BBU After Dark from Gateshead
Maria Ozawa vs Perrie Edwards
(Girls Friday vs Frankie's Foxes)
(8-2, 8 KO vs 4-6, 4 KO)
Results: BBU; Story: Vassago

BEFORE: Maria Ozawa is another member of Girls Friday whose elite prospects are held hostage by stablemates Elizabeth Henstridge and Ivana Baquero. Despite scoring wins over the likes of Tiffany Mulheron, Jessica Jane Clement and Jade Thirlwall, she's simply in no position to enter the flyweight title picture under current regime and that links her to a swift transfer to Front Street Japan according to BBU TV's Charlie Webster.

Meanwhile Perrie Edwards continues to search for her BBU identity. She dispatched veteran Fergie on the Crossover PPV last summer but just doesn't get enough opportunities to shake off the journeywoman status. Can she finally turn her fortunes around tonight? Little Mix bandmates Jesy Nelson and Leigh-Anne Pinnock assist her in the corner and the Gateshead audience also provides a much-needed local support.

Maria Ozawa wears a black V-shaped one-piece swimsuit and yellow gloves. Long black hair straight. Perrie Edwards wears a light blue sports bra, white knickers and light blue gloves. Long blonde hair tied in a curled ponytail. The fight is scheduled for ten rounds in the flyweight division.

Round 1:
Perrie tries to outwork the Japanese model with some promising jabs but finds the high guard too often to make a difference and gets picked off through steady counter-punching instead. Maria doesn't go for broke here like some fans anticipated but she exposes the blonde's guard repeatedly and reels Edwards onto the ropes when she nails her on the nose a couple of times. Perrie ups her work rate but struggles to connect with the big punches while Ozawa keeps the head-hunting drill going and traps her in the corner come the final minute. She enforces an earmuff defense from the sluggish singer but switches to tackle her body a little too late to secure any meaningful impact before the bell.

Round 2:
More punches from Perrie miss the target early on and she finds it tough to match the brunette's footwork before soaking up antother counter-punching rally straight up the middle. Maria works the front jab to annoy the statesque singer and even some wild screams from Jesy and Leigh-Anne can't fuel the blonde's breakthrough who gets dominated in the slugging dispute that dominates the majority of this round. Maria lands crisp single punches straight through Perrie's guard to make the younger girl moan louder and louder before a piercing hook finally finds the liver area and bends Edwards into a desperate clinching effort. Maria fends off those plans by landing an uppercut series on the chin that leaves Perrie staggered on the ropes when the clock expires.

Round 3:
Coach Lauren Berlingeri doesn't even have to say a word during the break as Maria seems to have this fight under control and even another hectic jabbing effort from the singer doesn't change the Girls Friday's positive mood. Ozawa's guard blocks off the blonde's attempts before a sinking hook nails Edwards on the temple and drops her on her heels. A quick one-two follow up finds the exposed chin AND SENDS PERRIE TUMBLING DOWN ON HER BACKSIDE!!! The Gateshead crowd roars in support even though it's the Geordie girl that goes down here and Charlie Webster reckons a strong Mackem contingent must have made a trip to support the Japanese quest tonight. Perrie makes it back onto her feet at seven but she looks rattled and fails to fend off Ozawa's jabbing rush that sends her into defensive circles. The brunette eventually traps her foe on the ropes and drills her midriff in supreme fashion all the way until the bell to make the Little Mix gang scowl in anger when the ref finally pulls their nemesis off. Maria shouts back at Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Perrie walks gingerly back to her corner where she can't hide her displeasure that's written all over her face.

Round 4:
Ozawa keeps on digging here and splits the blonde's mitts within seconds which leads into an extended head-hunting pressure and sends Edwards into more defensive circles. The proud Geordie lacks the counter-punching finesse and bounces off the brunette's guard so often one can almost feel sorry for her especially when Maria cranks it up and stuns her with a vicious uppercut on the jaw. Ugh! Perrie literally flies back to the ropes where she gets hammered by a blitzing rush and now it's more like it from the old Maria that used to threaten the flyweight title picture. She buries the hapless rival under a wicked barrage and almost shoves her through the ropes and out of the ring while Leigh-Anne Pinnock is *this* close from getting out there herself to save the Little Mix pride. Perrie bursts into spasms but the referee lets her have it and doesn't stop the beating which has Maria on top of her game and when the bell mercifully halts the action, Perrie's left eye is badly damaged with massive swelling growing with every second. Ugh! She holds her tummy when she walks back to her corner and the writing is truly on the wall now.

Round 5:
Edwards hasn't recovered from the beating she took in the fourth and gets glued to the spot when Ozawa hammers in a quick hook on the swollen eye and begins to spin the blonde ponytail all over the Gateshead scenery. It's almost like she wants to knock her out while still on her feet but Perrie's resistance goes south well inside the opening minute and she gets whacked straight on the chin that drops her knees into jelly mode before one last uppercut blasts her on the chin AND SENDS CRASHING DOWN with eyes closed. Ugh! Perrie ends up deadmeat on the canvas here and the ref waves it off on the spot!!! KO5 Maria Ozawa!!!

AFTER: Leigh-Anne Pinnock charges at the victorious Asian vixen but almost eats a wild hook straight up before turning away at the last moment. She vows revenge on Maria but can't quite contain the Japanese response and only makes the trademark throat slit gesture before attending the fallen bandmate. Jesy Nelson is already by Perrie's side and the poor blonde simply got knocked out of her senses which almost pales in comparison to her boyfriend Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's recent knee injury on the football field. This has truly been a dismal week for that couple.

Meanwhile Charlie Webster reckons Leigh-Anne Pinnock could make a run at the Japanese AV starlet however there's still some debate whether Maria bolts to the Far East to soak up some of the local support in the near future. While Pinnock remains an intriguing prospect, she might not have what it takes to force another Gateshead showdown when you consider the promotional value. Girls Friday is a Newcastle-based stable after all and Pinnock comes from Wycombe that hardly makes her a natural fit up in Tyne & Wear. The plot thickens...

Final result: Maria Ozawa def. Perrie Edwards KO5.