Continuing the story of Penelope Primrose, taking place during the start of the Beautiful Angels of Boxing Entertainment league. 

The author of these stories goes by the DeviantArt handle of thegeorgiapeach. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed his post-match analysis of B.A.B.E. matches very much. But now, he’s covered a year in the life of the former UK Foxy Boxing champion.

Without detracting from the current B.A.B.E. storylines and keeping true to (and in some cases building up) the personalities of B.A.B.E. fighters, this story presented an outsider (UK) view of what was going on with the league. These stories helped make my own fictional world seem more real to me! In fact, as far as I’m concerned, these stories are canon to my own stories.

This doesn’t usually happen but I was so into this storyline, that I actually wanted to help bring some of it to life. And with the author’s permission, I will be re-publishing these stories to the B.A.B.E. blog.

So, you can tune in here for the stories with some associated images. (Not everything will have images… just the action-oriented stuff! And, please, visit thegeorgiapeach‘s DA page for his stories and analysis. It’ll be worth your time!

Story by thegeorgiapeach and art by cpunch . (Please note, some of the images in these stories may have been previously published. Click the highlighted links below for refreshers as you go along.)
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“Well you said you would do it, and by golly Ms. Penny you did it!” Missy Eddington yelled as she flung aside the door to Penelope Primrose’s dressing room. 

“Yeeeeaaaaah!!” Penelope yelped in retort as she flung her gloves into a nearby locker. Penelope had hi-fived dozens of fans as she made her way down the aisle on her way out of the arena floor, relishing in the adoration and roars of the crowd. It had been a long time since she had made that walk with that much energy reverberating in the crowd, and she had taken her time with the walk. 

“Come here, you!” Penelope complied and was greeted with a crushing hug as Missy lifted her up in the air, “So happy for you . . . you deserve this as you worked for this! You studied Chantelle and you did everything I asked and more!”

“I did tell you! I did!”

“Yes you did . . .  just as you said . . .”

“It felt perfect . . . I don’t think I’ve ever landed a better punch . . . I bet she’ll stop talking about glass jaws!”

“I reckon she will Penny . . .”

“Nothing’s felt bet . . . YES!” Penelope bellowed again.

Missy smiled at Penelope. She had not only knocked out Chantelle Daniels, she had beat up the recently deposed champion. Missy had seen just about every one of Chantelle’s fights, calling them on BSN as Chantelle took and held the UK Foxy Boxing title, and Chantelle had never been beat up in such a fashion. Morgan Mace had knocked her out, but that had been so quick and Chantelle had been pretty much unscathed in that fight up to the point when she was knocked out. As excited as Missy was for Penelope, and herself for her role in helping Penelope rise back to relevance, she was equally disgusted at how Chantelle was left to receive more damage than she needed to. She was angry at Ophelia Daniels, and perplexed at the callous nature of the woman who seemingly had always had her daughter’s best interest in mind. She kept asking herself why Ophelia had the beating go on and how did she manage to control the referee of the bout and UK Foxy Boxing owner Tyrus Johnson to let it continue. Chantelle had been brave, but Missy saw a defenseless fighter being brave, but a fighter more or less doing anything to survive and protect herself. 

Missy had been in the game a long time – and had recently been reminded of the dark side of her profession in her trip to B.A.B.E. Running into the vendetta driven Sonia Patel in the B.A.B.E. arena, and seeing Lana Sinclair up close trying to mask the hidden scars of her crushing defeat had brought the dark side close to the surface. The Jade Fist had been ruthless in her finish, and probably could have let Janya and Lana fall without the extra barrage of punches, but where were those who were supposed to protect their fighters? Minutes ago, she had watched her own fighter Penelope bounce a wounded Chantelle around the ring. She had yelled at the referee to stop the fight, all for nought. What was Ophelia playing at?

“What are you doing?”

“Oh, just thinking  . . . so what did you say to Chantelle?”

“When? At the end?”

“No . . . during the fight. You said something during a clinch.”

“I told her to take a knee, stay down . . . just like you told me to . . . then she started fighting back!”

“She did show heart – I will say that was a surprise . . .  but why Ophelia let her take that, and the damn ref for that matter . . . you did good Penny . . . And at the end?”

