Jessica Schwarz vs Sophia Thomalla
(Lioness Club vs BBU Independent)
(29-14, 28 KO vs BBU Debut)
Results: BBU; Story: Vassago

BEFORE: It's very rare to see a genuine rookie free agent generate so much buzz like Sophia Thomalla did in the past couple of weeks. Excluding her tonight's debut there are at least two veterans already signed up to fight her - and those are no random wannabees as both Alesha Dixon and Elizabeth Gillies are keen to derail the Thomalla hype train before it takes off.

Where does this leave the BBU Hall of Famer Jessica Schwarz? She accepts her best days are over and she might pass the German bantamweight torch to her tonight's opponent sooner rather than later if Sophia's hype matches the actual performance.

There's a lot to like about Sophia's background as she competed in amateur kickboxing bouts before becoming a full-time actress. Given how kickboxing training alone has raised the profile of Ewelina Lisowska in recent months one can assume Sophia's destined for a similar take off even though she's picked one of the hardest opponents imagineable on her debut: "Jessica and I decided to go ahead with this one right now because well, she's not the spring chicken anymore. However I'd like to pay homage to her impressive efforts in the last decade by wiping the floor with Alesha Dixon within the next few weeks myself!"

Jessica Schwarz wears a red crop top, black hotpants & golden gloves. Medium-lenght dark brown hair wrapped in a loose bun at the back of her head. Sophia Thomalla wears a black Calvin Klein crop top with silver trim, matching hip-huggers and red gloves. Long brown hair with blonde dye pulled back in a custom ponytail. The fight is scheduled for ten rounds in the bantamweight division.

Round 1:
Both women struggle to connect with the early punches and while Sophia understandably hangs back early on her debut then Jessica is somewhat sluggish in execution and fails to pounce on the half-hearted opponent. She lands several punches down the stretch but they bounce off the forearms more often than not and even switching low to punish the compatriot's midsection proves a tough challenge as Sophia clinches the veteran and shakes her off thereafter. Jessica struggles to find her range in mid-distance and makes little impression on the newcomer swinging wide off the mark in the process. Sophia bides her time for remainder of the round and looks completely unfazed by that opening round of her BBU career.

Round 2:
Jessica tries to inject more speed into her actions but bounces off the stubborn guard again before Sophia loops a left cross on the mouth and tears into the brunette's midsection with a nifty switch. Schwarz bangs one hook on the mouth in response but finds the younger German ripping quick hooks into her stomach and has to clinch Thomalla in order to withstand the pressure. Sophia still shakes her off and thumps a left hook on the temple that wobbles the former champion to the side. Sophia refuses to pounce on the seemingly vulnerable foe but Jessica's recovery leaves her cutting thin air as Thomalla dances around on her toes and makes the older actress look really sluggish here. She still nails the Lioness veteran with a quick overhand and spins her to the side with a looping cross on the nose right at the bell.

Round 3:
Jessica realizes she's not seeing the full return of Sophia's potential when the newcomer refuses to pounce after another early jabbing drive splits the brunette's guard all too easily. Sophia controls the action with a stiff jab and leaves Schwarz on mid-range standby before she finally sinks her on soft knees with a quick left/right combo on the mouth. Jessica begins to leak more punches as Thomalla rocks her head back & forth and backs her onto the ropes where she buries more guts shots to neutralize the veteran for good. Jessica tries to break free but eats a crippling uppercut on the chin and simply bellows out behind a tight earmuff while Thomalla bangs more crisp punches into the exposed midsection. Ugh! Schwarz slumps into loud spasms at the bell while Sophia gives her a long look in the eyes before turning back to her corner.

Round 4:
Jessica tries to beat the younger opponent with pace but Sophia lets the initial jabbing burst through and bides her time showcasing a supreme footwork. Jessica goes onto a taunting spree but is shut down when Sophia nails her with a left/right overhand before busting her in the chops again. Ugh! Jessica's punching resistance is no longer elite and she felt that hit alright but there's more coming as Sophia splits her mitts and knocks her onto her heels with a head-hunting drive! Jessica wobbles back but just can't stay off Thomalla's lane regardless and gets pounded onto the ropes as the newcomer finally kicks into a higher gear. She buries the brunette underneath a proper leather assault and Jessica is pounded into a standstill with Thomalla letting it rip all the way until the clock expires and the ref has a hard time pulling her away!

Round 5:
Jessica has developed a swelling around her lips during the break and Sophia's the one tracking her down early in the fifth as it looks like the newcomer isn't holding back anymore. Schwarz lands a couple of good shots but gets stunned by a laser hook on the ear and bends forward just as Sophia NAILS her with a wicked uppercut on the jaw. Ugh! Jessica rolls down the curtains and sinks on jelly knees while Thomalla bangs another cross hook on the nose TO FLOOR HER a split second later!!! Jessica lands on her backside and appears to be rattled even as she lunges back to her feet at seven. Sophia whispers something to herself and tees off with more head shots driving the subdued compatriot onto the ropes where she lands more cruel punches up the middle rendering Jessica's guard obsolete. However it's another gut shot that pulls the plug from the brunette's resistance as Thomalla pierces her solar plexus and leaves her yelping in pain... another brutal hook squashes her lips into a bloody mess before Sophia simply pummels Jessica into stupor on the turnbuckle and knocks her on top of the ropes in the process. Another drilling harpoon on the solar plexus drops Schwarz numb with her arms collapsing by her waist. The ref is not quick to enough to Sophia refuses to blow the BBU legend away with one last combo as she knows it's all over anyway. She steps back and the ref embraces the battered Lioness veteran to halt this fight! TKO5 Sophia Thomalla!!!

AFTER: What a debut here for the East Berlin native! Sophia inspects Jessica's well-being for a brief moment before Mel B. and Mandy Capristo take over for the disgruntled Lioness crew. If anyone had doubts whether Sophia can wrestle the German bantamweight supremacy from the dark-haired veteran then tonight's result removes them all. The passing of the torch was done very swiftly indeed and Jessica admits she's run into a superior woman: "What can I say? The future is now! Sophia has wrecked the local circuit back in Germany and she's gonna make noise in the BBU! I almost feel sorry for Alesha Dixon already! That lousy cow has no idea what she's asking for!"

BBU TV's Georgie Thompson asks Sophia whether she approached her debut bout too easily early on as it seemed like she didn't want to blitz Jessica straight from the onset: "It's one thing to win the fight, it's something else to humilitate the other woman", Sophia responds, "Jessica is the golden standard on the German scene even with Heidi Klum doing her thing over in the USA now. I didn't want to make Jessica look horrible but I still won with room to spare? I've saved all the nasty tricks for Alesha and her American buddy Liz Gillies! Oh, before I forget, there's one other c### I will show no mercy, her name is Clara Morgane and she's next on my schedule! I'm heading back to Germany where all will be revealed soon!"

Official Result: Sophia Thomalla def. Jessica Schwarz TKO5.