By the mid-to-late 1970s, cracks were finally starting to show in the armor of Raquel Welch. Once expected to dominate, Raquel had struggled with women she would have dismantled in '74. A disputed loss on a private beach to Yvette Mimieux in the summer of '76; an accidental knockout suffered in training at the fists of Cathy Lee Crosby later that year and, finally, the ignominy of a public defeat by former sparring partner Victoria Principal when her right hands left Raquel dazed and helpless on the ropes in early '77. It all added up to an increasingly frustrated, increasingly erratic Welch, who for the first time in her career was having to work hard in the ring. The call went out for a name - an over-the-hill mark - someone Welch could punish and build confidence on. The woman they finally settled on was Mitzi Gaynor.
Mitzi Gaynor had been rejected on several previous occasions by Welch's people over the past 10 years, giving a host of excuses ranging from Raquel being not quite ready, to Gaynor being not big enough, to Welch being too busy as Mitzi entered her forties and eventually left the celebrity boxing scene altogether.
It was the fight Mitzi had always dreamed of, and one she assumed would never materialize. It was the only fight Mitzi would consider coming out of retirement for. Thick and still curvy at 135 pounds, Mitzi was in dancing shape but insiders questioned whether anyone could come off a five year layoff and truly give Raquel a good fight.
"She'd wait 'til I was in a wheelchair if she had her way," Mitzi told reporters. "Raquel's a spoiled brat punk who deserves a lickin' and I can't wait to give it to her. I feel great, I'm rested and she's struggling - they're going to be sorry they ducked me when she was at the top of her game."
When told of Gaynor's feisty optimism, Welch huffed, "She just guaranteed herself three more rounds of pain. When are these chicks going to learn: just shut your mouth, take your beating and mind your manners. You'd think she'd be grateful to me for this payday. I'm getting sick and tired of the disrespect."
With both women doing tours of duty on Vegas stages, it was only natural for the fight to be held at the Sinatra Mansion in front of an exclusive, celeb-only, crowd. To fan the flames, Gaynor signed on Welch's ancient rival Ann Margret to head up her camp and - with many of the women in attendance having fought both combatants at one time or another - the event had a peculiar, close-knit appeal.
In a ring set up poolside, the women gloved up at high noon - Mitzi in a sturdy pink and white check hipster bikini with a bra-style top, while Raquel sported a dark burgundy bikini with wooden hoops between the cups and at the hips.
Round 1: Welch had become more of a stalking, flat-footed boxer/puncher at this point in her career, rather than the galloping, often reckless brawler of her youth, but Mitzi too had undergone a complete transition in accordance with her age. Once a tap dancer in the ring, Gaynor now sat down on every punch, looking to use her exquisite timing and her years of ring savvy and a veteran's guile to set up her power, rather than working every second of every round. As Welch stepped around her foe, hands low and out front of her body, weight on that front foot - Mitzi turned, right hand crossing her chest to her far cheek; left hand crossing her belly in a classic Archie Moore type stance. Raquel would lean in and flick the jab or poke lead right hands - Gaynor would block, lift her arms to protect her head and bend at the waist. Little damage was done as brunette probed the defenses while the blonde blocked and conserved her energy.
Rounds 2-3: Welch continued to circle from outside, long arms loose and low, leaning forward to touch Mitzi with that flicking, open hand jab and slicing right hands on the forehead. Gaynor was getting henpecked, dappled with punches from outside. She knew Raquel was too experienced to alter her course unless Mitzi forced her. Throughout the second round, Gaynor bounced a satisfying straight right hand off Raquel's ribs - a true welterweight punch that had the brunette box-stepping away on contact. At the end of the third round, Raquel missed over the top with a lazy right hand - Gaynor stepped in and popped out of her crouch to clout Welch across her wide open jaw, catching Raquel leaning back. Startled, Raquel stumbled off balance then regrouped with an angry glint in her dark eyes. At the end of three, Welch had her points but Mitzi had accomplished her objectives - she had scorched Raquel's delicious torso and made the brunette overly body-conscious.
Round 4: Raquel picked up the pace and started to walk her girl down, going to Mitzi's right side with a batting straight arm hook, stepping out as Mitzi tried to counter then lunging back in with whip-armed right hands that bashed hard atop Gaynor's skull. Mitzi, with her crossed arm defense, bobbed up and down to befuddle the usually accurate punching Raquel. More than once the older woman found a place for her hook or a very short right hand as she dipped inside to label Raquel's chin. There was little doubt Raquel was the busier fighter, throwing and landing more - but Gaynor was finding her spots, getting the range, and exposing the fact that the supple brunette maybe didn't have the same uncanny reflexes she had once used to subjugate the celebrity world. Mitzi was playing her cards perfectly - losing the rounds, but getting to Raquel's body and chin with hard single shot investments for the home stretch.