“What?”

“At the end of the fight, at her stool?”

“Oh, you know, I told her to enjoy cleaning up her hot mess of a face  . . . you know, use some of that face-plastic magic her mom uses . . .”

Missy shook her head, “You’re incorrigible! Chantelle did deserve that! . . . Well, I will see you tonight! BSN calls, I get to go back to work and call the next fight . . . You know who is fighting next, right?”

“Shut it Missy!!”

Missy smiled, and turned for the door, “Celebrate, Penny! . . . Oh, and you can have this back now, it won’t stop vibrating!” Missy flung Penelope’s phone to her. Another point in their agreement – Missy got Penelope’s phone on fight day.

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Missy left Penelope to her phone and began meandering her way through the arena to get to the BSN broadcast booth – no doubt her broadcaster partner Giles Watt would be anxious to get her take on what had just happened. The arena was shaking from the exciting fight they had just witnessed between two former champions, and of course the anticipation for the new Queen of UK Foxy Boxing, Kelly Fairchild, upcoming in the Main Event. In all her years in the UK Foxy Boxing world Missy had never seen the arena so loud, or a fighter so loved.

“Poor Sydney!” thought Missy as she walked past the dressing room of Sydney Smith, Fairchild’s young opponent tonight , “She is so green and has to walk through this crowd and face Kelly . . .”

“Woh! . . . Sorry Missy!” 

“Woh indeed, Mac!” Missy was able to brace herself as Sydney Smith’s trainer came barreling through the door of Sydney’s dressing room out into the hallway, nearly running her over.

“Sorry . . . just running to get . . . hell I don’t know . . . Hey, nice job with Penny. She hasn’t looked that good in a long time! Nice win!”

“She got back to work, Mac! She got back to what she did with you! . . . You alright!? You look skittish.” Missy saw there was a frantic unease about Cornelia “Mac” McGillicuddy, which was uncharacteristic for the normally stoic trainer.

“I’m just . . . nevermind . . .”

“What is it?”

“You know – this is so wrong!”

“What? Ophelia?”

“Well that was fucked up! No, this fight – they forced this fight on Syd, and yes, she has worked her ass for me in training . . . but, my god listen to this place. Kelly Fairchild! Syd is not ready for someone like Fairchild, not yet anyway . . .”

“You have her ready, I am sure . . . you’ve been here before . . . with Penny . . .”

“Penny was ready, older, had been in the game longer . . . Syd is a wreck . . . a bucket, that is what I was going to get . . . she’s so nervous she’s puking out her anxiety . . . she’ll have no energy left to fight!”

Missy knew that feeling, as she always got nervous before her fights. But thinking on what Mac was telling her she could feel sympathy. Sydney was so young and new, and just like that she was getting a Main Event fight against the meteoric superstar Kelly Fairchild. No doubt she felt the loneliest person in the arena in that dressing room.

“ . . . You know, Syd got ramrodded by the Juvie system, manipulated by her folks – now she comes here – Johnson and them don’t listen to me – she is now being abused by UK Foxy Boxing . . . This smells of Ophelia! She did the same thing to that Holmes girl, remember?”

Missy thought back on Kendall Holmes . . . an ametuer star who climbed the ranks with Chantelle. A power puncher who had a spectacular debut win as a UK Foxy Boxing pro, only to somehow get drawn against two of the toughest heels in Kelly Kearney and Morgan Mace in her next two bouts. She was destroyed by both, Mace having shattered her jaw, and has never quite gotten her career back on track, floundering in the lower tiers. Many had thought Ophelia worked her magic to dull the shine off Holmes and get Chantelle out from under her shadow. 

“ . . . It does at that,” Missy responded.

“She sees a young fighter destroy a legend like Penny, and you know she can’t have another young fighter around jostling with her for a shot at Mace . . . God! Listen to this crowd!”

“Mac! You just do what you do best! You coach her through each step of the fight, and you stay ready! You will be all Sydney has in this arena . . . well, you and those folks who love an upset!”

“Mmm . . .hmmm . . . I will . . . but . . .”

