Mimi Keene vs Rhiannon Fish
(Marti's Maulers vs Lioness Club)
(2-1, 2 KO vs 10-12, 7 KO)
Results: BBU; Story: Vassago

BEFORE: Former EastEnders actress Mimi Keene has moved into Netflix productions which is seen as a career upgrade and she hopes to bounce back from a tough loss to Katya Jones at the expense of Rhiannon Fish who endured a lenghty losing streak until she stopped Lucy Fallon on the Lioness Club anniversary card back in August. Mimi still thinks she can dispatch the Australian opponent based on her victory over Ariel Kaplan whom Fish couldn't defeat herself.

This strenght of schedule handicap doesn't exactly upset the Lioness entourage as coach Mel B. claims Mimi is "punchbag material" and questions ex-bandmate Emma Bunton's choices: "Emma is such a sweet girl but she should learn some match-making lessons. Rhi is too much for her kid right now, hell, Mimi is a poor man's version of Lucy Fallon so we're gonna send her crying all the way back to Hertfordshire!" (giggles).

Mimi Keene wears a red bikini set & silver gloves. Long dark brown hair tied in a sleek ponytail. Rhiannon Fish wears a bandeau blue bikini set & black gloves. Long dark brown hair tied in a sleek ponytail. The fight is scheduled for ten rounds in the flyweight division.

Round 1:
Mimi comes in hot and connects with the older brunette's body before ripping a left cross straight into her jaw! Ugh! Rhiannon wobbles to her heels upon impact and bails out of further exchange instead of slugging it back at the English foe. That makes Mel B. verbally upset however Mimi piles on more juice up the middle and clobbers the stunned Aussie onto the ropes regardless. Rhiannon has to unload a counter-punching response but she misses the target upstairs and eats more crisp shots to the body as Keene pummels her from both flanks until she gets clinched just past the two-minute mark. Fish can't come up with a better plan here and even plucks a nasty shot to Mimi's kidney which only makes the younger brunette more animated as she cleans up Rhiannon's midsection in the closing stages of a one-sided round!

Round 2:
Rhiannon comes out flat again and gets pancaked to the body as Mimi works the high-octane drill to dominate the subdued opponent. The work rate alone does the trick for the Netflix actress as she blows more crisp punches into Rhi's midsection and glues her to the spot before looping another cruel uppercut into her chin. Ugh! Fish sinks on jelly knees and tries to clinch Keene in pure desperation but gets pushed onto the ropes as the smaller brunette really follows through with supreme execution. She folds the Aussie woman into loud spasms but gets carried away trying to land more head shots and runs out of juice come the final minute. Fish is unable to mount a comeback anyway and Mimi still gets reprimanded by Emma Bunton who wants her girl to work on that exposed midriff until Rhiannon gives up the ghost!

Round 3:
Back to Plan A for Keene who drops more harpoons around the area and leaves visible pink stripes on Rhiannon's ribcage alas she fails to navigate a booming left/right combo that slams her on each temple and finally stymies her charge. Rhi gets aggressive upstairs and while she cannot back up that previous double, she delivers enough leather to confuse the smaller brunette and still catch her straight in the face. Mimi has to reboot her approach but her defense leaks too many punches in a cagey second minute when the Aussie opens up from both flanks and sticks to the head-hunting game. Keene drives a headbutt in response as she tries to lean on the fellow brunette however ref lets it go and Fish only gets more aggressive after that no-call and thumps Keene into a standstill before a looping left hook on the ear drops the Brit into quiet spasms at the bell. 29-28 Keene after three!

Round 4:
Rhiannon sends in the head-hunting attack and catches Mimi clean on the nose which drops the Brit into coverage and allows the older brunette to dominate the first minute through shear aggression alone. Mimi has to weave around on her feet and she does a good job avoiding the big hits but cuts a defensive figure that never sits well with the judges. Fish keeps her honest in mid-range dispute where Keene just can't find her rhythm and leaks more nasty punches as the Aussie woman gains confidence with every strike. She backs Mimi onto the ropes and stuffs her with a rare blast on the breasts; Keene shrieks out her loudest and disappears behind a tight earmuff which only allows Rhi to clean up shop as she evens the cards after four.

Round 5:
Emma Bunton is really upset during the interval but Mimi gets busted with the initial head-hunting attack early in the fifth and drops her mitts in freeze mode while Rhiannon whacks her across the chin with a crippling double. Uh-oh!!! Another quick swing on the ear renders Mimi numb and she wobbles to meet a vicious uppercut on the jaw that DROPS HER FOR THE COUNT as Mel B. becomes the loudest person in the Cardiff Arena!!! Disaster for the Maulers camp as Mimi is slow to get up and still looks vulnerable even when she beats the count at eight. Rhiannon gets down to business in no time and blows more head shots before the British babe can fully recover; she pummels her onto the ropes and drives more leather right between the mitts as Keene's high-guard collapses wholesale and leaves her hurting come the bell. Rhi comes up one big punch short of sending her foe back to Hertfordshire as the ref pulls her away at the bell... Mimi takes a wrong turn when she tries to return to her corner and she looks all kinds of dizzy here!

Round 6:
Cue in the Kid Galahad moment as Mimi gets rocked with the first punch of the sixth, a wicked right hook on the eye that DROPS HER DEAD MEAT on the canvas!!! Bwoah! She's outta here and perhaps Emma Bunton should have seen the writing on the wall! The ref doesn't even bother with the count as Keene is left sleeping on the canvas and most fans inside the area just didn't see this finish coming at all! Huge KO6 Rhiannon Fish!!!

AFTER: Mel B. gets one over her ex-bandmate Emma Bunton and screams "I told ya sooo!" while the verdict is announced. Poor Mimi has to be helped off the ring and heads straight into the locker room leaving the Aussie woman to enjoy the sweet smell of victory all by herself. It seems like Rhi is back to a serviceable form and might offer plenty of gatekeeping joy for the BBU promoters going forward.

Social media news wire: since the Australian summer starts next month 'Green & Gold's Sarah Cumming hopes the former "Home & Away" actress returns Down Under to spark the local beach boxing season. Moreover Front Street Japan's owner Ayako Hamada is reportedly trying to book Rhi for some International Jewels action as well so the 30-year old brunette might enjoy a very busy schedule in the upcoming months. Watch this space!

Official Result: Rhiannon Fish def. Mimi Keene KO6.