Vanessa Hudgens vs. Kristen Stewart

Lookout! Boxing vs Front Street Stable
(Words: Front Street / Results: Lookout!)

BEFORE:
This is a much different 'Nessa than we saw a month ago. Last month, she was a girl on the edge, the biggest fight of her career staring her in the face, the possibility of losing everything all too real. This month? A relaxed, confident champion. Not overconfident. But confident in exactly the right measure. Confident in the "these are my belts and I just retired a Hall of Famer, so, if she wants to take them, she'd better bring her A+++ game" manner. "Kristen's a good fighter, no question," says Vanessa with a gorgeous smile. "You don't put together a streak like she did, no matter who the opposition is, without being very good. But, is she as good as Mishy was? And, you saw what I did to Mishy."

Stewart is, well, Stewart. Wise and mature beyond the years. Not playing into the hate or the haters. She knows who she is and what she is and she's comfortable with that. Happy about it. If others aren't? That's their problem. "Sure, there are higher-ranked girls who, maybe, deserved this shot more. I wasn't beating the table for it, nor was my management. But, we damn sure weren't turning it down when it was offered. She's the champion. She's the best. She erased any doubts about that last month. But, if people think I can't hang with her, can't give her a fight? If they think I'm going to get my doors blown off in there, well. They're wrong. I can fight at her level. And, I'll prove it. Oh. And I can beat her, too."

ROUND ONE:

Stewart sounding like a fighter with a bit of a chip on the shoulder, but not fighting like one. No surprise. Kristen isn't the kind of girl to let her emotions get the best of her in the ring. Instead, she gets to work doing what she does best. She uses her length and her accurate left jab. She uses her precision and accuracy, both of which rank with the best fighters in the FCBA. She uses the athleticism that allows her to do some of her own stunts. She moves her feet. She moves her hands. She proves every bit as quick as Vanessa, who's clearly surprised to find that's the case. And she takes the fight to the champion in a controlled, but big way. Stewart grabs the lead role right from the outset and throws Vanessa to the defensive. Hudgens is reduced to countering, because she can't get off and can't get where she wants to be. She's controlled by Stewart's jab. Placed where Stewart wants her. Then picked off by Stewart's right. It's a wonderful first round for the challenger, who gets a lot more out of it than just a 10-9 lead.

ROUND TWO:

Hudgens isn't champion for nothing. She can adjust pretty well. And she does. As Stewart comes forward behind the jab, Vanessa gives ground with slide and drop steps, going away from Stewart's right hand, getting off square, then popping through the openings to bounce forward and land a quick flurry before slipping away. Stewart doesn't get frustrated, doesn't come away from the game plan. She just keeps working. Keeps moving the feet. Keeps trying to square. At times, she does, and, when that happens, she puts punches together and scores points. Mostly, though, she's in motion trying to get the angles she needs. Hudgens, meanwhile, spends large parts of the round just moving with the hands high, not punching. But, when she finds the slightest opportunity, she bounces in and lets the hands go. It's a good, tactical round in which Vanessa is able to get more done and even the score at 19.

ROUND THREE:

More of the same. Hudgens in terrific shape and you can see it in the way she moves. She never stops. Never. Not for one second. She's constantly here and gone. She's smooth. She's in rhythm. But there's no pattern to it. She's too slick for that. Stewart never knows where she's going to be or when or where the attacks, which, inevitably come, will come from. K-Stew, though, had some things working, too. Her own feet are quick, and she's sometimes able to match footwork and square Vanessa up. On those occasions, the left hands begin landing hard to set up solid rights, forcing 'Nessa to cover up and back up. Again, it's good, tactical stuff for both fighters. Neither are able to land anything big, anything that shakes the knees, but both do score and both do put punches together in spots. When the bell rings, though, it's again Vanessa who's done more, and the champion now leads 29-28.

ROUND FOUR:

Hudgens still won't stop moving. She's here and then she's there. She's jabbing and then she's retreating. She's popping forward to land a flurry and then slipping away. Stewart, though, is beginning to adjust to all that movement. She's keeping the hands high, prepared to pick off quick punches, and she's working forward more aggressively behind the left, cutting down angles and getting the jab on target more often. When Stewart does that, Vanessa has problems. She's getting stopped and caught, backed up and touched up, as K-Stew gets that right hand more involved and lands some hard shots, some of the hardest of the fight. Vanessa fights hard to stop Kristen from grabbing the lead, but, eventually, Stewart does it, and she's got Hudgens covering up more and more as the round goes on. By the time it ends, K-Stew is in control and has evened the fight at 38.

