Before: An overflow crowd streams into the arena. This isn’t a title fight but the feeling is so similar, the celebrities are three deep around the ring, security is strong, steroid strong. There’s an intensity in the air as reporter Bartholomew White Shoe Alahandro Hay takes his seat in the first row next to Front Street’s boss, The Wiz, carefully working his way around the fight boss’ portable cooler. It’s been just about three years since these two sat in these very same seats to watch these very same fighters. The difference is that instead of a title being on the line, this night is about redemption and quite possibly a future for one of the fighters. 

It was the end of the year extravaganza, 2016, Cassie Scerbo was the FCBA flyweight champion. She was hitting it on all cylinders, quite possibly the best fighter in the league at the time. She had defended her title twice already and she had looked unstoppable in both fights. Her opponent that night was Anna Kendrick, like Cassie she had been fighting often and well over the years leading up to this fight. She had the experience and ability to stop Scerbo dead in her tracks but it just didn’t seem possible, the Bazz flyweight had looked that good leading up to the fight. The crowd intensity was electric and the fight itself was one of the best of the year. The eight round back and forth ended up with Anna taking out Cassie after both fighters had hit the deck during the battle. While the quality of the fight wasn’t that surprising considering the abilities of the fighters, what happened next was considered, well, shocking. Neither fighter got back on track. Scerbo was off to Europe to watch her boxing manager, Poindexter Del Crunchy coach the Scottish side in the Rugby World Cup. The multi month trip was the adventure of a lifetime yet it sidetracked Cassie and she had yet to find her way back to the kind of success she had been used too in the FCBA. Meanwhile Anna had some good fights but a combined record of 4 and 10 since that night, not exactly championship caliber. Tonight, for one of these fighters, the road back was just starting.
Anna looking taught in a white one piece with black boxing shoes and white gloves. Cassie in a Bazz black bikini, black boots and gloves. Both girls letting their hair go loose and tangly.

Rd 1 Each fighter makes a beeline for the other. Kendrick jabs, jabs and right hand roundhouse while Scerbo ducks forward jabs and right hand uppercut. There’s no need for a feeling out period, these two know each other well enough at this point. Scerbo backs off and readjusts, then she darts in scoring with a two punch combo delivered while Kendrick counters with a right hand to the side of Scerbo’s head. Kendrick tries to follow up chasing Cassie attempting to catch her with another right hand, but the speedy flyweight is too quick. Cassie darts back and to the right catching Anna with her own right hand as she goes by. Both fighters working at a frenetic pace. The crowd up and cheering loudly following the rapid fire punching. The two fighters dancing around each other looking for any sliver of an opening, and then engaging with quick two and three punch combinations as if this is the one and only round. This back and forth round ends with the two fighters locked in a scrum at center ring trying to throw some short punching in against the other.

Rd 2 Kendrick tries to step in on Scerbo right away, moving in and wheeling a buggywhip right hand that misses wide when fleet footed Cassie sensing danger steps off of her forward foot floating back like a ballerina and watching Anna’s bomb fly by. To make things worse for Anna, Cassie snaps a right hand catching her on the chin. Anna staggers forward and the crowd erupts. Cassie slips in and tags her with a quick jab and Kendrick covers up clearly affected by Scerbo’s last two punches. Cassie using her speed to cause more damage. She knocks Kendrick around with a flurry of jabs and ends the aggression with a perfectly timed buggywhip right hand to the right side torso. Anna one the run. She covers up against the ropes while Cassie takes full advantage. Having Cassie Scerbo on the attack is a lot like having the obnoxious cousin picking you out to verbally torture at the family reunion. It’s all poke, poke, slap, slap on the most relentless level and with her fitness and speed it never seems to end. Kendrick’s hair flies as Cassie scores repeatedly with shots to the head. The bell sounds with Cassie securely in charge in this round and The Wiz and his vaunted companion celebrating with another round of PBRs.

Rd 3 Anna stretching out and shaking her head to get back in the game while taking instructions from her corner is out in good shape. She takes her stance and squares off against the pesky Scerbo. Both girls start swinging with gusto. There’s not a lot of love between these two and it shows. Scerbo hopping in, trying to wreak havoc with some blurry jabs and get out. Meanwhile Kendrick working the body trying to slow down Cassie. Pace has quickly become furious with strategies breaking down and a toe to toe back and forth emerging. Crowd going wild. Scerbo tags Kendrick with a two punch combo to the head but Anna hangs in and gets Cassie with a quick right hand during a Scerbo retreat. The shot backs up Cassie to the ropes and Anna moves with a two punch combo to the body that doubles over Scerbo. With the shoe now on the other foot Anna goes to work slashing at Cassie with some very well timed punches. Scerbo covered up, bobbing and weaving trying to stay away from damaging Kendrick power. Anna scores with some hard work put into several two punch combinations. Round ends with Anna now the one in control.

