Before: Mandy and Nadia: welterweight history of this era largely the story of the competition between these two strong-willed beauties. "It is becoming a bit of a campaign against Bjorlin," Mandy smiles. "At this point, there are no surprises between us: it's boiling down to mistakes and execution. I like it though: rivalries are good for boxing, and for the welterweight division in particular. We're sort of becoming the Theron/Bell of welterweight...I just hope it isn't going to take 20 fights to bend this girl to my will!"

Nadia smiling, jocular with press: former champ's relaxed, eager to do battle with an old nemesis. "I feel like I've got Mandy figured out," Bjorlin shrugs. "It's sort of the irresistible force meeting the immovable object when we get together. All I can say is I'm feeling pretty force-ful these days: I'm gonna get Mandy in trouble as early as I can, and keep her in trouble as long as I can. We'll see how she deals."

Mandy in dark purple bikini; hair up in beach battle bun; black gloves. Nadia in gold bikini; black gloves; lively brown curls loose n' tangly.

During R1: Hard jab, hook from Mandy; she fades back half a step, luring Nadia forward. Bjorlin short with a hook: Mandy jabs her stiff, hooks the left eye - fades to the right, dragging her left (lead) foot. Nadia over the top a right hand - again short as Mandy's creating little gaps: right uppercut lands for Mandy, taking Nadia stout to chin. Mandy pivots left as Nadia forms earmuff: Moore with a healthy sidearm right strokes Bjorlin's golden-brown waist. Mandy slides back - dragging that left foot: enraged Bjorlin swings a huge left - missing - falling forward and eating a thick, short, pumping left uppercut to the body. Mandy leans in, shoves Nadia off: Bjorlin blinking, confused - she's really soaking heavy licks here. Nadia regroups, gloves curled into her chin: Mandy steps in a stiff jab, prodding Bjorlin between the eyes, then fades that little half-step out. Nadia weaving forward, trying to get close: Mandy dropping jabs, sliding back - being big and supple on flat feet. Approaching apron, Mandy drives in a grazing right - shifts weight to right foot while pulling the hook across Nadia's chin: BJORLIN'S ROCKED! Nadia buzzed - legs all loose and spastic: she topples face-first to ropes as Mandy pivots away, then curves back in to attack. Nadia forms up gloves-at-chin, stooping forward: Mandy closes to middle-close range, hands at chest, loosening her shoulders for work. Heavy left uppercut/right uppercut clobbers at Nadia's chin, splitting her guard. Bjorlin stunned, tipping weight from one foot to the other, eyes staring. HARD left hook to gut bunches Nadia up: right uppercut to jug straightens her; left hook turns her chin aside. Mandy in smooth, big-girl rhythm, regrouping hands at her chest after scoring, knees flexed, eyes blazing. Mandy dips left, tucks a hook into Nadia's liver, then shoulders gasping brunette into ropes. Right hand turns Nadia's chin aside, wobbling her butt: left uppercut brushes Nadia back into ropes. Bjorlin's curvy legs REFUSING to give, but OH, she's getting rocked - reeling into ropes, eyelashes batting as Mandy lands patient, thoughtful haymakers. Right uppercut finally swivels Nadia's head, dramatically loosening her, slumping her in ropes, dropping her hands: ref jumps in, even as Nadia's pleading with him not to stop the fight. TKO1 Mandy Moore in pre-emptive fashion.

After: Mandy resplendent: she lands first with the most - often a successful recipe at welterweight. "Punched her groggy," Mandy explains, grinning happily. "I caught her good early, but I took my time, because if you go in all wild on Nadia, that's when she catches you. Started taking her apart, but the girl is STRONG: I just couldn't get her off her feet...and I was hitting her baseball bats in there! I think the ref did the right thing: I'd gotten the drop on her, I was hurting her: just because a girl doesn't go down doesn't mean she's not finished."

Bjorlin shaking off the stupor - looks OK in postfight...and she's fighting mad. "Very quick stoppage," she affirms, hands on bronzed hips. "It's obvious I can take Mandy's punch, and I'm a former champion - I was already starting to rally when the guy steps in and stops it. I deserve the benefit of the doubt, I mean: I was present, I was defending myself...I could fight Mandy right now, so that tells you she wasn't hitting me as big as she thought. I'm disappointed, but I know there'll be another day. Mandy's probably going to crow about this for a while, but it's only going to fuel my resolve. There's only room at the top for one of us, and I won't let it be Mandy."