Before: "Say what you want about Gena," Amanda shrugs, "everything she's got, she's taken from other women - nobody's ever given her anything. i respect that - you have to. She says no one makes a move at welter without dealing with her, and I think that's true: you definitely need to know that you can handle Gena Lee Nolin. This is a huge statement fight for me - this is going to be my shot heard 'round the division - and I want it to be loud and shocking." Nolin relaxed at podium, acknowledging her young foe's respect while with-holding judgement at this point. "Lotta hype with this girl," Gena smiles. "Great body - strongest since Loken...but we all know about those great bodies and fragile chins, or weak tickers. Hate to be a pot-stirrer, but she couldn't take it from Taylor Cole as I recall - and do you know who ran Taylor out of the welterweight division a couple years back? Yeah - you're looking at her. So let's not rush to judgement on this kid. She looks the part - but I gotta get under the hood and do some rummaging. I'll let you know what I find out."

Righetti in purple thin-strap sport top; bright baby blue bikini bottoms; small black Joe Louis style gloves; hair back in midlength battle braid. Gena in scarlet bikini with gold ring connections; small black Joe Louis style gloves.

During R1: Stunning left jab shocks Gena, knocking her head back: she's out of balance early as Righetti wades in. Short, banging body blows beat Gena's ribs on her retreat: she hits ropes, covers up earmuff, lips pursed hurt. DIGGING burst dents Gena's ribs just below her breast-line: Amanda hunching shoulders, lowering her head, pumping lefts and rights hup-hup-hup. Nolin grimacing, pulls Amanda into a clinch, easing into ropes for break. Pursuit from Righetti - hands loose, chest high as she stalks forward - weight tending to plant on left (lead) leg on approach. Short, popping jabs - often two at a time - then a short, crisp right cross: Amanda bringing her feet with her, getting into mid range before releasing. Nolin shying away - creep-stepping to her right, pointing the left shoulder at Amanda, using it to roll shots: Gena definitely wary, looking to walk Righetti into sneaky, screened, looping overhand rights. Gena's wallops not connecting: Amanda moving well for a big woman - stepping out of range as need be, then resuming stalking pressure. Bell: Gena scowling, body pinking up nicely from abuse: Righetti all business, staring at canvas on march back to her corner.

R2: Gena weight on right leg, left hand dangling - she's pawing the jab, baiting Amanda, then leaning in with sweeping right hands, flank and head. Righetti bravely forward - forming V guard with hands at her cheeks, elbows together beneath her breasts - absorbing Gena's wide wallops in exchange for mid-range position. Short, 2 pump jabbing disrupting Gena; quick, powerful right hand off the shoulder buzzes her chin: Nolin forced to creep-step right, bobbing at the waist as Amanda's forward strong. Midway through, Righetti jabs Gena's forehead back, then leans in with a SPEARING right underneath left breast: bruising heart punch spanks loud, blowing Gena back into ropes, face pinched in agony. Nolin momentarily crippled - she folds forward, hugging her body as Amanda steps-to. Beat down: Righetti's face hard as she stoops above crouching Gena - redhead ripping her blonde rights and lefts in behind the elbows. Plowing blows shake Gena, buckling her knees: she wilts, lowering herself slowly to all fours, mouth open in shock. Final 30 seconds see Gena raked over at ropes: she's leaning back, hands up, or bending forward at waist; Amanda standing off blonde bow, powering in strong, straight lefts and rights in vicious criss-cross patterns - smashing away head/shoulders/pecs on a badly stung G.

R3: Amanda in that relaxed, puncher's crouch - hands loose at chest, chin tucked. She'll form V when threatened, but otherwise she's stalking forward, double-jabbing, looking to turn over the short, piledriving right, then clean up muscular hooks as Gena's bobbing and rolling. Nolin sliding away, looking to bait Amanda in, then tee off: big, looping haymakers from the crouch aren't working. Amanda precise, heavy handed, methodical: she's walking Gena down in a wide circle, punching up top to get Gena rolling defensively, then digging brawny at the ribcage, punching Nolin repeately about her breast line. Nolin stepping away in visible distress - mouth gasping, eyes bleak: been a long time since a girl has pounded the Nolin chassis like this. Righetti mixing in a wide, swinging right roundhouse to clap Gena's flank when Nolin's sliding away: Nolin not happy about the development.

R4: Gena changes tactics: has some success. Nolin now looking to slide inside, get a tummy on Amanda: Righetti's output drops as she's engaged in pushing - strong legs digging in, muscular buttocks bunching up with the effort of resisting Gena's push. Nolin holding and hitting midring - sliding her left arm under Amanda's right to anchor her, then stuffing rights to Righetti's firm midsection. Righetti joins in, leaning in with Nolin to plug away righty - ref let's 'em hold if both are willing to work. Fight wanders to ropes: Righetti muscling Gena into the stables: Nolin rides her left hand behind Amanda's head, clips her a nice right uppercut. Swampy stuff: Gena supple inside, showing the ability to swat and cuff super-short shots. Righetti more reliant upon pushing Nolin upright, getting low on her, then pumping lefts and rights to body until G can tie up. Good survival tactics for Nolin, but exhausting: she's breathing hard at bell, looking deflated. Righetti pushing up off her blonde, giving Nolin a quick, business-like glance before parting.

R5: Righetti shows a stiff-arm jab to Gena's body, then head - Amanda not bringing the left back, just ramrodding it onto G to keep her out. Nolin resetting...Righetti hops in close, hooking short to chin: Gena spills away from the shot, eyes wide. Amanda hops in, two-jabbing Gena's chest, then Righetti twists into a sudden right cross as Gena's swinging righty heself. Nolin clipped clean - her right hand sails high as Amanda dips in low on follow through...big G stiffens, toppling backward and it's BLONDE GIRL DOWN! Nolin THUNDERING to canvas - legs locked stiff - arms/head bouncing off canvas as she's blasted into stupor. That's it - KO5 in clinical fashion - Amanda Righetti.

After: Nolin helpless, tender on her back - head lolling slowly side to side, lips working: steady beat to her body sets up a shrieking chin-check to end the night of one of boxing's Great Blondes. Amanda looking over the rubble impassively, then smiling as she's congratulated: it's a shot heard 'round the division indeed. "Umm...pretty much what we expected," Amanda recounts in postfight. "I wanted the body on her - took that...loosened her up, started finding her chin. She was trying to potshot me, but we worked a lot on decoding her closed stance - that didn't bother me. She was strong in the clinch, but she was really winded from my body work. I just don't think she ever had her legs under her after I put that heart punch into her." Reports of tension (all unsubstantiated) in the joint training camps in which Righetti trains: Liz Berkley and Nadia Bjorlin both forced to share spotlight with rising young phenom.