Before: Boxing on the beach returns to ESPN with an afternoon timeslot: So-Cal beaches; bleachers/ring-posts set up on sand to accomodate a beach-volleyball size crowd. Wild contrast in contestants as uninhibited Bush dances around and plays to the crowd beforehand: Bev staying in her robe and listening to last minute instructions right up until fight time. Sofia in vivid teal bra style bikini, white gloves; Mitchell in mauve/purple horizontal barred bikini top (halter style, ring connected), solid dark purple bottoms (twist tie sides); white gloves. Ring instructions: Sofia POUNDS down on Bev's mitts to touch 'em up: Mitchell's mouth open in surprise at the violence.

During R1: Bush swishing across sand, reaching waaay back and pitching a wide right into Bev's hip: Mitchell covered up tight and well, ducking down to receive spanking blast. Sofia snarling, hair tossing, teeth bared as she swings away crazy: Mitchell staying low, ducking under or receiving blows on prepared defences as she steps forward, nudging Bush ever-backwards. Ropes: Bev reaches in, chests up to stabilize her girl, then starts to work close-in. Sweaty, methodical stuff - Mitchell not letting Sofia breathe much less punch - blonde just cramming in single shots, then bodying up, smothering Sofia. Bush wriggling and fretting, headlocking Bev, hugging-up to try to wrestle Mitchell into ropes, but Beverly's not having it. Bev doing a nice job maintaining top position - even reaching past Sofia to illegally grab the ropes on occasion. Workmanlike shutout Bev Mitchell has Sofia stamping her foot on sand, looking up at the ref and berating him like he's some gofer on a movie shoot.

R2: Contrast still evident: Sofia wild - hair, teeth, eyes - arms thrashing, little body jiggling; Bev crouching, composed, willing to stand in the pocket and manage Sofia's initial wallops, then answer in measured fashion. Bush denying Mitchell's crowding attempts this round - both girls stamping at sand while embraced: Bev can't push Sofia to ropes. Ref's breaks create distance - Sofia's swinging more aggressively, even if rarely connecting flush. Engagements end in clinches and stamping legs - Bush simply outworking/outthrowing Bev for points.

R3: Similar stuff - Mitchell staying well within herself, refusing to engage in wild swinging melees, staying sound defensively. Bush bouncing lusty haymakers off Bev's prepared defences - Sofia snarling, trying to blow the doors off Mitchell with every swing. Bush landing some effective wallops in above Bev's hips: Mitchell immediately clinching before Sofia can exploit any advantage. Sofia betraying herself with ferocity: she's not seeing the uppercut; missing too many punches by headhunting recklessly. Bush takes the round, but she's already mouthbreathing in the summer heat.

R4: Sofia swishing across sand, attacking big n' lusty again: but her swings becoming tired and predictable. Mitchell crouching, staying covered up, seeing the incoming, then answering into Sofia's midsection with plugging right hands after Bush has had her say. Sofia backed up by steady bodyblows: she hits ropes, gets smothered as Mitchell wrestles her way on top. Methodical, plugging, suffocating attack: Bev keeping her body on, jamming away body punches as she can, always mindful to keep Sofia pinned down. Bush whining - arms trying various hugging or pushing positions to get Mitchell off, but it's not working. Bev's curvy little backside quivering/stout legs stamping as she works hard to keep Bush pinned bell to bell. Another tantrum from Bush as she screams at the ref - arms rigid at her sides - but what's he supposed to do? Take a point from Bev for kicking Sofia's ass?

R5: More Bev, better Bev. Bush swinging away wide over the top, missing: she's easily bundled and stampeded to ropes. Mitchell as rough as we've ever seen her with a girl: pushing at Sofia, shouldering her, tousle-scrubbing her. Sofia pushing her hands against Mitchell's shoulders or chest - Bev able to push down on Sofia's wrists and open her up to sustained abuse as a result. Mitchell still bodying up and pressing little Sofia into ropes - but there's more punching from Bev now: she's able to get off in clusters, rotating her shoulders, moving her hands - really working Sofia over. Bell: Bush snivelling, hurt in her body, and that little backside of hers is wobbling sadly en route to her corner.

R6: Extra Bev. Once Sofia's bundled to ropes - stacked, pushed, bullied and smothered: Mitchell's really jamming home right hands to breadbasket. Sofia crying out at times, trying to turn away from Mitchell, but that's putting Bush sideways to ropes and vulnerable to heavier beatdowns. Mitchell staying busy, punching when she's not pushing into Sofia: it's a thick and tasty beatdown emerging. From the halfway point, Mitchell's able to double Sofia over and pack her sideways to ropes, lean a forearm on her upperback and beat her exposed flank with thudding right hands. Not pretty, but it's too much for Bush: Sofia finally wilting to all fours, blubbering and cranky from too much Bev in the sixth.

R7: "OH!" Bev walks into a swinging right hand to the pit of her stomach: she's bunched up, hurt for the first time, hugging her tummy. Snarling Bush loading up, skidding right hands off her foe's head and shoulders - chasing Mitchell to ropes for a payback beatdown. All Sofia on Beverly: Mitchell grimacing from tummy hurt - arms crossed against her body as she dips forward at the waist. Bush glaring, whaling away - bouncing fists off Bev's back for warnings; pushing into Bev to straighten her up, then pulling at her arms to expose those jugs and little brown tummy to more abuse. Raw, untutored brutality from Sofia - but it's effective. Mitchell's sturdy legs holding her up as she takes her worst beating of the fight.

R8: Bev bares HER teeth, showing emotion as she weaves back from a crazy Bush right, answers with a lugging right up into brunette paunch. "UPPP!" Sofia pitches forward, hugging her tummy: Bev seething, takes a moment to catch her breath, then punches a right hand across Sofia's back, sending Bush staggering to her right. Brunette stampeded to ropes: Beverly reining in her temper to get methodical once again. Mitchell reaching under Bush's arms, chesting her deep to ropes: just the weight of Bev pushing in enough to make Sofia wail. Brunette dishevelled - sweaty locks across her eyes, mouth open: she's wearing down in the heat, getting weaker the more she has to push against Beverly's suffocating body.

R9: Sofia waves/pushes punches midring: Beverly crouching in crossed arm stance, slipping the work, then calmly walking Bush into a clinch. Mitchell's legs stamp at sand, working hard to push Sofia to ropes: Bush sobbing out when she feels the hated touch of cable at her back. Beatdown: Mitchell squirming on top and loving it - packing in the odd thumping right to Sofia's paunch or jug in between long tummy-to-tummy wrestling sequences. Not pretty, but it's got poor Sofia all used up. She's crying, not punching back - ref moves in about a minute and half in to pull Beverly off. TKO9 upset - Beverly Mitchell.

After: Is this a break-out performance for Beverly Mitchell? "I sure hope so - I think it is, yes!" Mitchell chirps, eyes bright in post fight. "I've been accused of being too nice to box in the past, but I showed Sofia no mercy today. She's rough you know - really nasty - but I bullied her, I made HER back down and take - and that's what I have to do. I know Hayden's coming back pretty soon, and that first fight of hers is going to be a big deal. I want that fight - I want to burst her bubble - and a win like this puts me in a great position."