(Written by Girls Friday/Results by Lookout!)

(Girls Friday vs Lioness Club)

Intro:
Josephine Skriver and Alex Gerrard return to the ring, both coming off lay offs; a win here is important for them going forwards this year.

Josephine is 25 years old; she stands 5'11 and holds a record of 7 wins, all by knockout with 1 defeat.

Alex is 36 years old; she stands 5'9 and holds a record of 13 wins, 11 by knockout, 12 defeats with 1 draw.

The fighters were interviewed at their gyms; with Josephine sitting on the edge of the ring with the press awaiting her statement.

"I think you'll all agree I've had enough seasoning in the gym, I want to get back into that ring to remind you all what I bring to the welterweight division" she says with a smile.

"Alex certainly will give me the test I am looking for, I'll give her respect for proving over the years she is one tough bytch" admits Josephine as she looks thoughtful.

Continuing with "but I know I am better then her, so Alex better bring her best because I aim to make this a short nights work" jumping off the apron to the floor to go train.

Alex on the other hand finishes up training before she goes to talk to the journalists at the Lioness Club gym, she looks relaxed as she wipes the sweat from her brow.

"I see that you guys seem to think I have become the old hand people use for a name on their records, I guess I need to show you and the rest of this division why I am still someone you don't sleep on" she says as she tosses the towel she had onto a bench.

"Josephine has looked good against rookies and nobodies, I saw her fight against Amanda Righetti, she was exposed by her so I have no worries at all stepping into that ring with her" adds Alex with a big grin.

"Finally after I deal with Josephine, how about I deal with her stablemate Joan Smalls? The BBU title would look so much more better around me then her" Alex patting her abs before she heads off to the showers.

Fight night; out comes Josephine with Melanie Sykes and Eva Carneiro beside her, Josephine bounces on her toes at the top of the aisle looking to be getting focused, then begins her march towards the ring.

She is wearing a maroon sports bra, matching trunks and shoes, white gloves, while her hair is up in a ponytail.

Getting into the ring; Josephine heads straight over to her corner, chatting with her corner team as she warms up by stretching.

Now out comes Alex with Mel B beside her, the duo look confident as they head down to the ring, smiles on their faces as Alex throws a few punches as she goes on her way.

She is wearing a red sports bra with white trim, matching trunks, shoes and has red gloves, her hair is also in a ponytail.

Stepping into the ring; Alex poses with her hands on her hips as she gets a loud cheer from her fans, then jogs over to her corner where she begins warming up, while Mel B gives her a rallying speech on what she is going to do to Josephine.

The lanky blondes come to the center of the ring, they look each other over with cocky grins, before Alex tells Josephine "let's see how hard you fall bytch" making the Dane scowl in reply.

When asked to touch gloves there's a crack of leather in the air from them banging them together, they return to their corners ready to start 10 rounds of welterweight action.

Round 1:
Jabs are exchanged at first as they meet near the center of the ring, Josephine must see something though as she steps in with a straight that snaps her opponent's head back.

Josephine starts to land cleanly through the gloves of Alex to press her back towards the ropes, Alex looks a little stunned by the aggressiveness of Skriver.

The Scouse fighter has to clinch up with Josephine, the fighters exchange insults as the ref steps in to break them apart.

Once they resume hostilities; Alex is stuck behind her guard as Josephine is on the attack, the younger fighter isn't landing as cleanly now but she is keeping Alex from throwing much in return.

The round ends with a surprising shutout for Josephine, who struts back to her corner, Melanie needing to remind her not to take her opponent lightly.

Round 2:
Maybe Alex wasn't fully warmed up as she comes out to meet Josephine, the two fighters exchanging stiff shots on the inside.

Josephine manages to nudge Alex back, then lands two shots to her face to look to back up the veteran, she begins throwing straight shots to the gloves of Gerrard.

Who slips under a straight to land two body shots, followed by an uppercut that knocks the head back of Josephine, allowing Alex to begin backing up the taller fighter.

Josephine forced to cover up as Alex throws punches up top, the Dane takes most of them onto her gloves, several punches do land on the lips of Skriver.

Late the round Josephine manages to get off the ropes with a left cross to the side of Alex's head giving her room to move, the action slows down to exchanging single punches till the round ends.

The Lioness Corner look ready to sigh a breath of relief that Alex was able to turn a terrible opening round around, Alex joking to Mel "you didn't think I'd be that bad again?"

Round 3:
Both fighters start off a little guarded; knowing what the other can do is making them trade stiff jabs as they look for an opening to land more power punches.

Alex tries to dip down to move inside; Josephine lands a double jab to the top of her head, a right cross turns the veterans head to the side.

Josephine begins to drive her opponent back towards the ropes, landing some crisp shots across the face of Alex, busting open the bottom lip of the Liverpool lass.

As Josephine has Alex near the ropes; Alex slips under a right and counters with a right to the body, followed by an overhand left.

The fighters exchange at the center of the ring, heads down as they slug it out to the others body, trying to power their opponent backwards.

Josephine lands a left to the top of Alex's head, opening up space for her to land another two punches to the top of the smaller fighters head as the bell rings.

