Before: "I really think Casta's so under-rated, and under-appreciated in this division," Mandy admits all wide-eyed in prefight. "She has to eat her way to the weight, so you'd think she'd be undergunned...but her smarts and decision-making make up for that. We're both great 'control' fighters - we manage the opponent's body well - so I have to be patient. I can't just wait for her to rush in like a lot of girls would: she'll be craftier than that."

Casta equally complimentary at the podium. "Mandy is a welterweight of the umm thinking man, yes? And that makes her dangerous," Casta admits, offering a rare smile. "Opponents tend to underestimate her because she does not puff up her chest and make bold pronouncements: she is quietly confident, and I like that. To beat her, I will need to be special - and I will be special. No one believed I could make it this far, and now that I have, I will not be turned away empty handed!"

Mandy in dark purple bikini; hair in scrappy beach bun; black gloves. Laetitia in electric blue bra style bikini top/leopard print bottoms; white gloves; hair in tightly interwoven french braid.

During R1: Catch and release boxing from Mandy: from flat footed stance - she jabs 'Tish to chest, then ropes the left arm over Casta's right shoulder, pulling her in close. Counterclockwise turn moves Casta's feet; Mandy shoves her off, walks her down with the jab, leans into a right hand, ties up for ref's break. Casta eyes narrowed, prowling flat footed, making her reads: Mandy with effective control bell to bell, tummy on tummy, being the big-girl early.

R2: Catch and release from Casta, with a twist: she's systematically punishing Laetitia's arms in spots. Casta working her jab to Mandy's chest, then clinching/turning/walking her about - Moore frowning as she's dosed with her own medicine. Casta's thick punching of Mandy's upperarms frequently following through onto Moore's fleshy jugs: 'Tish showing nice quick, cuffing hands, good leverage control of a naturally bigger beauty through 2.

R3: Similar thoughtful pace and approach - both girls really concentrating, steppin' sturdy, crouching, thinking things through. Both want to anchor their jabs in opposing chests - frequently doubling jabs on occasion to get the initiative. Each with the idea of using the clinch to push weight onto the foe while turning her on the stance - moving the other girl's feet so she can't punch. Difference is Casta's consistent - and heavy - clouting of Mandy's biceps. It's a technique normally reserved for the biggest and strongest welterweight, but Casta making beefy good use of it through 3.

R4: Same again: girls fighting to control and secure the opponent first, then punish her when it's absolutely safe to do so. Fighters crouch in with their jabs, pounding each other to chest and face - both getting a little more aggressive with right hand follow ups. Clinching still being used as an offensive weapon - fighters walking each other around, pushing off to reset. Casta's consistent swatting of Mandy's arms and breasts paying off as 'Tish gets the better of another round by the slenderest of margins. Moore getting a vigorous rub down of both her arms during the break - she's complaining of stiffness.

R5: Stop and go action as girls treat each other beefy: lots of sweating and grunting in there as they seek to deny one another position and canvas during grinding pushing sessions, chest to chest. Casta opening up the play book some - using the same swatting, cuffing delivery to work Mandy's paunch as well as her upperbody. Moore shrugging back cute, effective punches inside - tightening up stroke to fit Casta for right uppercuts and tidy left hooks. Down the stretch, Mandy with a sudden-swatting left/right on paunch, then a ripping left uppercut to chin puts Casta blinking on her heels. Short, stepped-in right hand grazes Casta's chin, driving her to ropes - Mandy pursing her lips as she leans into sock. Mandy walking 'tish down, touching Casta the jab, then welting her a HUGE right roundhouse in the body, buckling Casta's legs. Hardest punching of the fight sees Mandy dominate: she reaches under Casta's arms, chests her heavily to ropes, making French girl take American weight at bell.

R6: Casta answers, and answers, with vigour. A pumping, up tempo jab pounds at Mandy's belly and breasts - 'Tish working it up and down - then leaning in with the long right hand from outside to strafe Mandy's mouth. Moore catching clout - leans onto right (back) foot, chin tucked behind left shoulder while holding her right up at her left cheek: Casta slides to her right, jabbing Mandy's ribs, turning her. 'Tish showing her experience here - circling Mandy counterclockwise, abandoning the punch-n'-clutch for a frisky stick-and-move. Mandy grimacing, flinching from the cruel touch of Casta's busy jab: Laetitia establishing air supremacy this round as Mandy's jab stays grounded. Casta not clinching: after getting off, she'll extend hands to shove Mandy or jostle her - but Tish deliberately staying outside, staying busy. Casta still flat footed as she prowls, but it's good, precise stepping - always well balanced. Shutout 'Tish: beginnings of a little mouse under Mandy's right eye, and she's grumpy from body-work en route to her stool.

