Christine Bleakley vs Zoe Salmon
(Lioness Club vs BBU Independent)
(12-7, 11 KO vs 4-10, 4 KO)
Results & Story: Vassago

BEFORE: Christine Bleakley used to split her time between New York and London over the past couple of years when her husband ventured into Major League Soccer but now that Frank has retired, she can return to active BBU competition which is indeed a very welcomed sight (that's if you ignore Denise van Outen's opinion). The Lioness Club has decided to book a Northern Irish derby here in Barnet tonight with former stable member Zoe Salmon making her own comeback of sorts. The blonde stunner has struggled for results during her disappointing career and was always viewed as second-tier performer compared to Bleakley but both women haven't seen any boxing action for months so it's premature to predict the eventual outcome based on past history.

Christine Bleakley wears a violet sports bra, black hotpants and violet gloves. Long raven-black hair tied in a custom ponytail. Zoe Salmon wears a navy blue one-piece swimsuit and white gloves. Long blonde hair tied in a sleek ponytail. The fight is scheduled for ten rounds in the lightweight division.

Round 1:
The opening round doesn't deliver the goods as both women are visibly lacking confidence and timing in wake of such a lenghty lay-off period. Zoe seems to be more aggressive as she targets a signature victory but she just can't find her rhythm as Christine keeps her in mid-range check. The blondes jumps on a few offensive chances but finds Bleakley's guard too solid at this stage and gets picked off with several single-hand response as the brunette slowly but surely begins to find her groove down the stretch. Still, it's not enough to spark anything significant before the clock runs out.

Round 2:
More of the same in the second as Bleakley seems to be hanging back - or perhaps trying to lure Salmon into a trap and pounce on her in true counter-punching style. Zoe gets vocal and accuses her defensive-minded rival of being a 'coward' but Christine laughs off those claims and sticks to her steady mid-distance circles. Unfortunately Salmon is unable to take full advantage of these tactics and reverts into single-hand assault that fails to slice the brunette's defense up. A late clinch takes care of any further action and the otherwise patient KO Club audience begins to sound unhappy over this lacklustre show.

Round 3:
Zoe jumps into another quick attack but after she bounces off the brunette's guard, she gets BLASTED across the mouth with Christine rallying to clean up her to the body next. Ugh! The blonde's suspicious defense gets exposed almost on the spot and she wobbles to her heels where Christine still beats her for another left/right combo and sends spinning into the ropes. Zoe doesn't have the agility to escape the pressure and remains glued to the ropes as the brunette barges into her body and drills heavy punishment to the ribcage which makes the younger Irish girl scowl in discomfort. And Bleakley doesn't ease up here whatsoever; she carves into the blonde's midsection and leaves her crippled against the ropes come the bell. Only a single charge was required to remove any questions who's the real Irish lightweight dominator and Zoe can yell out all her troubles during the break but that doesn't change the fact she's very much up against it now.

Round 4:
Salmon tries to catch her opponent with a proper hooking drive but gets slammed on the breasts in a quick response and Bleakley turns from the hip to pierce her high guard and smack instant juice on the mouth. Ugh! Zoe's head rocks side to side in wake of a feisty attack that immediately puts her on the back foot. And again, she just doesn't have the footwork required to escape the rush so bellows out into a punchbag mode come the one minute mark. Bleakley pounds away upstairs to dissect the otherwise leaky guard and bends the fellow Irish woman into spasms when she delivers a double combo on the nose... Oi, Zoe... The blonde wobbles forward with a whimper and eats another vicious hook on the nose THAT PUTS HER DOWN FOR THE COUNT!!! The Barnet audience enjoys that sight and even though Salmon eventually beats the count at eight, she can barely move around the ring and gets blitzed into a head-hunting flurry that reels her onto the turnbuckle within seconds. She tries to hang on there but doesn't have the fighting spirit anymore and Christine simply whacks her with another brutal combo on the lips followed by a quick hook on the right ear THAT SENDS THE BLONDE DOWN IN THE CORNER AGAIN!!! This is getting painful to watch now and Zoe remains on all fours as she thinks better off it and concedes the fight while staring down at the canvas. KO4 Christine Bleakley!!!

AFTER: It turned out to be a routine victory for the Black Irish presenter who only needed six minutes of real action to dismantle her former lady-in-waiting on the Lioness Club roster. She'll have to improve dramatically if she still wants to be considered a player among the lightweights and not just another washed-up WAG with too much free times on her hands. Meanwhile Zoe's legacy seems to be set in stone these days, she might never win another of these bouts barring some kind of a miracle. She turns 38 in seven days time and the only way is down for the otherwise likeable but downright lacklustre former Miss Northern Ireland pageant winner.

Final result: Christine Bleakley def. Zoe Salmon KO4.