This bout, the first of several meetings between Gaynor and Hayward, would set the table for what would become a heated and personal rivalry throughout the fifties. Hayward was convinced of her absolute supremacy over Mitzi, and was often mortified by Gaynor's plucky 'prove it to me' attitude and complete lack of deference. Meeting at the Barrymore mansion, Susan in red tank suit, shoulder length curls, Mitzi in yellow hipster bikini, brunette ponytail, Gaynor clearly enjoyed taunting the conceited redhead during pre-fight cocktails.

Round 1:

Hayward, angered by Mitzi's insolence, walked the dancer down and began harming Gaynor to the waist and head with compact, powerful blows out of a crossed arm stance. Mitzi had no answer early on as Susan hurled in the blows, and a clubbing right hand over Gaynor's left shoulder froze the dancer's sturdy legs at the midway point. Mitzi was in trouble, leaning forward, not punching as Susan piled on, putting her face on Mitzi's, snapping her lefts and rights hard into the body and across the jaw in close as Gaynor stumbled forward in swoon. At the bell, Mitzi was shell-shocked, having taken Hayward's best bombs repeatedly to her chin and body. Hayward pranced to her corner, convinced she was rapidly approaching victory.

Round 2:

Susan continued to body up, clubbing Mitzi upside the head and to either side of her ribcage with those trademark short, slugging blows. Out of the crossed arm stance, Hayward stalked forward, raring back to dig the right hand into the gut, then chopping the left hook to the ear - Gaynor for her part still wobbly butt, hung in there, punching out of her tight high guard to nip quick lefts and rights across Susan's face. Hayward banked another round as Mitzi began to get her legs back.

Round 3:

Gaynor began to make things interesting. Still a little woozy, but more mobile than she had been, Gaynor walked to her left, pecking away with jabs and rifling the odd straight right to Hayward's pretty face. Susan crossed her arms and crouched forward, but found Gaynor difficult to get to this round, having to reach in and lunge with right round punches to the body. This would cost Susan in the final moments as Gaynor timed the redhead exquisitely, chopping a short right hand down onto Susan's cheek as the redhead overextended and Hayward reeled backwards, robbed of her balance by the punch. At the bell, Gaynor smiled sweetly, and looked to be fully recovered - it was Hayward's turn to suck it up in the corner.

Round 4:

Mitzi got stronger this round. Now easily stepping in and out, circling to her left - she had Hayward turning and looking defensive for much of this round. Gaynor led with stinging jabs to the arms and forehead as Susan pivoted, crossed her arms and bobbed, but could mount no effective assault as Mitzi kept her at bay. After patiently nibbling for 2 minutes, Gaynor jumped in with a short hook on the jaw, stunning Hayward and putting her on her heels as Mitzi exploded. Lefts and rights ripped in from the side, hammering Susan's jaw back and forth as Gaynor came to stand almost nose to nose, slugging the redhead to the ropes. Hayward wide-eyed and stunned at the bell as Gaynor spun on her heel and bounced happily to her corner - the haughty redhead stumbling awkward to hers, and berating her trainer in frustration.

Round 5:

Susan Hayward's composure, built as it was on disdain and contempt for her opponents, cracked and abandoned her this round. Mitzi kept her distance in the first minute as Hayward brawled recklessly, flinging right hands wide, lunging and trying to load up. Midway through, Gaynor jumped in, beat Hayward's wide left hook with a shorter one inside, then turned her shoulder into a clipping right hand on the mouth and Hayward was hurt!

Gaynor just bashed away, rolling her shoulders and clipping Susan's face with short, shattering punches to drive her ropeside as the crowd cheered. Palming up on Hayward's broad shoulders, Mitzi turned big girl, slugging majestically to the body to buckle Susan's legs, then curling her punches in over Hayward's outstretched arms to bash that pretty face to and fro.

Susan slid along the ropes, Mitzi stepping with her and nailing her every inch of the way until Hayward could take no more. Covering up and sobbing, Susan turned her side to Mitzi and fell to her knees, quitting rather than go any further. Mitzi smiled and strutted the ring with pride - KO5 Mitzi Gaynor.

After:

It was a loss that haunted Susan Hayward and awoke within her an insatiable need for revenge. Unable to accept Mitzi's accomplishment, Hayward made all sorts of excuses in the aftermath of this bout, but the facts were simple: Susan had trouble with boxers and Gaynor's legs had survived the early tests to ultimately pave the way for victory. Mitzi's punching wasn't devastating, but the sheer volume and accuracy had broken Hayward's will, especially when the redhead could no longer find her opponent. Hayward's attitude hadn't helped either, giving Mitzi plenty of motivation to take whatever she had to in order to put the redhead down - a factor that would continue to a play a part throughout their storied rivalry.