BEFORE: "It's a point of pride," Laura says of her challenge to Aly, in prefight. "I'm Foxfire through and through, but I was trained at CW, and when I see a CW girl strutting like Aly, it does get my blood boiling. She's very good for a rookie - better than I was at that stage - but she needs to show more respect, I feel. For her to say she's CW Hegemon, and think she can push me around as a result? I'm sorry: I can't let that pass. I'm a veteran fighter now, and I'm going to take this kid to hurt-school!"

Aly confident as ever: Michalka tossing out challenges to veterans, even lightweights like Serinda and Laura, in the wake of her successful campaign to oust Annalyne McCord as Hegemon. "Laura's well-seasoned," admits Aly in prefight, "but I just feel I'm the better fighting starlet in all areas. I'm faster; bendier; stronger...all she's got on her side is that she's been hit more. If that counts as experience, she's got a whole lot more experience coming her way from me!"

Laura making bantam easily: Foxfire saying the weight-drain won't be an issue. Vandervoort in midnight blue Into the Blue bikini; powder blue gloves; hair straight/loose. Aly in royal blue Hellcats sport bra; royal blue/yellow horizontal striped bikini bottoms; white gloves.

During R1: ALY'S ON HER BUTT! Laura intercepting Aly coming in with right uppercut; left hook combo: Michalka starts off the fight with a knockdown! Aly up quick and bouncing on the spot - pushing against ref all eager to answer: official presses her to ropes, issues the 8 in her face as Laura prowls neutral corner. Resume: Aly pouncing at Laura, fists flying; Vandervoort flat-footed, weaving low on the spot, POUNDING back tidy right/lefts to Aly's toned midsection. Down the stretch, Laura's determined body-counters have Aly grimacing, backing off: Laura walks her foe down, jabbing Michalka to perimeter, continuing to lash the waist right/left at bell.

R2: Laura bouncing in her stance, hands dangling at her sides: she's daring Aly to pounce, then lifting mitts off her hips to clout Michalka's mouth. Aly eager for combat, looking to engage, but she's getting clouted, frequently buffetted off stance, then cleaned up as Laura follows up effectively.

R3: Hegemon calms down: Aly more patient, focussed, effective this round. Curly headed blonde jabbing - poking Laura's face or smudging her breasts - then darting out of range: Michalka's springy legs on show. Laura bringing hands up, looking to step-and-poke methodical: Michalka able to circle and vex this round, showing her quickness.

R4: Laura pinging out the jab, doubling up on it, turning over right hands: Aly's getting touched up to face. Michalka baring teeth, answering back - lefts and rights punching back and forth - both beautiful faces catching spank. Laura generally punching her way forward when both girls are getting off: she's tuffer-minded, more willing to sacrifice for aggression's sake. Michalka fighting hard, moving her hands, scoring...but she can't impose her will. Laura's hard-time spent on the beach proving valuable as CW Hegemon gets a lesson in willpower through 4.

R5: Aly changing levels - stooping to reach jabs to Laura's flat gut - bouncing out of range - curling back in from angles - jabbing chest and head. Laura squinty-eyed, keeping hands up: she's giving away tummy touches on the cheap, more wary of Aly's sudden left hooks to head. Michalka leggy, bendy - encircling Laura now, feinting her, being quicker...Michalka loosening up, outclassing her veteran, starting to snap off combos. Laura blocking well up top, but getting outworked: Hegemon gets the points.

R6: Laura controlling Aly's pounce with a stiff initial jab...Michalka loses initiative even as she's coming in. Toe-to-toe, Laura's getting off first - taking care to place thick, thumping right hands in the pit of Aly's nubile stomach. Crowd-pleasing stuff as Laura beats Aly's belly/flanks/sports bra with a chopping, elbows-in delivery with both hands: Michalka's lips parting as she's punished, then she answers more or less in kind. Girls swapping three punch bursts, torso and head - grim looks of determination on pretty faces as fighters step around flat-footed. Bell: Laura's weight of shot likely prevails...Aly just finding her beach-hardened opponent very, very stubborn in the trenches.

