Tale of the Tape:
Alina Vacariu:
Age: 35
Height: 5'9
W/L: 3-2 (3KOs)
Vs
Elisabetta Canalis:
Age: 41
Height: 5'7
W/L: 8-17 (7KOs)
Current BBU Italian lightweight champion

(Romania Invasion vs Free Agent)

(Written by Girls Friday/Results by Lookout!

Intro:
Next up Romania and Italy's turn in the European Cup, Alina Vacariu and Elisabetta Canalis come to the National Stadium in Ireland to fight it out to make the quarter finals.

The Romanians in boxing are seeing an upturn as they now have a stable full of fighters wanting to make a name for themselves, maybe the best example of that has been Alina, who while she lost her first ever fight, she has made strides forwards since then, a debut in the FCBA is another major milestone for her.

While in the opposite corner is Elisabetta, picked for the Italians because of her experience and the fact she is the national champion, while she has had mixed results the past few years, she is always a dangerous opponent for anyone in the world.

Coming together on the stage for the press event, the fighters eyed each other up from their side of the stage, maybe trying to get a gauge of what they are fighting in twenty four hours.

Alina starts off by keeping it simple, telling the press and her opponent "I am in this tournament to win, pure and simple for me, Elisabetta doesn't mean a thing to me" with the Italian smirking at the lack of respect.

With Elisabetta replying "trust me the feeling is mutual darling, you are simply one step on my road to proving I am the best European around" with Alina narrowing her eyes at Elisabetta.

"I don't think you realise what you are up against bytch, I'm not one of you weak Italians, being the best in your country means nothing to anyone but you lot" Alina says, making Elisabetta's face turn red as she feels like she has been slapped and her countries reputation spat on.

Tossing the microphone down Elisabetta tries to go for Alina, security though wisely keeps the two apart before there is no boxing match between these two stunners, instead they are led off the stage.

Fight night; Alina heads out first with her coach beside her, she is smirking as she heads down the ring, looking cocky as she is waving for the fans to stand and cheer her.

She is wearing a yellow sports bra, matching trunks and shoes, red gloves, while her hair is tied back into a fighting ponytail.

Climbing into the ring, she poses at the ring center with her hands on her hips, letting the crowd take in her toned body, wanting the American fans to see what they have to look forwards to in this tournament.

Elisabetta now heads out with her coach behind her, she has the Italian title around her waist, maybe wanting to prove a point as she struts down aisle.

Getting the title taken off by her coach, Elisabetta steps into the ring wearing a navy blue sports bra, matching gloves and shoes, her trunks are navy blue with gold trim, while her hair is tied back into a ponytail too.

She mounts the bottom rope of her corner, banging her gloves together as she smiles to her fans cheering her on, hopping back down so she can go through her warm up.

Brought together by the referee, the tension between these two clear as they stare at each other, the referee making sure to stay between them in case it kicks off.

When told to touch gloves, neither touches gloves as clearly they don't respect their opponent, once everything is ready the bell rings to start 10 rounds of lightweight action.

Round 1:
Stepping out their corners with their game faces on, Alina is quick out the starting blocks with a double jab square into the face of her opponent, shocking the Italian woman, who evidently expected a feeling out process.

Instead she is knocked to the outside of the ring, both women landing some nice punches through the others guard in the opening minute, it has to be said though that it is Vacariu out the gates the stronger fighter.

But she shows her lack of experience compared to her opponent, missing with a left hook that was easy to telegraph, Elisabetta pounds in a counter right across her boobs to get the Romanian fighters attention.

Using little nudged along with her upper body movement, Elisabetta starts to control the action, Alina showing a little frustration already as she isn't bulldozing the veteran as easily as she hoped.

With Elisabetta using her left shoulder to bump back Alina, hammering in three body shots as Alina finds herself on to the ropes back in her shell, with the Italian beauty throwing hooks into the sides of her body.

At the bell Alina returns to her corner, slapping the top turnbuckle in a rage at being the one beaten back after such a strong start, her coach telling her to keep calm and the chances will come.

While Elisabetta is getting a nod from her coach, much more calmer in their corner as they discuss the round, what they need to improve upon going forwards.

Round 2:
Trying again to rush Elisabetta, Alina unwisely misses with a straight, taking a right cross to her cheek before a left to her jaw to back her off.

The veteran looking more crisp with her punches, more relaxed as Alina looks tense, the power of the Romanian not on show as she is getting clipped to her cheeks and on her mouth when she loads up.

