Before: "You see how she is?" Sophie wails to the American press, attempting to rouse sympathy for her effort against hated Laetitia. "I have some little success in America, some little triumph, and she cannot stand it. She seeks me out - the entire WORLD is not enough for Laetitia - she cannot be happy until she has me shackled. Well I am standing up to her, this pig of a bully - I am through hiding from her."

Casta chuckling at the notion of Marceau as an oppressed, victimized Cinderella, strikes back in the media. "Have you forgotten what Sophie is like?" Laetitia asks. "Have you forgotten her cruelty? She is known as the Red Duchess in France for her similarity to the infamous Cardinal Richelieu. This is a woman who beats her retainers with shoes and hairbrushes. She calls me a bully for hounding her, but it was she who tried to crush my spirit on my rise to the top - SHE who cannot stand to see me successful. She must be kept down I tell you: pity boxing the day Sophie Marceau is allowed to go unchecked."

Operatic Europeans - lost on American audiences who are just happy to see two classy dames who happen to hate each other duke it out.

Casta in royal blue bikini, white fleurs de lis print - Marceau in burgundy bikini, dark wood ring connections tit and hip.

R1: Sophie: pesky right jabs chopped out of a hammer-drop delivery; easing in low to ride her right shoulder into Laetitia, nudging her back, sliding out but getting the forget-me-not right hook on the temple with a quick clawing swipe; thrusting the straight left to the body, dipping low to escape the receipts. Casta on her toes, jabbing with little success, looking to time the straight right hand down the middle.

R2: Casta overwhelming the silky smooth, seductive gyrations of her opponent - Marceau crowded and mauled at the ropes as Laetitia fights big. Laetitia always with her hands on Sophie, palming the shoulders, the hips, riding a forearm in under the jugs to prop her up. Constant batting attack to the flanks - Casta keeping the elbows in, tidying up downstairs, moving her head side to side. Midway through, La-tish gets what she wants - hurting cringe from Marceau as a gouging hook parks in behind that right elbow. Sophie suffering, clinching in the last minute, bullied proper with her back to the ropes.

R3: Sophie easing in and out, looking for snake-like licks, but also moving her feet more, stepping right to keep her lead foot outside Laetitia's. Casta trying to jab to the chest, but she's getting countered to the left temple as Sophie chops that right hook over top Casta stick.

R4: Sophie greases Laetitia for a shutout, hurting Casta midway through with a thrusting left to the point of the chin, then a swiping right hook on the way out. Casta stepping in fence post holes, but taking the shots - she's covered up earmuff, stumbling forward into abuse. Marceau lovely as she strokes Casta's vulnerable ribs a right hook, pivots right, pokes the straight left to the left side of Casta's jaw, ducks to make Casta miss, swivels and eases out with another popping right hook upside Laetitia's head. Boxing lesson and shutout - Marceau forcing harsh eye contact with Casta at the bell.

R5: Competitive round. Casta swarming Marceau early, tapping her shortarm hooks and crosses out of a tight guard. Sophie eventually able to spin off the ropes and move to midring, pacing Laetitia with right jabs, turning her counterclockwise and parking those rude thrusting lefts belly, between the breasts, and in the mouth. Marceau takes a slim lead into the second half.

R6: Another close heat. When Casta does well - she's being busy, constantly peppering and swatting, letting her hands go and making Marceau stay defensive. When Marceau does well, she's turning Laetitia midring, touching her the jab and walking her into those sneaky lead lefts and torquing right hooks. Sophie managing the action even if Casta's competitive - more often than not, girls are fighting Sophie's fight. Marceau favouring Casta with one of those chilling glares after the bell: Laetitia the only person within 50 feet not intimidated.

R7: 'Tish with a good round, getting beefy at the ropes, palming and jostling, putting her body on Marceau. Sophie smeared along the perimeter, making her moves, turning her shoulders, bending low - anything to relieve the pressure. Down the stretch, Sophie clinches, walks Casta to midring, releases her - Casta walks into a right jab and covers up. Sophie fits a left hand in between the mitts, then chops her right hook, bends down and away like she's escaping, then EXPLODES back in with that ringing coup de grace left. Casta's head STRAIGHT back hard - LAETITIA'S ON HER BACK! Crowd roars as Casta props on her elbows, shakes her pretty ahead - again, she takes a vicious Marceau poke and survives it, though she's badly shaken at the bell.

R8,9: Laetitia strong off the knockdown, walking Marceau down behind a portcullis guard, jabbing her to the corners, beating her to the flanks, pushing up and bodying her at every opportunity. Marceau left at her cheek, chin tucked behind the right shoulder, slipping and rolling against the ropes - she's VERY tough to tag flush when she doesn't want to trade. Slapping counters from Sophie as Casta gobbles up both rounds - 'Tish usually stronger of the two down the homestretch and looks to be wearing older beauty down a tad.

R10: Sophie: leading with surprise lefts up top, tearing at Casta's ribcage with ferocious right hooks as she slides away - 'Tish tuff, but she's slowing, exhaling through pursed lips as she soaks up the body shots. Marceau sliding, easing to the side, rolling her torso. Tish punching straight rights and lefts, but making glancing contact - Marceau riding the blows out, answering back with stroking, slicing blows to tender Casta rib and tummy meat. Laetitia comes forward the entire round long, but can't pin Marceau down - Sophie loving it late as she slips, counters and coasts to the finish line. Comes back UD10 Sophie Marceau!

After: Red Duchess drops the ice-queen facade for just a moment in her corner: fists clenched white, face twisted in ugly exaltation - Casta toppled at last as Sophie throws off the shackles. Laetitia boxed and finessed, but also dropped and tagged hard tonight - she took a trademark Sophie Marceau beating to the surprise of most in attendance. Marceau's anxious handmaiden is sent to the Casta corner with outrageous terms: everything from monetary penalties to restrictions on Laetitia's movements in France, what events she can and can't attend - on and on. Casta reading with her right hand absently rubbing at her throat, occasionally reacting with visible disbelief and indignation, eyes widening, stamping her foot, glaring across the ring at Marceau at especially appalling points - Sophie calmly towelling off. Eventually, beaten Casta approaches, lifts the paper to within inches of Marceau's nose and slowly tears it to bits. Sophie with that murderous stare as Casta wheels and stomps away - Marceau cuffs the back of her handmaiden's head, prompting the girl to kneel and clean up the mess.