Willa Holland vs. Elodie Frege
(Words: Front Street / Results: Lookout!)

BEFORE:

Two girls with opposite beginnings in the FCBA. Frege debuted without a lot of fanfare, was dismissed after a rough beginning as a no-power, no-chin tomato can, and fought her way to respectability by claiming scalps like Alba and Pressly. There was plenty of fanfare for Holland, who was seen as an elite prospect in a lot of circles, but has yet to live up to the billing. Both fighters, though, are plenty confident of victory on the beach this night.

"She is talented," Elodie admits with a nod. "But, I have beaten better fighters than Willa Holland. And, Willa Holland has never beaten a fighter as good as me."

"I know all about her," says The Thrilla with a smile. "She'll do that poor man's Britney stuff. Well. It won't work. Not tonight."

ROUND ONE:

It works. Elodie, who can play the slick boxer out in the middle of the ring or fight from the pocket is not going to try to work the feet and the angles in the unfamiliar sand. Instead, Frege goes right to the ropes and invites Willa in. Like the spider invites the fly. Holland, though, plenty careful. She's no longer a rookie, and, in fact, is approaching that magic twenty fight mark. She's learned some things, and she shows off some of that knowledge now. She's not winging away at the French beauty. Instead, she's working patiently to break down her defenses. But. Frege is nothing if not slick in the pocket. The movements sometimes don't look like much. They're all subtle, sometimes barely noticeable. But. They add up. Willa can't get the range or the angles down. When she isn't getting punches picked off, she's barely missing. And Elodie's scoring in teh counter.  The 2014 Willa may have gotten frustrated. But. The 2016 Ms. Holland just keeps working to the bell. It's Frege, though, who claims the round and the 10-9 lead.

ROUND TWO:

Willa having a bit more success now. She's finding some openings, though not many, in the pocket defense of the Frenchwoman. Frege all about the counter, of course, and she's having just as much sucess there as she did in the first. As the round goes on, though, Willa makes up the stagger. She does it with a lot of body work. Instead of trying to find Elodie's constantly moving, well-protected head, Holland works the abs, the flanks, the ribs. Elodie takes the punishment and fires back, but it's clear Holland's found something she likes, and she's sticking with it. She even changes her level, going into a half crouch to make Frege's counters harder to land and allow easier access to the Elodie's body, into which she's now making a serious investment. By the time the bell rings, it's close on the cards, but, it's The Thrilla who comes out on top, evening things at 19.

ROUND THREE:

Holland right back in that half crouch. She's bound and determined to tenderize French flesh now, working hooks with both hands. Elodie still looking to counter, but now has fewer opportunities. Turns out, she only needs one. Because, Frege has a hook of her own. A brilliant short right that catches Willa ducking, straightens her up, and sends her wobbling backward and nearly falling to her rump in the sand. Up to this point, the entire fight has taken place on the ropes, but, that all changes in an instant. Elodie is after Holland in a major way, battering her back across the sand, and now we have an exact inverse of what we've been seeing for two rounds. Now, it's Willa on the cables covering up and Elodie on the offensive. But, Frege isn't trying to break down Holland's defenses, she's trying to finish, and coming quite close to doing it, too. Referee spends the rest of the round looking in closely, but Willa survives. Elodie claims the points wide, though, and leads again, 29-28.
       
ROUND FOUR:

Frege coming forward to start the fourth. She's looking to press her advantage. Holland giving ground, has enough leg back to circle so as not to be driven right against the ropes, but, she's in retreat and Elodie is slowly working her back to the cables. Holland trying to get space with the jab, but the Frenchwoman not having it. She's sensing victory now, sitting down her on her punches, looking for the opportunity to throw in the reserves and finish the American. BOOM! DOWN GOES FREGE! It's a blistering, perfectly-placed right hand counter from Holland and the Frenchwoman crashes to her back in the sand! Frege looks up, stunned at the referee as he begins to count. She shows all the signs of being finished, but, not quite. She rolls to hands and knees at seven and is up at nine. And. After the mandatory. On. Comes. Willa! Holland now all in, reefing everything she has at Frege, trapping her on the ropes and giving her a beating. Elodie as slick as she can be in the defense, but she's hurt and taking heavy fire. For the second round in a row, the referee is looking in closely, but Frege makes the bell. Holland, though, has claimed the lead 38-27 via the knockdown.

ROUND FIVE: 

Holland across the ring with a purpose. The Thrilla looking to make quick work of Elodie now. Frege backed to the ropes immediately, again making with her pocket defense, now not out of desire, but out of necessity. Holland no longer the careful, tactical Willa of the early rounds. Now she IS winging away at Elodie, tossing everything but the kitchen sink at the French girl, not sweating her counters, which now lack power because of the still-unsteady legs. Holland beings piling up the leather almost immediately, wobbling Frege repeatedly with hard right hands. Elodie game, hanging on desperately, trying to clinch, anything to slow Willa down. But. Nothing works. Holland just keeps hammering away, rocking Frege repeatedly. And, slowly, Elodie's counters ebb and finally stop. She's now just against the ropes with her hands up, taking shot after shot, legs shaking, barely able to stay on her feet. And. It's. OVER! The referee has seen enough. He leaps between the fighters at the one minute mark and bundles Frege to safety! And your winner by TKO5 is Willa "The Thrilla" Holland!

AFTER: 

Willa all smiles in the post-fight. It's beginning to look like coming together for the lovely brunette and she's feeling that as much as anyone. "I knew I had her," the Thrilla says, "When I caught her with that right hand. A couple of years ago, I might not have been able to finish. But, now, once I get you in trouble, you're toast. In this case, French toast!"