BBU After Dark: Tori Kelly vs Mandy Capristo

Tori Kelly vs Mandy Capristo
(Beever's Babes vs Lioness Club)
(3-1, 3 KO vs 15-11, 15 KO)
Results: BBU; Story: Vassago

BEFORE: The verdict is still out if Tori Kelly can become a genuine contender and she continues her stalking of Lioness Club roster by taking on Mandy Capristo in the Cardiff Arena tonight. The German singer still hopes to catch on as a viable title challenger herself but she needs to pick up the pace as most pundits believe she's a solid gatekeeper who just doesn't have the "it" factor required to be a true force in the division.

Tori Kelly wears a black crop top, matching hip-huggers & red gloves. Long blonde hair in loose curls. Mandy Capristo wears a red crop top, white hip-huggers & golden gloves. Long blonde hair tied in a half-up ponytail. The fight is scheduled for ten rounds in the flyweight division.

Round 1:
Mandy gets off to a hot start and gives the fellow singer a proper slugging test of attrition. Tori takes a couple of heavy whacks on the nose and fails to respond fast enough so Mandy simply drives in more hits on target to dominate the initial exchange. She splits the American's mitts and bounces off her face in almost worrying fashion as several pundits pointed Kelly suffers too much damage even if she wins her fights and this second-rate defensive stand will everntually catch up to her elite chances. Mandy doesn't care though, she's out for blood and bangs away in fury shutting the fellow blonde along the ropes wholesale. Tori's weak response is easily neutralized and she has to clinch the German foe to bide some time during the final minute.

Round 2:
More of the same in the second, Mandy beats Tori to the punch and keeps pounding leather into her face which makes Beevers coach Denise Lewis verbally upset in the corner. Tori has to slug herself back into contention but the problem is, she keeps leaking more heavy shots up the middle and slumps to her heels before a lenghty retreat for safety purpose down the stretch. That's as bad as it gets for the curly-haired singer who just can't stick her foot in the door so far while Capristo does all the running and rides the slugging wave to pound the lethargic tourist back to the turnbuckle where she slams additional punches into her midriff. Ugh! Tori slumps into loud spasms at the bell and has to soak up some bragging from the German opponent as well.

Round 3:
Mandy wants to finish the cumbersome American off here and jumps into another hectic assault but takes a wild hook on the ear and wobbles out of her zone for once while Kelly drives in an uppercut series on the chest to raise some eyebrows around the area. She adds another belting double and grinds the German into a halt in the center of the ring before a left/right combo on the chin drops Mandy on her heels. Tori springs to life almost out of nowhere and pays back the favor mauling the fellow blonde's face during the second minute; she backs her onto the ropes in style and Mandy has to clinch herself into safety instead of lashing back at the US tourist which makes coach Mel B. somewhat upset in the Lioness corner during the interval.

Round 4:
Tori hammers the quick double on the chin and keeps exploring Mandy's below par high-guard during a fiery exchange in the center of the ring. Both women give each other no quarter until Kelly tears a small gash across Mandy's nasal ridge which stuns the German blonde to the point she takes another uppercut blast square on the chin afterwards and stumbles back to the ropes where Kelly jumps all over her to hammer in more body shots. Ugh! She laces Capristo around the elbows thick & fast and almost shoves her through the ropes during a wild hitting frenzy; ref pulls her away at the bell and just like that it's all even on the scorecards.

Round 5:
Mandy is visibly frustrated she let the early advantage go and it doesn't get any better in the fifth as Tori works on the nasal wound well enough to open it up again and simply sink the German singer into all kinds of physical bother in the process. The American gets vocal as she drives in hard leather on target and makes the fellow singer yelp in pain when some extra blood gets spilled... a wild hook catches Mandy on the temple and sends her into a tailspin... she tries to deke away to safety but Kelly catches her with a right hand on the jaw before looping a shallow cross on the nose... DOWN GOES MANDY!!! The German singer drops to her backside amid a loud cheer from the Cardiff audience and the comeback is almost complete as Tori struts back to her corner with a big smile on her face. Mandy avoids the instant demise and beats the count at seven but looks awfully rattled here and hangs back in mid-distance while getting taunted by the Beevers entourage. Tori lands more shots up the middle to push her onto the ropes only for the bell to save the ailing Lioness fighter in the end.

Round 6:
Tori rushes in to land more cruel punches into Mandy's face and the German's resistance has truly left the building which allows the US prospect to dominate the slugging action. She knocks Mandy's head back & forth before tearing another gash under the left eye... ugh.. Mandy goes for a desperate swing only to find thin air and gets caught on the jaw from the inside... she stumbles to the right with a loud whimper and takes a full heater on the mouth that drops the curtains on this fight once and for all. Mandy goes down and OUT in ragdoll fashion so the referee doesn't bother extending the count. All over. KO6 Tori Kelly!!!

AFTER: Another promising victory for the US singer who still leaves many style marks on the table though. She looked completely outclassed in the early going and had to mount a huge comeback to deny a dangerous opponent. Then again some BBU pundits question whether Mandy will ever eclipse the status of Lioness stablemate Heidi Range - too good to be a journeywoman, not good enough to be a regular contender. Coach Mel B. declines an interview and she doesn't look happy at all...

Official Result: Tori Kelly def. Mandy Capristo KO6.