Mitzi Gaynor vs. Rita Moreno (boxing) by Simguy

This fight most likely would have been around 1957-8 when their careers crossed. Rita was trying to establish herself in Hollywood after her career on Broadway and Mitzi was trying to hang on in movies a while longer

Before: Meeting of two plucky little minxes - Gaynor with her all action style and exquisite footwork, Moreno with her tough Latina body work and Kid Gavilan type smooth around the ring - this first meeting had tinsel town buzzing in the days leading up to it. Both girls had had well managed careers to this point, and this bout represented a real risk of defeat to both parties - 'a square go' as the wise guys used to say, meaning an unfixed fight going in. Gaynor in black and white polka dot halter top and hipster bottoms, ponytail - Moreno in red twist tie top and black hipster bottoms.

During R1 Gaynor inexplicably went mouth on shoulder with the feared body belting Moreno this round, and caught a belly full as Rita dug in. Moreno with clenched teeth, batted a straight arm left hook over and over to the right side of Gaynor, who seemed mesmerized by the punishment and made no attempt to get out. Shutout for Rita, and a near perfect round for the Latina to open.

R2 Gaynor showed no ill effects of Rita's good work, and dazzled the brunette with staccato in and out attacks, pawing and poking at Moreno's mouth with the jab, then slicing away with sidearm right hands which Rita couldn't defend. Moreno stunned by Gaynor's hand speed, found herself staggered early in the round by the blurring combinations to her face, and would go back to her corner with a badly swollen left eye as Gaynor beamed and bounced back to her corner.

R3 Mitzi kept up the pace, and put a flashy beating on Rita this round as Moreno rumbaed around the ring, but was consistently beaten to the punch whenever Gaynor stood her ground and threw. Moreno with the pre-war low guard, found herself catching 3 and 4 punch combinations on her face and jaw as she pulled back, Gaynor's nimble feet enabling her to step with the surprised Spaniard to keep the pressure on. Midway through the round, with Moreno stumbling back, trying to slip punches, Gaynor slapped a wide double hook and a sharp straight right hand across the Latinas mouth, dropping her to her backside for a quick count. All Gaynor to the bell as her fists played across Rita's bare midriff, putting the mileage on the Latinas legs for the later rounds.

R4 Rita Moreno came out with eyes glittering as she walked Gaynor down and once again welted that little waist with vicious Lamotta type hooks. Mitzi's legs trembled as Rita could not be discouraged - Moreno walking in, taking Mitzi's right hand on her chin to get at Gaynor's midriff.

R5 Rita opened strong once again, cutting off the ring with her fluid motion, hands rolling as she walked, then dipping in close to Gaynor to snatch left hook handfuls of Mitzi's belly. Gaynor at the ropes began to cringe, but she kept up the withering array of short counter right hands on Moreno's chin, and the accumulation began to tell. By the midway point, Rita was starting miss, jarred off stride by clean connects on her face, and the Latina was starting to unravel. Mitzi lit Rita up with a dazzling triple left hook to spin off the ropes, leaving Rita shaking her head, and rattled the rest of the way.

R6 and 7 Rita hammered out the sixth, forcing Mitzi to brawl inside - the two petites laying in shoulder to shoulder and feasting on one anothers stomachs and ribcages with snapping left hooks and curling right hands to the sternum. In the seventh, Mitzi reclaimed the upper hand, keeping Rita off with the double pumped jab, and stinging the Latina with slashing sidearm right hands on that battered eye. Both rounds were savage, closely fought affairs, and neither girl seemed able to impose her will for a definitive advantage.

R8 Rita bore down on Mitzi and went to the hip and waist of Gaynor with heartbreaking deliberation. As Mitzi began to falter, she stumbled sideways away from Moreno - the Latina stepping with her and snapping that catspaw hook against the little dancer's torso without let up. After the first minute, Gaynor's legs were locked, face twisted in pain as she hopelessly clinched around Moreno's shoulders. Rita would not be denied - she shouldered Mitzi to the ropes and banged with left hooks to the tummy, then turned her shoulder into right hands to the breasts, torquing back and forth as Mitzi lolled on the ropes. As Gaynor's defense fell apart, Rita smashed away at that perky face, clubbing Mitzi this way and that with jolting, short rights and lefts. With the ref. lingering uselessly to one side, Rita Moreno went to Mitzi's liver with a devastating left hook, knocking Gaynor out on her feet, but not dropping her. 3 more hooks it took to finally drive Gaynor to her knees, where she sat back on her haunches, her legs numb beneath her. Mitzi Gaynor was unable to continue, clutching her battered ribs and mouthing for air as Rita strutted the ring with haughty Latin pride.

KO8 Rita Moreno.

After: Rita cemented her reputation as a fearsome puncher with this dismissal of a game, but overmatched Mitzi Gaynor. Gaynor boxed her heart out, and actually held a slim lead going into the 8th, but the constant pounding to her body proved decisive. A wonderful boxer/puncher match up - these girls would face one another repeatedly throughout their careers, often bringing out the very best in one another.

Rita won the fan vote 66-60