Marion Cotillard vs Masami Nagasawa
(Latin Union vs Front Street Japan)
(3-9, 3 KO vs 0-1)
Results: BBU; Story: Vassago

BEFORE: Masami Nasagawa's boxing career features just a single TKO7 defeat to Jennifer Metcalfe all the way back in 2011 however she's by far the most accomplished actress on the Front Street Japan roster. That's been the main problem though. The Ayako Hamada-run stable thrives on several gravure and AV idols instead while Masami is the true "diamond in the rough" according to several experts. She's finally earned herself another opportunity and this one doesn't get any bigger when you consider on-screen accolades. Academy Award winner Marion Cotillard has struggled to make a real impact in the ring over the years and if it wasn't for Nagasawa's lenghty spell on the sidelines, she'd be dismissed as genuine cannon fodder. Alas Cotillard's activity alone elevates this match-up into a real coin-flipper.

Marion Cotillard wears a navy blue sports bra, white hotpants and red gloves. Long dark brown hair tied in a sleek ponytail. Masami Nagasawa wears a white sports bra, red hotpants and white gloves. Shoulder-lenght dark brown hair straight. The fight is scheduled for ten rounds in the bantamweight division.

Rounds 1 & 2:
Marion tries to get an early jump on the fellow actress and sticks several clean punches during the opening couple of rounds as Masami seeks any sort of rhythm on her boxing return. She simply doesn't find it fending off the French charge in the proccess but Marion's lack of core strenght prevents her from sinking the rusty opponent into real trouble. Charlie Webster calls it a glorified sparring session even though Cotillard was nearly punched into retirement by compatriot Clara Morgane last time out so the expectations must be low here. FSJ owner Ayako Hamada keeps her cool in the VIP lounge and while she booked Masami's comeback with only one result in mind, the Asian lass simply can't land a proper combo together to tame the tourist's assault and reverts to steady backpedalling which is sufficient enough to keep the slow-moving Frenchwoman at bay during a lukewarm opening period.

Rounds 3 & 4:
Coach Kei Mizutani has triggered an offensive shift for Nagasawa who comes alive with a solid jabbing series to open each of the next two rounds and Cotillard's high guard leaks too much which allows the local starlet to cash in with some productive hooking. These maybe single punches only but Masami needs all the success she can right now and a nice stand-off in the middle of the ring gets the crowd going for a moment. Marion misses several counter-punches and still remains the less mobile of the two; this leads into more looping crosses from Masami who slowly begins to channel her comeback plans but she simply can't trap the older brunette along the ropes and most of the action takes place in the center of the ring. Charlie Webster would like to see a proper mindless bash here but Nagasawa's laid-back demeanour is almost too annoying to be taken seriously. Is that Kei Mizutani's plan all along though?

Round 5:
A big punch could wake up a neutral fan or two; the partisan crowd shows no signs of concern for Masami's lukewarm appearance until Marion finally BLASTS her across the nose when the Japanese guard opens up just that little too much. Another wild cross finds the brow ridge and bends the younger brunette backwards but Marion can't move her feet in time and gets left behind. Nagasawa escapes to mid-distance and dances around a futile follow up attempt from the Frenchwoman; Marion gets visibly upset over the missed opportunity and begins to leak counter-punching response come the final minute when Masami takes advantage of her sluggish footwork. A quick one-two on each temple staggers Cotillard to the spot and she gets drilled to the tummy when the younger actress lets one rip low, that's basically the first body punch Nagasawa lands in this round but there's no follow up to speak of and Charlie Webster can't understand why Kei Mizutani nods back in approval at the bell.

Rounds 6 & 7:
This is getting very frustrating to watch as Masami remains committed to her counter-punching tactics while Marion hesitates in actually hassling her around the ring. The Frenchwoman is seemingly worried about her conditioning as we head into the second half of the fight but Nagasawa is brutal with her lack of aggression now, only sending single punches. It looks like the rust hasn't gone away at all but Marion's lack of confidence might well come back to haunt her according to Charlie Webster. The game of chess continues until Cotillard gets visibly gassed out and only then Nagasawa rattles her with a left/right combo deep into the seventh. Another quick hook pierces the solar plexus but this is too little too late to make any difference even if Marion looks tired at this stage.

Rounds 8 & 9:
Maybe this was the FSJ plan all along to give Masami as durable test as possible but Ayako Hamada could only get away with this at home. Marion simply doesn't have the agility & speed to close her opponent down anymore and eats several overhands while cutting thin air herself. Ugh! This is painful to watch as the Academy Award winner can't lay a glove on the younger brunette and gets picked off in steady fashion instead. Nagasawa finally kicks into gear when she knocks the French tourist back with a belting hook on the liver and delivers an uppercut combo that really exposes Cotillard's leaky guard. She gets bumped into the ropes where Nagasawa hauls in her longest body assault of the night and that's enough to leave the veteran gasping for air at the bell.

Round 10:
Masami crowns the tactial masterpiece with a hassling drive on her own and Marion stumbles all over the ring while trying to avoid getting picked off. The twelve year age difference between the two backfires straight into Cotillard's face courtesy of Masami's stubborn punching as she easily enforces the close range and hooks up from both flanks. Marion's on her last legs here and gets pummelled to the ropes half-way through the final round where Nagasawa rips through her high-guard before stacking up blows to the exposed midriff. Ugh! Marion moans behind the tight earmuff but fails to fend off the Japanese heat and sinks on her knees lower and lower... Meanwhile Masami harpoons her breadbasket and remains in high-octane fashion like it's the third round rather than tenth. The Tokyo audience gives her a standing ovation long before the final bell and she literally shoves a helpless opponent through the ropes during the final stretch. She backs off at the final moment and Marion leans over the turnbuckle simply waiting for the clock to expire. When it does the local heroine raises both her arms in the air and smiles for the very first time tonight. Comes back UD10 Masami Nagasawa!!!

AFTER: That's one for the books as we've gone ten rounds without a single knockdown and Charlie Webster still tries to gather her thoughts about it when the official verdict is announced. Whatever the plan Kei Mizutani came up with for this comeback fight, it worked and left Masami Nagasawa a clear winner despite minimal damage inflicted on the French tourist. It's like Cotillard gassed herself out since the sixth round but that was to be expected anyway. The most impressive thing about Masami was her stamina; she could have gone twenty rounds here according to Webster and that alone could earn her more fights in the future. However she'd be best suited to opponents few years older than her since can't enjoy such a mobility advantage all the time. The lack of true power punching could also spell trouble but Ayako Hamada has found a way to deliver big results for her stable over the years so one must trust her matchmaking proccess in this case too.

Final result: Masami Nagasawa def. Marion Cotillard UD10.