Rd 4 Fighters each out with a roar. The back and forth is intense with rapid fire punches scoring more often than not. Anna working the body while Cassie goes up top. They’re toe to toe, hammer and tongs now. Scerbo jabbing and dancing, making it hard for Anna to score while Kendrick hunts down the jitterbugging Cassie. Anna side steps a Scerbo jab and scores with a right hand to the body. Scerbo hits back touching up Kendrick’s face with a peppering combination of jabs and a right hand. Anna doesn’t back down. She steps in with another right hand that tags Cassie’s left side. Speedy Bazz girl steps back. The back and forth is even until Kendrick reaches out with her right hand and catches Scerbo. The process repeats with Kendrick getting the better of the exchanges. Scerbo still moving quickly. She’s avoiding most of Kendricks’ assaults. Cassie skips in with a loaded jab. Suddenly Anna throws a change up launching a stiff left hand jab upstairs catching Scerbo in the face and DOWN GOES CASSIE! Cassie takes a seat and as quickly as she went down the pesky Bazz girl is up shaking her head in frustration. Scerbo gets caught with a smooth move from Kendrick and now has to wait out a standing eight count. The ref allows the action to continue. Scerbo covers up and goes defensive for the rest of the round allowing Kedrick to punch away while she cools out against the ropes. Anna takes her second decisive round in a row. Meanwhile anxiety rules in the front row with The Wiz hurriedly ordering a fresh ration of PBRs and snack treats from arena personnel with an agitated look on his face. Meanwhile one Bartholomew Reportage Alahandro Hay writes furiously on his I Pad. 

Rd 5 Scerbo has a look of shock on her face while she takes advice from Lis Rohm and some barbs from Poindexter Del Crunchy. Still by the time she’s off her stool for the round she looks good to go. Kendrick tries to stick Cassie with a right hand to the gut but misses wildly as the Bazz girl does an ole allowing the mitt to whistle by harmlessly. Anna still aggressive knowing that she has an advantage that has to be pressed. She’s chasing Cassie around the ring while Scerbo deftly retreats on her bicycle throwing jabs and rights when an opening pops up. Anna steps up, left leg planted and throws a right to Cassie’s noggin missing again. Scerbo seems content to stick and move while Anna is looking more and more desperate to land another knock out punch. Still she’s not panicking. She’s able to nick up Cassie with some nicely timed combinations. Anna steps in again this time throwing a stiff straight arm jab that knocks Scerbo’s head back. Crowd on its feet again as Scerbo retreats and Anna moves forward. The round ends with Kendrick winning a tight one. Fire alarms are no longer sounding in the front row but The Wiz’ arms are folded in front of him, a less than placid look on his face. 

Rd 6 Both fighters out with Scerbo jitterbugging her way into Kendirck’s grill with an effective combination, catching her on the chin with a right. Anna steps in but before she can load up a jab she catches more abuse from the Bazz fighter who throws a back footed right hand that smacks Kendrick on the jaw. Crowd on its feet once again aware that Cassie Scerbo may be stepping back into this brawl. Anna moves to her right and drags a left hand across Scerbo’s face. Scerbo counters with a right hand buggywhip that follows Anna and catches her on the left side of her torso. Kendrick tries to come back with another jab but Scerbo is already gone stepping back and then just as quickly stepping back in and hitting up Anna with a two punch combination to the torso. Anna initiates a clinch but Cassie pulls away slithering out and turning away from Kendrick to escape. The remainder of the round turns into a chase scene with Anna stepping up to tag Scerbo but for the most part finding that she just can’t pull the trigger. Scerbo, meanwhile, has used her retreats to punch off her back foot, catching Anna repeatedly with jabs to the face. The bell sounds with Scerbo taking a close round but more importantly getting back on track against an incredibly efficient Anna Kendrick.

Rd 7 Scerbo skips out as if she’s on her way to school. She smokes out a couple of jabs catching Anna to the head stunning her. Kendrick backs down and quickly recovers stepping back in and landing a buggywhip of her own to the lower torso. Cassie takes the punch and skips to her left getting an angle on Anna and landing a jab and catching her on the arm with a strong right hand. Anna keeps up the pressure throwing a combination to the head that barely grazes Scerbo. Both girls toe to toe now. Punches flying at a pace only matched by The Wiz’ and Smackey’s PBR consumption. Scerbo bobbing and weaving looking smooth avoiding Anna’s punching flurry. Suddenly Cassie loads up and throws a straight arm jab that catches Kendrick flush on the chin and follows with a right hand and DOWN GOES ANNA! The first punch stuns Anna Kendirck but the second, a right hand cross also catches her on the chin and turns her completely around where she flops down on the canvas with her arms by her side. Anna’s first chance to look up at the ref comes at the count of eight and she just can’t get up by ten. IT’S A ROUND 7 KO FOR CASSIE SCERBO!

After: Cassie prancing around her corner like the cock of the walk giving both Pointy and Lis Rohm high fives and then pointing to both The Wiz and one Bartholomew Smackaroonie El Toonie Alahandro Hay which turns into a thumbs up. “I just feel so good about this one.” Cassie regales to the press. “I mean to say that Anna is a tough out is an understatement and, well, you know the history. I think that getting this monkey off of my back is huge. Now I can back to the business of chasing that belt. It’s where I should be hanging my hat, so to speak!” Cassie gives a look to Anna Kendrick who is despondent sitting on her stool in her corner, her head in her hands. The plucky Bazz flyweight heads over to Anna and leans against the ropes next to her. The two of them talk while the press looks on, not daring to break into the conversation, as the two former champions commiserate about their futures in what has become a very tough division where one of them has a leg up on things, at least for this fight.