"I'd love to be as accomplished as her some day!" said Anna Popplewell, when asked to comment on her public challenge to Virginie Ledoyen. In earlier one-off statements on the subject, Popplewell had described Ledoyen as "Talented!" and "Super cute!" The press, anxious to find a more exciting angle, continued to push. "I sent her a challenge because I don't want to see anyone's talent wasted. Virginie should decide whether she wants to be a boxer or not. If she doesn't want to face me, someone else should get her spot in the rankings. If she does, good luck to her, but she'd better be ready for a fight!"

Virginie Ledoyen had not immediately responded to the initial challenge, but her reply to Popplewell's explanation was quite direct. "Anyone Emma Watson can beat, I can," she said, confidently. "Anna might look strong against trash like Lady Gaga, but a few rounds in the ring with me will sort her out."

On fight night, Ledoyen jogged down the ramp to a strong response from the crowd, looking slim and tough in her white sports bra and trunks. The actress stretched and warmed up as Popplewell made her entrance wearing similar athletic gear in black. Ledoyen acknowledged her minimally, obviously planning to let her fists do the talking, which seemed to suit Popplewell fine.

Round 1:
Ledoyen made a careful opening, using her jab and superior reach to control the ring. Popplewell attempted to avoid Ledoyen's game entirely, trying to outmaneuver her; the veteran Ledoyen was thoroughly resistant to being outmaneuvered. The final result was a sore jaw for Ledoyen from one of Popplewell's successful breakthroughs, and general wear and tear on Popplewell from each failure. Overall, Ledoyen took the worst of it, but neither woman came close to showing total dominance.

Round 2:
Once again, Popplewell did her best to dodge and sneak around Ledoyen's defenses, but this time she hit a brick wall. Ledoyen, scuffed but undamaged, seemed to have used the first round to figure out her rival's tactics, and was now perfectly countering them. Popplewell looked sheepish during the break, having gone a full round nearly unable to find her rival at all, while Ledoyen had plenty of reasons to look smug on her stool.

Round 3:
Ledoyen's plans to coast to victory were promptly cancelled in the third round as Popplewell switched gears, tagging the taller fighter on the cheek early on after feinting and forcing a misstep. Ledoyen was shaken, but did not fall apart, striking back soon after and giving Popplewell a matching set of bruises. The battle continued with neither woman ever too far ahead, and while Ledoyen managed to finish the round ahead by a hair, she was clearly not in control of the match.

Round 4:
A similar dance continued in the fourth round, but with more intensity. Popplewell was able to force a brief, close battle culminating in a painful barrage of blows to Ledoyen's body. The older actress retreated, not hiding her pain, but soon returned to land a solid blow to Popplewell's nose. By the end of the round, Ledoyen was looking more worn down than her opponent, even though she had given a good account of herself.

Round 5:
Ledoyen continued to shift in the fifth round, looking to pull ahead as she had before and hold on to her lead. However, Popplewell was quick enough to spot an opening as she adjusted, striking through her guard to the surprise of seemingly everyone present. Ledoyen retreated, shaken, but Popplewell gave chase. Ledoyen, off balance, was unable to restrict her opponent as she had thus far, and in seconds Popplewell had struck her rival's face several times uninterrupted. The last swing hit Ledoyen straight on, bringing her to a complete halt as Popplewell stopped her attempts to recover. Ledoyen spent a fraction of a second swaying unsteadily and stepping forward, jaw slack and eyes unfocused, before Popplewell's follow up instantly put her down on her back, motionless. Arms and legs splayed, Ledoyen was obviously not in any condition to continue, and the referee quickly declared Popplewell the winner by KO5.

Popplewell took an instant to admire her work before sprinting back to her corner into the arms of her stablemates. After the messy collision sorted itself out, Popplewell took a position on Robyn Lawley's shoulders; normally the best seats in the house, but the victorious actress was not concerned with the view. When Lawley put her down, she addressed the press.

"Virginie's knows what she's doing. But as you can see, I knew what she was doing too." In the background, Ledoyen had managed to rise to a sitting position, though her hand on her head and facial expression suggested that she regretted the decision. "And anybody I figure out is taking a trip to the canvas. That goes for whoever I pick next too!"