Before: Berry has her sights on Paula Trickey in a reprise of their Miss Teen America pageant rivalry which saw Halle edge the gorgeous brunette out of the amateur title - but Holly can't be taken for granted. Loren starting to slip a little with age, but she's still a high risk tune up. "I need a tough warm up," explains Halle, "I want to be at my sharpest for Paula, and I know Lauren can give me rounds. I give Holly a lot of credit - she won't be officialy washed up until AFTER we fight!" Halle with Executive Decision hair, gold bikini top, white bikini bottoms - Lauren with blonde fighting braid, black bikini.

During R1: Holly with her dukes up at chin level shows good mobility in cutting off the ring, pinning Berry to the perimeter of the ring with hard straight right hands off a punishing jab. Consistent work from Holly has Halle on the run for all 3 minutes - shutout Lauren.

R2: More dancing from Berry as she hops to her left, seemingly unanxious for combat when she stops, drops a vicious licking hook onto the wide open jaw of Holly and LAUREN TAKES A SEAT! Lauren wide eyed with shock, never saw the punch - Halle kissing her left glove and smiling wickedly as Holly gets an 8 count. Berry more aggressive now, dancing to her left, hands loose and low, jumping in to drive Holly backwards with lanky lefts and rights - gangly delivery seems awkward, but Berry's scoring clean. Holly gets her bearings late, offering some choice licks to the rib cage as she bobs side to side, but it's Berry's round 10-8.

R3: Lauren shakes off the knockdown, stampedes Halle into a corner and pounds away at the shocked brunette. Halle buckling as Lauren hooks her to the ribs, then jerking the short hook on the jaw to nearly drop Berry in the first minute. Halle roaring back in the second, fighting off the ropes with a rolling combination to the belly, punches burping off Holly's rigid abs. Lauren answering back with longer limbed, chugging lefts and rights - girls stand and slug it out in a corner, taking turns with cluster bomb attacks to one another's slick midriffs. Fierce spanking action spills overtime as the ref gets involved - Berry wobbly butt on the way back to her corner after fighting Holly's fight.

R4: Holly bounding across the ring, brawling lefts and rights missing but forcing Berry into the corner again. Lauren piling on - left,right,left to the body with big backswings, lanky delivery, then posting up with her forearms against Berry to crush her against the turnbuckles. Holly getting off, bodying up, punishing Berry as the brunette covers up, rolls well with the incoming, but is buckled again as Holly fits the cracking left hook in around the guard at the midway point. Shutout Lauren Holly - she's banging away at Berry, sending the mocha beauty back to her corner hurting.

R5: Halle out with teeth bared - she's proving a warrior tonight. Eruption of curling lefts and rights to the belly have Lauren folding forward to take - Halle falling off to the side behind a snapping short hook on the jaw. Berry circling, stepping in to help herself with that educated left hook as Holly starts to break down. Midway through, Berry slashing in and out - she jumps in a biting hook on the teeth, wide right hand on the face, then feints like she's stepping back outside - Holly relaxes and Berry hurts her with an extra hook on the chin, putting wobble in the blonde's trunks. Halle has her way to the bell, often nailing Holly with a delayed shot after a combination has Lauren convinced it's her turn. Shutout with power, not to mention style, Berry.

R6: First minute - Lauren Holly sails in on Berry, forcing her to the ropes with swinging lefts and rights, then hurting Halle to the midsection with savage, pumping rips. Second minute, Berry brilliant in the corner, bouncing off one set of ropes to nail Lauren a lead right hand, bouncing off the other set of ropes, and spinning out into open canvas to take the initiative. Berry striding to her right, snarling, bikini bottoms jiggling manaically as she stomps around her foe, then jumps in with slinging lefts and rights, clapping jaw or breast flush as Holly staggers backward. Final minute, Holly being battered along the ropes, Halle just lashing away when a collision of left hooks goes Lauren's way - HALLE'S HURT!! DEEP knee bend nearly sprawls Berry - she staggers backwards with wide eyes as Holly takes a deep breath and charges on in. Wild swinging from Holly chases Berry to the far ropes, Halle dipping and dodging with groggy-bodied stiffness, but avoiding the knockout as blonde scoops the round.

R7: Both girls shiny faced, hollow eyed as this fight is turning into Stalingrad. Halle changing up early, clubbing wide right hands to the body, has Holly crippled, cringing away to the ropes where Berry savages her with lashing side to side sling-punching. Midway through, cagey blonde catches Halle flush again with the short hook to beat Berry's wide left - once again momentum changes. Holly takes over as a stunned Halle staggers away, blonde just wading in, putting her head down and chugging left, right, left to the body. Vicious give and take at the bell - girls taking turns wrecking one another to the waist with clubbing bursts inside. No clinching whatsoever - only break in the non stop torture is for shoulder bumping or tired measuring with the left hand before diving in again.

R8: Shutout Halle Berry. Halle taking it outside, using her legs to break Lauren's heart - blonde just can't find her opponent as Berry takes her apart. Frightening left hand technique from Halle - jabbing, double ripping the short left hand into the meat of Holly's left breast, then banging the third hook in the series off the jaw. Lauren covering up tight, hunching forward in swoon, but Halle's punches are tearing through the guard.

R9: Shutout Halle Berry. Several times crowd moans in sympathy as Berry lights Lauren up with picturesque left uppercuts or crashing right hands from outside. Lauren welting up badly, taking punches, just can't find the range as Halle's tireless legs keep changing up distance and angle. Berry's jazz timing electric this round as she rings Lauren up with 3 punches, pauses, then steps in to crack jaw with that delayed hook, ALWAYS catching Lauren lowering her guard to punch.

R10: Shutout Halle Berry. Berry cruelly closing the show with awful elegance. She'll circle, jab her way in, then pound short left,right,lefts in between Lauren's gloves, leaving the blonde stupified as Halle dips and glides away. Throw away wide left,right swipes occupy Lauren's attention and set her up for a vicious left uppercut or clapping right hand on a ruined eye. Holly goes the distance, but she's out on her feet, staggery, tragically beaten by the bell. UD10 Halle Berry.

After: Narrow decision, and a punished, puffy face, but Halle ecstatic in the ring with the announcement - it's the kind of fight Berry detractors have always said she couldn't win. Holly not spared for her gallantry - Halle takes her for a tugging, meanspirited walk of shame, shouting out "Where's Paula At?" throughout. Just a gutsy, all out effort from both women, and Berry showing the kind of form that she had always promised, but never delivered as a pro. "I'm knocking out all blondes," says Halle in her best Ali, "but first I must attend to Ms. Trickey and remind her of what it's like to come in second. To me. Again. Believe it baby!"