R7: Laura advancing behind her jab, trying to follow up the right hand: Aly rolls right with Laura's cross, comes back a bolo right uppercut receipt, catching Vandervoort under her chin, loosening up her knees! Lovely Laura wobbly-butt, badly chin-checked...she covers up face-in-gloves, pressing elbows tight to her body as Aly goes over to offence. Michalka: bouncing on her toes in front of Laura...whip-slinging punches with sexy, supple delivery, bouncing mitts off flanks/armpits/waist with heavy CHUP! CHUP! impacts. Michalka sliding off to either side, turning Laura - often reaching out to gently push her shoulders to align her before stroking her. Michalka's legs/back/shoulders all syncopated with her punching - lovely stuff as she bounces around Laura, pasting her. Vandervoort stumbling, trying to stay square, trying to keep her face covered: Laura's sinewy legs hold her up, but she's feeling Aly's hegemony through 7!

R8: Laura straight jab off her shoulder knocking back Aly's face: hegemon can't get into her sexy/bouncy rhythm as sleek Laura walks her down. RIGHT HAND, VANDERVOORT! Laura leaning in, lips pursed as she kisses Aly a torrid right to chin: curly-headed blonde's face pasted hard starboard, sending her reeling into ropes. Laura lashing it on thick to waistline - then she pushes weepy Aly upright by her shoulder; sinks into a deep knee bend and GOUGES out a left-uppercut to sternum! Poor Michalka sobbing out, eyes shut tight in gutshot agony: Laura's digging in with palm toward herself, bringing the mitt back snappy to her own chest, like she's snatching out Aly's core. All Laura from there: Aly's limber legs paralyzed by that core-shot - Vandervoort simply stands off Michalka's bow, pushing and punching her into stupor. Ropes: Laura seething, forcing glaring eye contact as poor Aly slumps in ropes, hugging tortured torso.

R9: Laura heartless, singleminded: she knows Aly's body is the secret to her legs, and Laura's staying on midsection with both hands. Brutal body-hunting by Vandervoort - she's walking Aly down - snatching rights and lefts off waist with the elbows-in, chopping delivery. Forcing Aly into ropes - Laura's pushing the girl's shoulders, then getting up and into the core with that gouging left uppercut: sumptuous stuff really digging the fight out of Michalka, leaving her weepy. Aly's legs all trembling...she's forward to seek clinches or slap-back flurries off ropes - anything to keep Laura from overwhelming her. Vandervoort rough with her ingenue here - frequently warned for getting the chickenwing left elbow up high and pressing Aly into ropes with it.

R10: Laura jabs Aly to ropes, pushes her, squares up on her, then proceeds to give Michalka the beating of her lifetime. Crowd squealing as Laura unleashes her hardest, most hateful punches: Vandervoort's face utterly without pity as she goes for the stoppage. Michalka shredded, battered - Hegemon sees Laura going for it, Aly gritting her teeth, DETERMINED not to give Laura the satisfaction. Laura's won the fight on points, but she doesn't care: she bares her fangs, lets hands go in a thrilling bid to lay the hegemon down! Fists rapping off Aly's taut waist/flanks...poor Michalka sitting in ropes, wrists crossed at her chest as she tries to roll-with and ride this out. Laura pushing Aly by her shoulders to get her upright, then going at her fresh: it's just one gorgeous blonde stacking another up and pouring on the hurt! BELL: Aly swaying, whining in gobsmacked stupor, but still standing; Laura seething, but utterly exhausted, hands limp at her sides as she seeks to chest up on devastated Aly. Comes back UD10 Laura Vandervoort.

After: Standing O for Laura: she had the fight won, but she sold her soul to finish Aly with a spellbinding bombardment. And standing O for Aly as well: beaten, worn out, she gritted her teeth and took it from a battle-hardened veteran, refusing to sprawl at Laura's feet, showing the pride fans expect from a CW Hegemon. Girls are frosty to each other in the immediate aftermath, though Laura is grudgingly respectful in postfight: "She's not just another ingenue cup-cake," Laura admits. "I battered her, but I couldn't break her - so I do respect that. I really don't know what to make of her: she's as bratty as Serinda sometimes, but she backs it up with real heart. Maybe when she grows up, Aly will put it all together and be somebody special."