Preview: Two back-to-back victories has Liz is feeling better than ever, especially after the long COVID hiatus. She's earned a chance to challenge anyone in the league for her next fight and predictably she chose Alexis, a long-time rival who Liz is eager to finally secure a win against. These two were old high school friends but became distant after continuing their education at different universities. Liz was elated at the opportunity to rekindle their friendship when both entered the league the same year for their rookie seasons, but Alexis seems to have outgrown her desire to reconnect. Over their first two seasons Alexis and Lizzie have fought twice with Alexis coming out on top in close, hotly contested matches. These two fighters were scheduled to face each other earlier this year before the pandemic caused a slew of canceled meets. Now Liz has another shot at it, and can really make a statement for her championship campaign going 3-0 after the long break. Alexis looks to prove her dominance over her childhood friend, and to rebound after a couple recent wide losses during the restart. Her confidence needs a boost down the stretch, and what better way to get back into the swing of things than to take down a girl whose number she's had since day one. Our match will be on her turf this time around, inviting me to compete at her studio where she intends to livestream the fight to her fans. The match is being touted and advertised on her end as a tune-up match agaisnt an overachieving jobber, but I have aims to spoil that narrative. Once again: fights will be done in the cosplay of our choice, matches limited to six rounds, and gatherings will be limited to the fighters, one guest of their choice, a minimal streaming crew, and a referee.
How voting works: You will choose
two options, one for the outcome of the action and one to credit the winning boxer! If you feel so inclined, please comment with your thoughts on the match and the competitors! Debate and thoughts are very much encouraged. I'll be taking the results and writing up a fight recap for the you all to enjoy.
(These will be coming to the Boxing Stories section very soon, I'm behind on writing with other IRL projects all coming to a head!)
Who is Lizzie? Before the quarantine I was 4-2 and since then I've racked up back-to-back wins against some serious competition. If I can close out the year strong I stand a chance to compete in the end-of-year tournament which would be the first of my career. Having history with opponents is nothing new for someone in their third year in the league, but Alexis and I go way back. In each of our past two matches I thought I was the better fighter, but Alexis and her bag of tricks still found a way to eek out a victory. Not this time! We're in uncharted territory with the mid-season break and I'm looking for revenge. At-home training for me has been ratcheting up, which is more than I can say about my rival. I've always believed I work harder and train with more discipline than Alexis, but somehow she's managed to best me despite my best efforts.
Strength| . . . . . | x . . . . | Gloves are hitting harder than ever, but still needs to work on power-striking to really be threatening when she has an opening.
Stamina| . . . . . | . . x . . | Conditioning is great and her will to peel herself off the mat remains top shelf.
Quickness| . . . . . | x . . . . | Glovespeed remains above average, but her footwork is still spotty once fatigue settles in.
Skill| . . . . . | . x . . . | Solid on the fundamentals and has a keen eye for spotting advantageous opportunities mid-match.
ExperienceRookie Season: 5-7-1 (4 KOs)
Season 2: 8-5-1 (7 KOs) |
Most Improved AwardSeason 3: 6-2 (5 KOs)
Who is Alexis? Between the two of us, Alexis has always found a little more success than me in our three-year stint in the league. Alexis's record always seems to edge me out come year end, though her path to get there I've always felt was paved with easier competition. It seems our lives had diverted since high school, with her doubling down on modeling and cosplay enthusiasm, carving out a bit of a career for herself in that arena. Her popularity on the scene is unrivaled, and she consistently pulls high turnouts of support because of that. Since the pandemic her efforts have shifted more towards streaming and becoming an influencer which has kept her profile risen while conventions and fan meets have grinded to a halt. Since the pandemic it seems like she's committed herself to her online brand more than training for the league, which could explain her two blow-out losses since the break. She's toyed with the idea of "retiring" before to focus more on her modeling work, and this year is no different -- however, it has always come across to me as a knee-jerk reaction whenever she has a losing skid. If she misses the end-of-year tournament again this year, especially after a "surprise" loss to me, her words may actually carry some weight this time around.
Strength| . . . . x | . . . . . | Not a knockout threat, but has a snappy jab she uses with great efficiency to wither opponents through sheer volume.
Stamina| . . . . x | . . . . . | Her ability to take a punch is a far cry from what it used to be, but still maintains high energy at all stages of a fight.
Quickness| . . . . . | . . . x . | Great legs for pursuit and flashy glovework make her a handful to deal with once she works into a rhythm.
Skill| . . . . . | . . . x . | High fight IQ and brimming with technical skill, one of the better counter-punchers in the league.
ExperienceRookie Season: 7-7 (5 KOs) |
Rookie of the YearSeason 2: 9-6 (5 KOs)
Season 3: 6-5 (3 KOs)
