Claire: 29 YO, 5’6 ½ (1.69 m) 19-9-0, 13 KO since 2012, Odds ‘n Ends Fight School
Shay: 30 YO), 5’7 ½ (1.71 m), 21-18-0, 19 KO since 2011, Foxfire Boxing)

Before: “We’ve had 3 fights (so far),” Shay Mitchell points out in the pre-fight. “Claire has won 2 of them. I’ve won 1. I see this fight as the way of evening things up again. I’ve always thought Claire had a lot of potential and she has been Bantam Champion, but then, so have I, and I welcome this has the opportunity to prove I am better than Claire Holt.”

“You know, Shay, working on your show was my first job when I landed here in the States,” Claire Holt says. “I must say enjoyed our backstage sparring sessions—especially since you really couldn’t keep up with me except when I went easy on you.”

Red flares in Shay’s olive-skinned cheeks: “I was the one going easy on you! I didn’t want to make your arrival from Australia too traumatic. So I gave you a break.”

“And that’s why beat you when ‘The Vampire Diaries’ girls took on you and your PLL sisters? Please! I was just better than you were then and then I knocked you out on the beach the very next year in 2014.”

“But then I knocked you out in 2016,” Shay said. “And I’ll take you down again this year!”

Claire makes a face: “You tell yourself that, Shay Mitchell, but it’s not doing to happen that way. You are going down to me for the 3rd time and I will love it!”

Clenched fists, burning glares and heaving chests against tight white tees brings the Claire/Shay presser to a sudden end. Come the day of the showdown, it happens that this fight will be the last on the mini-card and tensions seem to be rising. Shay and Claire both seem tense and show uncharacteristic nervousness as they enter the ring. Shay is in an electric blue one piece with a deep v neckline. She has black gloves and boots with electric blue laces. A similar blue ribbon secures her pulled back hair. Claire is in a black bikini with white gloves and boots (black laces). Blonde hair is in a ponytail. The two are moving a lot during the ring instructions and referee has to work to keep things steady. Finally, they are back in their corners, jogging in place until the bell sounds and head out into the ring…

R1: Claire moving quickly and popping Shay to the head. Claire then does a quick reverse and pops Shay to the head from a fresh angle. Shay forced to cover up to protect her head, but Claire just as quick to send hooks into Shay’s midsection and then into her breasts. Shay struggling to organize her defenses is finally able to deploy her jab in the final minute to slow Claire down and avoid a shutout, but Claire has clearly won the first round as the bell sounds.

R2: Shay buckling down as the second stanza gets going. She slows Claire’s fancy footwork down by striking first with a mean right uppercut to the chin and finishing left hook off the blonde’s jaw. Claire on her feet, but stunned as Shay goes to the body with a flurry of shots. Claire gets her belly and breasts worked over, but then she fires a right over the lunging Shay’s gloves and bangs the brunette hard between the eyes, Shay’s head knocked back and Claire swivels her opponent’s head with a muscular right to the jaw. Now its Shay looking dazed and Claire closes in to apply more hurt. However Shay fights back and the two go at it at close range with short, jerking punches into each other’s body (with extra attention paid to jugg banging, it would seem), Claire hangs in at first, but then finally falls back behind a defiant jab. Shay banged up as much as Claire, but judges rule she has edged the blonde out and has won the round.

R3: Claire and Shay went straight for each other as the new round opened and seemed to take turns knocking each other back with clouting rights and lefts to the head. They then moved in closer and resumed the toe to toe body attacks of the previous round. The ribcage came over added attack this round from both fighters, but the favorite targets were the belly and chests. It stayed very even until Claire seemed to be able to set her feet more effectively to sink her belly shots in deeper, Shay was knocked forward and then had rising uppercuts crash into her high guard. Shay backed off and used her jab, but Claire now began to use that shifting footwork to bang Shay’s jaw. Shay dropped back again and Claire pursued. Shay jabbed back defensively, but Claire kept up the attack to ensure a close, but definite round for her side of the judges’ cards.

R4: Shay comes out with determination this round—and some unexpected moves of her own. Claire is caught off guard again and again as Shay smacks her hard about the head. Claire falling back with gloves up around her head and Shay goes to town on Claire’s body with a impressively methodical attack on belly, ribs, and breasts, then back to the belly. Claire jabbing back but the counters are not keeping Shay back. Shay then working on getting Claire to the ropes. Claire fighting a stubborn defensive delaying action manages to stay off the strands to the bell, but Shay wins this round wide.