ROUND FIVE:

Stewart consolidating gains. It's all working together now. The left seeks, the right seeks to destroy. She's getting the range on Vanessa, despite the champion's slick movement. She's getting leather home and, while not hurting Hudgens, piling up points. Vanessa works hard, but can't get back on lead. She's all counter-punch, and there's not much of that. Stewart's fire is both accurate and suppressive. She's keeping Vanessa on the defensive, on her back foot, reacting instead of acting. Stewart's, as always, carefully aggressive. She takes the odd chance to land a solid punch, and she does land them, but, despite her work rate, she limits her rival's opportunities to fire back. Hudgens has a moment or two where she gets off in combination, but it's Stewart's round from bell to bell, and Kristen now has the lead 48-47.

ROUND SIX:

Something has to change for Hudgens, so she changes it. Instead of moving for space, she works forward past Stewart's gloves and sets up some blistering exchanges in close. Stewart's more than willing to stand in and fire away, and the result is the most action-packed round of the fight to this point. Both women land in combination. Both land hard shots. Both are able to score very well with both hands. The overall effect, though, is a benefit to the champion. She gets off the defensive and is able to get her offense going. Stewart's no longer controlling her with the left hand, and 'Nessa becomes the aggressive 'Nessa who's beaten over a half-dozen top level flys. Credit Stewart for matching that Vanessa shot for shot, which she does. But, when they tally the points at the end of the round, it's Hudgens who's won the points and evened the fight at 57.

ROUND SEVEN:

'Nessa's found something she likes and she wants to get right back to it. But, Kristen isn't having any. Stewart gets the laser-guided jab on target, slowing Vanessa as she tries to close and setting her up for hard right hands on the way in. Hudgens too quick to be picked all the time, however, and she does manage to get to her spots and set up those heavy exchanges again. Both women score as back and forth combinations are exchanged. Kristen, again, holds her own in these situations, but Vanessa gets the better of them. The difference, however, comes when they're at range and the champion is trying to penetrate. It's Stewart who does the scoring there, and those points add up, so that, when the bell sounds, it's Kristen who's taken the seventh and gone back ahead 67-66.

ROUND EIGHT:

Hudgens even more aggressive. She's got the hands high now, bobbing and weaving, slipping and sliding, anything to avoid Stewart's long poke and get in close. It takes hard work to offset Kristen's reach advantage, but Vanessa puts said work in. The feet, head and hands all moving with one goal, slip past K-Stew's defenses and get the hand-to-hand combat underway. And, when that happens, get punches flying in bunches. Vanessa's slick and quick. Stewart is quick and accurate. The result? More blistering exchanges where, perhaps, a dozen punches fly in quick succession. Maybe seven or eight land, the others slipped or blocked. Then, some quick movement, a reset, Hudgens bobbing forward, and another barrage of leather from both fighters. Again, Kristen holds her own, but, again, on these terms, it's Vanessa who has the advantage and she makes the most of it. The champion pockets the round and evens things again at 76.

ROUND NINE:

Stewart restores order. Kristen adjusts to 'Nessa's high hands and increased aggression with a higher work rate. She gets the jab on target, slows Hudgen's penetration, sets her up for hard right hands. Vanessa resolute. She's not willing to stay on the end of Kristen's punches. Not with the fight as tight as it is. Not with her titles on the line. She ships the shell, but she keeps coming. Hudgens is able to make some forays into the trenches and get the hand-to-hand thing going. But, Stewart keeps these exchanges short, shoving off and using her feet to create space and force Hudgens to get through her pickets again. It's, again, good, tactical stuff. And, then, as things so often do in fights like this, it all changes in an instant. Hudgens slips forward and Stewart greets her with a hard right hand. Hudgens fires back and ROCKS KRISTEN WITH A LEFT HOOK! Stewart stumbles backward and DOWN SHE GOES AFTER A STRAIGHT RIGHT HAND! Kristen on her back as the count begins. She gets to her knees at eight but can go no further! The count passes her by! It's over! And your winner by KO9 at still flyweight champion is Vanessa Hudgens!


AFTER:
Hudgens to Stewart's corner when it's over. The champ appears to be checking on the challenger, but, it quickly becomes clear words are being exchanged. Stewart is on her feet and the fighters are barking at one another before they're separated and 'Nessa is pulled into a post-fight interview. "She's not in my league," says Vanessa, shaking her head. "That's what I told her, but she took it wrong. It's not that she wasn't deserving, that she isn't one of the better flyweights in the FCBA. It's just that everyone other flyweight in the federation is in one league and I'm in another. I'm simply a cut above everyone else, and that's why I'm wearing these belts. That's why I conquered and then retired Mishy. I'm that good. Too good. Too good for Stewart, for Tisdale, for Mishy, for Cyrus, for Kreuk and Kuns, for Hayden, for Lowndes, for Carter, for Scerbo and Song. Too good for any of them. I'm. Just. Too. Good."