Before: Casta looking lush and a little paunchy after a steamy summer of La Conquista days and St. Tropez nights - French vixen taking the weight off gradually, fighting her way back into FCBA shape. "Unlike some who preferred to sulk, I enjoyed my summer off," Casta shrugs, making a thinly-veiled reference to stable-rival Jessica Biel. "I stayed busy at the 'Beautiful Game' (La Conquista taking over the title in some quarters from Soccer) - it is a wonderful way to condition without suffering injury and now I am refreshed rather than being bruised going into the fall campaign."

Nichols looking positively anorexic in comparison to her beach-curvy opponent - Rachel eager to tuck into Laetitia's soft flesh and just SEE if she's boxing-worthy yet. "'Tish can talk about the benefits of La Conquista all she wants," Rachel notes at the podium, "but just look at her - she's coming in with a mud-wrestler's body. I know I'm a big underdog, but seriously - we get into the second half of this fight and I KNOW I'm going to be fresher. For Laetitia to come in soft is a slap in the face to me, and I'm going to make her pay for every decadent pound she's packed on!"

Casta in leopard print bikini, hair battle-bunned back, small sheepskin UGG slugging mitts, retro knee-high suede boxing moccasins. Rachel in bright peach bikini, sheepskin slugging mitts and UGG boxing boots, puncher's ponytail with straight bangs framing face.

During R1: Casta with a small, condescending smile, limbs very relaxed as she steps flat footed to her right with a rolling gait. Nichols rigid, tense in comparison, hands up at temples as she steps in, trying to find Casta with hard jabs up top. 'Tish much more supple and sleek in her movements - often dangling the left at her side, her right negligent at her hip. 'Tish will ease back from Nichols punching, falling into the ropes, then bouncing off like a fleshy billiard ball - neatly, economically stepping around Rachel. 'Tish lifting the jab off her thigh, startling Rache to the face or pushing American breasts aside, then leaving the left hand extended to palm at Nichols' forehead, nudging her off-stride as Casta sidesteps. Late the round - Casta starts mixing in sneaky right hands off the hip - swivelling her torso to the left to sling the punch against Rachel's mouth, or taking her lustily across the paunch. Nichols frowning, unable to find the mark - easy, breezy 'Tish Casta shutout sees the French vixen boxing at a Rio de Janeiro pace.

R2: Casta still very loose in her hips and waist - shuffle-stepping flat footed, sliding around her foe, easing back from pressure, bouncing lasciviously off the ropes, hands low. Casta stooping to nibble left jabs against Rachel's taut, humming tummy muscle, then slipping the receipt, pivoting to the right and pushing Rache off balance with a sultry shoulder-bump. 'Tish infuriates Rachel with either the right or left palming the blonde's forehead, shoving her, turning her as she's trying to punch - very belittling move prompting crowd-laughter at Rachel's expense. Latter half the round, Casta setting down a little to hurt blonde right hands off the hip - slinging wallop sloshed over top to jaw, or lugged thick to midsection visibly slowing Nichols, bunching her up in pain. Final moments see 'Tish slip a pushy Nichols one-two, come back a pair of clouting hooks on blonde ear to put Rache ropeside, then Casta eases in to flash smooth handspeed on the inside, tidying Rachel up a ringing series of swatting lefts and rights, body and head. Bell: Nichols staring, gobsmacked; Casta maintaining that maddening little smile as she turns away with another shutout.

R3: Rachel making adjustments: doubling up the jab to chip and chisel with it over Casta's left shoulder; scraping away combinations - sacrificing power for volume with her rangey limbs nibbling straight one-twos. Laetitia hands low, weaving her torso side to side, twisting to present either shoulder as she steps back, bending at the waist - most dramatic upperbody movement of Casta's career smacks of a new body-consciousness earned on the sands of St. Tropez. 'Tish IS being outworked however - she's allowing herself to be jabbed to and along the ropes - parrying and rolling punches as she goes, but not answering back enough to discourage young Rachel. Nichols spirited - chipping away her jab, jotting straight right hands but keeping her right foot back so she come back with a scouring hook. Rache unable to stamp Laetitia with any one punch clean, but American has French vixen suppressed and defensive along the ring-perimeter. Nuisance right cross bumps Casta's chin at the bell, followed by a stroking left hook on the jaw: 'Tish unhurt, but eyes suddenly hard as Rachel oversteps her bounds with the late hit.

R4: Casta setting down, looking to hurt Nichols now: Rachel's in trouble. 'Tish flat footed, closed stance, pointing the left shoulder at Rache while ranging in with the jab off the thigh - then it's slinging right hands from the hip taking Rachel HARD, belly and chin. Casta's sheepskin dukes sounding out thudding and loud against Rachel's slender ribcage or toned tummy - American girl groaning, grimacing as she backs away, trying to muster offence in repraisal. Minute mark, Casta sweeps a hook from her hip onto Rachel's jaw as Nichols jabs, disrupting blonde stance: shooting right hand off the hip swivels Rachel's head, punches her mouthpiece straight off her teeth. Nichols hits ropes in a fog, mouth open, eyes bleak: Casta moves in heavy over the girl's right shoulder, lugging a thick right hand to the pit o' the paunch, doubling Rache over with a gurgling cry. 'Tish eases to her right, sweeping a tidy left hand across Rachel's offered back, then picks the blonde up a curling, supple little outside-in right uppercut. Nichols blinking, brushed upright once again: Casta clouts her a swatting hook to jaw, bends in close with a swiping right - clapping Rachel's face tic-toc. 'Tish eases weight to rear (right) foot, pulling a hook across Nichols' open mouth, doubles it up to cuff Nichols' right ear, then picks up chin the tidiest of licking little right uppercuts - left foot skidding up off canvas as Casta commits on the shot. STOP THE FIGHT, REF! Rachel in swoon - pushing her arms out on reflex alone, eyes all glassy - she just can't keep Laetitia off her now. Casta knuckling at Rachel's upperbody to stack her up, then going body with a series of smooth, muscular, strapping rights and lefts - 'Tish just swivelling her hips into the motion, stroking her opponent's waist some SUCCULENT body shots and NICHOLS GOES DOWN! Rachel hugging her body as the crumples face-down on her left side - right knee curling up in agony as she pathetically mouths the canvas. It's over - KO4 in sultry fashion - 'Tish Casta.

After: Laetitia slower than we've seen her, more supple, more precise with her power shots and much heavier handed, gives Rachel a terrible beating in a comeback as impressive in its own way as Biel's. "Rachel gave me what she could," 'Tish says with a smile, shrugging dismissively at Nichols' effort, "but I am like a woman beating a girl when we fight, non? I had her in the palm of my hand, and when I closed like so (makes a squeezing fist), she could not stand." So-called 'Snow Queen' proving to be an all-weather fighter with this steamy beatdown - Casta among the most versatile of the lightweights, fighting style often more contingent upon her mood than any coherent fight-plan going in