R1: Law off aggressively, getting off with stiff, tappin’ jabs to guard, putting forward pressure on Rhoda from the bell – Katrina quickly fighting inside, bobbin’, hoppin’, chuckin’ her lefts to the gut, gut, gut, clearly aiming to overwhelm Hilary via aggression/speed, take her legs out the game. Rhoda mostly a confused, sour fighter throughout stretches of first round…her back’s bended, her torso angled into stiff, dissonant positions, ramming her overhead counters past Kat’s skull. Law battles from her crouching stance, her legs wide apart, the weight put on left foot – she’s a-bumping, bumping Hilary via her left, throwing in punishing rights to Hilary’s core/ribs, testing Rhoda’s stamina versus the K-Law beef. Rhoda shut out, looking prim, rigid against Katrina’s swirling, catch-me-if-you-can pressure – Law happy, smiling at bell, her fast hands, weight of shot proving problematic for long, lanky Hilary in the first.

R2: Same strategy, different result – it’s just a couple of seconds into the round, but Hilary CLOUTS her foe a sudden, jerking right hand pulled in sideways, rushing into Law who’s comin’ in a-hoppin’, aggressive again – an unaware, unexpecting Katrina takes it on the mouth/cheek AND SHE’S WOBBLY-BUTT! Law probably mistaking Rhoda’s first round ineptitude as lack of danger, reveling in that hop, hop n’ punch style, never saw Rhoda rolling her thick, precise counter…and Hilary takes command! Rhoda choppin’ to Katrina’s body via stout lefts into mid-section, as Law shuuudders behind her peek-a-boo guard, slowly transported into ropeside positions – Rhoda makes good use of her height/reach there, really whippin’ her girl straights to the gut, hooks across her guard/skull, penetrating via greedy, searching rights. Law stabilizes by mid-round, falling more into clinches, taking time off the clock…she’s proving muscular ‘n thick in them body clinches, driving her right hand forward better, chuckin’ uppercuts under Hilary’s elbows/armpits up close and inside. Rhoda safeguards her round only later…waitin’ with her left, waitin’ for it, timin’ it thru the little space between Law’s gloves, putting the slack back into Katrina’s knees. Last minute sees Law checked from outside, looking big/powerful, but she’s getting punished, punched on her mouth by Hilary’s bendy jabwork when she ventures too close.

R3: Girls exchanging circular jabs mid-ring, one step forward, one step to the back – Katrina ducks/spins outta two of Hilary’s jerky tok-tok lefts, rising with her torso to hoist a ploppin’ left uppercut on her foe’s left temple, then trades two stagggggering right hands all the way from the side while Rhoda’s jab arm sails nowhere, boom! Boom! Rhoda aching, already groaning, staggering in result of the uppercut, but still attempts to protect herself…but she’s late with her right hand guard, allowing Kat’s second, harder right to connect with her right ear like a friggin’ sledgehammer…the sloshin’ impact blows Rhoda off her stance! Rhoda’s head literally gets pasted upward some inches…her eyes roll back, her torso collapsing backwards, corkscrewing down in a saggin’ knees pirouette! Hilary taking a HARD seat on her butt, her back propped up by leaning into the ropes, looking all but knocked the f’k out, her eyes welling up in confusion…but she ain’t finished! Rhoda rallies, shaking off the harm – she’s somehow able to rise…hop, hop, hoppin’ on her legs and…she beats the count! Hilary spends the next minutes like she’s on zombie legs…her body’s stiff, her eyes hard, suffering, as she’s clearly in a world of pain…K-Law props her up for rope-side beatdowns, reaching under her arms, going body via the stompin’ left, choppin’ her right into Hilary’s shivering guard, getting thru to mouth/jawbone on occasion. Rhoda actually reaches the bell, but she’s a ruined, decimated beauty staggering back to her corner, her eyes swelling, lips split, swathes of her face looking puffy…that’s what a Katrina Law knockdown of the year candidate, without the knockout, will do to you.

R4: No recovery in sight – Rhoda’s got her dukes up, but she’s getting beaten around the ring…Law smooth, confident, throwing her strong jab cadences…it doesn’t take her long to drive Hilary from the middle of the ring by way of her lanky, strong lefts pummeling Hilary upside the tits and on her arms/shoulders/collarbones. Rhoda still stiff, she’s tapping on her toes, shifting weight, leaning her back into ropes when pressed/cornered to swing out the pain from those WHACKING shots into her gut/ribs. Law takes her time: increasingly, she backs up a decimated Rhoda at the ropes more and more, bobbin’ her way inside aggressively, punishing Rhoda to the core via straight, lunge-out lefts and wide right uppercuts tossed from the side. Steady, drumbeat pummeling takes its toll on Hilary…a clobbering right hand chops into her lower jawline, two left hooks to solar-plexus have her gasping, grimacing in pain…she’s staring into the harm! Down the stretch…Hilary forcing tired, messy clinches late, her legs rickety, full of exhaustion…but she’s still functioning to a degree, not allowing Katrina to just punch her out, finally actually stopping further K-Law aggression via some vaguely counter-defending off-rope hooks late in the third minute, forcing Law into a more mid-ish range where her right can’t do as much damage.

