BEFORE:

"Seemed like people," says Halston with a shake of the head, "Were finally getting the idea that I can fight after I gave Benson and Lynch all they wanted. But, then? The phone stopped ringing. Well. Wiz called. And, here I am. And, THIS time, I'm going to make so much noise I CAN'T be ignored."

"Oh, she's going to make some noise alright," says Sophie with a smile. "When her body hits the canvas."

ROUND ONE:

O'Dell: "Back at ringside and that's 'Just Can't Get Enough' by Depeche Mode, and here comes the lovely Halston Sage..."

McCarthy: "AND, why not start with a Typical Dancing Hooker Opponent, who has NO FCBA wins!"

Cassie: "Sage debuted at Asylum back in 2018 and got a pair of fights last year..."

Tess: "Still just 28. Get a win here, and, who knows?"

O'Dell: "Halston into the ring and helped off with the robe, and the crowd LOVING Ms. Sage in that frilled tangerine number she's wearing. And, that's 'Hotter Than Hell' by Dua Lipa you hear pounding through the arena, and that can only mean that 'Sultry' Sophie Mudd is on her way to the ring."

Cassie: "Sophie looking to continue moving up in the rankings and to, eventually, break through into the top echelon of bantams with Chloe, Kat, and Lili..."

Tess: "Which means she definitely wants to get a result tonight."

O'Dell: "Mudd into the ring and helped off with the robe by Jewel and Neve to reveal that Egyptian blue number she likes...and the crowd seems to like even more..."

McCarthy: "If I ever get up there, I'll blow the LID off the place..."

O'Dell: "Aaannndddd the ladies are about ready. Time for some picks. Tess likes Sophie. Mac?"

McCarthy: "NO FCBA wins. Mudd."

O'Dell: "Cassie?"

Cassie: "I agree with Tess!"

O'Dell: "Unanimous in the first and the blonde getting right to work with that jab. As we've seen, Sage likes to work at range, move the feet, get the jab on, follow with right hands. Mudd can play that game, but she prefers to get physical, work the body, bring all that power to bear..."

Tess: "But, not able to do that at the moment. Sage getting the terms she wants..."

O'Dell: "Definitely is. Sophie maybe pressing the issue a bit too much. She's taking a lot of fire in an effort to get inside, and in vain, because the blonde is enforcing distance at the moment. She's got everything working right now, and she's piling up the points on the brunette..."

Cassie: "This is good stuff from Sage. Really good stuff."

O'Dell: "And, it's getting better as the round goes on. Mudd ALL out of sorts right now, getting a little sloppy, missing on punches, all while the blonde continues to control things with that accurate left hand. Five seconds to go. Another good combination from Halston and there's the bell. Sage. Wide."

McCarthy: "Good start for the kid. Maybe she'll send this Dancing Hooker packing!"

ROUND TWO:

O'Dell: "Sage right back to work. It's all about that sharp, accurate left hand. She's getting it on target again and again, stopping Mudd with it, holding her in place for follow on right hands. Sophie trying to find ways around or through, but Sage's defenses holding strong..."

McCarthy: "I'm starting to see why this kid's phone stopped ringing..."

O'Dell: "She's definitely showing plenty right now. Meanwhile, Mudd is taking a licking. She's still ticking, but she's getting the short end of every exchange here, as Sage controls the fight with her feet and her left hand. GOOD combination, Halston right there and that stops Sophie in her tracks."

Cassie: "Sage not doing any dancing or anything, but, she moves well and effectively."

O'Dell: "Definitely has the geometry working in her favor as we head into the final seconds of the second round. Mudd's landing a good shot or three, but it's been almost all Halston all the time, just like in the first. There's the bell, and, for the second straight round, there's no doubt about it. Sage. Wide."

Tess: "And, Halston pulls into a 20-18 lead."

ROUND THREE:

O'Dell: "Pattern repeating in the third. It's Sage working at range, getting the jab on, moving the feet. Mudd trying to get inside and having very little success doing so. She's getting past the jab here and there, working a little body, but Sage quickly moving the feet, restoring the geometry she wants..."

Cassie: "Sophie just needs to slow things down a little. She's pressing too hard."

O'Dell: "Mudd forward. Bangs the ribs and midsection. Sage tying up. Sophie levers and ROCKS HER WITH A RIGHT HOOK! Halston stumbles and GETS DROPPED WITH A STRAIGHT RIGHT! Blonde girl DOWN after a demonstration of that above-weight power we mentioned earlier..."

Tess: "That might do it..."

O'Dell: "Sophie to a neutral corner. Count at three. Four. Five. Sage sits up at six. Seven. Eight. Halston to her feet. Ref gives her the mandatory and waives on Sophie! Mudd winging away now, looking to put an end to this thing. Blonde backed to the ropes. Twenty seconds to go. Halston rolling with, blocking, working clock. Five seconds. Good right from Mudd, but there's the bell. Sophie takes it 10-8, but the blonde lives to fight another day."

McCarthy: "And, we're even at 28."

