BBU After Dark from Wembley Arena
Laura Whitmore vs Molly-Mae Hague
(Frankie's Foxes vs BBU Independent)
(5-6, 5 KO vs 1-4, 1 KO)
Results: BBU; Story: Vassago

BEFORE: Both these blonde heroines could really use a victory soon so this match-up between Laura Whitmore and Molly-Mae Hague profits all parties involved and it's almost too close too call unless you ask BBU TV's Denise van Outen who claims Molly relies on her glamour profile too much to be a successful boxer: "Just because you're dating a pro boxer it doesn't mean you can be the next Hayden Panettiere. Far from it! And some of these girls really want to beat her up to prove a point! Meanwhile Laura has a lot of proving to do! She's not even the second... or third best Irish bantamweight and I still can't understand how she lost to that overrated hack Christine Bleakley before! Let's hope she can win a rematch if they plan to have one..."

Laura Whitmore wears a light blue bikini set & white gloves. Long blonde hair tied in a custom ponytail. Molly-Mae Hague wears a red bikini set & black gloves. Long blonde hair tied in a custom ponytail. The fight is scheduled for ten rounds in the bantamweight division.

Round 1:
Molly jumps into a hectic attack but the older blonde doesn't bite on the slugging opportunity and weathers the early storm with minimal damage before blasting the Hertfordshire lass over the top to halt her initial progress. Molly still tries to smack as many punches up the middle as possible yet she falls into a vintage counter-striking trap and has to yield real estate when she realizes the Irish presenter can swing a mean punch as well. Laura goes around her business with little urgency but still manages to knock Hague back to the post and keeps the aggressive drive on to secure the round on points; she misses on a signature punch here but...

Round 2:
...makes up for it early in the second when she scythes the younger blonde across the lips and drills through her high-guard with relative ease during the opening minute. Molly staggers back to her heels at first but then swings back from there to indicate she's not gonna back off from a proper scrap regardless of her controversial reputation. This triggers another hectic back & forth exchange where Whitmore simply holds the line to deliver enough hits on target she phases the younger blonde out of the ordeal. Hague gets knocked back repeatedly and has to seek respite in mid-range thereafter; she runs out of time to potentially steal the round anyway and cuts a frustrated figure making some gestures at the Foxes corner during the interval.

Round 3:
Laura flicks an early series into Molly's face and tries to follow through with more head shots but she can't quite land all her intended shots and allows the fellow blonde to mount a meaningful recovery that triggers a crowd-pleasing back & forth exchange in the center of the ring. Both women show plenty of desire to make this slugging push count however the execution eventually goes away and leads into a tactical reboot come the final minute. Molly lands a couple of chin shots before settling down to punish the Irish midsection and she manages to make Whitmore look vulnerable down there before one last chin shot sinks the older blonde on soft knees right at the bell.

Rounds 4 & 5:
Molly jumps into more aggressive routes and it's funny how running the fight from the front is usually enough to actually enjoy a dominant position. Laura does her best to neutralize the otherwise mid-ranked opponent but her high-guard collapses underneath the superior striking and knocks her head back much to Frankie Cocozza's dismay. The Foxes owner drops Myleene Klass from his lap and gets animated in the VIP suites for all the wrong reasons though as Laura gets shut down in the corner and only hangs on behind a tight earmuff. More problems for the Irish woman in the fifth when she gets tackled to the body and loses more steam while Hague keeps coming forward to extend her advantage; she doesn't really have that natural raw power behind her shots so she has to rely on sheer number to assume a commanding position. Laura manages to swing back from behind the guard to escape immediate danger but still ends up hugging the ropes at the bell and gives coach Nicola McLean a long stare afterwards.

Rounds 6 & 7:
Laura triggers a back & forth jabbing exchange early in the sixth to force Molly-Mae out of her comfort zone but there's not enough physical damage to make a true difference here and both women settle into a lenghty dispute that only indicates they're not really a Top 20 material at this stage. Laura still gets aggressive enough to thump a couple of lumps on the younger blonde's face before Molly works her to the body until a clash of heads drops both fighters into a cliching stalemate in the final minute (...) Hague recovers well in the seventh to resume the body-checking pounce that slows Whitmore right down and leaves her slumped on the ropes once the English blonde slices her around the liver area. Ugh! Molly almost gets it done right at the bell as she makes Laura cry out in pain and spit her gumshield out but it only results in a verbal warning from the referee.

Round 8:
Molly finally slams a decisive harpoon series on the liver area and Laura was late to cover that off, maybe feeling the physical fatigue at this point of the contest. She folds into immediate spasms so Molly can bust her up with more leather around the elbows and she sticks one other vicious punch on target to SEND THE IRISH BLONDE CRASHING DOWN ON HER KNEES!!! Woof. Laura immediately hugs her midriff and rests her head against the canvas which makes the count a foregone conclusion as the Irish veteran is unable to fend off the pain anymore. It is over! KO8 Molly-Mae Hague!!!

AFTER: Maybe it's too early to dismiss Molly as a complete window dressing but she had to work really hard for this victory and her power supply remains a visible issue that might prevent her from making the next step up the boxing ladder. There's nothing wrong with that given the ruthless competition around and she clearly enjoys the meltdown she forced upon the Foxes stable tonight. Even Denise van Outen has to admit that Laura looked all out of sorts despite being a slight pre-fight betting favorite. No wonder she doesn't really seek that Irish rematch versus Mrs. Lampard, huh?

Official Result: Molly-Mae Hague def. Laura Whitmore KO8.