Before the fight: In the interest of time, the pre-fight comments by both fighters were succinct. Stephanie focused on being Samantha’s former boss and teaching her a lesson. Samantha, however, wants to make a name for herself in her own name.
Stephanie was dressed in a white sports bra and shorts, while Samantha matched her in black. Both fighters came out with nameless seconds since Paige Spiranac is booked on the same card.
Round 1: When the round starts, both fighters trade small combinations, trying to get the other to make a mistake. Stephanie overcommits to a long right hook that Samantha dodged around and started to attack her opponent’s stomach! Stephanie’s still sore there, especially after her fight with Bridget Regan, so Stephanie had to block up. Both fighters could walk back to their corners under their own power, with Stephanie grimacing from the pain and Samantha walking with a smile.
Round 2: Samantha continues her attack during the round, but Stephanie counters with her own punches in bunches! This retort shocks Samantha, who mixes her punches with blocks, while Stephanie has no such inhibitions. Stephanie gains the upper hand due to her sheer power, despite obvious signs of fighting through her pain. The judges notice this effort and barely give the round to Stephanie.
Round 3: Samantha’s corner was busy strategizing during the last round break. Their fighter expertly ducks and weaves through most of Stephanie’s punches. She didn’t even need her opponent to overcommit to a strike – Hoopes just took the initiative on her own and struck Stephanie’s body with precision. As the round continues, Stephanie slows down her guard and movement, leaving her a sitting duck. Samantha takes the round handily.
Round 4: This round flowed calmly from before, with Samantha’s upper hand striking Stephanie all around the ring. However, Ms. McMahon stays upright the whole round, albeit on a stagger, which infuriates Samantha and her corner. Still, Hoopes and co don’t want to make the same mistake as Stephanie did in the first round, so they start to back away from the older welterweight. However, a stray right cross combination strikes Hoopes hard on her chest, and now she’s the wobbly fighter! The bell rings before we can see a finish here.
Round 5: The first two minutes of this round were a slaughter conducted by Stephanie. She gleefully smashed apart her former charge’s guard and wailed on Hoopes with complex head and chest shots. Stephanie’s gloves hitting flesh, Samantha’s cries, and the crowd cheering made for a cacophony of sounds. At the end of the second minute, Stephanie connected on her last combinations and crushed Samantha’s jaw with a hard right uppercut. Hoopes went down on her back, barely moving and responsive to the referee’s count and crowd. Stephanie McMahon is your winner by KO in the 5th round!
After the fight: While Samantha’s corner ladies collect her from the mat and help her to the locker room, Stephanie vows to keep moving forward.
“Every journey starts with a single step. I know I’ll make the finals and be the Queen of the Beach!” She says in an impassioned speech.
The End