“Mac! This is Fairchild, too. Remember that. This isn’t Mace or Kearney. Fairchild isn’t going to cross any lines . . . Get back in there . . . I’ll have someone bring you a bucket. Good luck, Mac!”

“Arrgh .  . thanks Missy, and congrats – you should stick it out, this training business.”

“What, and leave my cushy seat next to Giles! No way!”

Missy watched Mac amble back inside Sydney Smith’s dressing room, “Man, I hope Sydney does enough to earn something tonight . . .” Missy thought as she continued walking through the concourses of the arena. Missy checked her watch, “Speaking of which . . . I have a few minutes . . .”

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Missy quietly knocked on the door to medical, waited, and then slowly opened the door and poked her head inside. Chantelle Daniels had been moved off the gurney she had been wheeled from the ring in, and was propped up on an examine table with two medics attending to her. Missy scanned the room, and saw or heard no sign of Ophelia, and slipped in. One of the attendants came over, and Missy looked past her and saw a crushed Chantelle staring blankly at the wall, tears stained on her cheeks.

“What’s the word Lily?” Missy asked as the attendant reached her.

“Concussion for sure . . . she may have an orbital fracture, too much swelling to tell anything yet. I reckon she has some rib cartilage issue, if not cracked ribs. She’ll have to go to hospital for x-rays for sure. She’s a mess . . . never had Chantelle in here before . . .”

“Well, she endured more than she should have . . . you seen Ophelia?”

“Nope . . . Katelyn did . . . or heard her anyway. She said she was yelling at Mr. Johnson about Mace and a title fight for Chantelle . . .”

“Really? Unbelievable . . . she’s nervous about losing her deal . . . Lily, do me a favor, get Chantelle out to Hospital before Ophelia gets here, if she’s even coming, but Ophelia is off her rocker right now, no telling what she is up to.”

“Will try Missy – Ophelia is not an easy one to get something past . . . she’s got eyes all around . . .”

“I know, just try . . . Can I chat with her?”

“Yeah, go ahead . . . though she’s not responding to much right now . . .”

“Thanks.” Missy made her way to Chantelle, taking the spot Katelyn, the other medic, vacated upon her arrival. “Thanks, Katelyn.”

“Chantelle?” There was no response as Chantelle Daniels continued to stare off to the distance, her breathing was labored. “Chantelle?” Missy waited. In the silence Chantelle turned towards her.

“Where’s my mom?”

“Not sure, but no worries about that,” Missy responded quietly, “Chantelle – you showed the world today a heart of a champion. You may have lost, but you earned the respect of anyone out there who knows a damn thing about boxing.

Don’t you forget that. You showed folks tonight that you will never quit and you forever earned my admiration tonight. It stings now, but learn from this.” Missy patted Chantelle on the shoulder, and watched a new tear streak down Chantelle’s right cheek. “Boy, that left eye is swollen bad.” Missy thought. “Chantelle, you’re in good hands here with Lily and Katelyn, trust me, I know.”

Missy checked her watch and turned to leave.

“Thank you Missy . . .” she heard Chantelle grunt. Missy smiled.

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Penelope switched on the T.V. in the dressing room and muted it. There was no need to have the volume on, as the din of the arena was so heavy it drowned out the voices of Giles Watt and Missy Eddington coming from the TV as they talked about the Main Event which was just getting underway. Penny looked up at the screen and watched Sydney Smith walking down the ramp to the ring, Mac right behind her. “She looks terrified!” Penelope thought, “Maybe she’ll get what’s coming to her . . . or maybe . . .” Penelope was at a quandary. She loved watching Ashley Powers knock out Ivanna Payne, as Penelope loved watching those who had beaten her getting their own piece of humble pie, and she thought Sydney could use some of that. But as she remembered all the hype that had been heaped on Kelly Fairchild in the run up to this bout the envy in her could not abide and she began looking anew at the young, pale gaunt fighter walking to ring. “Well she beat me, she could beat Fairchild too I suppose . . .”