R7: Mandy pumping jabs, looking to re-engage: hottest two-way slugging of the fight as women twist and bend into their shots, looking to strap each other out with single-lick haymakers. Big, spanking impacts bounce off either shoulder - both girls adept at moving their heads while slugging, making clean contact rare. Casta eventually able to separate herself with the odd up-jab off the hip pounding at Mandy's chest: just enough off-tempo contact to keep Moore off balance. 'Tish salts another close, competitive round away late with a crisp right hand - bending in to get it clean, turning Mandy's chin aside with the blast.

R8: Similar slugging action as girls dip and twist, pulling heavy rights and lefts around in murderous arcs while bending down on follow through. Midway through, it's Casta finding paydirt: big, crashing right roundhouse bashes upside Mandy's head, buckling Moore's knees and leaving her destitute. Mandy SO strong and sturdy - she soaks up the blast, forms a makeshift earmuff midring - tilting forward stunned behind her gloves. Casta quickly to the body - cuffing and clouting that paunch with both hands - sidestep-pivoting to turn Mandy as she blunders forward. Punishing beat down to the body administered: Casta easing around Moore, walking her into hurt, staying on the waistline to thudding effect. Bell: Moore frazzled, mouth-breathing, grimacing - champ starting to mope a bit as Casta puts the harm on.

R9: Nice rally for Mandy - she's jabbing tart up top, hooking Laetitia's jugs, pivoting-left round the hook. 'Tish eyes narrowed, gauging Mandy's reserves - French girl's weight on right (back) leg - blocking jabs on a high guard, then rolling right hands with left shoulder. Moore can't find chin, but she's scoring to ribs and left flank - jabbing into Casta's breasts and sweeping right hands to torso. Laetitia outworked - she takes the round off, touching Mandy just enough to keep her cautious.

R10: Corner tells Mandy she needs the knockout - girls goes out there to get it. 'Tish blocking and rolling under thumping lefts and rights: Moore baring her teeth, letting her hands go about as quickly as she can. Casta sound defensively - rolling her torso, moving her head: she knows Mandy's gambling. Middle minute, Casta slips a jab, rolls in close to tuck a right hand into Moore's waist: good, thick body shot beats the wind out of Mandy. Moore regroups behind a high guard: Casta hooks her tits, then dips in and down pulling a vicious overhand right onto Moore's left ear. DOWN GOES MANDY! Wotta wallop! Mandy smoked - swivels a quarter turn to her right, then drops awkwardly to her buns and back: big girl hits heavy, lies there blinking under hot lights as Casta struts on past! Mandy lurches up, knees a-knockin': farm-girl strength and determination allow her to beat the count. TORRENTIAL BODY PUNCHING, 'TISH CASTA! Laetitia all in: final minute sees her push her tightly braided head in between Mandy's mitts, crowding close to BEAT THE BEJESUS out of Mandy's midsection. OH THE TUMMY! Moore crying out as she sits into ropes, hands either side of Casta's ears. 'Tish just leaning in, arms lashing back and forth, fists digging - Laetitia just putting crop to haunch as Mandy wilts and soaks! Bell: ref reefs a seething 'Tish back; Moore hugs herself, doubling forward in agony, though keeping her feet. Comes back UD10 for the winner and NEW welterweight champ - Laetitia Casta.

AFTER: Mandy crippled, tender-bodied, but she manages to make her way to Casta in the aftermath, giving the new champ a big hug, raising Laetitia's right arm and giving Casta woman-to-woman props. "She did not trust her power tonight," Casta explains in postfight. "Mandy Moore is very heavy handed, and I was concerned about that...but she chose to fight my fight, and it cost her. She absorbed my punches well, but she was tired - I saw to that with my body punching - and after the knockdown, I knew I could punish her without reprisal..." Suddenly, Casta's reserve breaks: she begins shuddering, covering her face with her hands as she weeps emotional tears. It's Mandy who approaches to put an arm around Laetitia: Moore empathizing with a girl who had been abandoned, but managed to fight her way to greatness once again.