Cheryl Cole versus Gemma Merna

Cheryl Cole vs Gemma Merna
(Lioness Club vs Lookout! Atlantic Boxing)
(52-19, 52 KO vs 4-5, 4 KO)
Results: Lookout!; Story: Vassago

BEFORE: Two of the most popular English fighters are set to resume their rivalry that saw Cheryl Cole escape with a UD12 victory back in 2012. This rematch was long overdue and this time Gemma Merna vows to punch the notorious singer all the way back to her native Newcastle: "This will be a grudge battle like I ever saw one. Cheryl has lost her spark from years gone by, guess life isn't so great on the wrong side of forty! The fookin' bytch is going down tonight!"

Cheryl Cole wears a leopard print bikini top, black hip-huggers & red gloves. Long dark brown hair tied in a half-up ponytail. Gemma Merna wears an orange bikini set & black gloves. Long blonde hair tied in a curled ponytail. The fight is scheduled for ten rounds in the flyweight division.

Round 1:
Cheryl takes off to land several clean shots into the blonde's jugs before blasting her on the chin and Gemma is forced to swing out of control literally seconds into the fight as the Geordie singer seemingly took her comments very personal indeed. Cole bounces around on her toes to drill her punches straight between the mitts and for all the experience Merna still got caught out by the fellow veteran. She manages to finally land a noteworthy response but only when she's backed onto the turnbuckle already and leaking more hits from the aggressive singer. That's standard procedure from Cole anyway but she really makes the actress look mediocre to say the very least. The Geordie charge is eventually interrupted by the bell with both women sending each other a lenghty death stare afterwards.

Rounds 2 & 3:
Gemma anticipates another slugging charge but she's ready for the fireworks this time and gives Cheryl a faceful of leather much to the crowd's delight. Cheryl tries to respond in her usual way but takes one huge lick on the mouth too many and wobbles to her heels which allows the actress to punish her with additional strikes up the middle before a wild swing tags her on the mouth. Ugh! Chezza struggles to move away from the blonde's range and gets pounded back to the ropes as Merna ups the tempo of her attacks and traps the suddenly lethargic foe along the ropes. She still becomes too predictable aiming upstairs though and only hurts Cole late with a thumping series on the exposed stomach. Cheryl remains visibly slow in execution in the third so perhaps being on the wrong side of forty carries the unwanted consequences and Gemma duly picks her off while managing to slip by a subdued single-hand response which makes Lioness coach Eva Mendes visibly worried. Even Cheryl sounds downbeat during the break but doesn't quite lose the mean edge in the next two rounds...

Rounds 4 & 5:
...where she doubles or even triples down on her slugging approach. Meanwhile Gemma tries to measure the perfect moment to knock her out but she drops the patient mask after a rare taunting dig from the singer so we're back to trading high-octane leather which is otherwise impressive given these two ain't exactly the youngest cats in the building. Pure English wrath boils over for Chezza when she gets whacked around the groin and she goes all-in trying to blow up the blonde's rack despite limited JMD experience. She struggles to make the desired connection and Gemma comes back to deliver the counter-punching response after all. Cole has to apply the clinching brakes but loses another round because of it. Her fortunes change in the fifth when she drills Merna to the body and keeps the phone booth control until it's the actress seeking a sudden clinch; she traps the Geordie singer in a headlock before another back & forth tussle leaves her nursing a nasty swelling around the left eye. Ugh! Cheryl issues more taunts and looks to have weathered the worst moment of the fight.

Rounds 6 & 7:
Cheryl catches the second wind in her slugging sails while Gemma's the one running out of steam as the clock runs down. She tries to protect her lead on the cards but then gets busted on the chin and loses another head-hunting exchange to sink on her heels when the brunette laces her on the ear. Ugh! Gemma almost goes down right there but escapes at the last moment and spends majority of the round reeling away from the older Brit. Cole keeps coming back at her and searches for that one missile on target but she remains well off waiting for Merna to run out of juice alltogether. Gemma can only land single punches due to fatigue and Cheryl decides she can punish her jugs outright which allows her to shut the actress in the corner and lay it into her until the referee pulls her away at the bell... round seven and it's unlucky number for Merna who gets whacked on the solar plexus and cries out the alert before Cheryl tears a small gash across her nose and uses her face for target practice thereafter. Uh-oh!!! Gemma hits the vertigo button and drops her gloves just as the Geordie woman SMOKES her with a brutal uppercut on the chin. That punch basically lifts the blonde off the canvas and she's probably out of her senses before she hits the deck. Ouch! Game over!!! KO7 Cheryl Cole!!!

AFTER: Referee didn't even bother with the count as Gemma was knocked out senseless and Eva Mendes is more than impressed with that mighty finish. It's not the first time Cheryl looked defeated this season and while she might struggle to recover against youngsters like Dafne Keen, she can still blow up some of these veterans - especially if they run their mouth too much before the fight!

Chezza talking to Erin Andrews afterwards: "I'm still open for business and who knows, I might seek nothing but Super Fights from here on! (...) What do I mean? Oh, just wait for my 2024 schedule, pet!" (winks).

Official Result: Cheryl Cole def. Gemma Merna KO7.