R5: Shay starts out with the feints, but Claire is doing a better job of blocking Shay’s attacks. Shay quickly shifts to a straight-ahead attack on Claire’s torso. Claire taking it again and again in the belly and she is starting to have trouble keeping air in her lungs, especially when Shay starts driving straight rights and lefts into her breast line. Claire shuddering under this attack, but trying to protect her head. Then Shay gets nasty series of rights hooks into Claire’s belly AND DOWN GOES CLAIRE HOLT! Claire falling her knees, right arm across her belly, leaning on the left arm with her left hand on the canvas. Shay stepping quickly to the neutral corner. Nina Dobrev at ringside screaming: “GET UP! GET UP! YOU CAN’T LOSE TO HER!” Claire gives a groan of effort and staggers to her feet, then steadies herself. She’s beaten the count and the fight resumes. Claire panting hard but with a burning look in her eyes and she battles back as Shay comes back at her. Shay kept at bay and takes a bell-ringer off the side of the head as the round ends. Shay looking dazed but that knockdown ensures she’s won the round.
“I’m beating you yet!” Claire says in low voice.
“You talk too much,” Shay mutters and turns away in no mood to debate.
Claire glares at her opponent then turns away.

R6: Claire gets a pep talk (or something like it ) from a finger-waving Nina Dobrev. Claire looking fired up but whether it’s at Nina or Shay is hard to say. In any case, Claire comes off her stool banging her gloves together ready to punch someone—and that can only be the incoming Shay Mitchell. Shay actually looking a bit slow as she comes out with round—she must still be feeling that bellringer she got late in R5. Claire quickly after Shay’s head with round and she quickly has Shay hunched up behind her high guard. Claire then goes to the body and really brings the punches crashing in with extra power as she again sets her feet for additional power. Shay getting driven up onto her toes and being back up. Shay trying to counter, but Claire smothering the jab for much of the round. Then Claire steps back and the frustrated Shay lunges after her. Big mistake. Shay’s high defensives go down and Claire brings a crashing right uppercut into Shay’s chin. Shay’s upper body knocked back as her knees buckle. SHAY FALLS TO HER KNEES! Shay tips forward onto her hands, leaving her crouching, breathing hard as she shakes her head in a desperate effort to regain her senses. Claire off to the neutral corner and referee is counting. Shay gets off her knees and then finally pulls herself erect. Referee checks her out then waves Claire back in. Shay just covering up and letting Claire attack with only a few jabs thrown back at her. Bell sounds. Claire steps back, puts her hands on hips and studies the clearly rocked Shay. Shay looking at the blonde with a blank look turns away and Claire smiles happily as she heads for won corner.

R7: Shay very slow coming off her stool, but she does have her gloves up protectively as Claire tries to swarm her at the outset. Claire firing away at head and body. Shay having trouble keeping up with the rapid-fire and ever-shifting punching storm. Claire swinging away with increasing freedom as she is getting very little counter punching from the closed-up Shay. Claire then works to steer Shay back into the ropes. Shay finds her escape routes cut and body punches driving her to the strands. Shay then goes face in gloves and takes a seat on the ropes. Nina Dobrev seen (and heard) leading the cry of “FINISH HER! FINISH HER!” Claire trying, but she’s not able to buckle Shay’s stems. The sturdy legs allow Shay to make it to the bell, but it is a shutout round for Claire. Claire tries to get in Shay’s face: “YOU AFRAID TO FIGHT ME NOW?” Shay comes alive and shoves Claire back into the ropes. Referee jumps in with stern warnings to both fighters and this restores order.

