Italian Boxing from Allianz Cloud Arena, Milan
Alessia Uva vs Manuela Arcuri
(5-1, 5 KO vs 12-11, 11 KO)
Results: BBU; Story: Vassago

BEFORE: Italian model Alessia Uva returns to action after a failed attempt to take the national lightweight title off Valentina Fradegrada and she's in demand already after being called out by Robin Holzken the other month. However Alessia believes she can call her own shots and wants to deal with veteran Manuela Arcuri first - something or someone she wanted to remove from her check list for a while!

Over to Manuela who comes off a rough experience at the FCBA Jaguar tournament last fall but vows to still upset the Next Gen compatriot tonight: "These new girls think they're invincible or what? Who said Alessia is a top prospect anyway? I'm gonna show her what experience can do to that pretty face of hers! And she won't look so pretty once I'm done with her!" (winks).

Alessia Uva wears a pink bikini set & white gloves. Long black hair tied in a sleek ponytail. Manuela Arcuri wears a black bikini set & silver gloves. Long dark brown hair tied in a custom ponytail. The fight is scheduled for ten rounds.

Round 1:
Manuela believes she punches much harder than the younger model but it's all about the right timing after all and the early chase leaves the veteran slicing thin air more than anything while Alessia hangs back and flashes a supreme footwork to make the older brunette look somewhat mediocre in execution. However Manuela doesn't abandon the slugging pursuit and still hopes to catch Uva with a full-time haymaker which forces the local favorite to become more careful as Arcuri gets closer to landing that monster punch. The back & forth action lacks that proper highlight series during the opening round until Alessia mounts a quick overhand response shortly before the bell but even BBU TV's Kate Abdo struggles to call the round anything else than a draw.

Round 2:
More head-hunting attacks from Arcuri and this time she knocks a couple of nasty licks into Alessia's face which triggers a slugging response up the middle. The younger model takes advantage of the faster delivery and assumes command during the heated exchange however Manuela refuses to back off even when she realizes a couple of cuts appear under the left eye. She still wants to knock Alessia's head off but she gets outworked by the numbers and yields real estate when the Milan-based model smacks a chin-checking double before looping a hard cross on the nose. Arcuri doesn't have the speed to avoid more slugging drives though and ends up buried on the ropes behind a tight earmuff while Uva duly expands her advantage.

Round 3:
More of the same in the third, Manuela loses the initial battle of attrition and comes away with more lumps on her face before taling off into a classic retreat that only gives more room for Alessia to work with. The younger model cashes in with more head shots and pummels the veteran back to the ropes where Arcuri secures a lenghty clinching respite in the second minute but eventually gets busted in the midriff when Alessia breaks free from the hold and carves more holes around the elbows. Manuela tries to restore parity but her desperate swings miss the target despite clipping Alessia's boobs almost by accident in the process.

Round 4:
Manuela lands a solid uppercut combo on the chin to fend off Alessia's charge in the opening minute but she fails to follow up with another combo and has to settle for the familiar back & forth slugging tangle she's unable to dominate against the younger opponent. Alessia doesn't lose her patience just yet, she methodically outworks the older brunette before cracking a left/right combo on each temple which forces Arcuri into more aggressive reaction. However the execution is wide of the mark and Uva blows up the charge with a classic counter-punching response instead. She mauls Arcuri from both flanks and sinks her into loud spasms before a hard uppercut on the jaw spins the cougar onto the turnbuckle right at the bell.

Round 5:
Alessia jumps on the slugging route and dissects Manuela's high-guard before working on her face in ruthless fashion. Ugh! She squashes the veteran's lips into a bloody mess but doesn't leave it there so there's more punishment on the way... and Arcuri crumbles underneath it when blood is spilled from her nose in wake of more point-blank range slugs. Alessia barks in delight when she freezes the veteran in the center of the ring and keeps on working until she NAILS the ailing foe on the jaw with a double heater. Manuela goes all numb and CRASHES DOWN ON HER BACKSIDE with eyes closed to rise no more. Ref gives it a short try but the former champion doesn't even flinch and appears to be done in more ways than one! KO5 Alessia Uva!!!

AFTER: The hot Italian prospect got exactly what she wanted and she's ready to answer the Robin Holzken challenge in the neutral Ibiza beach setting next month: "The paperwork is all done and it doesn't take much for me to get these deals done. Robin is a tough cookie but I'm tougher and I'm gonna lay her out just like I laid Manuela out tonight!" (winks).

Official Result: Alessia Uva def. Manuela Arcuri KO5.