “I’m NOT forgetting OR forgiving.”

“She can make all the threats she wants, she had that slap coming, she needed to wake up and stop whining. I hope we do meet again, if she acts like that again I may have to down her trunks and give her a spanking. Won’t she just LUV that!” Shelley said with a laugh. 

(Ms. Steinfeld’s reply is, we regret to report,  is unprintable, other than to say she strongly declares if anyone is spanked it will be Ms. Hennig.

Unfortunately the post-fight activities have somewhat overshadowed a very lively band and forth contest. Shelley Hennig may not have the experience level of  other young fighters, but she did have enough to gain her the victory. We think she might have been taking out some frustrations on Ms. Steinfield, who did show some promise in this bout and we think Shelley’s humiliation of her will serve as a great motivator for Hailee in future bouts.