She looked down as her phone chirped again. It was a text from Lana Sinclair. She opened it and saw it had an attachment with the following words, “Glad you didn’t use this on me! #perfection.” Penelope opened the attachment, and it was a  repeating GIF of her punch that had rocked Chantelle’s world at the end of Round 3. It was a punch she and Missy had talked about landing every day in training camp. Penelope didn’t want to let Lana know that she had indeed tried to land it against her, but Lana was too careful. Chantelle was not, and that was what she had seen in the Mace fight. Chantelle would disengage from one of her barrages by rocking back, chin high. Yes, Chantelle varies her movement left or right or middle, so if you could guess right you good land a big one, and she had. Penelope smiled as she watched the repeat of Chantelle falling hard on her back, “Lights out Chantelle!” Penelope bellowed out.

And then the arena bellowed back. The noise crescendoed through the concourse and you could feel the foundation tremble. Penelope looked back over at the TV to see Kelly Fairchild walking to the ring. Penelope knew the old UK Foxy Boxing barn had never trembled like this for her. The envy rose up again and she muttered, “Hope your girl can take her Mac . . .”

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“Well Missy . . . as the fighters get their last instructions, what are your final thoughts?”

“Same as I said before they both walked out here . . . physically they look the mirror image, though Sydney may have an inch on Kelly . . . but Kelly has been around longer, her body is stronger – not only can Kelly move faster than anyone, even Chantelle, she also has power. She knows how to throw a punch. Sydney is not a power puncher . . .”

“She did take out Primrose . . .”

“ . . . that had as much to do with Primrose at the time – remember Primrose wilted in that fight . . . But anyway, my thoughts are that Kelly may be just too much too soon for the young Smith.”

“We’ll find out soon enough . . . there’s the bell for Round 1!”

“Here we go Giles!” Missy was anxious to see how a clearly ‘rattled by the moment’ Sydney would carry herself in the ring against a fighter Missy thought was the best the UK had ever produced, Champion holder or not.

Missy watched and saw that Sydney was clearly in no hurry to close the distance on Kelly. She listened as Giles called the action – though there was little action at the start.

“Lots of early posturing Giles . . .” Missy finally chimed in.

“Yes . . . Smith is keeping her distance, she is going to wear out the ring mat . . .”

“Clearly it looks as though Sydney wants to make Kelly the aggressor and counter punch and try to use her allusiveness to frustrate Kelly. Kelly will figure it out, she is patient.”

“Kelly is slowly creeping in, closing the gap . . . cutting off the ring . . . the crowd is so deleterious seeing their heroine in the ring they haven’t noticed how little action there has been!”

“Haha . . . you’re right Giles!”

“There’s a nice counter jab by Sydney, and she immediately backs out, bouncing off the ropes and back to her left. Kelly stalking . . .”

“It is hard to hear obviously, but just look how quiet and effortless Fairchild’s movement is . . . total control and fluid . . .” 

“Fairchild cuts off the ring . .  and a quick one-two downstairs on Smith . . . Smith had her guard up after a Kelly feint and Kelly found the body . . “

“And again Giles . . . one-two to the body . . . Kelly knows Sydney will try and run and hide and counter . . . she knows what she is doing . . . Sydney felt those.”

“Sydney on her horse again . . . Kelly chasing . . . a quick stop by Sydney . . . she throws a flurry, Kelly dodges . . . ooh, nice counter hook by Kelly rocks Smith, Smith fired back and lands on Kelly . . . another counter by Kelly snaps Sydney’s head . . . Sydney drops back . . .”

“Yeah, Sydney just tried to surprise Kelly and trade with her . . . Kelly having none of it . . . two beautiful counters . . . Sydney back to bouncing around.”

The crowd was roaring every time Kelly landed a punch. “This is an awesome night for UK Boxing!” Missy thought as the bell rang ending the first round.

“Well, Missy, a little action in the final seconds, but a feeling out round.”

“For Sydney, yes! She is in the deep end, she is going to have to try and figure out anyway to get through Kelly’s defenses. I am not sure she has the power to worry Kelly, and Kelly is too smart and patient to really give her an opening. Kelly is not feeling anything out. She knows what she is doing. And right now she has a fighter on her horse.”

“Will Smith slow down?”

