BEFORE: Natalie Eva Marie decimated the top British tennis talents last month! While a pair of KO5s over Laura Robson and Heather Watson requires front page news coverage, the 32-year-old WWE diva decided to raise her bets and challenge the once most formidable French export to FCBA - Laetitia Casta, who has enjoyed a well-deserved retirement since her Tech Unlimited stable ceased operations in 2012.

Natalie has visited Eastbourne & Birmingham during her official holiday stay in Europe, but it simply doesn't get any better than settling down in Cannes on the French Riviera during the annual Film Festival week. Not only the level of opposition is raised but the sheer market value of the sizzling coastal venue as well. However, everything comes at a price. Casta's unexpected comeback serves as the perfect opportunity to remind all female celebrity boxing fans that the 38-year-old former Victoria's Secret stalwart sailed off into the sunset after beating none other that the current BBU Lightweight champion Doutzen Kroes back in July of 2012. Strike one?

On the other hand, Natalie might have knocked out veteran Jeri Ryan to claim her biggest FCBA scalp but that's creampuff compared to Casta's six unified lightweight title reigns in addition to the Ice Hotel championship tenure. Strike two? Even the loudest mouth of Walnut Creek, California is silenced for once in the wake of that resume, and BBU TV's Georgie Thompson wonders if booking tonight's fight is just another WWE feud-type marketing move to keep Natalie's profile right up there with the best.

Laetitia Casta wears a violet bikini set and silver gloves. Long dark brown hair tied in a curly ponytail. Natalie Eva Marie wears the Stars & Stripes themed bikini set and red gloves. Dyed red hair tied in a thick braid. The fight is scheduled for ten rounds in the lightweight division.

Round 1:
For once Natalie doesn't break her ankles trying to stack her opponent up as quickly as possible, and Georgie Thompson thinks even the otherwise very proud diva is a little wary of the former Casta glory days. The Cannes crowd still dwells on the shocking Berenice Marlohe meltdown from few minutes ago, and they don't want to see their fighters getting too generous here; the sluggish start to this fight gives Laetitia plenty of time to settle in close range and loop some quality efforts upstairs before reeling back into mid range to embrace the American leather rush. However Natalie lacks the execution necessary to enforce her presence, most models are lanky punchbags indeed but Victoria's Secret is no Page Three and when Casta swings a brutal cross on the mouth to close out the round, Eva gets to learn all about it first hand!

Round 2:
Another cautious start on the Casta comeback and Natalie gives the blonde too much room to explore; a steady jabbing rush cleans out the American midsection before a move upstairs clips the rack and makes Laetitia grin openly at her opponent. Laetitia's prime came long before the JMDD rules stole the viewing numbers & most of the headlines but Georgie suspects the French model has subscribed to Tigress Uppercut after all as she threatens the classic jug muggin' route to expose the younger woman. That's not what Eva had in store whatsoever so when she wobbles into an uppercut drill that sways her rack against her chin, she just reverts into a clinching respite but still eats plenty of beef on the ribcage as Casta wrestles her back to the ropes and keeps blasting her to the gut until the clock expires and allows the American to find some comfort.

Round 3:
Natalie's had enough of this now; she wasted two rounds seeing the French model out but gave her a jump start on the cards instead. She romps into an aerial pouncing looking to take Laetitia's head off with seemingly one-two punching display, but that's too predictable against a wily veteran and more import_antly fails to connect with the blonde's flesh whatsoever. The local girl dominates the mid-range attire and ducks on her feet much quicker than her 38 years of age would indicate which only adds fuel to the American's frustration. Natalie loses her balance after another missed hooking approach and eats a vicious left hook to the jaw before Casta cleans out her rack and bumps back to the ropes to remain in control. She spikes Natalie's tummy repeatedly in the dying seconds and signs off her comeback with a belting hook on the liver area that bends the redhead against the turnbuckle with a loud yelp and makes her spit out plenty of expletives as she walks back to her corner moments later.

Round 4:
Anyone who thought that Laetitia would need to get on with it quickly to have any chance of upsetting the diva must be very surprised to see Natalie taking French classes time and time again. Nothing buys you more time than a solid clinch and Casta drags the redhead into a lengthy stalemate while keeping the honest gut-check assault that makes the American cringe in frustration. The contest is being fought on Laetitia's terms who finds a perfect strategy to keep Natalie's high-octane approach under wraps thus far. Plus one really shouldn't count a six-time FCBA champion out - even after such a lengthy spell on the sidelines. The Cannes audience screams at very punch that lands on Natalie's ribcage and the diva is wrestled butt-in-ropes to end another round on a sour note; the late rack muggin' almost comes as a bonus with Casta looking in an excellent form here tonight!

Round 5:
Natalie's slow start keeps haunting her and leaves her chasing a much-needed comeback, Georgie wonders if she browses the Gena Lee Nolin boxing manual anytime soon but she does look a little embarrassed by the older woman's showing here tonight as she decides to hold back the cavalry until she comes up with a better plan to punish the French model... or ANY idea at all... Laetitia teases her with a couple of flamboyant leaps into close range, but the diva's fuse remains under control... the amount of pure action drops severely in the fifth, but that doesn't upset the crowd at all... following the Berenice Marlohe disaster they will support any tactics that earns Casta the big 'W' and the ball is very much in the Los Ingobernales court at half-distance.

