BEFORE: According to most BBU pundits, Jenna Pietersen is set to become a household name in the lightweight division and her deicision to fight Rachael Taylor in tonight's Main Event suggests she's moved clear from the designated punchbags and is ready to upgrade her competition level. In fact, she's done exactly that travelling to America back in February where she browsed the jug muggin' script versus one of the hottest prospects around the globe, Charlotte McKinney. If someone's brave enough to pursue the American dream then a home court test against Taylor doesn't seem so difficult anymore.
The entire Sun City resort expects Jenna to be announced as the member of the Double A Boxing following tonight's success. Elize du Toit basically gives that away while talking to BBU TV's Georgie Thompson before the Main Event and she does look anything but upset over the fight card snub at the expense of rookie Natasha Barnard. She ponders her coaching options instead but quite frankly Georgie is more interested in Jenna's upcoming schedule rather than du Toit's potential send off and cuts the interview short as we're ready for the ring introductions anyway.
Truth be told, Rachael has only defeated Zoe Salmon in her long and not so illustrious career across three federations but there's something about these blonde stunners that makes them relevant regardless of the sporting pedigree. Even Georgie Thompson thinks she's a better fighter than Jennifer Lamiraqui and Micaela Schaefer whom Pietersen vanquished last year.
Jenna Pietersen wears a red bikini set and black gloves. Long dark brown hair in loose waves. Rachael Taylor wears a black bikini set with silver trim and white gloves. Long blonde hair in loose waves. The fight is scheduled for ten rounds in the lightweight division.
Round 1:
Jenna comes flying from her corner and immediately starts to crank it up but Rachael is too experienced to get caught out like that and she brawls herself through multiple jabs to counter the local heroine with a vicious double cross on the nose. Pietersen refuses to drop her aggressive approach but gets outworked in close range which truly signals an upgrade in competition and Taylor's recent defeat to Mallory Jansen seems to be playing on her mind as well. Both girls display a great swarming concept during a hectic opener however the blonde's punches are that little more effective as she tags Jenna's nose several times and adds a late hook on the left eye to finally shove the local model back. Jenna circles away and thinks better off it while Taylor keeps her composure and simply waits for the bell which rings out soon afterwards.
Round 2:
There's a great deal of pressure on Pietersen to deliver the good regardless of Taylor's mediocre fighting record however the blonde keeps stalking the local heroine in mid-range before landing a crisp combo on the guts which briefly freezes the brunette in the center of the ring. However an intended follow up over the top only finds the high guard and allows Jenna to clinch her rival into safety which isn't exactly the desired outcome for the blood-thirsty Sun City audience. Jenna's been accused of starting out slowly before and this fight seems to follow the familiar path as Rachael breaks free from the clinch and beats the brunette for another overhand series while setting up a classic haymaker drive. Jenna rescues some pride through superior footwork - which is somewhat rare for these glamour models - but she hasn't landed anything noteworthy to throw the Aussie tourist off her comfort zone and another dire run for the bell doesn't change the impression that Rachael is doing a better job in the ring thus far.
Round 3:
Jenna shows some much needed spice in her execution and triggers a classic mid-range looping exchange while finally landing her punches properly. She knocks the blonde back thru a couple of hooks on each temple but struggles to wrap the actress into a proper leather storm and Rachael adjusts her stance while ducking away from the aerial attack. Both women slow down significantly in the second minute and the mid-distance peek-a-boo display is one for the purists but neither is ready to risk an all out blitz and only the nervous jeers from the audience force Pietersen to blink first. She splits Taylor's mitts with a nice combo but backs off at the last second to avoid a cross hook in response and the round ends in an annoying stalemate.
Round 4:
More of the same in the fourth, Rachael's happy to protect the early lead on the cards and Jenna just doesn't kick into higher gear until the latter stages of the round. She could easily topple the blonde's footwork according to Georgie in the booth but seems reluctant to do it for whatever reasons and spends a fruitless time peppering the Aussie upstairs while bouncing off the guard far too often to make a difference. Here's where the Double A support - or any management support at all - would come in handy for the local heroine as Bondi Babes' head trainer Lauryn Eagle does a wonderful job to keep Taylor on top of the scorecards - very much against the odds.
Round 5:
Pietersen finally dwarfs Taylor's stubborn high guard in the fifth but that only comes after the blonde bounces off the top of her rival's forehead and loses her balance... a quick hook on the boobs renders Rachael breathless for a while and Jenna cracks a left hook on the jaw to knock her back again. Since Taylor lacks the proper balance control, she can't do much about the brunette slicing through her mitts anymore and soaks up a fine jabbing rally that drops her back into the ropes and allows Pietersen to take the close range control. Even coach Eagle loses her temper as she watches the fellow blonde getting roughed up on the ropes and Jenna keeps the hammer down until the final seconds where she pierces her foe's left brow ridge and triggers instant swelling around the area. Rachael's been exposed by Mallory Jansen last time out and if only Jenna pushed on like that a little earlier, she could be running away with this one instead of simply pulling back even at half-distance. Well, that's actually questionable as Rachael might yet be leading on points but the swollen left eye tells it's own story.
Round 6:
Rachael's forced to react to the previous round struggle and she tries to beat the otherwise fast-moving model for the initial punch however she bounces off the high guard and eats another quick hook on the jaw that knocks her back. She refuses to circle into mid-distance and launches an immediate overhand which proves to be a BAD idea since Pietersen is just that fraction of a second quicker and NAILS her on the right ear with a vicious hook! Ugh! Rachael yelps out in pain and wobbles forward to bang her nose against the brunette's shoulder and Jenna simply shoves her back and lands another nasty piledriver on the nose... Ugh! Taylor goes all shimmy shake and drops her gloves so low that Pietersen can deliver the slam dunk combo on the bruised lips like she's back at the gym... Rachael's lehs go jelly as she wobbles to the left side but still wants to find that counter strike... just not gonna happen, dear! Jenna moves on the front (left) foot and HOMES IN THE MONEY SHOT... she slams a hook on the jaw so fine that the blonde's gumshield comes flying out and leaves the ring even before Taylor's knees completely give way and SEND HER SLIDING DOWN IN A HEAP moments later... Ugh! It's a lights out moment for the unfortunate Aussie tourist who stands no chance of getting back up! Wicked KO6 Jenna Pietersen!!!
AFTER: Coach Lauryn Eagle remains a true pro and offers the winner a warm hug before turning back to her fallen protegee and immediately asking the Bondi Babes crew for help. Poor Rachael was rendered semi-conscious by that vicious attack in the sixth but it shouldn't overshadow her promising start which indicates she's good enough to beat tougher girls than Zoe Salmon. However Jenna Pietersen - despite another annoying slow start - isn't one of them.
Once Rachael's escorted back to the locker room and Jenna's victory is officially declared the Rustenburg audience is finally treated with the long-awaited contract signing moment as Elize du Toit hands over the papers on the behalf of stable owner Abby Adams. The model joins former BBU champions Rochelle Humes and Una Healy on the Double A roster and with the former currently touring America for FCBA opportunities, she immediately becomes the stable's #1 lightweight performer. After all, the in-house 130 lbs competition includes perennial punchbags Jenny Frost and Sarah Jayne Dunn so it's actually no competition whatsoever.
Final result: Jenna Pietersen def. Rachael Taylor KO6.
