Cheryl Cole vs Sarah Shahi
(Lioness Club vs Odds & Ends Fight Studio)
(16-3, 16 KO vs 26-11, 20 KO)
Results: Lookout; Story: Vassago

BEFORE: Cheryl Cole turns 34 today and there's no better birthday present she can wish for than beating former champion Sarah Shahi. The popular Geordie singer has entered divisional Top Five following a hard-thought victory over Kristen Stewart but more importantly, she's risen to the BBU flyweight throne last month after several years of high-profile snubbing. Her confidence is at a sky-high level these days and that spells trouble for Shahi - her impressive fighting record not withstanding.

Cheryl Cole wears a vertically striped black & white bikini top, black knickers and blue gloves. Long dark brown hair tied in a half-up ponytail. Sarah Shahi wears a red bikini set and black gloves. Long dark brown hair tied in a sleek ponytail. The fight is scheduled for ten rounds in the flyweight division.

Rounds 1 & 2:
Cheryl's confidence might be sky-high but Sarah waltzes into the fight with a feisty jabbing assault and immediately puts the heat on the English singer. She bangs straight through the guard and connects with the younger brunette's face which indicates that Cole's PPV preparation was seriously affected by the BBU flyweight title celebrations. It's a strangely cumbersome performance from Cheryl who usually likes to dominate the action from the front but she's completely shut down by Shahi's aggressive approach. Cole's head snaps backwards repeatedly and she has to rely on some blatant clinching to enforce a break in this one-sided beating. Shahi doesn't actually lose her temper over the stalemate tactics and she's too experienced not to cherish any round won by default. She could use hurting the subdued English foe a little more but it's not a problem for the O&E entourage at this stage.

Round 3:
Lioness head trainer Claudia Schiffer is the one that loses her temper before the third and slaps the singer on the cheeks demanding immediate response. Cheryl finally wakes up after the bell and tackles the actress to the body which leads to a lenghty jabbing galore in the center of the ring. Both women give each other no quarter but also refuse to yield an inch before circling back to catch some breath. Sarah swings plenty of juice over the top as she tries to settle in the mid-range however Cole lands the biggest punch for the round when she smacks her across the lips and wobbles to her heels before driving forward into the exposed tummy that eventually bends the American against the ropes come the final minute. Another quick rally on the ribcage keeps Shahi trapped for good and it's a nice recovery for the hitherto disappointing singer.

Round 4:
Both women tangle in the center of the ring again and the bruising exchange during the opening minute leaves Cheryl nursing a fat lip - not exactly the birthday present she was looking for - which fuels Shahi's jabbing intensity. She resumes the aggressive and effective display from the opening two rounds and rocks Cole's head but fails to drop her into the corner where she could really hurt the English foe. Cheryl barks in her efforts to tame the Shahi onslaught from the back foot but finds her ferocious attacks too hot at this stage and dekes to the side in avoidance. Sarah jumps right after her and the final minute is all about that pursuit; Cole's still got the agility to stay clear from danger but the artistic impression alone is enough for Shahi to run away with the scorecards in what shapes up to be a very long night for the entire Geordie fanbase.

Round 5:
Cole's fallen behind on points but she kicks off the fifth with another high intensity jabbing display, Shahi responds likewise and perhaps she should be wearing the Geordie lass down instead of trying to engage in a classic slugfest... She gets CAUGHT with a nasty hook on the left ear and drops her mitts low enough for Cheryl to wade into her cheeks and tear a patch under the left eye for a good measure! Ugh! Shahi's knees buckle visibly and the following phone booth-like assault is all about Cole who cleans out shop and buries the hitherto dominant American under a brutal leather galore. Shahi gets pounded towards the ropes and disappears behind a tight earmuff but it doesn't halt the Geordie charge whatsoever - only the bell actually serves that purspose and Shahi's bleeding badly from that cut under the left eye while Cole just stares down at her with that familiar trashy look in her eyes. Game on!

Round 6:
For whatever reason Shahi refuses to see through the Cole recovery and engages in another brutal slugfest in the center of the ring. That proves to be a very bad idea as Cheryl opens the wound under the left eye and works on it during the opening minute which makes Sarah's aggression wilt in numbers. By the time she decides to hang back in mid-range, the Geordie singer slices through her high guard and hauls in a couple of nasty hooks on the nose followed by a crunching jaw-breaker any girl out there would be proud of... you can almost hear Shahi's jaw break AS SHE GOES DOWN ON HER KNEES and rolls onto her back with a loud spasm in the proccess. Ugh! The former champ just got SMOKED here and fails to embrace her emotions as she gets duly counted out! KO6 Cheryl Cole in come-from-behind fashion!!!

AFTER: The Geordie Power train remains on track for more success but the proud birthday girl had to work very hard to maintain her hot streak. Of course she can be accussed of celebrating a little too much after downing Jenna Coleman in a BBU classic last month but Sarah Shahi had her at her mercy and simply blew it! Questionable slugging tactics led to the American's downfall and one must expect a better plan for someone of Shahi's experience especially when she was clearly ahead after four rounds. The nasty wound under the left eye didn't really play a part in the eventual outcome and Sarah did escape a broken jaw there in the end however both her pride and championship ambitions took a huge blow. Let's also be honest, she'll be feeling that sore jaw for few days to come yet!

Final result: Cheryl Cole def. Sarah Shahi KO6.