R8: Shay again slow coming out for this round and Claire comes charging in ready to blitz her. Then, just as Claire comes into punching range, Shay erupts and blasts Claire in the jaw with a leaping right cross and a follow-up left hook. The ol’ one-two does it again as Claire goes reeling back on suddenly rubbery legs. Shay with a look of vengeance on her face, swarms in behind a barrage of face punches that carves up Claire’s face before she can get her mitts up. Claire in full retreat, trying to get distance from Shay who proves relentless in pursuit. Looks like Shay was using R7 as something of a rest period because she now has her second wind and Claire is being backed up to the ropes. Claire clinches again and again to break up the attack, but Shay not slowing down as she finally gets Claire pinned against the ropes. Shay banging hard at Claire’s midsection as Claire protects her head. Shay scores a lot of points to win a shutout win, but Claire is still standing at the bell.
“You couldn’t finish me! You never will!” Claire snarls into Shay’s face.
“You still talk too much,” Shay snaps and marches away.

R9: Claire seems to throw off the shelling she suffered in R8 during the break and comes out reasonably quickly in R9. Shay sees this and approaches with some caution. Claire and Shay circle each other as they exchange punches. Then they close in and it’s another toe-to-toe battle of the body bangers. Both fighters starting to grimace and pant as they fire away, but this is the only evidence of fatigue try to beat the other down with the steady pounding of their body punches. Claire then starts circling again and surprised Shay with quick bouncing shots off her head. Shay’s legs shake, but she jabs back. Claire evasive to Shay’s counters and pops back in with quick shots to the cheekbones, then pulls back before Shay’s counters connect. It’s small stuff, but the judges like it and after the bell they give the round to Claire.

R10: Claire and Shay sense the fight is very close and attack with renewed determination to get the win. Fight full of movement, which seems a bit of surprise considering it is late in a grueling fight, but the two fighters seem willing to do whatever it takes to win this thing. Claire still getting to Shay’s head with enough punches to distract the brunette, but then Shay sinks more hooks into Claire’s belly. The shock waves seem to go down Claire’s legs and slow down her attack. Then as the minutes tick by, Shay charges in and battles Claire at close range. Claire being pushed back by the sheer power of Shay’s punching as she now is the one setting her feet to add power to her leather. Claire jabbing back, trying to stop Shay, but it is only slowing the brunette down. Goes down to the wire, but Shay emerges with a close won round!
But who has won the fight? Judges tally and re-tally their cards and it is announced: “THIS FIGHT IS A DRAW!”

“NOOOOOOO!!!!!” Shay and Claire cry out together.
“I am not settling for a frickin’ tie!” Shay declares.
“No way this was a tie” Claire starts insisting. “I clearly dominate her!”
“You did not!” Shay declares with equal insistence.
Things don’t get any cooler when Troian Bellisario climbs into the ring to take Shay’s side. Nina Dobrev quickly comes in for Team World and the other members of the squad seem likely to follow.
Then FCBA Officials rush to the ring. They quickly confer with both sides and announce: “Both fighters agree to Extra Rounds—KO Only.” Crowd cheers, but it takes a few minutes to clear the ring and get the two fighters ready to continue. Then the bell finally rings and we are in EXTRA ROUNDS--SUDDEN KO RULES!”

R11: It’s not easy to resume fighting after a delay especially after such an exhausting bout, so it is no surprise that the 11th stanza gets off to a slow, cautious start. Shay and Claire move around each other, exchanging exploratory punches and seeming to work on re-establishing their fighting rhythm. Then Shay moves in striking at Claire’s body as they get close. Claire taking the punches, countering with body shots of her own, but waiting patiently and finally she gets an uppercut into Shay’s chin. Shay shuddering and falling back, though she quickly stops and starts jabbing. Claire now showing her footwork again and she is able to pop Shay in the head with some solid shots. Shay striking back to the belly brings Claire’s attack to a halt and the two of them then jab away to the bell. Claire emerges with a narrow win, but she is vexed to see Shay smirking at her, still standing.

R12: Shay Mitchell is feeling the pressure and decides she’s just bring the pressure to Claire Holt. Shay goes right at Claire just trying to batter her way through Claire’s defenses. Claire jabbing, but it’s not forcing Shay back. Shay hanging in and working Claire’s body with determined punching that making Claire shake with each impact. Claire fought on as she sensed Shay trying to cut her off and drive her to the ropes. Claire fought desperately to avoid this fate, but Shay kept trying to the bell. Now it is Shay with a narrow points win and Claire giving her a defiant look before the referee steered them back to their corners.