Round 6:
While Laetitia has exposed the American tactically thus far, she hasn't punished her enough to prevent another jabbing rush tearing into her body. Natalie seeks some insurance blows downstairs but enforces the close range stance and wobbles the model on her heels for the first time in ages before powering ahead on the rack with another massive jabbing assault. Casta ups her tempo looping hooks from the back foot but Natalie leans forward and headbutts her on the brow ridge before adding a belting series on the liver area; the ref is slow to separate the women after that headbutt which meets nothing but whistles from the crowd however the redhead springs into immediate attack after the command and beats the blonde for a crossing hook that finds the mouth and whips Laetitia on the back foot for permanent. She fails to escape the late jabbing rush and sinks on the ropes with Eva blasting her across the body at the bell - that was the most promising round for the WWE diva, and perhaps there's she's seen the light at the end of the tunnel here after all.

Round 7:
Casta tries to square up to the younger opponent before Eva Marie finds her mojo again but bounces off the top of her forehead with a lurid hook and gets nailed on the solar plexus as the redhead swings low and leans on the model dangerously close to another not-so-accidental clash of heads. She whips the French girl on her heels with a powerful drive to the body and clips the rack sending Casta into a tailspin after that. The mid-range exchange gives the older woman a brief period of respite, but Natalie tracks her down into the neutral corner and swings more menacing hooks over the top that shuts the model down on offense and leaves her with clinching tactics to ice out the American comeback.

Round 8:
Perhaps Laetitia's age begins to show here after all; the model lacks the agile dominance from the early stages of the fight and allows Natalie to crash in more hooks from point-blank range before another belting strike on the liver area makes her moan in pain and slump on her knees. The American rips immediate cross upstairs and exposes the French guard badly; Laetitia tries to keep the action in the center of the ring but slips forward and meets another bruising cross on the chin that proves devastating to her offensive plans... Eva Marie pushes off the back leg and drills an uppercut haymaker on the jaw to bawl Casta's eyes on the spot, and the model only backpedals to the ropes where she has nowhere to hide as the WWE stalwart delivers another monster cross straight up the alley... she clobbers the blonde on the nose before adding right hook on the ear that finally breaks down the French resilience... LAETITIA TAKES A KNEE and spits out her gumshield as she obviously needs to recover from the American power supply... Natalie does that that mean punch about her, but it's taken her this long to crack finally the Victoria's Secret living legend... Casta looks all of her 38 years now as she makes sure the fight is not scheduled for eight rounds... it's not, so she has a mountain to climb to protect her scorecards lead... the ref shoves Natalie back to her corner to let the clock run out, but Georgie Thompson thinks the floodgates will open within the next three minutes anyway.

Round 9:
Natalie takes full advantage of Laetitia's physical struggles as we enter the ninth; she picks off the slow moving model in the close range before stacking her up with a nasty cross on the liver area... Casta slumps to the side and lowers her guard too much to embrace the subsequent hooking switch upstairs... Eva Marie romps her to both temples and half-spins her to the side; she reaches out with another hooking route, and while Casta tries to fend off the leather rush, she wobbles straight into it and gets her lips busted up into a blood seeping nightmare... Eva staggers her in the center of the ring on the spot before unleashing more uppercut wrath that shatters the high guard and rocks the model's head back & forth until Laetitia simply can't take it anymore AND SLIDES DOWN ON HER KNEES with eyes closed... she slumps face-down at Natalie's feet, and even the slowest of counts can't save her from a looming disaster... it's simply too much punishment on her comeback... KO9 Natalie Eva Marie!!!

AFTER: The Los Ingobernales holiday period is officially over, and Natalie can focus on her JMD(D) Queendom duty scheduled for June 10th. She blitzed the British tennis stars last month but was almost pushed all the way to secure a massive scalp on the French Riviera here tonight. In fact, everyone in Cannes thinks that if only Laetitia Casta weren't inactive for the past three years, she'd have crushed Natalie fighting with only one hand... she still led on the scorecards when the American rendered them meaningless with that excellent knockout, but Georgie Thompson would love to see more of Laetitia before she officially calls it a day.

The FCBA door appears to be closed, and the French model has previously stated she won't be going back across the Atlantic but if veterans like Maria Grazia Cucinotta are willing to challenge Berenice Marlohe and Naomie Harris - who's two years Laetitia's senior - vows to channel the late bloomer scenario then Casta's definitely not too old to sell out every single BBU Main Event in the upcoming months. The only real problem? 122 fights on the American scene over the years MUST have taken their tool and even the recent inactivity period is no proof Casta isn't simply too banged up both mentally & physically to continue her boxing career full-time. Can't wait to hear what Tom Hilton & the Real View crew think of this dilemma!

Final result: Natalie Eva Marie def. Laetitia Casta KO9.