ROUND FOUR:

O'Dell: "Fourth begins with Mudd pressing forward, backing up the blonde. Sage willing to give ground, play defense, work some clock as she waits for the legs to come all the way back. Sophie, of course, wants to make hay before that happens. Good right from Mudd and a BIG COUNTER FROM HALSTON HURTS SOPHIE!"

McCarthy: "PERFECT keyhole counter! I might SIGN this kid TONIGHT!"

O'Dell: "Now it's SAGE who's all in, driving Mudd backward and DROPPING HER WITH A SHORT RIGHT! Sophie spilled to her back. This crowd going absolutely nuts as Sage moves to a neutral corner. Count at three. Four. Five. Six. Mudd to hands and knees. Seven. Eight. Sophie pushes to her feet in time to beat it..."

Cassie: "And Sage can barely restrain herself during the mandatory..."

O'Dell: "Ref finishes that up and waives on the blonde. Halston letting the hands go in a big way, pummeling the brunette back into the ropes. Mudd in the tight earmuff, hanging on, jabbing back here and there, trying to hold off the ref, who's on high alert. Ten seconds to go. Nice right from Sage. Five seconds. Mudd going to hang on. There's the bell. Huge round for Halston!"

Tess: "And, Sage back to the two-point lead, 38-36."

ROUND FIVE:

O'Dell: "Halston backing up the brunette as we start the fifth. Sage effecting the cleanup, looking for an opportunity to end things. Mudd playing D, keeping the guard high, giving ground, jabbing here and there, but that's about it. She's wobbly and the blonde knows it..."

McCarthy: "But, the kid playing it smart. Not taking unnecessary chances."

O'Dell: "She is not. Everything sound. Everything smart. Every manager in the FCBA ought to be watching this girl very closely, because, this isn't the first time she's looked very good, though this might be the best performance she's had to date. Give her some regular work..."

Tess: "And, I'm sure there are some managers thinking that exact same thing..."

McCarthy: "I might beat them to her!"

O'Dell: "Down the stretch in what's been another dominant effort from Halston Sage. Mudd's legs seem to be getting back, but that's not slowing down the Halston Express. Sage has controlled things from the opening seconds, piling up points and punishment, and she'll do that to the bell. Shutout, Halston Sage."

Cassie: "And, the blonde now leads 48-45 at the half."

ROUND SIX:

O'Dell: "Sage pushing forward early, but Mudd holding her canvas now, banging back hard. Halston thinking better of this and goes back to boxing. Mudd keeping the gloves up, bobbing, weaving, working in, banging a little body. Sage ties her up, hangs on. Ref in to break them apart."

Cassie: "Sophie's got the legs back, but, more importantly, she's finding ways past Halston's glove..."

O'Dell: "She is, indeed, and, it's all about keeping those gloves high and picking off the blonde's jabs. Sage still landing some, and, when she does, she's able to enforce distance, box at range, but, when Mudd can block, she can slip in and get work done to the body..."

McCarthy: "Ref needs to watch low blows in there! Remember, that dirty Campbell trains her!"

O'Dell: "Twenty seconds to go in the sixth. Mudd inside, tenderizing tummy and banging the flanks. Sage ties up again and the ref is in to break blonde and brunette apart. Halston jabbing. Sophie steps to, lands a nice hook to the body and there's the bell. Close. Mudd."

Tess: "But, Sage still holding a 57-55 lead."

ROUND SEVEN:

O'Dell: "Seventh begins the way the sixth ended. Mudd working forward with the gloves high. Sage using the jab and the feet, looking to enforce distance. Sophie working body when she gets in there. Halston doing all she can to keep the exchanges short, tying up, forcing a break..."

Tess: "Blonde doing playing the geometry very well, as she has the entire fight."

O'Dell: "Is, indeed, but Mudd finding some solutions to some of these problems. She's getting where she wants to be more often, and getting work done. Thumping away at the midsection and ribs and STAGGERING SAGE WITH A RIGHT UPPERCUT! Halston wobbles and SOPHIE DROPS HER WITH A RIGHT HOOK!"

McCarthy: "LOW BLOW! That started with a LOW BLOW!"

Cassie: "You are a LOONEY..."

O'Dell: "Mudd to a neutral corner. Halston down on her right side. Count at three. Four. Five. Sage rolls to her belly at six. Seven. Pushes to hands and knees at eight. Nine. Not gonna happen. TEN! It's OVER! Blonde still on all fours and it's OVER! And your winner by KO7 is 'Sultry' Sophie Mudd!"

AFTER:

O'Dell: "Let's go up to the ring and Tess Valmore!"

Tess: "I have our winner, Sophie Mudd, and, Sophie, that was a heck of a fight..."

Sophie (nodding): "Yeah. She's got plenty of tools. Tough to get to. But, sooner or later, I was GOING to get to her. And, when I did, well. She was going to taste the canvas."

Tess: "This has been a good year for you so far..."

Sophie (smiling): "Yeah, it has. And, I'm looking forward to building on it."