R13: Claire now on the attack at the start of the round as she struck at Shay’s body with her hooks. Shay grunting from the blows, but then using her jab to drive leather into Claire’s lumped up face. These attacks made Claire try shift her feet and go at Shay from unexpected directions, but she was no longer moving as nimbly as earlier and Shay was keeping up with her. Then Shay stunned Claire with sudden smashing right to the jaw and a digging hook to the belly. Claire backed up but her legs were no longer steady and Shay unleashed her one-two combination to the blonde’s suddenly open chin. Claire was thrown back into the ropes, bounced off—right into a crushing Shay Mitchell right to the jaw. Claire’s head swiveled, came back and then she toppled forward, hands falling to her sides as she crashed into the canvas! Shay jumped back as Claire fell passed her and then she scampered to the neutral corner. The referee moved in and Claire was moving, trying to push herself up off the canvas, but at “SEVEN!” her elbows buckled and she was resting with her cheek against the canvas as the rest of the count went on:
“EIGHT!...NINE!...TEN!...YOU’RE OUT!!!!”
THE WINNER: SHAY MITCHELL DEFEATS CLAIRE HOLT KO13!

After: Shay Mitchell sagged wearily against the turnbuckle of the neutral corner until her teammates held by Troian Bellisario rushed out to surround her. They were all there Troi, Lucy Hale, Ashley Benson, Janel Parrish, Sasha Pieterse, Vanessa Ray and Torrey DeVitto.

“Oh, I am SO happy I could win! This was a great night and a wonderful way to mark the ending of our show!”

“GET OFF IT MITCHELL! YOU ONLY WON BECAUSE OF THOSE EXTRA ROUNDS” It was the angry, sneering voice of Nina Dobrev.

Team PLL looked up to see Nina with Team PLL Buster behind her: Demi Lovato, Vanessa Hudgens, Kira Kosarin, Olivia Munn and Hunter King. Behind them and leaning against AJ Lee was a groggy, but clearly unhappy Claire Holt.

“I realize that expecting you to be a good loser, Nina, was too much,” Troian said sarcastically. “but now you are embarrassing the rest of your team.”

“I am not a loser!” Nina snapped. “Isn’t that right, Ashley? How’d you enjoy my boobies?”

“Get lost, Nina, this is over!” Ashley fired back.

“On a technicality!” Nina insisted.

“You agreed to it!” Troian pointed out with heart. “Don’t come crying to us because it didn’t work!”
“YEAH! COOL OFF DOBREV!” A voice cried and suddenly a bucket of ice water was thrown over Nina Dobrev.

Nina let out a shriek and everyone turned see it was Danielle Campbell. “That’s what you get for abusing Ashley!”

Nina leaped onto Danielle and dragged her to the canvas. Lucy and Ashley sprang forward to drag the enraged Nina off DC. It was at this point that the other members of the two teams threw themselves at each other. Some seeking to confirm a victory others to get an impromptu rematch.

Vanessa Hudgens pounced on Lucy Hale trying to drag her off Nina Dobrev. Olivia Munn moved to block Troian from going to Lucy’s assistance which, of course, quickly became a shoving match. Torrey DeVitto and Vanessa Ray made beelines for Hunter King and Kira Kosarin. Janel shot passed Shay Mitchell to go for AJ Lee. When Claire Holt grabbed Janel by the hair, Shay hurried over only have AJ Lee and Ckaire throw Janel into her.

The fighting rapidly drew more intense as Nina pushed Danielle out of the ring and then leaped down on her. Ashley Benson dove after her and presently she and Danielle hurled Nina back into the ring. By now Troian and Olivia were trying to throw each other to the canvas—but then they both stumbled over Vanessa wrestling with Lucy and came down on top of them.

AJ Lee and Claire Holt were grappling with Shay and Janel. Nearby Kira and Hunter were engaged in a slapfight with Torrey and Vanessa. Then AJ and Claire, still locked up Shay and Janel slammed into them and a very confused 8-woman scrum broke out.

FCBA Security rushed to the ring in time to prevent reinforcements from the various stables involved from entering the fray, but by the time they actually got into the ring, most of those involved had been stripped to their bras and panties (Shay and Claire, were, course, still in their ring attire, though even these were tattered and torn). It took some time to clear the ring and the resulting videos were (no surprise!) a social media sensation. Though the blame for what happened was never established, it could not be denied that the Pretty Little Liars Grand Finale Card was one that would not soon be forgotten…