Behind the scenes and introductions

Anita: “Sandra, Emma, thanks for joining me today.”

Emma: “Free lunch is always a way to get me to show up.”

Anita: “I’m here to discuss Final Bell’s next steps with you. First good news – I have a new contract for you. It’s got a rather nice raise included.”

Emma: “Okay, and…”

Anita: “I don’t think you get it. This is the kind of contract we give to people we want to build around, Emma. You might have been with Final Bell before, but if you sign today, you’ll be in the same tier of fighters like Michaela Sommer or Chelsea Carter or Heather Barker.”

Sandra: “You are offering this to a fighter with six losses?”

Anita: “We are offering it to a long overlooked fighter who happens to be pretty and get in very crowd pleasing fights. Plus, aren’t you the one that think she’s an equal talent to Virani?”

Sandra: “I’m glad you finally got around to understanding what I was telling you. You could have saved yourselves some money if you signed her to a cheaper deal two fights ago. Anyways. Now that you are giving this contract to Emma, I’m expecting that you have a big fight for her? Or are you just going to keep her on the side for your new champion, Yenifer Perez?”

Anita: “We have no problem having two elite fighters in a division. Although you are currently ranked as a Featherweight, we see your future in the Super Featherweight division. You and Yenifer would be the fighters we build around and it’s a fight we don’t mind building towards. To cut right to the chase, we have a path to the title for you. Not an easy one, but we think you’ll agree its the best path forward.”

Emma: “Why not just give me the title chance against Yenifer right away?”

Sandra: “They don’t want their marketable champion getting bullied in their first defence by someone much less popular.”

Anita stumbles at the direct statement from Sandra. She takes a second to remember what she wanted to say.

Anita: “As I was saying. We have reached an agreement with High Rank, the American promoter. Your first fight will be against Namid Henderson, in Toronto, of course at Super Featherweight. The winner of that fight, which we very much hope is you, will take on Thea Karras in Las Vegas. The winner of that, would undoubtedly be the number one contender for the Super Featherweight world title.”

Emma : “So a fight against a difficult style matchup and then one against arguably the division’s most talented up and coming fighter in her backyard? That’s the offer?”

Sandra: “Thea isn’t going to disappear. If you want to win a world title, it’s going to go though her at some point. I’d rather fight her now, before she realizes just how very good she is.”

Anita: “I also want to mention that a fight against Thea will be very lucrative. I’ve seen world title fights that would get less of a purse than your fight against Thea. Being a social media darling has its financial advantages, it seems.”

Emma: “So that’s why you want me to fight her in Las Vegas. You’ll get the management cut of my purse.”

Anita: “At the end of the day, this is a business and that is part of how we make money.”

Emma: “What do you think, Sandra?”

The German coach thinks for a few long moments before deciding.

Sandra: “I think you have no problem in moving up a division. Namid Henderson is a good fight for you. Thea Karras is a very tough fight for anyone. But the sport is called prizefighting after all. Would be foolish to ignore that.”

Emma: “You think I can win?”

Sandra: “Emma, you can beat anyone in this division. Beat these three fighters and you won’t just be world champion, but a pound for pound threat.”

Emma: “And even if I lose, Final Bell won’t lose faith?”

Anita: “You lose, we’ll build you back up. Final Bell doesn’t cut and run.”

Emma: “Provided the contract has the right terms. I accept.”

Preparing to Move Up

Moving up in weight is not as simple as one would think. Though the difference between Featherweight and Super Featherweight is only three pounds, Sandra wants Emma to put on more muscle to make her a better fit for the division – it’s not like she can become taller.

A nutritionist is brought in along with a specialized trainer who assesses how to best make use of the new weight added. Adding too much muscle would be bad, because that sort of weight is nigh impossible to remove during a weight cut. With the proper experts in place, Emma begins the process of bulking up, adding more muscle to her arms.

Emma thinks: Well, it could be worse, I could be moving up to an even heavier division.

It’s not just a simple matter of lifting a few weights and getting some gains, there’s a lot of physicality involved too. That means hitting the heavy bag, working those shoulders and arms, making sure the mechanics of punching are still working.

Sandra works her hard at the start of camp, making Emma work long days in the gym, perfecting the techniques that she’ll need to succeed as she approaches the zenith of the Super Featherweight division. It’s a focus on rounding out her skills in general, not totally focused on Namid Henderson.