Both fighters give the other an angry look as they pass by to return to their corners, Josephine getting a nod from Melanie as she sits on her stool.

Round 4:
The early action sees Josephine look to keep on the pressure, headhunting her opponent as she keeps stepping forwards, making Alex retreat back after landing several clean shots.

As Josephine looks comfortable; Alex surprises her by parrying a straight so she can step inside to land an uppercut to stop the Danes momentum.

Alex starting to get her rhythm going now, landing a double jab to the chin of her taller opponent to open her up to a right cross.

Now it's Gerrard who has Skriver moving around the outside of the ring, switching to the body when the taller fighter covers up top, making Josephine groan out as she is backed up.

Late in the round Josephine gives Alex a nudge with her left, the fighters stand to trade; cheeks taking the brunt of the assault as sweat flies off their faces.

The round ends with Alex pumping her right fist in the air as she jogs over to her corner, Mel B is telling her to make an example of Josephine tonight.

Round 5:
Tempers look to be dictating the action now, the fighters trading more power shots as they plant their feet, Alex looking the more comfortable as she moves to the inside to work the body.

Alex lands an uppercut to push Josephine onto her heels, the veteran bullies Josephine back towards the ropes as she has her head down while landing piston like shots to the body.

Josephine is gritting her gumshield in frustration as she can only really land single shots, the work rate of Alex is keeping the taller fighter mostly under wraps.

With Alex landing a right that opens the bottom lip of Josephine up, now both have bloody lips, though it's Gerrard whose making the most of that fact right now with her punches landing through the gloves of Josephine to her mouth.

The round comes to an end with Alex looking over to her corner with a smile, jogging back to them clearly feeling like she has a measure of Skriver.

Who gets told off Melanie to get going faster in rounds, Eva is patching up the lip of Josephine, as Melanie continues to give her fighter tips on what to improve upon.

Round 6:
Josephine looks to change things up; she is moving more on her toes to find different angles to attack from, taking most of Alex's punches so far on her gloves.

Punches are starting to bop Alex's head back, with Josephine throwing combinations when she sees gaps in the Lioness fighters guard.

Alex slips under a straight to work the body of Josephine, pressing her onto her heels as she walks down the Girls Friday fighter to a corner, where Josephine pulls Alex into a clinch.

The referee intervenes to separate them, both fighters eyes looks full of anger as they resume trading shots near the ropes.

Josephine drills a double jab off the bloody lips of her opponent, opening her up to a right hook across her nose to make Alex cry out.

No blood is running but Alex looked close to tears after that shot, Josephine now drives her back onto the ropes with punches that snap her head back.

The bell rings with Josephine staring at Alex with her right arm in the air, trying to send a message that she feels she is on top of things, pundits ringside disagreeing as they see this as proving very tight.

Both fighters stare at the other as they sit on their stools; coaches telling them that they need to take control of this fight now or expect misery at the final bell.

Round 7:
The fighters trade around the ring as Josephine continues to look to box control from Alex, doubling up her jab to the face of her opponent.

Alex dips down to come inside, landing two hooks to the body of Josephine as she looks to back her up to the ropes, with Skriver using her left to shove Gerrard back to open up the gap again.

As Alex looks to move inside again; this time Josephine dodges a right cross, landing a right to the chin of Alex to knock her back.

Josephine following up with a right that lands to the temple of her opponent, whose legs look a little shaky as the Danish fighter opens up on her.

A missed right from Alex allows Josephine to land an uppercut, THOSE LEGS OF ALEX ARE DEFINITELY JELLY, WITH TWO HOOKS PUTTING DOWN ALEX!

Josephine roars as she turns to head to a neutral corner, 1...2...3...4.. Alex is staring up at the ceiling with her eyes looking glassy, 5...6...7.. Josephine already has her hands up in the air to celebrate, 8...9...10 rightly so as this is over!

Winner Josephine Skriver KO Round 7

After:
This is a big scalp for Josephine in her young career, she smiles as she stares down at Alex, her fans are in full voice even as Alex's are booing.

Alex is helped to sit up by Mel; Alex comes around from being badly dazed, punching the canvas as she is frustrated that she couldn't beat Josephine.

Whose grinning face is pissing her off even more, Alex getting helped up by her coach with an annoyed look on her face.

The winner getting pats on the back from Melanie, with Eva giving her a hug as Josephine embraces the smaller fighter.

After the fighters are cleaned and patched up, they come to the center of the ring, their eyes lock in an anger stare, with Josephine's hand being raised she moves to face Alex as if to prove a point.

Alex just waves off Josephine before heading out the ring with her coach, if this was Alex wanting to remind her management she is the number one welterweight still in the Lioness stable, that is under doubt with Romee Strijd looking to be that number one.

Inside the ring Josephine can be heard telling Melanie "I want the big fights, get me Toni Garrn and the Kelly Brooks of the world" with Melanie looking happy that her fighter is looking to keep moving up the rankings.

Josephine poses for the cameras with her hands on her hips while smiling, before she leaves the ring with her coaching staff wanting to continue rising up the rankings.