Rachael Leigh Cook versus Cheryl Cole

Rachael Leigh Cook vs Cheryl Cole
(FCBA Independent vs Lioness Club)
(17-25-1, 11 KO vs 22-5, 22 KO)
Results: Lookout!; Story: Vassago

BEFORE: Rachael Leigh Cook has enjoyed a career revival under Alpha Boxing Club however that tenure has come to an end when everyone except Sophia Bush were shown the door due to undisclosed ownership issues. That was very unfortunate and it leaves the savvy veteran swimming in the free agency shark pool again. Meanwhile Cheryl Cole continues to flourish during her crossover career and the mighty revenge win over Lucy Hale at the last PPV card proves the Geordie singer still has what it takes to turn heads on this side of the Atlantic even if nobody can understand her specific accent. Actually this fight was on the cards last year already until Cook had to pull out due to a shoulder injury.

Rachael Leigh Cook wears a light blue bikini set and black gloves. Long dark brown hair tied in a sleek ponytail. Cheryl Cole wears a black bikini top, leopard print panties and red gloves. Long dark brown hair tied in a custom ponytail. The fight is scheduled for ten rounds in the flyweight division.

Round 1:
Rachael's on a mission early on and while Cheryl's notorious for blasting out of the gate herself, she hangs back to embrace the American's drill instead. And Cook finds the heavy punches straight up the middle to connect with the singer's face and put her under immediate pressure. Cole drops to her heels which prevents a proper counter-punching response and Cook just lays it into her like this fight was scheduled for mere four rounds. She even barks in her efforts to follow through on the head-hunting assault and Cheryl's head snaps back repeatedly while she struggles to regain her balance. Rachael pounds her back to the ropes come the final minute and only then she reverts into drilling the fellow brunette's midsection while the singer remains covered behind a high earmuff all the way until the bell.

Round 2:
The fight couldn't have started any better for the veteran free agent however Cole's ready to take her head off in revenge now! That's one upset Geordie babe out there and Rachael struggles to match the intensity of the almost ineviteable slugfest that occurs in the opening minute. Ugh! Both women trade heavy blows in close range but Cheryl's destined to find more success based on her overall record. She dwarfs Cook's high guard and bounces off her face from both flanks which sinks the older brunette on jelly knees and glues her to the spot. She begins to moan in pain but doesn't have the footwork to escape the Geordie heat; Cole's numerous dancing routines allow her to display superior agility across the canvas and she wraps Rachael into a head-hunting misery until the actress simply gets backed into the ropes through sheer strenght of the singer's punches alone. Cook disappears behind a desperate earmuff but Cheryl refuses to drill her exposed midsection and keeps bombing away upstairs until the bell halts her charge. Some fans believe she could have knocked the other girl down if only she applied common sense and tackled the vulnerable area but you know, proud Geordie tourists kinda know better. And Chezza still looks visibly upset during the interval which spells more bad news for the former ABC member.

Round 3:
There's no way to avoid another slugging mayhem and Rachael knows that too. She jumps into a hectic jabbing assault trying to upstage the Geordie tourist but Cheryl remains too fast for her and outworks her in a classic phone booth exchange that has both women clashing heads at one point. Cole keeps digging her mitts into the older brunette's body but eats a nasty uppercut on the jaw that allows Cook to stay in the exchange until she whacks the singer on the liver area that finally halts the Geordie rout. Cheryl refuses to back off though and rips a cross from the back foot however Rachael beats her for a left-handed screamer on the ear and adds a belting hook to the solar plexus that folds the tourist forward. Another uppercut misses the target though and enables Chezza to lock a lenghty clinch which neutralizes the fight in the closing stages. Erin Andrews thinks Cole got really lucky there as her knees looked shaky and Cook could have put her away again. That's another potential miss from the American and it's fair to wonder if Cheryl should have taken a month off following the gruesome Lucy Hale battle on the previous PPV.

Round 4:
The Lioness entourage has little doubts about overworking their Geordie jewel though and new coach Eva Mendes gives her all thumbs up for another trademark charge. The question is whether Rachael can sustain such a frantic pace given she's actually four years older than the tourist. She gives it a good try but it truly requires something extra to outmuscle Chezza in a classic phone booth dispute time and time again. Cook pierces the solar plexus but lacks proper strenght and even a follow up and these single strikes are no match for the jabbing frenzy that Chezza delivers to sting the American upstairs. Cook wobbles to her heels underneath the onslaught and then goes all shimmy shake when she gets nailed on the nose. She seeks immediate clinch but Cheryl finds a brutal uppercut just in time which whips the older brunette on her heels again. And then disaster strikes as the Geordie singer WHACKS her foe across the nose and SENDS HER TUMBLING FACE DOWN ON THE CANVAS!!! Cheryl immediately struts back to her corner and Rachael only begins to react when the count reaches five, she tries to push herself off both hands and gets there at nine. Ugh! It's a close call and her response to the referee's call is very slow indeed. Nope, that's too close for comfort and he WAVES IT OFF!!! Poor Rachael still looks dizzy enough she doesn't even contest the decision. TKO4 Cheryl Cole!!!

AFTER: Coach Eva Mendes says this wasn't just a "stay busy" fight for Cheryl and the team hopes that Avril Lavigne can still be considered as future rival but apparently that road is now closed. "Well, there are some rumours and unfortunately Avril's ego has grown too big for our Geordie jewel. That's a loss for everyone but we've moved on. Rachael was on Chezza's hit list for months now, first the injury and then the ABC roster shake-up simply delayed it. But winners shouldn't be judged on performance value. This isn't figure skating. Rachael is still one fine looking woman but she's not exactly on the same boxing level as Cheryl. We're talking elite after all. (...) Why Cheryl refuses to answer these questions herself? Well, if you guys didn't complain about her accent all the time, she'd be here instead! Grow up! Besides, boxing does ALL the talking for her anyway! It's great to have her around and she's not going anywhere other than to defend her BBU flyweight title when neccessary."

Final result: Cheryl Cole def. Rachael Leigh Cook TKO4.