Helena Mattsson vs Elisabetta Canalis
(Lookout! Atlantic Boxing vs BBU Independent)
(12-10, 7 KO vs 6-8, 5 KO)
Results: BBU; Story: Vassago

BEFORE: Helena Mattsson might have drifted off the BBU elite radar over the past several months but she's finally ready to make her comeback especially that stablemate Gal Gadot no longer holds her lightweight title ambitions hostage anymore. The sultry blonde dismissed the idea of fighting a lesser opponent on her return and Elisabetta Canalis fills a proper Main Event demand now that she seems focused on her BBU career as well. The brunette stunner flirted with FCBA for a while but now that compatriot Elisabetta Gregoraci is widely considered as top Italian entry in the 130 lbs division, this thing called jealousy suddenly becomes pivotal in Canalis' career path. Even a recent loss to a high-profile prospect Dua Lipa doesn't affect her confidence and she vows to "beat the blonde bimbo up!" tonight.

Helena Mattsson wears a light blue bikini set and yellow gloves. Long blonde hair tied in a sleek ponytail. Elisabetta Canalis wears a black bikini set and silver gloves. Long dark brown hair tied in a similar sleek ponytail. The fight is scheduled for ten rounds in the lightweight division.

Round 1:
Both women hold nothing back in the early stages but only single punches connect with the flesh so the intensity doesn't suffer much in the proccess. Helena becomes almost too predictable with her head-hunting assault and gets caught out when the brunette switches downstairs to punish her ribcage. However she soaks up the experience and remains committed to the high-octane attack that begins to take it's toll on Canalis come the final minute. The Italian loses her footing when she eats a nasty hook on the jaw and is the first one to blink seeking respite in mid-distance. Mattsson doesn't pounce on this opportunity though so both women circle around each other for remainder of the round.

Round 2:
Another quick jabbing drill marks the opening period of the second round but Elisabetta becomes more successful with her punching now and knocks the blonde's head back repeatedly when she connects with the initial double. Helena misfires over the top and bounces off the brunette's shoulders before getting thumped on her heels as the Italian unloads more pressure. She slams a left/right combo on the temples and clips the blonde's jugs which forces Mattsson into a clinch but a steady drive on the ribs knocks her back the ropes anyway. Helena can't escape the phone booth trouble and soaks up more heat on the midsection that leaves Lookout! Atlantic manager Nicole Richie yelling in anger at the bell.

Round 3:
Elisabetta's confident approach allows her to outwork the equally committed Swede in another close range tangle and now the punches begin to stack up on the latter's face which ignites more delight into the Cardiff Arena audience. Despite getting picked off up the middle Helena refuses to step away from the punishing ordeal and gets thumped to the ropes down the stretch as the Italian keeps raining punches and even gets vocal when her opponent scowls in pain. Ugh! A nasty hook tears a small cut across the nasal ridge that caves Mattsson behind a tight earmuff however Canalis promptly switches her attacks and digs more juice below the elbows leaving the younger woman in serious trouble come the bell.

Round 4:
Helena tries to hang back in mid-distance but fails to dominate the footwork battle and Elisabetta still connects with some meaningful single punches. She hassles the retreating Swede around the ring however becomes a little tired during the energetic pursuit and allows Mattsson to mount a sudden comeback when the model apparently thinks better off it. Georgie Thompson believes Elisabetta's subpar mobility should be exposed but her attacking plan has kept the blonde on the back foot and she still clinches the brunette instead of perhaps lashing out at her in full swing. The stalemate is somehow approved by the referee and Nicole Richie seems equally satisfied with her protegee escaping further damage.

Rounds 5 & 6:
Elisabetta tries to maintain the aggressive dominance but the Lookout! Atlantic entourage finally enables Helena to channel a back-up plan that has her swinging aerial attack in mid-distance. Georgie Thompson questions the pure execution but at least it stalls the brunette's progress even though the scorecards need a stronger boost and Helena's lenghty lay-off period becomes more evident to justify her woes. She still cracks several promising single punches but Canalis' guard blocks most of them off and we're heading into the second half of this fight with more questions than answers. Even a late push from Mattsson in the sixth fails to throw Elisabetta off her stride as she clinches the younger woman and almost wrestles her to the ground while seething at her in native tongue. Nicole Richie briefly loses her temper in the corner but still urges Helena to stick to the back-up plan for the time being.

Rounds 7 & 8:
Perhaps Helena wants to physically wear the model out which is a dangerous idea especially that Dua Lipa dismissed Canalis pretty easily last time around. However the Italian's punches carry significantly less power as time passes by which allows the blonde to rally back into contention through successful counter-punching effort. Unmoved by the bloody cut across her nose, Helena keeps digging leather up the middle while Elisabetta struggles to position herself around these strikes and gets clobbered into the corner in both seventh & eighth. She swings back from behind the guard but can't catch her opponent on the fly anymore and eats plenty in response that leaves her visibly bruised at the bell. The competitive spark in her eye remains the same but her chest is pumping up & down while the Swedish actress looks in much better shape over in the opposite corner.

Round 9:
Canalis tries to protect her alleged lead on the scorecards but eats a brutal hook on the jaw during the initial tangle and Helena quickly turns it from the hip to smack a nasty follow up in the same spot. Ugh! The brunette's legs wobble in that familiar fashion and she tries to wrap herself around her foe only to fall into another crunching shot on the vulnerable jaw again... Uh-oh... DOWN SHE GOES!!! The proud Italian collapses at the blonde's feet in jack-knife manner and the Cardiff Arena crowd errupts in it's loudest roar of the night yet!!! Cue in a shaking glove and Mattsson's smiling at Nicole Richie already! However Elisabetta's not ready to concede defeat and bravely gets up at eight. She remains glued to her spot though and finds no reserve to fend off another Swedish assault. Helena rips right through her high guard and smacks her lips into additional swelling, reeling the statesque brunette back to the ropes where she hauls in more vicious punches rendering Canalis into a moaning hot mess. Referee takes his time here even when the model's gloves collapse so Mattsson has a clear path at knocking her out which she does within the next few seconds. CANALIS SLIDES DOWN WITH HER EYES CLOSED and it's all OVER!!! KO9 Helena Mattsson in come-from-behind fashion!!!

AFTER: Even Georgie Thompson is stunned by the nature of Helena's comeback but the dangerous tactical plan has actually worked for the Lookout! blonde. No wonder she celebrates like she's won a divisional title here, lifting Nicole Richie up in the air. The rise of Gal Gadot has hijacked her title ambitions and with Georgia Salpa also making some noise lately, it's still too early to say whether Mattsson can finally reach the ultimate top. However this gruesome victorious battle surely can't harm her plans allthough Elisabetta Canalis basically let her off the hook at one stage. The proud Italian remains down in the corner for a long time and Georgie Thompson believes she didn't punish Helena enough during her dominant spell to prevent a late recovery. Dua Lipa has removed chunks of her resistance and Mattsson proved simply too much when given the opportunity. It doesn't change the fact Canalis was marginally ahead on the scorecards when she got knocked out so there's still hope for the sultry model she can throw a wrench into Elisabetta Gregoraci's conquest sooner or later! That seems to be her main goal according to BBU TV.

Final result: Helena Mattsson def. Elisabetta Canalis KO9.