Before: Girls very familiar with each other, but North American audiences not as used to seeing them together - both are very conscious of making a statement on US soil.

"We still think of Laetitia as a poor man's Sophie Marceau," purrs Catherine in prefight, "You'll see me box her, take her a apart in the early rounds, then go in and hammer what's left. She's very good at absorbing punishment, I find."

Casta equally charitable with her comments. "I've always thought of Jones as a poor man's Liz Hurley - and now that I can see Hurley working out in person, I realize how vrai that assessment has been. Jones' skills have evaporated - she gets by on bullying and cheap practice. I will expose her in this fight and hopefully begin to convince her that this sport has past her by."

CZJ in red bikini, Laetitia in royal blue bra style bikini, white fleur-de-lis print.

During R1: Similar looks early, left hands waist high, relaxed, right hands up around chins. Laetitia stooping to jab at Catherine's tummy while slide-pivoting to the right - very graceful. Jones stepping in and out, changing up distance, jabbing against Laetitia's left shoulder, hoping for face. Tactical stuff and then JONES GOES DOWN! Easy, sparring-speed boxing midring, girls circling and probing, when Laetitia bends into a SCORCHING right cross that drops Ms. Jones to her backside in shock! Jones takes 8, nodding angrilly at the ref and it's WAR! Jones recklessly wading in, eyes blazing for payback and these two brunettes light it up toe to toe. Range is a little closer than Laetitia would like - Jones beating her to crisp punches on the chin and CASTA GOES WOBBLY BUTT! Laetitia tottering hurt to the ropes, gloves at her cheeks, mouth open - Jones jabbing to close then REEFING TO TRUNK! CZJ helping herself to crotch, crowding in to shield the infraction from the ref, then pushing off sweaty to bang a thumping combo off Casta's ribs. 'Tish stooped forward, stunned - Jones setting up off Casta's left shoulder, curling tight hooks off her girl's jugs, getting thick in the belly, then snapping the fist back to her own waist on follow-through to reload. Casta takes the round, but scored 10-9 as Jones roars back off the canvas. LATE RIGHT HAND! Casta walking to her corner, takes a blind-side cheap shot right hand in the ear as a snarling Jones wants just a little bit more. Chaos, delays as CZJ is scolded in her corner - Casta getting a moment to collect herself.

R2: Both girls scuffed up by hard punching in the first - both are more technical, more cautious this round. Casta smooth on the outside, jabbing long to belly and breast, slide-stepping to her left. Jones a little tighter in her stance, blocking shots, looking to counter-hook her girl in the body and set up that short right hand. 'Tish showing the benefits of having a Liz Hurley in the gym - Casta nice and easy outside, controlling the round with her legs, reducing Jones to spot-fighting.

R3: Jones doubles up the jab, gets her distance and snaps that hook off Laetitia's stout ribcage. Laetitia covering up, giving away her right side, but coming back with bobbing left or right uppercuts immediately after Jones gets off - it's spirited two way stuff. CZJ a little busier, doing more to the body: she's finding right hands short to the chin as a result.

R4: Frustration on Jones' beautiful face as Casta slides it outside, jabs her girl belly and face, keeps her distance. Jones trying to force the front door, but Laetitia doing a nice job of fading aggression, then countering with long right hands --CZJ constantly stung on the ear or upside the head and forced to bounce it outside to regroup. Jones lumping up courtesy the accurate Casta jab - CZJ shopworn, fuming on her stool.

R5: Second consecutive shutout Laetitia Casta! Casta boxing superbly tonight, melting back in front of Jones' aggression, turning her at the ropes, opening up the canvas. When Jones stops her forward march in frustration - Casta jabs her tummy, circles her and extends on right hands as CZJ tries to counterpunch. Crowd applauding the odd clean right hand from Casta, spanking back Jones' head in a spray of sweat - CZJ glaring, gnashing her teeth, but not producing as Casta takes a big lead into the back half.

R6: Jones landing some rigid hooks in Casta's ribs - Brit has committed well to the body tonight, but Laetitia's legs are still spry. Casta moving to diffuse pressure, getting her jab on Jones to take the initiative, then cleaning up the Brit with right hands. CZJ covering up, leaning onto her back foot as Casta extends strong - Jones very conscious of that French right cross, defending it at the expense of her own offence.

R7: Laetitia loving it on Jones - moving in a supple, controlled fashion, but clearly giving CZJ problems with the lateral shifts. Casta's jab a work of art tonight, pounding away to the face of Jones, keeping her off with the belly touch. Jones rolling well with the right hand - that's not hurting her, but it's keeping her off balance and reactive. Casta grinning at the bell, lifting her right mitt to her corner and JONES LABELS HER ANOTHER CHEAP RIGHT HAND! Casta dropped, stunned - Jones bundled back by the ref who tells her in no uncertain terms that it's just plain wrong to do that kind of thing. 'Tish up and angry - she's held back by her own people as order is once again restored.

R8: Jones doubling up the jab, hooking to the body, bending into tight right hands - she's putting punches together, backing Casta up as French girl looks to brawl. Jones in a nice duck-and-punch rhythm, making Laetitia miss, touching her tuff in the body, avoiding the next receipt. Midway through - Casta fighting off the ropes, swinging wide and giving up body shots - Jones ducks a Casta right hand and gets ALL of those beautiful blue trunks a vicious left hook. Dip to reload and HOOK TO CROTCH! Casta blubbering, legs buckling - she leans forward hurt, butt in the ropes. Jones weight on her front foot, reefs legal hooks in behind the elbow, helping Casta to her knees - Jones strutting away with hands up, smirking grin as Laetitia takes a sobbing 8. ON COMES JONES! Laetitia looking to cover up at the ropes - Jones looks a jab into Casta's body but comes instead with the right hand - HUGE blunt force blow jerks Casta a quarter turn to her right, draping her sideways in the ropes. Jones crowds in on Laetitia's left side, hidden left hands digging between the hips, getting at those trunks - bashing rights welting up the French girl's lower back and CASTA GOES DOWN! Laetitia on hands and knees, left hand at her back, tears of pain squeezing from clenched eyes - it's OVER! KO8 CZJ!

After: Pandemonium in the Casta corner as Tech officials shout 'non sonno dacordo' and worse at the ref. Casta weeping bitterly - she took some hard body punches in this fight, but the savage fouling almost certainly did the unacceptable damage.

Jones unrepentant in post-fight. "You saw what happened when she knocked me down?" asks a scuffed up Jones, "I got right back up and battered her senseless. She wanted no part of that sort of ruinous trade, so she tried to finesse me. I patiently chipped away at that mediocre body of hers and good things started to happen. Her legs went early. Her form collapsed. It was only a matter of time before she got stretched."

That's one version. The other is Casta was boxing Zeta J's ass off and Catherine had to get cheap or drop 9 rounds to her European rival. You decide.