Jaime Murray vs Natalie Bassingthwaighte
(BBU Independent vs Downunder Boxing)
(3-6, 3 KO vs 2-5, 2 KO)
Results: BBU; Story: Vassago

BEFORE: Jaime Murray was ready to travel all the way Down Under for her next boxing assignment however when the news broke out that the ACB contingent would be happy to participate in this month's BBU Crossover PPV she accepted Natalie Bassingthwaighte's challenge that actually makes her a slight betting favorite ahead of tonight's contest. She currently rides a five fight losing streak but the Australian actress of 'Neighbours' fame has equally struggled for success lately and her last victory dates back to June 2014 when she outpointed compatriot Emily Scott on ANZAC Memorial card. Both women are happy to square off in the cougar underdog battle that should warm up the crowd before the big names take over the PPV line-up later!

Jaime Murray wears a black sports bra with red trim, matching hotpants and red gloves. Natalie Bassingthwaighte wears a light blue sports bra with white trim, matching hotpants and black gloves. Shoulder lenght blonde hair in loose waves. The fight is scheduled for ten rounds in the bantamweight division.

Round 1:
Denise van Outen is unsure whether these cougars would prefer a lenghty and gruelling battle of attrition but Natalie's the first one who seems to drop that idea as she wades into the brunette's body and ignores her tight high guard to wreck havoc downstairs. Jaime gets caught off her stance and yelps in early pain as the blonde sticks her mitts on target and bullies the fellow actress around the ring. Jaime tries to respond over the top but struggles to live with this Aussie heat and only circles back into safety once she suffers too much discomfort. NatBass is all over her though and launches a quick head-hunting attack to pile more misery on the Hammersmith fighter who gets clobbered back to the ropes and soaks up additional juice in the closing seconds with Bassingthwaighte raining punches like she's never left her home country whatsoever!

Round 2:
Murray ups the tempo of her attacks but the Aussie actress matches her intensity and outworks her in another close range tangle. Natalie's efforts focus upstairs this time and she splits the brunette's mitts repeatedly to reel her backwards before a nasty hook on the liver area makes the Hammersmith woman squeal in pain. NatBass can't quite deliver the proper shot on target and send her opponent down though and eats a quick response over the top with Jaime finally working from the front and smacking the blonde's guard aside. Both women settle into a lenghty clinch thereafter with Bassingthwaighte being the driving force behind it however Murray shakes her off down the stretch and begins to pile more heat up the middle. The blonde's guard withstands this late test and Jaime looks downright unhappy at the bell.

Round 3:
The action remains thick & fast in the early stages of the third even though Natalie's aerial attack bounces off Jaime's guard and allows the brunette to work the overhand reply. She rattles the blonde's head back & forth but lacks outright strenght and gets whacked on the chin when NatBass lands a rare uppercut. She tries to follow through and stalk the English foe thereafter but falls short of the mark as Murray shows superior agility and stays clear from danger. The subsequent Aussie prowl also lacks success and Jaime seems satisfied with this duck & weave display which leads Denise van Outen to reckon that uppercut really must have hurt her and she thought better off it with another gruesome slugfest looming on the horizon.

Round 4:
The Downunder Boxing camp can be really satisfied with Bassingthwaighte's performance thus far as she continues to stalk the local favorite with another head-hunting swing. Jaime survives the ordeal and leaves the Aussie wanting in mid-range before a steady jabbing response takes the sting out of her efforts. Both cougars seem to be biding their time in the second minute but NatBass lets it rip one more time and clatters into the brunette's face which staggers her in the center of the ring. A brutal hook tears a patch under the right eye and Murray simply wilts under the pressure here; she wobbles back to the ropes where Bassingthwaighte scythes her across the boobs and lands another piercing uppercut that makes the younger actress moan! Ugh! A left hook then finds the temple AND SENDS MURRAY CRASHING DOWN TO HER KNEES!!! Coach Elle MacPherson yells out in delight and NatBass is quick to arrive in her corner while the kneeling Brit soaks up the standard eight count. She gets up and tries to make a proper recovery but Bassingthwaighte cleans out shop and knocks her around for additional entertainment value that doesn't exactly meet a positive response from the audience!

Round 5:
Jaime struggles to make her scattered close range efforts count and eats more Australian juice over the top that only makes the swelling under the right eye worse! This is a methodical dissection of the Brit's pride and she begins to gurgle in more discomfort when NatBass stuns her with a left/right cross followed by a thumping gut-check downstairs. Ugh! Jaime slides against the blonde's waist and tries to clinch her but gets bullied back to the ropes where Bassingthwaighte just lays into her guts in one-sided fashion AND DROPS HER ONTO HER KNEES AGAIN just shy of the half-way mark. Ugh! Jaime's in all sorts of bother now, she groans her pain out before making a wobbly comeback at eight and a change. She looks physically spend here but ref gives her one last opportunity to turn the losing tide around. However Natalie's merciless approach wrecks any Hammersmith hopes of survival and when she tags the swollen eye with more laser strikes Murray just gives up the ghost and allows Bassingthwaighte to pound her into a standstill. If only the Aussie tourist had more core strenght like perhaps her compatriot Carla Bonner, she'd have knocked her lights out according to Denise van Outen but thankfully referee notices the safety hazard AND HALTS THE FIGHT with Murray unable to defend herself anymore! TKO5 Natalie Bassingthwaighte!!!

AFTER: This is a real shot in the arm for the 'Neighbours' veteran who punches the air in delight and observes the medical staff efforts to escort a banged up British foe with a cheeky smile on her face. She high-fives both Elle MacPherson and Nikki Visser shortly afterwards and sends a quick tweet to "Green & Gold" reporter Sarah Cumming about "getting back in the game!" Denise van Outen remains coy on her chances against true gatekeepers but perhaps the ACB contenders pool is very shallow compared to the BBU talent. Either way, Jaime Murray did nothing to escape the journeywoman status tonight and quite frankly gave up a mild upset to a very beatable opponent. It remains to be seen if she settles for a "go-to-girl" career for any aspiring newcomers or seemingly washed-up has-beens in the future! Denise van Outen believes she deserves much better than that!

Final result: Natalie Bassingthwaighte def. Jaime Murray TKO5.