“Eventually, but for how long I don’t know. She is in great shape, and her fights go deep, remember, she has only two knockouts. She goes the distance in her fights. But she wins on decisions, and she isn’t going to win a decision against Kelly – therefore the deep end. How can she hurt Kelly? I don’t know.”

“Okay, the fighters are both up – there’s the bell! Round 2 folks  . . . and again Smith keeps her distance . . .”

“What will be interesting as this fight unfolds, is how will Kelly engage and up her own aggressiveness. Many folks try and go at Kelly and she picks them apart . . .  like that . . . nice counter jab snaps Smith’s head back again . . . but it will be fun to see Kelly figure out the riddle of Sydney’s allusive ring meandering and take the fight to her. We’ve not seen that asked of Kelly too much . . .”

“She cuts the ring off smoothly, and fires off two jabs – the second one again snapping Sydney’s head . . .”

“Sydney has not seen this speed . . .”

“Again, Kelly with the jabs . . . Sydney misses with a counter . . . and Fairchild punishes the miss with a hook to the sternum . . .” 

“Sydney felt that one . . . what a body shot . . .”

“Kelly not wasting any time . . . she follows up with a nice hook  . . .”

“Again set up by the jabs . . . Sydney is confused in there right now . . . she is on her horse, but Kelly has figured out the rhythm, and is beating Sydney to her spots.”

“Fairchild misses with a jab, and Sydney ducks away from a hook . . . nice defense there for Smith . . . Sydney fires an uppercut but no one is home, Fairchild darted left . . . another stiff counter jab from Fairchild as Smith tried to reset.”

“Beautiful movement from Fairchild . .  so smooth . . .”

“Another one – two . . . Sydney blocks those . . . and another quick little hook to the side . . .”

“That landed hard and quick . . . . Kelly is fast to the body . . . Sydney has no answer to it . . .”

“And now Fairchild seems to be dictating the pace . . . “

“She is making Smith go where she wants . . . this is ring generalship at its best . . .” 

“Smith finds her back scraping the top rope . . . she feints left and escapes to the right, Kelly follows . . . ooh, a nice hook by Sydney . . . she stopped in her tracks and caught Kelly with her best punch of the night  . . . Kelly still in pursuit . . . Sydney tries it again . . . Kelly ducks . . .”

“Ooh, left to the body and uppercut to the chin . . . Sydney just got rocked by that one – two . . .”

“Sydney tries to run and hide, Kelly cautiously in pursuit . . .”

“Giles, every time Sydney thinks she found something that works, Kelly adjusts, shuts it down, and reverses it . . .”

“Another nice stiff jab snaps Sydney’s head back . . . “

“Kelly’s jab is on fire tonight – she is really sticking it crisply through Sydney’s guard.”

“Again, Kelly doubles up the jab . . . ooh, another solid shot to Sydney’s side . . . and Sydney bends over . .  she turns away in pain . . . and there is the bell . . .”

“Wow! Listen to the crowd . . . Sydney didn’t go down, but that punch to the side stunned Sydney . .  It’s about the fourth hard shot she’s taken in that spot. Underrated is Kelly’s power . . ”

“Missy, not sure Sydney has faced that kind of power before.”

“Nope . . . Penny got her with a few good shots in the third round of their fight . . . but the English Rose is a different cat! Masterclass by Fairchild!”

“Missy . . .  wide eyed look on Sydney’s face in the corner as she listens to her trainer.”

“Yep . . . she is getting a masterclass in what the top echelon of UK Foxy Boxing has to offer. It really doesn’t get better than this by Fairchild – crisp, so quick on the counter, so smooth with her foot work. I mean, you and I are wide eyed watching how gracefully Fairchild commands that ring . . . I’m with Sydney on this.”

As Missy watched Mac talking to his young fighter, she wondered what the conversation was about. Sydney had tried a couple of things in the ring – some worked once and then were shut down, others hadn’t worked at all. Sydney was nodding a lot, so whatever Mac was telling her was registering. But the fight was unfolding as Missy expected – the veteran reaching the peak of her potential was schooling a young fighter in the art of boxing. And now the crowd smelled blood, and cacophony was deafening.

“Missy, round three is about to start . . . thoughts?”

