(Results: Lookout!, Words: Caspian)

7. Kelsey Merritt vs Romee Strijd

Kelsey:
(25, 5’8, 4:1 FCBA, Free Agent)

Romee:
(26, 5’11, 14:10 FCBA, Lioness Club)

BEFORE:
Kelsey Merritt has put on an incredible performance thus far in the tournament, putting away fellow newcomer model Lorena Rae in last month’s preliminary round and now facing a determined challenger in Romee Strijd. What’s worse is probably the height difference, with Strijd usually throwing hands at Welterweight, now fighting against one of the latest and most glamorous of Victoria’s Secret Angels.

“Hmph. She’s nothing but a skinny little young thing. I’ll make short work of her once we’re in the ring,” Romee says with confidence earlier on at the press conference. “I’m packing the power and height AND experience, so I don’t see any scenario where I’ll lose tonight.”

Kelsey, however, plays the role of the sweet and sour newcomer, replying with a smile. “I know I’m new, but I’ve got plenty of hunger to win this tournament, make a name for myself in the Lightweight scene. If I have to go through Romee to get what I want, so be it.”

Ladies look equally lovely and ripped as they face each other down at the podium, Kelsey wearing nothing but her dark violet bra and briefs and Kelsey going for a hot pink option instead. The two fighters raise their fists high in the air, close to the chin, Romee in particular seen smirking down at her shorter foe, till the fight officials pull them apart.

We’re back in the arena hours later, and Kelsey is the first model to make her entrance, parading down the dark steel ramp in nothing but an orange-white sports jersey and white cotton briefs. Later, she removes her outer garments to reveal a similar-coloured bra top and black gloves for this contest.

Next up is Romee, who’s also sporting a black leather biker jacket, complete with a BDSM police cap and long black boots. She poses on the stage, shaking her booty to hard rock music, before strutting down the lane to the cheers of the crowd. Once in the ring, she straps on a pair of white gloves for tonight.

Referee gets the signal from either corner to start, and with a wave of his hand, HERE WE GO with ten rounds of Lightweight action! This here’s another match in the Victoria’s Secret War in Heaven II Quarter-quarter finals!

ROUND 1:
Kelsey’s young and spritely, wants to take the world by storm and the first one to take her scorn is poor old Romee Strijd. Girls get close and personal in the first minute, rocking shots straight to the face and then backing up for seconds. Kelsey’s a little leaner, faster, skirting in fast and scoring combos off the chin before Romee can respond with a wild belter of her own. Strijd likes to employ power to try and overwhelm her shorter opponent, but her hooks are missing entirely and sloshing about in the wind, Kelsey weaving to the side with grace and then paying the tall girl back with sharp stings to the body and off the side of the head. End of the first round and Romee looks flustered and already breathing hard, unable to score much besides some heavy shafts to the arms, with Kelsey looking dominant for now.

ROUND 2:
Romee starts off stronger, keeps her distance and only throws hands when Kelsey gets in close. This time, Merritt is the one growing frustrated, her jab combos slamming into the blonde’s arms but not finding much venom, and what’s worse is she keeps getting caught by sudden swings from Strijd’s corner, the taller blonde using her excellent reach advantage to batter powerful punches off the top of her head, another lunging uppercut sent into the brunette’s body to push Merritt back even further with a hooofff of air expelled from her lungs. Romee smirks down the line, knows her winning strategy for now, keeping Merritt away with another cross sent to the guard. Ladies end up in a mutual holding pattern, jabs fired both ways to finally end the round in Romee’s favour this time.

ROUND 3:
Kelsey adapts well, staying at a distance and jabbing away at Romee’s eager advance. Romee’s not too troubled in the first minute, keeping her arms high and up to protect her head, but then Merritt goes after the blonde’s chest and body, and that’s a big no no in her book. Merritt hits multiple combos to her tummy and breasts, gleefully sailing out of the way of one of Romee’s return swings. Romee gets impatient, however, running Kelsey down at multiple intervals afterwards, trying to surprise the shorter brunette with short but effective bursts of speed and action, but Kelsey stays light on her feet and always leaps backwards, avoiding, paying the Lioness back with snap jabs that bunch up the cheek. Third round winds down with both ladies breathing hard, at opposite ends of the ring and pawing at each other. Not much else Romee can do at this point without leaving herself wide open.

