Before: Former flyweight mainstays re-emerging, looking to springboard at the other's expense. Ledoyen the mercurial French girl almost schizophrenic in the ring: she can slug or box and employs distinct looks in prosecuting either strategy - she's hard to prepare for and she's a former champ. Watts a clean-lined boxer in the Kidman mold, well schooled, well conditioned, hasn't always shown her best side on US soil, but remains a feared Pac Rim battler.

Ledoyen in neon blue bikini, Naomi in yellow bikini top, green bottoms.

R1: Watts on her toes, showing classic Aussie boxing: hands up, palms out, tap-stepping left and punching off the front foot. Chippy, chiselling work from Watts - scraping the jab, pinging the straight right, scrubbing away to the face of Ledoyen then dancing round the flank. Virginie flat footed, supple, lowering her hands and looking for power - she's landing the odd slinging wallop to the flanks or pate, timing sweeping lefts or rights as Watts leads the dance. Virginie landing harder, but not enough - Naomi controlling with her work rate, movement, ring generalship.

R2: Mirror image - Naomi tapping, touching, using the ring - Ledoyen walking her down, trying to hurt blonde with sweeping power.

R3: Ledoyen more effective as she adds jabs to the menu, surprising Watts and disrupting blonde timing. Virginie cutting off the ring, thrusting long jabs to the body, then looking to lick hooks or stroke right hands with a swaying body as Watts covers up ropeside. Naomi: right at her cheek, left across her gut, rolling her shoulders, leaning back into the ropes, blocking and slipping very well - she can spin off the ropes and escape, but she's not punching back. Down the stretch, Watts being cute at the ropes - Ledoyen flutter-jabbing, then leaning in with a murderous right which misses, coming back with an elastic hook on the chin and WATTS GOES DOWN! Naomi with a spanked, shocked look, up quickly - bell sounds to end a strong Ledoyen shutout.

R4,5: Watts recovering well - she's competing against Ledoyen's all-in gambling with consistency and skill, nibbling where Ledoyen's looking to gobble. Naomi spotting her jab all over Virginie - tummy, tits, teeth, spreading the brunette out, pre-empting her punches. Watts movement giving Virginie all sorts of trouble - blonde on her toes, not setting down on punches as a result, but she's putting together rain-drop combinations and sidestepping as Virginie loads up. Watts completing the package with a pesky hook in Virginie's side or waist - just packing it in tidy off the pivot, patiently whittling away on that nubile frame. Ledoyen not shutout these rounds, but she's headhunting now - looking for one shot to end Naomi's night.

R6: Watts' lights it up, no pun intended. Similar looking stuff only in a higher gear - Naomi dressing Ledoyen up in 3 and 4 punch bursts, turning the brunette, circling her, then tapping away for more points. Ledoyen following, not cutting off the ring and she's carrying her hands low for slinging power - face is getting tattooed and she's not getting off as Watts paints away. Final minute, textbook jab, right cross, backhand right scraper, left hook has Ledoyen staggering back into the ropes, hurt for the first time tonight - Watts getting to her girl with accumulation as Ledoyen starts to look puffy round the eyes.

R7: Watts darting, circling, nibbling - Virginie stepping to spots, measuring Naomi with jabs and looking to time her for lanky uppercuts or sweeping powershots. Even, sporadic action as girls fight in bursts then separate, but down the stretch, Watts steps straight back and gets temple-clipped a looping Ledoyen left. Naomi stepping in fence post holes, suddenly derailed - Virginie welts a looping right to the back of the head and just misses a searing left uppercut from southpaw footing as Watts clatters back out of range. Good desperate defense from Watts at the ropes as she dips and bends under greedy Ledoyen haymakers to the bell.

R8: Watts with a calming, very professional shutout. Ledoyen's been the power-stroker, but she's virtually ignored Naomi's body all night long - Watts still has wiry spring and good mobility as a result. Naomi able to traverse the ring, spruce Ledoyen up jabs, patiently tapping away at the French girl's beauty and lumping her up nicely. Watts not heavy-handed downstairs but vigorous - cleaning up that tummy and sternum with nice rigid left uppercuts off the front foot pik-pak-pek. Virginie a half step too slow: by the time she's in position and loaded up, Watts has turned her flank, scrubbed her face and established a fresh angle.

R9: Another intriguing, hotly contested heat - Watts chiselling away, scooting around the perimeter - Ledoyen hunting her down, looking to bend into supple wallop and hurt her girl. Final minute, Naomi making the same mistake she did in the seventh - drops her combo, steps straight back and gets tagged a sweeping hook across her chops. WATTS GOES DOWN! Naomi startled, scooching to a halt on her buttocks as Ledoyen glares down all steamy satisfaction - Watts hauls herself up and shakes her head in disgust. Naomi taking to her bicycle, shamelessly running out the clock like a pro who knows she's lost the round anyway - Ledoyen unable to follow up with decisive battle.

R10: HAMMER AND TONGS! All night long Naomi's been fighting for a decision - now she wades into Ledoyen and slender limbed beauties lick and lash with frightening spite on every stroke! Crowd screaming as first Watt's legs buckle, then Ledoyen's - girls start to stagger and reel as thick two way lather takes its toll. Pretty clear neither girl can stop the other at this point, so both stick their faces in, swing lusty from the hips and take turns painting on shellack. Punch for punch, lick for lick, it's Naomi: she's backing Ledoyen up, discouraging the French beauty toe to toe - hard-nosed Aussie determination finally breaking the beautiful brunette's will. Ledoyen keeping her feet, but covering up and cowering at the ropes as Watts has her way - Naomi teeth bared as she puts crop to haunch, whipping her mount to the finish line. Bell: Ledoyen bursting into agonized tears - Watts thrusting her mitts high and screeching in exultation. Comes back UD10 close, Naomi Watts.

After: Watts employing a sophisticated strategy, boxing and moving much of the night to draw out her opponent's reserves, then turning puncher to define the victory as well as entertain the crowd. "That was very important," Naomi drawls in postfight. "Virginie had put me down a couple of times and I had to show the judges that I was the stronger woman at the end. Even though I knew I had controlled her, she had been coming forward and punching hard - I had to make sure she finished up the fight hurt." Ledoyen a versatile little minx, showed her puncher's look tonight and it might have been the wrong move, playing into Naomi's hands tonight. Body punching: Virginie didn't do it and Naomi finished up with fresh legs; Watts DID do it - pesky digs enough to sap just enough power from free-swinging French girl to rob her of KO zip when it was needed most.