Before the fight: This bout looks to be the first for either fighter this summer, in the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, in front of 9,252 cheering fans, broadcast on ESPN+. Stephanie wanted this match after entering the Queen of the Beach tournament as a warm-up for that event. Stephanie McMahon and Bridget Regan are welterweight fighters. Bridget is far more decorated, active, and younger. However, Stephanie is still a formidable force on a good day and has been training with her new protege Paige Spiranac.
“I’m always happy to fight and prove myself against other ‘heavyweights’,” Bridget said in an interview before the match. “I know I should have been in the Queen of the Beach tournament, though, so I am ready to take out my frustrations on Stephanie.” She concluded with a sly smile. ESPN could not get a hold of Stephanie, very uncharacteristic of her, because of fight preparations.
Stephanie came out to the ring first, in a golden and purple robe, royal purple boxing gloves, and a long ponytail, accompanied by Paige as her second. When in the ring, Paige unveils Stephanie to reveal a vintage royal purple sports bra with extra extension and stretchiness to hold in her heavy breasts. She wears this top with careful forest green cursive writing “Billion Dollar Princess,” with the double ‘s’ at the end substituted with dollar signs, glimmering under the spotlight. She also sports a similar royal purple boxing short clings tightly to her bottom by design.
Bridget came out to the ring second in a standard red robe, along with a pair of baby blue boxing gloves and twin pigtails, accompanied by Hannah Davis. Hannah unveils Bridget to reveal a baby blue set of a sports bra and boxing shorts, with “3X CHAMPION” written on the waistline.
This fight is set for 10 rounds in the welterweight division.
Round 1: Both fighters come to the center of the ring and touch gloves as soon as the bell rings. As the first minute passes, both fighters look content to jab at each other for distance. Stephanie fires the first big punch of the match, a jab into a right hook combo. Still, Bridget expertly ducks underneath and crushes Stephanie’s torso with a rugged right cross! Her eyes go wide as the pain ripples through her body, and Bridget continues firing hard, close-range punches to Stephanie’s torso. At the same time, the prey gathers her energy enough to cover up. The final seconds of the round end with Stephanie close to the neutral corner, catching most of Bridget’s punches on her forearms and elbows until the bell rings.
Round 2: In these minutes, Stephanie learns from the last round and turtles up to start, leaving her forehead and nose open as she guards her chest and stomach. Both fighters show off their veteran ability, as Bridget keeps trying to poke through her opponent’s guard and force a mistake. At the same time, Stephanie patiently waits out the former Welterweight champion’s barrage. She executes some choice counterpunches to damage Bridget. The round ends with little action, an inconclusive period for viewers that the judges narrowly chalk up to a Stephanie advantage.
Round 3: Carnation Creations’ veteran intended to start the round by continuing her conservative strategy. But Bridget burns her plan by staggering Stephanie with a jab to the forehead from a switched stance and then a killer left hook to Stephanie’s jaw! The former wrestler never saw the left hook coming, and dizzy steps out of her guard as the crowd goes wild, and Bridget gains a smirk on her face, ready to pounce! She steps into the gap, keeping a half guard as she tees off on the CEO’s weak stomach, just like Scarlett Bordeaux did in Stephanie’s last match. After every combination, Stephanie looks worse for wear and barely evades a dangerous right uppercut before struggling into a clinch. Bridget gets her hands free, more or less, to continue the offensive and whisper some inaudible words that her opponent is too exhausted to respond to. The bell rings in the clinch, and both fighters return to their corners in vastly different conditions.
Round 4: The first half of this round looked very similar to the last. Stephanie valiantly tries to put up a stout defense. Still, Bridget knows just what punches to throw to place Stephanie off-kilter and vulnerable. Ringside fans could notice Stephanie breathing heavily as the round wears on and her defense crumbles. However, Stephanie finds her inner fighter inside, stays upright, and even returns fire in the final minute, surprising Bridget’s corner mightily. The former champion is content to trade blows with the Billion Dollar Princess as the round ends – still a heavy Bridget advantage for the second round in a row.
Round 5: Stephanie comes out with a little more life than before, apparently after some good advice by Paige and the other cornerladies. Bridget goes on the offensive again, trying to headhunt after four rounds of bodywork. Still, she finds her opponent more elusive to hit than previously in the fight. Out of frustration and out of character for a veteran, Bridget overextends on a right cross that glances off Stephanie’s shoulder as the wrestler ducks under…and SMASHES a left uppercut right in Bridget’s chest! The former champion yelps, unfamiliar with this kind of pain, while Stephanie takes advantage with clubbing hooks and uppercuts to Bridget’s body! From uppercuts to her pectorals to hooks crashing into Bridget’s side, Stephanie shows no mercy in this round, exacting revenge for the previous four. However, the bell rings because Stephanie can finish her opponent off, a sign of her age and rust as a boxer. She manages to walk to her ring like royalty, feeling the fight’s momentum surge inside of her. At the same time, Bridget lingers on the nearest set of ropes until her second comes to collect her.
Round 6: Now it’s Bridget’s turn to come out worse for wear, her boots plodding as the referee calls for the round to start. She elects to keep her distance from Stephanie, trying to recuperate some lost energy. Still, Stephanie gives her no space and permanently closes the gap. Even without hard punches early in the round, Stephanie quickly drains Bridget’s energy through clinches and body blows, leaving her opponent heaving for air halfway through the round. From there, Stephanie sets Bridget up for jab-cross combos that the fellow veteran is too slow to dodge, concerning her fans and her corner. One right cross lands square on the left curve of Bridget’s nose, sending her straight to the mat on her side and causing her nose to bleed a bit. Bridget tries to get up twice, but her legs fail her on the 2 and 8 counts; by 10, she’s dazed and confused on the mat. Stephanie McMahon is your winner by KO6!
After the match: Despite the clubbing blows and pints of sweat shared by both welterweights, Stephanie and Bridget embrace in the ring after the match, showing love and a boxer’s respect to the other. While TFA takes Bridget to the back, holding a pack of ice to her head, an ESPN employee hands Stephanie McMahon the mic to speak a few words.
“Hahhhh…wow…it’s one thing to box greenhorn wrestlers, but a former welterweight champion…is a whole other prospect…” Stephanie speaks into the mic, the crowd’s cheers covering up her heavy breathing. “I’m really proud that I got back into the ring against Bridget Regan on short notice, for my first win against a non-wrestler since 2016.”
“I know that I’m the old head in this Queen of the Beach tournament, it’s my first tournament since 2016 as well, and this will be a struggle to win.” She continues, pausing for effect. “But I am determined to win! I am a worthy FCBA boxer, and I’ll prove it at the end of this month, no matter who stands in my way!” Stephanie finishes fired up; the crowd elates her and starts to chant while the CEO leaves the ring with her second and protégé.
The End