A left cross finally catches Elisabetta flush to her ear as the first minute passes, a straight into the nose of the smaller woman allows Alina to start knocking her back.

They engage in a heated exchange when Elisabetta is knocked nearer the ropes, hair is flying around as cheeks are being bashed by hooks, the crowd standing on it's feet cheering the fighters on.

Using her left forearm to create a little space, Elisabetta lands an overhand right under the eye of Alina, who seems spooked back behind her gloves as they head into the final thirty second of the round.

The round comes to a close with the Italian champion looking to be two up on the scoreboards, the Italian fans are chanting her name as they are feeling this is just a workout for their hero.

In the Romanian Invasion corner things are more heated, Alina stays standing instead of sitting, telling her demanding coach that she will do better.

Round 3:
Returning back out to resume, Elisabetta starts targeting the abs more of Alina, wanting to open her up to her bigger punches as she seems to sense this fight is hers to take.

But her left is low and Alina spots it, taking advantage with a right hook to the side of Canalis's head, Alina pounds in two punches straight into the face of her opponent to knock her backwards.

When Elisabetta tries to dart inside with a straight, Alina steps to the left side before pounding in a right hook to the face of Elisabetta, who finds herself now being beaten back into a corner.

Trying to fight back as her temper seems to be willing her on, Elisabetta though is getting clocked clean to the face, her head being snapped back as some sweat flies off her.

Clinching with Alina with less then a minute to go, Elisabetta can be seen snarling an insult in her native tongue to Alina, who isn't shy herself it seems to exchange curse words.

They are broken apart, while Elisabetta doesn't get pinned to the ropes again, Alina is looking loosened up, now she is bashing back Canalis with headhunting combos that get the Romanian fans roaring.

At the bell Alina gets a nod from her coach, who asks "where that was earlier?" Alina just stands and stares over at Elisabetta, who is staring right back from her side of the ring.

Round 4:
The tension between these two seems to be going up a gear, Elisabetta slips inside to land a nice crisp right to the abs of Vacariu, who shoves her back after taking a left hook to her side.

Next exchange between them sees Alina feint with a jab before smashing a right across the cheek of Elisabetta, a left cross to the jaw turns the head of Canalis.

It looks like Alina is gaining the upper hand, bashing back her opponent with the harder punches, Elisabetta is being rocked back when Alina lands two and three punch combinations into her now puffy looking cheeks.

Half way into the round, Elisabetta misses with an overhand right, getting smacked to her ear with a left hook, an uppercut follows to snap her head back.

Eyes lighting up on Alina, she hammers in a flurry of straight punches into the face of Elisabetta, whose nose is now dripping blood, A LEFT HOOK LANDS FLUSH TO SEND THE GUMSHIELD OF CANALIS FLYING AND HER TO THE CANVAS ON HER BACK!

Kissing her left fist as her fans are chanting for her, Alina is grinning as she jogs over to the neutral corner, 1...2...3...4... Elisabetta can be heard groaning as she lays spread eagle, 5...6...7.. Still she hasn't moved as she moved, 8...9....10 that is all she wrote, Canalis is counted out!

Winner Alina Vacariu KO Round 4

After:
Another stunning knockout in the young career of Alina, she heads over to Elisabetta to pose with a foot either side of her body, arms in the air as she proclaims "the cup is going to be mine!" Well this was nice statement win to move forwards on.

The referee gets Alina to return to her corner so Elisabetta can be checked on, the winner wiping her feet behind her as she turns towards her corner, the Italian fans booing the lack of respect shown to their champion.

Who has to have smelling salts put under her nose to waken her up, sitting up with help from the ringside doctor and her coach, Elisabetta wonders what the hell happened, showing how badly she was knocked out.

Elisabetta is helped up to her feet to a round of applause from her fans, her coaching staff helping her out of the ring so they can run some tests in the back on her.

Inside the ring Alina doesn't bat an eyelid to what she did to Elisabetta, almost looking simply another day in the office for her as she chats to her coach.

Soon enough she heads to the ring center, getting her hand raised to make the result official, before she gets handed a Romanian flag to pose with, holding in front of herself as she smiles for the cameras.

She drapes it over her shoulders as she leaves the ring, proud to represent her country, proud to be one step closer to the cup, she has a tough test though in Karolina Kurkova, who might be the favourite in the bottom end of the draw to go all the way to the final.

So some improvements on tonight are needed, Alina though looks confident and has proven she has a nasty knockout punch ready to unleash when needed.