(Written by Girls Friday/Results BBU)

(Girls Friday vs Downunder Boxing)

Intro:
The end of Melanie Sykes retirement tour heads to the Philippines for her first and only beach boxing fight on Boracay beach against "the Body" Elle MacPherson.
Both girls are retiring after this fight, Melanie is 46 years old and Elle is 53 years old, so Bernard Hopkins would be proud of these two girls.
Physically, these two girls are extremely fit, working out hard to get into a shape that women half these girls ages would love to have.
Melanie's record is 5 wins, all by knockout and 2 losses, while Elle has a record of 17 wins, 13 by knockout and 14 losses with 1 draw, she's a former FCBA Middleweight, Welterweight champion and an ACB welterweight champion.

On the beach, both girls meet for a photoshoot and been friends, the girls share several laughs while they do it in bikinis.
But the press are also here and the girls have to speak to the media on bit of beach they will be fighting on 24 hours later.
Melanie is asked to speak first, she starts by saying "I am so glad we got permission to fight here, especially over Christmas, imagine us fighting on a beach in the UK in winter"
Both girls laugh as Elle replies "well we could have fought in Australia" with a wink, to which Mel answers "and miss being the first two girls to box this stretch of beautiful beach, there is also the fact that I'd be booed out of my own retirement"
Looking at ease around each other, Melanie continues "Elle is a true living legend, you can argue if a model can be super, I'd say Elle proves you can be a real life superwoman"
Though she finishes by saying "but I know I can beat you babe, I train like crazy to get into shape and this is the final stamp on my career, I want it to be a winning one"
Elle doesn't seem to take it personally as she begins her speech "for the record, Melanie is awesome, great to talk to and a body to rival mine I admit"
She adds "but as she said, this is our final moments in fighting, I have heard people swear I should have retired 3 years ago after I lost to Kim Cattrall, I honestly thought of challenging her to a rematch for retirement, Mel and me though deserve our moment together and I plan on having the glory"
Both girls come together for the stare down, each has that competitive look that fans have been waiting to see, before they step back and grin at each other.

Fight time, the ring posts have been dug into the sand with black ropes to create the ring, bleachers surround the ring for the lucky crowd.
Melanie Sykes is the first girl out into the fighting area, she has Lauren Berlingeri with her, both girls in string bikinis, Melanie in a red bikini to match her gloves, Lauren is in a green bikini.
Both pose for the crowd back to back, who cheer the two and wolfwhistle them, before Melanie climbs into the ring to get ready for the fight by stretching.
Out comes Elle now, she is wearing a black string bikini with matching black gloves and her coach Nikki Visser is wearing a white string bikini.
Both of the Aussie girls pose side by side, the crowd eating up the sight as Melanie smiles at the sight outside the ring.
Elle enters her side of the ring and waves to the cheering crowd as the referee waves both girls to the ring centre.
The girls give each other a serious stare as they meet at the center of the ring, the need to win is starting to fuel each girls now.
Asked to touch gloves, they respectfully touch gloves and head back to their corners, getting their gumshields in, the referee signals for the bell to begin 10 rounds of welterweight beach boxing action.

Round 1:
Out come the girls, both seem to have some nerves, throwing testing jabs early in the fight, the taller Elle is landing the cleaner shots in the early exchange.
The girls circle and start getting more comfortable hitting each other, the probing punches become harder and now they are adding more right handed shots now.
Elle controls the pace of the round, using her experience of fighting on sand and her legendary quick hands keep Melanie at range.
Sykes for really the first time in this tour looks flustered, she's had difficult fights, but the speed and reach of Elle is still somewhat there to make Melanie have to think hard how to get through.
As they circle again, sand is being kicked up and Melanie is being forced to cover up more and more as Elle starts coming forward with a barrage of punches and the crowd start chanting her name.
Surprisingly, Melanie ducks under a straight punch and starts working the body of Elle, sending short sharp punches to their target.
Now Elle is forced back a step late in the round, and she surprises Mel now by taking a big step back, then after judging her range, she sweeps a left hook over the top to wobble her English opponent.
The bell rings and both girls slam a glove together to show the other respect, how long that lasts as their tempers rises is a question in itself.
Elle looks the happier as she takes on water and gets her face washed, her eyes meet Melanie's and she stares hard, hoping to psyche out her friend and rival today.
Melanie doesn't seem bothered by mind games, that left hook at the end of the round has her worried though, as she talks with Lauren on tactics, while she gets cleaned up for round 2.

