Kooyong Boxing Exhibition
Laura Whitmore vs Sarah Cumming
(Rep. of Ireland vs Australia)
(3-4, 3 KO vs 0-0)
Results: BBU; Story: Vassago

BEFORE: It's a modern day tradition to host a tennis exhibition match at the former Australian Open venue literally several hours before the start of the first Grand Slam event of the year but tonight it's BBU which takes over the Kooyong Stadium courtesy of local favorite Sarah Cumming and Irish guest Laura Whitmore. Sarah is based in Gold Coast these days but she'd like to finally try her boxing chances after covering the sport for the 'Green & Gold' Magazine for almost a decade now. 

Meanwhile Laura fits the fellow media industry requirement even though Denise van Outen was supposed to be the original target for tonight's showdown. However BBU TV's lead reporter pulled out of the idea citing scorching hot weather conditions so Whitmore stepped in as late replacement: "This is actually good news. Sarah doesn't know how hard I can hit her and I hope to book some extra fights during my stay here. Ireland needs my success, how long can we count on Una Healy after all? I hope Sarah helps me to contact some of these ACB stables once I knock her out!" (laughs).

Laura Whitmore wears a neon green bikini set and silver gloves. Long blonde hair tied in a sleek ponytail. Sarah Cumming wears a golden sports bra, green hip-huggers and black gloves. Long blonde hair wrapped in a loose bun at the back of her head. The fight is scheduled for ten rounds in the bantamweight division.

Round 1:
Laura wants to make an early statement and drives her jabs into the fellow blonde's face which puts Sarah into immediate notion. Her response over the top bounces off the high guard though and allows Laura to maintain the aggressive approach thereafter. She keeps picking the younger presenter off until she traps her along the ropes where she switches downstairs to punish Sarah's midsection. The Aussie woman aches her heart out as she tries to avoid more Irish pressure but struggles to connect with a half-hearted attack and remains trapped behind a tight earmuff come the final minute with Whitmore methodically carving through her defense.

Round 2:
That was a good opening round from Laura but she lacks the big punch and now Sarah shows some improved mobility to fend off another difficult start. Laura tracks her down from both flanks but only lands the single punching drill and the crowd noise clearly seems to affect her focus. She gets dragged into a mid-range jabbing exchange that does little to put Cumming under serious pressure and the Aussie blonde manages to clinch her to further delay the proper action. That's a curious tactics at the very least but the Gold Coast woman refuses to engage in much aggression on her BBU debut and seems happy to trade more single punches in the final minute. Bondi's coach Lauryn Eagle shares that feeling but maybe it's time to turn up the wick since Laura's up early for the next round and taunts the Kooyong audience for a good measure.

Round 3:
Sarah comes in hot this time and catches the Irish blonde off guard, a nasty hook scythes Laura across the nose before a right hook on the boobs wobbles her backwards. Ugh! Whitmore tries to swing it from the back foot but finds thin air and Sarah steps into a left hook on the jaw that PUTS THE IRISH GUEST DOWN ON HER BACKSIDE!!! Huh! Where did that come from? Even Lauryn Eagle looks stunned in the Bondi's corner and Laura barks in disbelief as she battles back to her feet at seven. She vows immediate revenge and jumps at the younger foe to connect with her pretty face up the middle. Sarah needs a second or two to recover and she's unable to match the Irish intensity which forces her back; she still avoids the brunt force of Whitmore's recovery and makes her look a little too desperate & sluggish in the final minute pursuit. Eventually Laura backs off and gets nailed with a left cross on the eye before Cumming blasts her on the boobs one more time to close out a strange period of boxing!

Round 4:
Laura shows no signs of a knockdown funk and Sarah's guilty of letting the fellow blonde stamp her authority via another jabbing route. These are solid punches that pick the Aussie guard off but power supply remains at premium and Sarah breaks through the Irish attack when she displays supreme footwork come the second minute. Whitmore keeps flying in with more aerial strikes but lacks the timing and falls into a steady counter-punching drill once the Kooyong audience sparks Cumming's recovery. Both women trade head shots in the final minute where Sarah earns her reward as she tags more leather on Laura's left brow ridge and leaves her scowling in anger at the bell.

Round 5:
Sarah has done really well so far but finally begins to leak more crisp punches in the fifth while Laura neutralizes her hitherto dominant footwork. She lands a couple of cruel combos up the middle to clip the fellow blonde's jugs before a powerful uppercut finds the jaw and sends Cumming reeling. Laura doubles up on the close range pressure and hauls in a left/right series on each temple which drops the Gold Coast woman into spasms and a naughty blow on the waist drops her butt-in-ropes a split second later. Sarah tries to fend off the Irish attack behind a tight earmuff and barely hangs on during the final minute alas it's all Whitmore now as she laces up the subdued rival and bends her sideways amid more yelps right at the bell.

Round 6:
Sarah tries to bide her time in mid-distance but the footwork advantage has deserted her and she gets swamped by a jabbing menace as Laura delivers the heat up the middle to crash into the younger blonde's boobs. This tactics really leaves the Aussie presenter vulnerable and staggered on her heels as she fails to respond over the top and gets batted into the ropes following a vicious dose of leather from point-blank range. She misses with another desperate swing and eats a crunching hook on the nose that sinks her into more body shots which allow Whitmore to cripple her on the spot. Another big uppercut then finds the jaw and sends Cumming into jelly mode before a left hook follow up DROPS HER ON THE BUM in the corner. The partisan audience tries to fuel Sarah's recovery but she looks some way out of sorts when she gets up at eight. She remains glued to the spot when the fight resumes and eats too many head shots to bail out in time. Laura rattles her from both flanks and tears a bloody patch over the left eye to FORCE THE REF INTO ACTION!!! There's still over a minute left on the clock but the writing was on the wall and Lauryn Eagle accepts the rookie's fate too. TKO6 Laura Whitmore!!!

AFTER: It was fun while it lasted for the Australian audience but Sarah had no genuine experience to rely on when Laura finally broke through with her attacks. The early knockdown was a bonus which might extend Sarah's boxing foray but there was no need to send her into a facial surgeon despite the unquestionable resilience. Meanwhile Laura tries to ignore the negative vibes and claim the valid reasons behind this victory. It was a tough day at the office and the weather excuse doesn't cut it as 'Green & Gold' magazine pretends to sell the result as "too fortunate for the Irish tourist". Laura knows all the ins & outs of working in the media and taunts Lauryn Eagle into sending another of her bantamweights if possible: "I accepted the fight on short notice and WON so who cares about the artistic value? Win is a win and that's all I need! Make sure Denise van Outen is available before you publish such nonsense next time!"

Final result: Laura Whitmore def. Sarah Cumming TKO6.