Priyanka Chopra vs. Melissa Benoist

(Hawkeye International vs. Pretty Little Punchers, Inc.)

(23-19, 23 KOs vs. 15-16, 15 KOs)

Results: Lookout; Story: Hawkeye

BEFORE: Priyanka forced to address the Punchers pulling off an upset in the first match. Shay Mitchell’s victory over recent bantam champ Naomi Scott has the media buzzing this is a must win for Big Choppy, as going down 2-0 in a best of five would be disastrous.

“Melissa’s afraid of me. And she should be. She knows first-hand what I can do with these.”

Chopra holds up her balled fists and gives each a smooch in succession.

“You’d think someone playing Supergirl would have more grit and strength but that’s why they call it acting,” Priyanka says, glittering grin emerging.

Her flaxen-haired foe doesn’t seem happy with the Indian’s characterization, her features scrunching in annoyance. But with Chopra having put Melissa on her back in six last time they faced off, she keeps her responses strictly on the trite side.

“She’s a tough fighter and will be a heck of a challenge. My job is to keep the momentum going for my stable. The only way to do that is take this fight one round at a time, pile up points, make her overshoot and hope she leaves me an opening to finish.”

The bookmakers are calling this one a pick-em, so the door is more than slightly ajar for PLP, Inc. to take a commanding lead.

Coming to the ring, fans are loving Melissa’s bow to her final season as Supergirl with the royal blue sports bra, ‘PLP’ in a font similar to the more familiar ‘S’ of her series namesake. She wears red spandex boy-cut trunks that hug tightly above white pads and boots, hair in a dirty blonde battle-braid.

Priyanka enters in a glittering gold one-piece swimsuit with black pads and boots, long ebony locks in a fightin’ ponytail.

The women bounce on the balls of their feet in opposite corners as the bell brings this scheduled ten-round battle of bantams to order.

Round 1: If Big Choppy is nervous about putting her team further in a hole, she’s not showing it out of the gate, coming right after a circling Melissa. The blonde bangs a couple jabs off Priyanka’s forehead as the undulating Indian moves in closer to throw heavier blows. It pays off with a couple real bangers to Melissa’s body that has Benoist doubling in pain and for protection. The stoop leaves her open for a right uppercut to the bosom that jolts Melissa in the first minute. Benoist responds with some hesitant returns in defense Priyanka shoulders away. Determined to tenderize in the initial stanza, Chopra doesn’t play around, standing square with her golden-maned foe and using the PLP logo as a bull’s eye. Priyanka thumps a right-left combo into the emblem, causing the blonde to backpedal a step to gather her balance, face pinched in pain. Melissa ups her defensive volleys and she’s finding more success in stuffing leather to golden-brown features, not hurting Choppy but making Priyanka work plenty while also giving up points. Chopra is fighting through, keeping the fertile ground of Melissa’s chest humming through the final minute to take the round in a close opener.

Round 2: Unhappy with the result of the first, Melissa is out fast for the second, meeting Chopra in the center and catching Priyanka loading a right. Benoist dips a left cross into the ribs under Chopra’s planned strike and loops a follow-up right, connecting with Choppy’s chin. Priyanka’s lead leg goes limp for a split-second and the twitch is blood in the water for the blonde. Melissa pounds away, alternating left jabs that sneak through Chopra’s defense with rights that barge through. Melissa batters Priyanka into the ropes, Chopra first trying vainly to reply but covering up when her back touches against the rubber-coated cables. Melissa isn’t pushing all in, but she’s letting fly generously and Priyanka is looking storm tossed from a thirty seconds’ worth of incoming hail. Chopra manages to stuff a couple close body shots to push Benoist back, but with more room to maneuver, Melissa barrels in a left to the gut that leaves Priyanka grunting and sitting on the middle rope at the bell, ensuring a wide Benoist win for this round.

Round 3: Melissa’s thinking more of the same and she collides with Priyanka only a couple steps from the Consortium corner. The blonde pushes her bronzed rival back into the buckles and swabs Choppy with leather from either direction, Melissa mauling momentarily until a big swing and miss sends Benoist stumbling past an exiting Priyanka. Positions exchanged, Chopra goes toe to toe, swinging from her sides while keeping the crown of her cranium pressed into Melissa’s chest. The huffs of Benoist’s forced exhales feed Priyanka’s fire as the pistons plug away into Melissa’s ivory midriff, bruising the blonde’s belly. The ref pulls Priyanka off and Melissa uses the opening to slip out the side before Chopra can shut the door and keep her in place. Priyanka turns to ‘chase mode’, catching Melissa clean with a couple ‘come back here’ lefts, but Benoist nibbles with some jabs to keep Choppy at bay the rest of the round. The feast mid-period gives Priyanka the third wide.

Round 4: No panic in either corner during the break and the following round shows it, both dialing back to consolidate on one side and regain composure on the other. The more tactical motion and pace of the fourth proves to Melissa’s liking. She keeps the pair in the middle and Priyanka at arm’s length with precision shots to the nose and chin every time Chopra considers crowding. It’s a saucy display mid-round as Melissa is grooving from distance and Priyanka’s frustration shows when she jumps into a wild right and pays with a return right to the chin from Benoist that straightens Chopra flat-footed. With Priyanka’s guard immediately elevating, Melissa scours Chopra’s midriff, the HISC fighter groaning more with each connection. But with the firing in closer quarters, Priyanka volleys back, drawing a gasping gulp of air from Melissa with a blow to the cleft of Benoist’s bosom. Melissa quickly creates space and plasters Priyanka with some jaunty jabs to close out the fourth and win a close one on the cards.

Round 5: Melissa following the same script. Out early. Wanting to set the pace for another round. Benoist is breaking down Priyanka’s bull-in-a-china-shop approach with pinpoint jabs to Chopra’s full and suddenly split lower lip. Melissa the Magician is steering a flustered Priyanka around the ring, popping light leather into chin and chest while Priyanka fights to find her rhythm and Benoist. Melissa stuffs another left into Chopra’s gurls then sends a big right hurtling when Priyanka BEATS her to opposing chin WITH A SLEDGEHAMMER. Big Choppy nearly tears Melissa out by the roots, Benoist stepping in fencepost holes after the head-spinning connection. The blonde grabs the top rope with both hands to keep upright, not the best defense from a follow-up right overhand PLOWING into Melissa’s jaw. Supergirl PLUMMETS to the canvas face first, out before she belly-flops to the deck.

The referee makes it to two before a spastic twitch from Melissa convinces the official any further counting is fruitless, waving off the sprawled Benoist. KO5 Priyanka Chopra!!!

AFTER: Clutch knockout from the Consortium’s supposed back-up bantam, Big Choppy sending the war from her weight class to fly with an even card at 1-1. With Melissa slow to come around under the soft touch of her trainers, the newly gloveless Choppy grabs a bottle of Smart Water from a ‘helpful’ Mishy and pours the contents over the flaxen-haired fighter, Benoist sputtering back to life after the makeshift shower. Collecting the moistened Supergirl from the canvas, Priyanka bullies Melissa to a neutral corner and mounts the middle ropes, pressing belly to dripping face, a whimpering Benoist’s features pushed to the side, having to endure Big Choppy’s tummy taunting. The copper-skinned victor slips a set of digits around Benoist’s dripping braid and yanks her head back, forcing Melissa’s welled baby blues to stare into the menacing dark pools of Choppy.

“Super…MY ASS,” she shouts with a predatory growl.