Emma Watson vs. Selena Gomez
(Words: Front Street / Results: Lookout!)

BEFORE:

Watson and Gomez have been in the ring together once before, back in mid-2012, when both were in different stables. Emma was a member of Tech Unlimited, the second stable of her career. She's been through HISC since and is now a member of SIA. Gomez was in Bazz, two stables ago, having gone from there to Lookout! before being scooped up by LCA. And, all of that tells you something. Neither of these girls are newbies, though they're both still relatively young, Watson 27 and Gomez 25, and both have intriguing talent, though neither has yet been able to put it all together. Watson's in her ninth year of FCBA boxing and has never had a title shot. Gomez is in her eighth and has managed only one. Still. The talent is there. And, both fighters are looking to use tonight's contest as a springboard to the title picture.

"Look," says Emma, "I've handled her once before. And, yes, she's different and better now. But. So am I. As she's about to find out."

"Emma's going to go down in history as one of the most disappointing fighters ever," says Gomez. "She gets all this attention and people keep talking about her potential, but she's never won anything and she's never GOING to win anything. And, she's not going to win tonight."

ROUND ONE:

Gomez likely expecting an aggressive Watson like the one she saw five and a half years ago, but, not this time. Selena sets up with the jab, but Ems doesn't work forward. Instead, she remains at range and boxes with. And shows just how good she is at that. Watson's got that British style. She's got excellent hands and good feet. She knows what she's doing and she's technically very sound. Gomez a little different. She's more about movement. She's not circling, but turning. Looking to create angles. Set up right hands. She's able to do some of that, but not all that much of it. Instead, it's Emma who's calling the shots and getting most of the work done. Gomez not hurt, but she's getting out-fought and out-pointed from the opening seconds right to the bell. When it rings, the lovely Brit has claimed the points and leads 10-9.

ROUND TWO:

Gomey changes things up a little. Now, she wants middle distances. This forces Watson to move the feet more, give a little ground to keep the range she wants, and it changes the equation. Now, Gomez is able to get more work done. She's getting some body shots in, putting punches together. Emma's giving just about as well as she's getting, despite working on less favorable terms, but there's no question the adjustment is working for Gomez. After getting the worst of the first, she's right in the thick of things in the second. Work rate for both fighters is high. Lots of leather flying, and, while both girls are showing excellent defense and are able to block and slip a lot of it, plenty is getting through. Nobody's hurt, but, by the end of the round, everybody's been touched. A lot. And, it's close, but the cards show "Gomez", who evens things at 19.

ROUND THREE:

Selena a bit more aggressive now. She's working to back Watson up, get her onto the defensive, and it begins happening. American getting physical with the Brit, and Watson's not liking it a bit. Emma's corner shouting for her to hold her canvas, bang back, but, that's easier said than done. Gomez is now getting in her face, landing hard leather, and Watson's getting forced onto her back foot more and more. By the late stages of the round, Brit doing a lot of covering up, landing only in the counter, as Gomez really gets into rhythm. American's getting off lusty in the final 30 seconds, ringing Watson's bell with a good right hand that forces another cover up. Gomez responds with some nasty shots into the Brit's body before the bell finally rings. Gomez all smiles on the way back to the corner. She's grabbed it wide and leads 29-28.

ROUND FOUR:

Gomez stepping to again, getting physical, backing up Watson, GETTING ROCKED! Emma's had about enough of this and the Brit sets her feet and lands a short right hook that wobbles the American! Gomez staggered and ON COMES WATSON. Emma letting the hands go, battering Selena back into the ropes and beginning a clinical beatdown. Gomez in deep, deep trouble with plenty of round to go. She's leaning back in the ropes in a high guard, rolling with punches, trying to run clock. Corner shouting at her to counter, fearful the referee will step in. Selena begins doing so, but only in spots. Rest of the time, she's taking an absolute PASTING from Watson, who's throwing bombs from all directions, or, at least it might seem that way to Gomez. Still, Selena hangs on into the final seconds. Ref's watching closely, but the bell rings before he steps in. And, when it does, Watson's won it wide and evened things at 38.

ROUND FIVE:

Emma pressing her advantage early, backing up Selena with some hard shot, but the American's able to stabilize her front before too much damage is done. Gomez's legs may not be all the way back, but she's got enough in those gams to hold ground and fire back, and Watson isn't trying to get into a firefight. Instead, the Brit gives Gomez some space, gets back to range and gets her box on. Gomez willing to play by these rules, at least for the moment. She's not ready to get back to applying pressure, so, instead, she boxes with, and we get two-plus minutes of solid, two-way stuff. Watson still the slicker of the pair, but Gomez holds her own well, putting punches together and getting the odd hard shot home. In the end, though, it's Emma who's just a little better at this game, and, as a result, she grabs the points and takes the lead 48-47 at the half.

ROUND SIX:

Gomez a bit more aggressive now. Again, she wants middle distances. Watson willing to give a little ground to maintain space. Game of cat and mouse develops, with Selena angling forward and Emma using a drop step to circle away. Not a ton of leather being exchanged, but, both fighters are very effective when they're able to get to their spots, putting punches together, and getting leather on target. But, there's more movement than there is action, with both flyweights determined to fight on their terms and not those dictated by the other. For two and a half minutes, there's nothing in it. Then, Selena turns up the heat late. She crowds Emma, cuts her off, forces heavy exchanges. It's a dangerous game the Latina's playing, but, she manages to play it successfully. She gets the better of things down the stretch, and that's enough for her to narrowly claim the round and even the fight at 57.

ROUND SEVEN:

Back to cat and mouse, as both fighters jockey for position, Gomez angling forward, Watson working backward for space. Again, there's more movement than exchanges of leather, but the ladies are both slick and accurate with their punches, landing nice, clean shot when they're able to get off. Again, for nearly two minutes, there's not much in it, and, again, it's Gomez who decides to push the action at that point, crowding Watson, getting physical. And, again, it pays off. Selena lands a short left hook under the bust line that freezes the Brit in agony, then follows with a three-punch combination to the head and DOWN GOES WATSON! Emma crumples to her right side. Selena quickly to a neutral corner to watch and wait. Referee begins counting. Watson rolls to hands and knees, tries to push up several times but can't do it! It's OVER! Emma can't get off the deck and your winner by KO7 is Selena Gomez!

AFTER:

"It's just like I said," says a smiling Selena in the post-fight. "Emma gets all this attention, but she doesn't deserve it. She's not a top flyweight and she's never going to be. Which means that she's not in MY league. And, she's never GOING to be."