BEFORE: Saldana sleek, talented...but lacking FCBA seasoning: handlers bring in a battle-tested comic-con veteran in Wuhrer to get Zoe on track. "Zoe's a blue chip prospect," says a spokesman for Saldana in prefight, "but Zoe needs development and she's not as young as a lot of her rivals in the space. Fighting Kari gives us hard-scrabble rounds against a game veteran, and that's what Zoe needs. She's got to find her footing against this level of fighter before we can move her against the Jenny McCarthies and Kate Beckinsales of the division." Wuhrer in brown sport bikini with ring connections; small black gloves; light brown hair tangly and loose. Zoe in slick Star Trek ponytail; black lace push up; yellow bikini bottoms; small black gloves.

During R1: Kari a rangy pressure fighter at the weight, but Zoe shreds her at will this round, flashing quickness of foot and hand that Kari can't match. Zoe's stitch-quick jabs knock and twist at Kari's face, working her eyes; fast-twitch right hands zip off the shoulder, striking across Kari's chin; rip-snatch hooks carve in swift under Kari's elbows, biting her body. Easy breezy shutout, Zoe: she's so bright-eyed and happy, she wheels on her heel, issuing a first round ponylash to a thoroughly outclassed, demoralized Kari W.

R2: Zoe's eyes dancing, lips smiling as she sets in limber stances, gets off swift licks, then steps around her foe. Kari a ring-wise veteran, keeping hands up in rigid peek-a-boo: she knows she can't fence at long range with Zoe. Saldana circling clockwise - legs all lean and sleek as she steps and pivots: she's potshotting Kari - stitching jabs body and head; leading the odd rifling right. Kari turning, taking, but resolute: by the final minute she's walking Zoe down, leaning in close, and banging back. Rangy rights and lefts rake Zoe over, brushing her into ropes: she's scampering late, showing leg to run the clock.

R3: Patient, stalking pressure from Kari: Zoe starting to run rather than box, loping the perimeter at the hop. Wuhrer missing her elusive foe early, but walking her down: by the minute mark, wide, rib-seeking rights and lefts are pounding the Saldana chassis, knocking her into ropes. Rough, rugged Wuhrer round: Kari deploying both hands to Zoe's slender waist; punishing her flanks; bumping her off with stout left shoulder-work. Saldana grimacing grumpy - dukes at temples as she leans forward, then back into ropes, trying to dip and roll with Kari's work. Nothing fancy from Wuhrer: she beats at Zoe's flanks/hips - pushes on her, bumps and jostles her - anything to scuff the greyhound up. Saldana cute enough in the pocket to take the edge off, but she's roughed up, bullied in the third.

R4: Kari forward sans-a-jab: she pays the price. Minute in, Zoe retreating on springy legs, walks Kari in, fits her for a slinging right hand pull-counter over Wuhrer's reaching left. Startling shot buzzes Kari's legs: she's baby-stepping forward when Zoe lights her up a series of straight, jackhammering rights and lefts bingo on the face. Crowd screaming as Saldana's leaning forward on her toes, putting together a glorious 4 punch, pinpoint combo onto Kari's staring mug: Wuhrer stumbling away to her right all gobsmacked. Zoe limber in pursuit - buggywhipping her right hand against Kari's left side to hurt her; hooking her mouth to shunt her ropeside. SALDANA UNLEASHES! Ponytail tossing side to side; wiry body taut with punching tension - Zoe shreds Kari via criss-crossing straight lefts and rights, drilling Wuhrer into stupor. Kari slumping into ropes, facing into PIK! PAK! PEK! accuracy as her hands drop: she's just slumped and taking when the ref moves in. TKO4 in withering fashion, Zoe Saldana!

After: Zoe beaming prettily, showing blazing handspeed, catlike balance and agility in overcoming Kari's hard-nosed pressure. "I feel like I'm back on track," says classy Saldana in postfight. "Wuhrer's tough, but she's been chipped away at in her career and I knew she was coming in off a bad loss to Jolene, so I definitely thought I could stop her if I got her hurt. I was too quick and it showed: she just looked paralyzed when I was getting off, and that's the way I want 'em to look!"