Sandra thinks: Emma always gets an ‘A’ for effort. She lives this sport. That’s why she’ll succeed.

Fight night

We now go to the Rebel Entertainment Complex in Toronto for the co-main event of the night.

Laila: “Welcome back viewers. We are ready for one of the most anticipated matches of the night, as Emma McGale fights in her adopted hometown of Toronto, against Namid Henderson. This fight is very much a clash of styles as McGale is a fighter that wants to work in close and impose her strength, while Henderson is an elusive fighter that has quite a low punch count. The key to the fight could very well be if ‘The Peach’ can hunt down ‘Shining Owl’.

Laila: “With me as well tonight is a special guest – the undefeated and popular Thea Karras. Welcome, Thea. What do you think of this matchup?”

Thea: “Thanks for having me, Laila. And shoutout to all the TK nation! I think this a great fight between two very good fighters. Namid Henderson has the better record but I’ve been impressed by the run Emma McGale has been on.”

Laila: “Any thoughts to the winner being your next opponent?”

Thea: “Pretty sure that’s why I’m here, Laila. Though, of course, it’s lovely to spend time with you as well.”

Laila: “Thank you, Thea. Let’s go down to the ring to get the fighters officially introduced.”

Ring announcer: “Introducing first, fighting out of the blue corner, she weighed in at 130 pounds. Her coach is Sandra Blohm. This woman comes to us tonight with a professional record of 13 wins in 19 fights, with 8 of those wins coming by way of knockout. Originally from London, England, she now fights out of Toronto, Ontario. She is the former Canadian Featherweight champion and now ranked Super Featherweight contender! Please welcome Emma ‘The Peach’ McGale!”

Laila: “McGale’s rise this year has been a complete surprise. Since joining up with Sandra Blohm however, the German coach has set Emma on a path to success. She violently stopped Takara Oshima in her last fight and that has sent a message to the division – do not underestimate this girl. She fights hard, and she fights physical – not an easy style to be up against.”

Thea: “I think if you wanted to design a fan friendly fighter, you’d design Emma McGale. She fights with an action-packed style, but is technically sound and she has enough power to punish mistakes and put fighters away.”

Laila: “McGale’s shirt is also bringing awareness to the survivors of the residential school system in Canada. She has said that now given her increased standing in the sport, she should use her platform to bring awareness to issues important to her.”

Ring announcer: “Introducing her opponent, fighting out of the red corner, she weighed in at 130 pounds. Her coach is Jennifer Piccardy. This woman comes to us tonight with a professional record of 11 wins in 14 fights, with 3 of those wins coming by way of knockout. Proudly representing the Chippewa Tribe, please welcome Namid ‘Shining Owl’ Henderson!”

Laila: “A matching shirt of course for Namid Henderson, who has campaigned tirelessly for native rights on both sides of the border. That is one reason she wears orange in the ring here tonight.”

Thea: “I’m a big fan of my colleagues using their platforms to speak out. I applaud both of them for doing so.”

Laila: “Indeed, but on her pugilistic merits, Henderson is a difficult challenge. She is very much a hit and run sort of fighter, with footwork and ring sense that allows her to slip out of range well. She fights at a slow pace, but she’s a difficult fighter to prepare for. We know how she’s going to fight, how can McGale stop it?”

Thea: “It’s about taking chances when you can get them, and forcing mistakes. Henderson can be outworked as well. That’s why she tends to struggle against fighters who are able to keep up with her swift footwork. But she’s experienced and focused and more than capable of winning tonight.”

With the introductions complete, the fighters are brought to the middle of the ring to get their last instructions from referee Victoria James.

Victoria: “Ladies, we went over the rules in the dressing room. I expect both of you to be on your best behaviour. This is a 10-round fight. I want you to follow my instructions at all times. Protect yourself at all times. Please remember that you cannot be saved by the bell in any round. If you score a knockdown, I will not start the count until you are in a neutral corner. Touch gloves and go back to your corners. May the best woman win.”

Though there’s mean looks exchanged between the two fighters, they touch gloves respectfully.

Emma thinks: She’s tall. Not the most muscled. Makes sense.

Namid thinks: I can’t believe I’m fighting someone who looks like the girl next door. She’s solid though. Built. She’ll be powerful.

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The fighters retreat to their corners. Sandra gives Emma a fist bump before exiting the ring. It’s now time for battle. Woman vs. Woman.

They turn to face each other and wait for the bell to begin the action.

DING!