ROUND 4:
Romee’s still impatient to get into the thick of the action, and that’s gonna cost her over and over again. She makes several bursts forward, hoping that Merritt’s tired enough to stand still and get herself pummeled into oblivion, but the Philippine starlet is still full of energy, weaving fast and around her swings. Kelsey makes her opponent pay dearly, tagging Romee back on the face and at one point throwing her back with a loud grunt. Romee’s feeling first-hand her foe’s power that comes with practice, with Kelsey driving a fist of her own straight into her body, another one-two combo to the breasts to earn more squeals from the Lioness’ mouth. Round ends and it’s all downhill for Strijd thus far. The bell rings and Kelsey knows this fact as well, getting a little cocky and gesturing rudely to Romee on her way back to her corner.

ROUND 5:
Romee has had enough, staying away and letting Kelsey come to her instead. Merritt on the other hand is looking for the possible knockdown attempt after having so many successful rounds secured for herself, gets a little too confident and strides in early with multiple combos. Romee absorbing, taking the hits to her arms, occasional smack to the body amidst the cheers of the crowds, but then a counter swing from Strijd spoils the other model’s plans when it stuns Merritt hard to the side of her head. Kelsey still needs to be careful in there, finding Romee a dangerous opponent yet with her power and height advantage. But Strijd plays it safe for the rest of the round, which works in her favour, Kelsey looking stunned but still alive, as the Lioness continues to land specific punches on an overeager Merritt to close the round in her corner.

ROUND 6:
Kelsey’s on a bender, really pushing in and wearing her heart on her sleeve. It’s no mistake that she’s sending more eager combos into Strijd’s arms and body, pushing the blonde almost into the ropes at one time. Meanwhile, Strijd is hanging in there, takes a snappy cross to the nose before another stiff one lands off the forehead. Suddenly, Strijd sags into the ropes, looking punch-drunk, desperately bringing her arms up to cover and stay on her feet! But Merritt chooses this moment to BARREL in, another combo driven right into the body before a wound-up hook SLAMS her to the side!! AND DOWN STRIJD GOES!! She’s sent to all fours by the ropes, breathing hard! And this might be it!?

Kelsey’s already leaping up and down, smiling wide, running back to her corner with her arms high up in the air. Strijd shakes her head, already trying to push herself up, as the referee slowly counts her chances out from above. Kelsey looks winded back in the neutral corner, but ready to go another four rounds, if necessary. Strijd, however, is equally eager to continue, managing to steady herself by the count of 7. For now, this fight continues with a scare for the Lioness corner!

ROUND 7:
Romee looks a little shaken but still eager to brawl, and Kelsey finds out the hard way when she barrels in yet again, hoping to finish things up, but gets nailed to the face by a sudden right hand outta nowhere, which knocks her head back! All goes downhill for the latest Victoria’s Secret Angel, as Strijd picks the brunette off with each step forward, punch after punch landing on her body to bend her over, or another straight hand driven into the nostrils. For the first time, Merritt looks dazed and in trouble, trying to reform her guard on the ropes before another overhand attack screams in fast, SCORES off her forehead! OUCH!! AND MERRITT LOOKS SHAKY, vision blurred as she slumps against the ropes, trying to tie in close for a save-me clinch but gets NAILED across the face by yet another hook, and DOWN SHE GOES!! It’s a return KNOCKDOWN for Romee Strijd! This time, Kelsey looks completely out and out on the ground, her head moving side to side, her chest rising and falling hard - she doesn’t make it back up by the count of 10, and it’s OVER!

Official Decision: Romee Strijd defeats Kelsey Merritt via KO7!

AFTER:
Romee with the big upset win, dealing Merritt her first loss since her debut performance back at the beginning of the year. Still, the fight has taken its toll on the fledgling Lioness, with Romee too tired to celebrate properly, slumping back into her corner and waving off the concerns of her fight team.

“Merritt’s got heart, I’ll give her that,” Romee says to reporters later once she catches her breath. “But she tried to tangle with someone taller, stronger and better, and look what that got her.”

For now, Kelsey has to contend with an alternative road to her glory, slowly recovering her senses by the ropes and then led out by her team, almost in tears.