Emma Rigby vs Sophia Thomalla
(BBU Independent vs Black Eagle Boxing)
(10-14, 10 KO vs 7-0, 7 KO)
Results: BBU; Story: Vassago

BEFORE: High stakes on the line as both women believe this bout could serve as the unofficial bantamweight title eliminator and eyeing those straps is the only thing that prevents Sophia Thomalla from challenging Dorota Rabczewska into a vintage grudge fight in the foreseeable future. Doda's stablemate Charlotte Church owns the divisional title right now and since Ann-Kathrin Brommel couldn't claim the first silverware in Black Eagle Boxing's history the pressure is on the Berlin native to deliver the historic achievement: "Doda can always wait in line! I'm ready to smash that Welsh tramp first if she's bold enough to notice my elite results!", Sophia makes it clear what's on her mind however Emma Rigby hopes to circumvent the pecking order and bring the title back to Merseyside: "I don't care what game of chess these wimps play out there. It's my time to shine! I waited too long for my opportunity and I'm ready to strip Charlotte off both titles after I'm done with this tattooed German witch!"

Emma Rigby wears a light blue bikini set & silver gloves. Long blonde hair tied in a braid. Sophia Thomalla wears a pink bikini set & black gloves. Long brown hair tied in a sleek ponytail. The fight is scheduled for ten rounds in the bantamweight division.

Round 1:
Emma delivers the quick start thumping the German up the middle as she tries to bully her into a subdued stance but it's notoriously difficult to overwhelm Sophia like that so the initial attack gets neutralized and the Mersey actress gets blasted in the chest in cruel response instead. Both women lock each other in the proverbial phone booth which leads into a hectic exchange as the punches fly thick & fast. BBU TV's Kate Abdo is unsure whether that's the right way to go for Rigby but the local favorite hangs in there and manages to avoid immediate disaster as the unbeaten Thomalla gets vocal in her attacks. She smacks the blonde on each temple but gets stuffed with a low harpoon on the liver area and only shoves Emma onto the ropes where the Brit spins away from danger to knock a counter-punching flurry into the brunette's face thereafter.

Round 2:
Sophia gets down to work in more effective fashion and bumps Emma in the boobs with a not-so-stray elbow before blasting her on the chin that initially makes the blonde burst out of her bubble however a vicious double counter from Thomalla sets her back and allows the German to dominate the subsequent pursuit. Emma tries to hang around the area but yields real estate when Sophia splits her high-guard repeatedly and backs her onto the turnbuckle where she delivers a proper body assault that Rigby can only embrace by clinching the fellow actress. However Sophia shakes off the stalemate and slams a left hook on the eye before adding more jug muggin' strikes that fold Rigby into a yelping mess come the bell.

Round 3:
Emma roars into a head-hunting response but fails to land a proper power punch and gets picked off by the German's counter-punching swing thereafter. Sophia displays supreme footwork to dance around the Mersey woman who tries to break through with her own delivery but slices thin air and has to bail out when Thomalla chucks her in the boobs again. Ugh! Emma doesn't have any JMD experience despite offering the cleavage value and Sophia keeps firing more vicious shots on target to drop the blonde onto the ropes where Rigby's chaotic response doesn't quite allow her to match the German's work load. Sophia hauls in more head shots up the middle and leaves Emma shaking her head in frustration at the bell.

Round 4:
The Liverpool crowd gets behind Emma who really needs a big round to stop Sophia's progress and her determined approach allows her to cash in with a couple of good shots over the top before blasting the German in the nose. Thomalla thinks better off it and bails out into mid distance where she controls the blonde's charge until Emma nails her with a scything cross on the mouth and bangs a nasty combo around the liver area again. The plan to punish Sophia's midsection enables the Scouser to dominate the final minute where she has the other woman trapped on the ropes and digs heavy leather on target to the point Thomalla has to clinch her to limit the damage.

Round 5:
Sophia decides to crank up the jabbing volume and outworks the blonde during the initial tangle before driving a left hook on the ear that wobbles Rigby onto her heels. The local heroine swings one from the back foot anyway and catches Thomalla on the brow ridge however this only makes the former amateur kickboxer angry and she triggers a vicious head-hunting dispute in the center of the ring. Emma lands several good punches into Sophia's face but eats the biggest hit of the lot when a small gash is teared under her left eye with Thomalla thumping more leather up the middle and shutting the Mersey lass down in the corner come the final minute. Ugh! Emma puts on a brave face but gets plugged from both flanks and slumps into quiet spasms at the bell while Sophia shouts something in her native tongue to trigger a jeering response from the partisan audience.

Round 6:
Emma is slightly slow to get up and gets banged around the ring during the opening minute as Sophia really opens up the slugging charge and pancakes the subdued opponent. The Mersey blonde avoids the big hits as long as she can but finally trips over her own feet and has to accept the phone booth blast where she just can't match the brunette's intensity. Ugh! Sophia barks in her efforts and slams a left/right combo on the chin before driving another uppercut bomb when Rigby's guard collapses by the side. She takes a step back just so Thomalla lands one more thunder shot on the mouth that DROPS THE MERSEY WOMAN DOWN ON HER BACKSIDE!!! Uh-oh!!! The M&S Bank Arena is silenced for the second time tonight and that big smile on Sophia's face doesn't help the Scouse matters at all! Emma is desperate to make a recovery lunge... and she does... helped by some questionable timing from the ref who orders a small break to wipe the invisible blood from the blonde's face! And the round clock doesn't stop so Sophia suddenly only has a few seconds to finish off the wounded foe when the fight gets resumed! Huh! Eagles coach Gina Wild doesn't like it but a couple of nice hooks ain't enough to get the job done even though Thomalla tells her coach this is all under control now.

Round 7:
Emma remains rattled by the knockdown experience and runs into a head-hunting buzzsaw as Sophia moves in for the kill... she slams the blonde's high-guard aside and tears another small gash under the right eye before blasting a vicious piledriver on the nose. Emma slumps on jelly knees and cries out in pain, she swings one last time but misses the German's head by miles and barely notices a left hook on the ear that DROPS HER FACE-DOWN WITH EYES CLOSED moments later. Woof! There is no way back from this one and Sophia tells her coach to remove her gloves while the ref still issues the count. All for naught! It is over!!! KO7 Sophia Thomalla!!!

AFTER: The German actress continues her unbeaten streak and raises the stakes during a post-fight tirade when she openly calls out reigning bantamweight champion Charlotte Church to face her at the Boxing Day PPV: "I'm all ready for you! Nowhere to hide anymore. You had your shot at Demi Rose over in America but it's BBU time now. You should he thankful I don't want your JMD golden bra unlike this blonde tramp whom I just knocked out!" (giggles). "Let's see how tough these Welsh girls really are!"

Sophia drops the mic and heads straight for the airport as she hopes to catch a plane to Turin where her new boyfriend is in action at the ATP Finals. It's safe to say life is very good for the German stunner right now!

Official Result: Sophia Thomalla def. Emma Rigby KO7.