Round 2:
Out come the girls, guards up high as they circle and Elle goes back to working the fast thrown jab, looking for an opening.
She is stunned then when Melanie nearly tackles her through the ropes, the crowd cheer as the fight gets really serious.
Melanie is slamming in body shots as a furious Elle turns her body and swings her fists to deliver punches upwards to the body of Melanie.
The referee separates the girls when Melanie grabs the top rope with her left hand to help her pin Elle to said ropes.
Separated, Elle comes forward with a vengeance and it's Melanie being driven back across the ring, her guard only blocking so much, as some straights part her guard.
The crowd are on their feet as the girls square up and brawl it out, punches fly in from all angles, each girl is knocked back a step.
A right hook to the chin and Melanie and down she goes, her side hitting the sand, knocking some up and on to her sweaty body.
Elle stares down at Mel, as if warning her to stay down, then she heads to a neutral corner, as the referee begins his count.
Melanie sits up at 3 and wipes some sand from her body, she punches the ground in disgust at herself for being put down so easily.
She beats the count at 8 and waves Elle on as the ref checks her over, the Aussie fighter doesn't need an invite as she comes in for the finish.
Melanie blocks a few jabs and takes a sneaky right to the body, before she can clinch up, the friends snarl at each other as they shove at each other with their bodies.
The bell rings not long after, with both still stuck together, after the ref pries the fighters apart, both girls almost take a swing for each other.
But they calm down enough to hold back and again touch a glove together, though it seems to be a harder touch this time as their need to win is overruling their friendship it seems.
Elle smirks to Nikki, before she sits on her stool and watches Melanie have to get her body washed off sand from her knockdown, the look on both girls faces isn't a loving one.

Round 3:
The girls are fighting with more venom on their punches, Melanie having to work her way forward under more pinpoint strikes to the top of her head.
As she gets to the inside, she slugs away to the body of her taller rival, getting grunts from Elle and starts backing her up.
Again Elle tries to take a big step back to create space, she isn't quick enough this time, as Melanie steps in quickly and lands two good overhand shots to reel Elle onto the ropes.
MacPherson clinches up with Melanie, the two grapple on the ropes with the referee in quickly to pull the girls apart, allowing Elle to get herself off the ropes.
Back at her own comfortable range, Elle starts firing more harder shots as a way of keeping Sykes off of her, her rival covers up from most of the shots.
The girls try to find a better angle of attack as they move around each other, till Melanie again rips her way to the in side.
Elle again has to cover up from the heat she's getting off of Melanie and shots are thudding around her guard to her body, warning loud groans from the Aussie girl.
Starting to fight back off the ropes, we get a grandstand finish to the round, with both ripping away at each other till the bell rings.
Neither touches a glove now, just staring as they catch their breaths from that late charge, each looks furious at the other.
Both stomp through the lush sand to return to their corners, both girls bodies starting to redden up nicely now that the fights getting serious.

Round 4:
Elle again takes control of the fight with her stiff jabs, Melanie's eyes start to water as her nose keeps getting hit with that jab.
Melanie lands a good right cross on the chin of Elle to shake her, the girls come together to knock each other around the ring.
The crowd are chanting each girls name as Melanie groans and reels back to the ropes, her nose is starting to bleed from a small cut on the bridge of her nose.
Elle works with the jab, not wanting to get hit by any counter punches and Melanie covers up as the referee comes close to watch if she can fight back.
Melanie finds the strength to clinch up with Elle, Sykes uses her right hand to dig shots into the abs of MacPherson, till the referee gets involved to pull the girls apart.
A good straight shot from Elle rattles Melanie again late in the round, the fighters exchange hard shots near the ropes.
The bell rings with Elle back on top and glaring hard at Melanie, the girls go nose to nose as the crowd cheer for them to keep going, but the referee is fast enough to get the girls apart.
Melanie has to get her cut nose cleaned up, she winces each time it's touched to show how sore it is and she mumbles "f***" under her breath.
Elle doesn't look too bothered as she gets cleaned up, talking to Nikki how she can end this soon if she keeps up the beating.