“Not to be too blunt . . . but we’ll see what Fairchild is so good at . . . finishing a fight . . .”

“You think this fight is over . . . “

“Giles, anything can happen, but Kelly is in control . . . I don’t see Sydney having any answers in this round or any that follow..”

“And there’s the bell . . . and this time Kelly comes out fast . . . Sydney meets her and fires a hook and misses . . counter hook by Kelly, and another to the body makes Sydney wince . . . Sydney fires a left and right, both catch air . . . Kelly misses with a jab . . . Sydney connects with a jab of her own . . .”

“ . . . but again Kelly catches her on the way out with a nice hook . . . not sure Sydney wants to trade in the middle of the ring . . .”

“Ohh, and a nice hook by Sydney . . . that may be the first real punch Kelly has felt . . .”

“And a wry smile comes on the face of Kelly, Giles . . . you see that?  . . . she likes the moxy of Sydney I think . . . “

“Really Missy, she liked taking a left hook to her jaw like that?  . . . Sydney bounces out . . . Kelly chases . . . Sydney stops and fires a left, misses . .  right misses . . . Kelly shuffles in – another nice stiff jab . . . and ooh . . . . again to the body . . . and Smith takes a knee – Sydney Smith grunts and takes a knee!”

“Exactly the same shot Kelly landed at the end of round 2. Woh boy, Sydney is hurting . . .”

“The count has started . . .”

1 . . . 2 . . .3 . . .

“Smart by Sydney . . . she is taking the time . . .”

4 . . . 5 . . .6 . . . 7

“And Sydney is on her feet.

She is checked over . . . the fight continues through the roar of this sell out crowd. . . folks at home, I hope you can hear this crowd, for it is delirious right now . . . Sydney tries to run, lots of time left in the round . . .”

“Sydney is dropping her left hand . . . protecting her left side . . .”

“Kelly is closing the ring . . . Sydney tries to shuffle left and is cut off . . . Sydney is firing away now trying to keep Kelly at bay. . . Kelly dodging and weaving . . . Sydney is flailing a bit, catching Kelly’s arms . . . she tried to move left again . . .  Kelly ends that with a stiff right . .  Sydney rocks back into the ropes right above us . . . an uppercut throttles Smith . . . “

“Blood flows . . . that caught Smith flush on the nose . . .”

“Sydney ducking away . . . Kelly won’t let her escape . .  so quick . . . and another hook to the body . . . loud grunt by Smith . . . Kelly fires a hook, catches Smith solid . . . “

“Smith is wheeling . . .”

“And Kelly fires a hook . . . and holds it  . . . she pulled the punch . . .”

“The towel, Giles!  . . . Sydney’s trainer threw in the towel and Kelly saw it . . . amazing eyesight to see that and then pull your punch!”

“The fight is over! The English Rose has notched another win! Sydney’s corner throws in the towel! It is a TKO win for Kelly Fairchild, and she remains undefeated in her UK Foxy Boxing career! . . .

Sydney Smith was no match for Fairchild – she gamely tried on, but Fairchild takes the win. . . . A nice moment in the ring as Fairchild helps Smith off the ropes and guides her to her corner . . .

the crowd is in a frenzy . . . Fairchild goes to the center of the ring and waves to the crowd . . .”

“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN – YOUR WINNER BY TKO IN THE 3rd ROUND – KELLY “The ENGLISH ROSE” FAIRCHILD!!”

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“Well, shit!” Thought Penelope Primrose as she turned off the T.V. The arena was still shaking following Kelly Fairchilds victory. Penny was well aware that she had just seen a fighter in full control of every facet of the art of boxing. As much as Penny loved to talk about her own tributes, in moments of clarity she could recognize when she saw a true genius in the ring. The English Rose was the real deal. Penelope could honestly say, watching Fairchild in this fight reminded her of the cream of B.A.B.E. – Fairchild defended like Jade, was as quick as Daisy, and had the power of Ashley. Penelope knew that her “Well, shit!” was not that Kelly had won, she was hard to root against, but that she was that good. Penelope was keenly aware that Morgan Mace wouldn’t be the only obstacle to getting her UK belt back.

(To be continued)