Before: HMK fighters being pushed hard by young up and comers: Tricia's loving it. "With Erica tackling Strahovski, and my date with Swan? We're really in against the best young talent I've seen in ages. I know from Erica's onset (Smallville - ed. note) sparring with Serinda, that Swan is strong and relentless. Breaking her spirit is top priority, because while this kind of fighter is feeling good about herself, she'll be hard to stop."

Swan the latest product of the infamous CW "ingenue factory" - she's candid about her experience with Durance and Vandervoort on Smallville. "Laura wouldn't spar with me, because I looked 'too strong' - and frankly, I could tell just by looking at her that I was making her VERY self conscious. One day, we were getting weighed, and I just looked over at her from the scales and I could TELL she was feeling a little blown away by me. But she didn't matter, because I was brought in to push Erica a little harder in her workouts, and right from the start Durance was very jealous and mean to me. Didn't help matters that I generally got the better of her in our sessions - lot of me working her over at the ropes - but whatever. Durance has had a nice long run on Smallville, but when a 22 year old phenom shows up and starts kicking your ass...you know it's over. I'll give Tricia the same dose - only harder, because there won't be anyone whistling me off when I hurt her."

Tricia in metallic baby blue bikini (known as 'Ice' in West Coast gyms - very rare for a fighting bikini to be named by competitors); platinum blonde BSG hair; white gloves. Serinda in silver bikini with U-ring connection between jugs, O rings at hips; black gloves; glossy, full black hair wild n' loose.

No respect from Serinda during instructions: she POUNDS her fists down atop Tricia's to touch 'em up.

During R1: Tricia out quickly: wide stance; spearing jab to body; flicking jab to mouth; spearing jab to chest; long right cross to chin. Helfer pin-pricking, then stroking hard: she hops back out or range, roams right with arms in a gentle gullwing as Serinda shakes off poke. Swan snarling, moving aggressively to Tricia...and missing her just as aggressively as blonde slips, pivots, helping Serinda off balance with a push behind brunette elbows. Tricia sticking her left into Serinda's face off Swan misses - just little taps and knocks, keeping 22 yr old off balance. Gliding, strafing right hands streak across Serinda's chin at intervals - Tricia leaning forward in wide stance, cashing in firm chin-checks. Bell: Serinda shaking her head 'No' to signify she's unhurt...but she's looking a little frazzled. Helfer outclassing Swan midring, touches her brunette up, gathering intelligence in a typically sleek, bewitching heat.

R2: Same again - Tricia mindful of being first - spearing in her jabs from wide stance, spotting poke tummy, tits and face. Minute in - harsh stick sets up a javelin right cross: Swan's beautiful face tossed aside, knees loosened...she's hurt! Serinda's aggressive snarl replaced by a confused grimace: she shows earmuff, crouching forward on reflex. Trish lashes a sidearm right in behind Swan's left elbow; jabs inside Serinda's left shoulder to lift brunette slightly up in her crouch, then; digs a harsh left uppercut to Swan's solar plexus. Pinpoint body shot yanks a shout of pain from Serinda: she's stumbling forward, cramping up. Tricia retreats, then sidesteps-right, easing Swan past with a helpful right hand in brunette back, guiding her face first to ropes. Swanny rights herself, dukes at temples: Tricia into firm waist with a lashing right/gouging left - sampling the beef - then jabbing Swan's chest while stepping back out of range. Helfer lures Serinda to midring, circling counterclockwise with arms in that relaxed gullwing: intelligent blonde gaze raking Serinda bow to stern, registering brunette distress. Final seconds see Tricia lean onto her front (left) leg off a tricky feint: as Swan flinches into earmuff - Helfer gets off a trio of sharp, snatching left uppercuts - digging at firm young ribs and tummy meat. Bell: Swan blinking back tears, wobbly butt. As Tricia passes to port en route to her corner, she casts a sideways glance at disheveled Serinda - Helfer's mouth in a little half smile, eyes playful: fans will be keeping stills of that look in scrapbooks. Tricia having fun deflating her gorgeous foe through 2.

R3: Serinda determined to be fierce - stomping out dukes-high, baring her teeth as she swings for the fences. Tricia slips this stuff, loping out of range, then circling to her right: blonde effortlessly renegotiates - stabbing her jab body and head, sprucing Serinda up. With Swan confused, turning on the spot and covering up - Tricia is free to roam: blonde lashing those succulent right/lefts to waistline; dippin'-n'-diggin' that vicious left uppercut to sternum - then pivoting away from receipts. Swan's aggression evaporating: she's landing slapping, don't-hurt-me punches, but her pretty nose is bleeding, and Tricia's pasting her relentlessly. Down the stretch, Serinda extends arms to clinch: Tricia dives down between then, lancing a savage straight right down into Swan's body with a spanking impact. Sob of pain Serinda: she immediately hugs her bod, doubling over: strong young legs keep her up as Tricia checks her follow up strokes at the bell.

R4: Serinda discouraged, moping: she hates that Tricia's scoring upon her, but seems unable to come up with any useful answer. Helfer not gloating, but you can see the hint of a smile on her lips, and her eyes are dancing: she's free-wheeling midring, being all lanky and elegant, strapping away on a heartpounding brunette who's just in over her head. Helfer feinting, then hesitation-jabbing Serinda's face: brunette's head jerking back from contact as Swan's form breaks down. Roaming to her right, Helfer's creating angles for right hands off the jab: nothing fancy, but it's all so sinewy and precise that it seems like sorcery. Half way point - exploratory jabs head and body set up a single long, lightning-bolt right hand to chin: Swan well-smote, head jerked aside - her legs give way, sending her stumbling forward in confusion. Tricia sidesteps, hand-in-the-back guiding Swanny face-first to ropes: brunette rights herself, only to take a pasting right hard across her mouth. Tricia squares away, turns over a slinging left hook palm-down across chin while shifting to her right foot; right hand flows in and across, pasting Serinda's head back over top rope. Brunette badly loosened - curvy legs STILL holding her up - but her hands are disorganized, head lolling. Tricia's eyes go hard as she pours it on - straight, strafing lefts and rights in criss-cross patterns, smashing away at Serinda's drowsy features as battered brunette slumps into ropes. Ref jumps in, hugging Serinda to safety as Tricia steps back all smouldering satisfaction. TKO4 Tricia Helfer.

After: Just another day in the office for Tricia: sorceress uses angles, accuracy, and complete command of the ring to discourage her foe into a weakened state. Swan livid when she regains her senses - stamping her foot, shouting at her corner: 22 yr old temper flaring as Serinda never dreamed she'd be handled this way by Trish. "I don't say this often," says an unmarked Tricia Helfer in postfight, "but this girl needed a beating. She's got everything you need to be an attraction in this sport, but she's acting spoiled and entitled, and I needed to correct that. I held my tongue when she was bad mouthing Erica, but she was always going to have to pay for that. Have to admit, taking care of Serinda's business feels really good: I'm at least 10 years older than her I think, and it does a body good to know I can still whup up on the young 'uns when I have to!"