Round 5:
The girls meet near the ring centre, Elle is pounding that cut on the nose of Melanie and backwards goes the English fighter.
Till Melanie ducks under a right cross and snaps an uppercut on the chin of Elle, down goes the Aussie onto her backside!
Elle blinks as she looks stunned, Melanie roars to the crowd as she heads to a neutral corner so the referee to start counting.
The referee is up to 5 as Elle pushes herself up and takes the rest of the count standing up, both girls are pacing angrily as the referee tries to check on Elle.
The fight is ordered to start again and Melanie is straight on the attack, head down, she is swinging hard shots into the body of her opponent.
That's till the girls lock up in a clinch and end up tripping each other to the sand, the referee has to pull the girls apart, each kicking at each other as they are lost in the emotion of the fight.
The girls are back up and trading shots that are rattling each other till they clinch up again, both breathing hard with the effort to win this fight.
The bell rings to end the round, the girls shoving each other away, silently cursing each other as they return to their corners.
Elle doesn't look as confident as before, her body has to be washed to clear the sand off and the ring rust from two years of inactive is taking it's toll.
Melanie though doesn't look any better at all, blood stains her lower face as her cut nose is flowing freely, the doctor is checking how well it's being fixed up.
Just before the round starts, he orders for Melanie to be checked by him and sees that Lauren has done a good enough job to let the fight continue.

Round 6:
The girls don't have as much pep in their step as they come out to fight, Elle gets her range quickly in the round, opening that cut up again as Melanie tries to close down the distance.
Melanie is looking hurt, she's trying to step forward and when she ducks, Elle times it perfectly and slams a right hook to the cheek of Sykes.
Down goes Melanie! The English girl ends up on all fours, she's blinking hard as the referee begins his count above her.
Elle is willing her to stay down, but at 8; Melanie forces her way up, her legs don't look fully under her and as the fight is ordered to continue, Elle steels herself and powers forward.
Melanie tries to fire back, but a barrage of punches puts Sykes onto the ropes and she is leaning on the ropes, till the referee taps the shoulder of Elle and dives in between the girls to stop the fight, saying Melanie can't continue.

Winner: Elle MacPherson TKO Round 6

After:
Melanie looks distraught, her career is over with a loss, blood is running down from that cut on her nose and she's slumped on the ropes, so she hasn't got much to say that the referee was wrong, just pride on her part.
Lauren rushes into the ring and cuddles her fighter and friend as Elle has her moment to celebrate in her corner with Nikki.
"The Body" pumps her fist to the crowd who cheer her for a great last performance herself and then for her sportsmanship as she heads to Melanie.
Both girls embrace and apologize to each other for having to be so nasty during the fight, now they giggle as Elle says "when will I learn not to hug you after a fight?" As some of the blood from Melanie's nose drips onto the shoulder of Elle.
They laugh and separate for the moment so both can get cleaned up and Melanie's cut nose is stopped bleeding to great relief for her.
The girls are led back to the ring centre and Elle's hand is raised as Melanie claps her friend, as do all the men and women in the crowd.

Kirsty Gallacher climbs into the ring with her microphone, she's wearing a black one piece swimsuit as she gets into the beach spirit.
She comes up to the girls who just fought, both of them with an arm around the others waist with big grins on their faces.
"So I don't know what to really ask, I mean this is an emotional time for both of you guys" says Kirsty as she has to fight back a tear, looking at these girls she's gotten to know so well over the years thanks to the BBU.
She asks Elle "this was originally Melanie's retirement fight, but it's become so much more with your own retirement, how does it feel to have won this fight with everything surrounding it?"
Elle looks at Mel and answers "it was hard, I didn't want me losing my ACB title two years ago to define me, so winning this fight means the world to me and it was an honour to do it against Melanie"
Melanie smiles and says "same for me, not the title bit, that is one regret I have in my career but happily the only one, Elle is a true legend and I would have loved the win, but she proved why she's the best"
Kirsty then asks "well what is next for you two? I mean career wise in the BBU and ACB"
Both women smile and Elle answers "well I guess it's an office job for us both, I also guess that we'll now be competing with our girls from now on"
Melanie interjects "yep, it's time us old timers put on our slippers and let the next generation take over" as she winks at Elle, who fakes a pout before giggling.
Kirsty just stands and smiles for a moment, before saying "I speak for all of us here and I'm betting at home when I say thank you for all your fights, for your respect for the business and good luck to your futures"
All three girls hug and Elle with Melanie sneak a kiss to each side of Kirsty's cheeks to make her playfully push them away and say "you soppy sods"
Melanie says "time for some sunbathing and food and drink at the beach house we've rented for the week, you're invited youngster" her and Elle hold a hand out to Kirsty and the three friends leave the ring to join Nikki and Lauren, then all the group go off to celebrate the future and reminisce about the past, as they maybe retired but the future is bright for both.