BEFORE: Cote signing a two-fight network contract (hard-hooking Emily Procter first; Punching Poppy Montgomery to follow) which will pit her against other crime-show vixens: good for Cote, good for the shows...so why isn't Procter smiling? "I've said all along her show's a CSI knock-off, and Cote herself doesn't deserve a push," brick-fisted little blonde asserts. "I've been labouring in the trenches for years and never gotten the buzz Cote has. So has Eva and a lot of other good fighters. I'm not jealous, but I'm just saying: De Pablo's got dues to pay, and I'm gonna be dropping an invoice on her big time!" De Pablo upbeat: headlining B.A.D in her debut is an honour..."and a privilege. As for Emily - I know she's short, but she hits a ton: I'm very much looking forward to breaking her down and proving HER to be the cheap knock off!" Pablo in tasteful mauve bikini - snug hipster-fit bottoms/halter style top; small, short-wristed black gloves; black shoes with white socks rolled down; tidy battle bun low. Emily in forest green bikini top; full coverage yellow bottoms; blonde hair loose down her back; small black short-wristed mitts; black shoes with white socks rolled down. Miami South Beach - Hard Rock ballroom converted for boxing.

During R1: Cote: stepping in a stubby left jab, while right hand is palm out at left cheek - very old-school look. Cote hooking: dipping to her right at the waist - right hand still at her left cheek, the left hand pulled over and across with a palm-down slice. Effect: jabs stiff, knocking at blonde pate: hooks clippy, getting Emily's attention. Procter: punched off her stance early, but resetting: she's crouching, keeping right hand up while bouncing tart hooks of Pablo's dusky midriff. Em very deliberate, flat-footed: she hits big for her height - Pablo feeling it on her body. Cote busier - keeping that jab in Emily's face, backing Procter up: good debut round for debuting fighter as Emily's pushed around for points.

R2: Similar stuff - Cote with that compact jab with the right hand guarding face - stepping in, crouching, hooking hard with the palm-down overhand delivery. Emily struck stiff, but proving sturdy: stocky little legs, muscular backside hard to shift. She waits her turn - dipping at the waist, then hooking back - taking Cote to breasts and tummy. Thudding right in Cote's left side does Emily proud: Cote answering with a tart left uppercut; short, straight right hand to bang back blonde face in reprisal. Round ends to the side of the closing into MMA style clinch - chest to chest, left arms reaching under opposing rights; right hands chopping in short digs to offending tummies/hips. In this slugging clinch, Cote walks Emily to ropes, securing points in the process.

R3: Similar old-school action: deliberate pace; well-grounded stances; hard punching from compact, defensively sound stances. Cote out-jabbing Emily by wide margins, initiating the power punching exchanges. Emily landing thudding rights and lefts sporadically to body, but Cote's the busier beauty, hooking body/breasts/head, dropping splendid short rights up the middle. Fighters generally close to that chest to chest posture - shouldering each other around while plugging right hands to body. Again, Cote able to muscle stocky Emily to ropes in slugging clinch, really pushing into Procter to get better digging leverage on shots while Procter's reduced to slapping at Cote's hip off the cables.

R4: Bruising trade - much of it dirty boxing in the clinch: Emily starts to impose will. Cote with initial top position at ropes: Em able to twist her girl around in the clinch, put her in ropes, pump her tummy righty. Ref's breaks restarting the action: fighters closing, clinching, plugging. Procter more consistent this round, spending more time in control at the ropes. Cote's curvy tummy, succulent hips, sturdy ribs, even a bit of her back bear the brunt of it.

R5: Cote adjusting - either clinching to tie up for ref's break, or denying the clinches altogether. De Pablo working behind that stocky jab, shifting weight to lead (left) leg from which to hook her blonde: Emily thumped tuff belly/breasts/chin. Ref's breaks: Cote always retaking initiative with that stiff step-in jab; Emily backing up, much less effective as a result.

R6: Cote enticed to a corner, invited to swap it up shoulder to shoulder: oh, that clever Emily. Pablo working hard, being successful, but Procter so stubby and compact, able to get her whole body into very short shots. Jamming little right uppercuts; withering little hooks: Em clouting her girl sweet at close quarters. Pablo mirroring the look, delivering the same punches, bumping the same shoulders - Procter just outworks her close.

R7: Cote enticed to a corner, then neatly reversed: she's fighting with her back to turnbuckles. Brutal short-shrugging bump-n'-slug both ways for a bruising first minute...then Emily dips and BURIES left hook in Cote's liver. Pablo moaning in pain, bunching up: she's unable to punch back, folding forward at waist. Emily back to the body via bracing left hooks: steady whacking beat of stocky blonde work sounding out thick. Emily using that brawny left shoulder to stack; turning short hooks across Cote's breasts, quivering tummy. De Pablo's face pinched: she's hurting - just sponging up body shots, pushing Emily off to buy herself little breathers.

R8: Cote pays Emily back in coin of her own stamp: hooks to the liver - thick n' short. Procter groaning, distressed: she backs away all pinch-faced, setting up butt-in ropes, hands at temples. Cote on hard-eyed, cold-hearted: hooks AND left uppercuts snap-snatching at tender-bodied blonde. Stubby jabs skid off Procter's hairline, or knock at her shoulders: Cote resetting her balance behind poke, prepping for more power. Cote in close on left-leg, clipping short left/right uppercuts ping-ping: Em scraped in between her mitts, stooping forward grumpy. Second minute siege sees Cote pour it to Emily - just a steady, clean-lined torrent of short, muscular lefts and rights. Punishment accrues - Emily loosening: Cote's rapid one-twos starting to punch apart Emily's guard, putting her breasts/chin on sale. More right hands from Cote - straight, stubby, powered with back and rump on the push-in - pound Emily's face back. Procter badly reduced, torso lolling down the stretch. Cote pushing for the finish, gets it tidy: digging left hook snug to liver; short-shrugging left hook to brush Emily upright; chopping right cross VERY short to chin...Emily's eyes clicking shut, hands dropping upon receipt. Cote stepping back with gloves at cheeks as Emily face-flops to canvas: De Pablo stays defensively sound even as ref's starting his count. KO8 in crisp, professional fashion - Cote de Pablo.

AFter: Poppy Mo tweeting from ringside: "Cote stops Emily...C plus to B minus effort." Cote smiling, but not gloating or jumping around: good clean debut kept in perspective by emotionally mature brunette. "I'm happy," Cote admits, showing dimples. "I picked her apart, took a tuff shot, then finished what I started - it's a good beginning. i look forward to sharpening up further on Poppy Mo - maybe getting her out of there sooner, then who knows? I'd love to move against Jenny Garth, because she's a respected gate keeper. Jewel's my style, and I think I can hurt her to the body. I'll take my time, fight my way up. But tonight I'll definitely celebrate, because Emily's a bruiser, and I think I might've just retired her!"