R5: Law slowly gets into finishing mode…she wants this girl pounded out and away. Patterns remain the same: chop, chop, chop – it’s Katrina’s athletic left tappin’, throbbin’ her poke for Hilary’s torso/ribs, rushin’, shovin’ her girl into ropeside positions, all wobbly-butt again. Law still calm, patient, but she’s slowly getting annoyed, astonished by Rhoda’s robotic, resilient defense – Hilary’s still as leggy as she could be…despite getting bull-rushed to turnbuckle/ropes, she’s still bendy, moving her head, keeping a tight, alert guard…she seems to be clearly recovering despite Katrina’s constant pak-pak pressure. Third minute scene: Rhoda with her butt in ropes, veering that torso from side to side, her guard in earmuff position – Law in front of her in thick, broad-legged stance, aggressive, pushy via her tappin’, pumpin’ jab, but Katrina’s fast-movin’ hands just won’t get through past those mitts and her crippling body shots don’t seem to do as much damage any longer to Hilary’s firm, toned abs/ribs. Rhoda peek-a-boo, but alert…mid-third min, she senses Law’s frustration, erupting into straight, hard lefts to Kat’s solarplexus/tits at one point…and Law’s grimacing in pain, mouth breathing after another cruel, choppin’ hook into her ribs. Katrina’s startled, trying to create more range…but Hilary leans in already with her torso, stickin’ a harsh left on Law’s stunned, opened mouth! Kat’s legs start trippin’, her knees bending through queasy as she’s suddenly meeting competition…she’s shying away from Rhoda’s poke now…it’s not enough to steal the round, but it probably gets K-Law thinking, wondering on her way to corner although she’s dug a deep hole for Rhoda on the scorecards after five kickass rounds.

R6: Kat still pleased, confident, pumping early aggression with her left, while Rhoda steps out, trying to shun Law’s strong jab-work – but when Katrina attempts to weave her way close, Hilary’s firmly stiff-jabbing her to a halt, by now timing Law’s jab patterns more precisely, working to sneak in counters via straights and hooks. Law regroups, now paw-pawing forward with her right, looking to punch-shock Hilary back into compliance, but the instant she opens her guard, Rhoda steps ahead herself, triggering a timed right cross, bouncing off Katrina’s unprotected right cheekbone/jaw – Law’s wobbly-butt, looking confused there! Rhoda stays inside, burying two, three harsh straight lefts deep into Kat’s gut/ribs for good measure, tok-tok-tok, pressing forward with her weight…strong Law’s getting squeezed backward, making busy steps out of Rhoda’s poking range. Rhoda elects not to stalk Katrina too aggressively, staying in a wide-ish range, now controlling her foe via that lanky, pawing jab herself…she’s got Kat spooked a bit, the muscular brunette staying off outta her foe’s range. Girls circle each other – Hilary does lean in for some lunging, little jabs to solar-plexus, but usually keeps her right at guard, Katrina bobs, weaves, but she’s shut out by the taller, now-confident brunette, no longer penetrating with that natural dash, frustrated, bewildered by Hilary’s strong comeback – Rhoda returns to the scorecards!

R7: Kat perplexed at Hilary’s resilience, but striking out with heavier rat-a-tat jabs, rollin’ ‘em strongly from her shoulder to tits/neck/jaw – Rhoda, outside, hoppin’, her arms danglin’, plays a tall/rangy counter-offense, landing sideway punches pak-pak on Law’s hips/arms/lats. Kat ups the tempo, rolling into rhythm after first minute – chop, one jab catches Hilary in ugly fashion upside her eyes…chop, Hilary turns late for a sidearm punch turning into a straight little hook onto her teeth…chop, Kat lands a BUTCHERING right beneath Rhoda’s jawline…Hilary’s defenses break down under the pressure, as she’s stepping back in hasty little footsteps! Hilary’s back hits the turnbuckle…but once there, she abruptly triggers her own right hand into an off-rope counter, twitching it past Katrina’s left guard arm…she hooks Law upside her cheekbone, thunderstruck style! In a sudden flash, Kat’s eyes turn glassy from the impact, her knees loosening the stance, now punched onto her heels – Rhoda, still in the corner, feints a straight hard left…Law flinches, twisting her head left, walking into Hilary’s right hook in ugly fashion. Rhoda waited for her…she’s diving her torso into the punch, flattening K-Law’s right jawline! And Kat’s legs fold up! Law literally blown onto her heels by the impact, her arms flailing for support…she thuds down hard onto her back, her wide, broad back bouncing off the canvas in hideous fashion, her arms flopping overhead – seconds later, Kat’s opening her eyes with a look of bafflement, realizing she’s down on the ground, her right/left leg twitching alternatively as she’s trying to roll over her side to reach the ropes, but she collapses back down in mid-motion. Katrina’s still on her back when Hilary storms the ring after the count’s finished…hungry newcomer pounding out her foe in come-from-behind fashion, KO7 Hilary Rhoda!

After: Law carefully tended to on the canvas…proud brunette doesn’t seem to know what exactly just happened to her, but resignation does sink in after a bit. Rhoda makes sure her opponent’s all right, but she’s certainly celebrating relentlessly…K-Law’s probably her biggest scalp to date, and slowly, Kloss, Ferguson and her are clearly emerging as the frontrunners of the division’s new generation. “Katrina’s incredibly strong. After that third round punch, I thought I was done, too. But I could feel her becoming a bit complacent later, and I felt my power returning after a while, so I just went for it. I mean, this is the kind of monstrous KO punch everybody’s working towards in the division. Seeing her on the ground like that, all helpless, and thinking that it was me who did that – that’s just wow,” Hilary explains her experience tonight, “Everybody’s talking about Karlie these days, but I’m just as good as her.”