Round 5: Welch, up on her toes, danced to new angles and tore away at Mitzi with unrestrained malice this round. As Gaynor bent forward at the waist, arms crossed - her head jerked this way and that as Welch's slicing punches found the mark over and over again. This was the dazzling Raquel Welch who had pounded her way to victory over countless beautiful challengers in the past - punching with a loose-limbed, graceful ease - thumb pointed up as she slashed her fists back and forth across Mitzi's shiny face. As Raquel zeroed in, three and four punch bursts would splash across Mitzi's brow, forcing the blonde back a couple steps as blood began to trickle on the bridge of nose. Down the stretch, Welch brought 'oohs' and 'aahs' from even her enemies at ringside as she swatted big left hands repeatedly upside Mitzi's head, staggering the blonde sideways but Gaynor would have the last laugh. With Raquel just lashing punches, often bringing her hands back to her stomach, Mitzi dipped and drove a short, six inch right hand into Raquel's chin, following through with her shoulder into the brunette's tanned belly. Welch's legs locked and the suddenly stupefied legend awkwardly clinched around Mitzi's shoulders, smothering the blonde to the bell as the crowd roared. Gaynor yapped "How's THAT feel? Huh? Baby how's that feel?" while Raquel continued to cling after the bell - her face glossy and blank as Mitzi's breath made Welch blink in the embrace.
Round 6: Raquel shook off the shot and came out well aware that the left side of her face was starting to swell. Once again, she worked from outside, leaning over her front foot and dragging her fists back and forth across Mitzi's face, scalp and back as Gaynor desperately tried to dip inside. Welch's feet were becoming a factor - her hands still roamed dangerously low as she got off, but she was reading Gaynor well, watching the blonde's powerful thighs flex just before punching and riding back out of range as Mitzi stepped into those jolting right hands. As she loped backwards, Raquel stroked Mitzi with that batting hook and when she leaned in, it was slicing lead right hands and chopping left hooks upstairs. For the first time in the fight, Gaynor got consistently rocked back onto her heels. Her constant head movement began to come only after Welch's fists made their splattering impact. At the bell - Gaynor exhaled deeply through pursed lips, her left eye swelling badly, face glowing painfully from Welch's slicing combinations.
Round 7: Age began to be a factor as Mitzi crouched forward, crossed her arms, but just couldn't pull the trigger on openings this round. Welch continued to lather away with slinging, loose-limbed combinations, legging in and out, paying particular attention to Mitzi's punished face - but reaching over occasionally to bat at the right side hip and ribs. Raquel would circle, punch, then body up with her forearms and shoulder on Mitzi to push her back out of range - Gaynor wearily accepting the shoving with the same stoic resignation as she did the punches. A strong shutout round for Raquel - her fists starting to touch not just the body, but the heart and soul of her tenacious enemy.
Round 8: Mitzi moved her hands this round - but missing proved costly as Raquel would ride back with the right hand, then lean back in with a chopping right on the now closed left eye and a sweet bolo left uppercut that put Gaynor wobbly butt every time it landed. Welch would dance to her left with her hands at her side, just licking her lips and staring in at her laboring foe, easily using her legs now to foil each and every Gaynor offensive offering. In the final minute, the combinations became deadly - Raquel bouncing to let her hands slassh down and up into Gaynor's face - Welch connecting with fists, sides of her hands and wrists as Mitzi's guard finally fell apart. At the bell, Raquel feinted in, rocked back, then came on in with a bounding left uppercut that lifted Gaynor off her feet and put her on her butt with a flourish. Welch stepping directly over Gaynor's body, held her legs together and raised her hands high over her head as the swooning blonde struggled to get off her backside.
Round 9: A hurting sheen glazed across Gaynor's face as she wobbled out for the ninth. The stubbornness was still there, but the limbs weren't responding - all Mitzi could do was plod toward her foe, cross her arms, bob and hope to land a slugger's prayer. Raquel stopped dancing, wading into Mitzi, shoving her back with that shoulder and forearm push, then opening up with rising little lefts and rights curling up from the brunette's stomach. Gaynor's head danced on her neck - she stooped forward and took punches on her sleepy face without expression, often sent reeling only to steady herself and brace for more abuse. Raquel stepped with her, keeping up the hurt, pushing and shoving Gaynor off balance and driving her into the ropes with determined concentration. It was during this round that an infuriated Angie Dickenson stood at ringside and shouted angrily for the fight to be stopped - Welch was carrying Gaynor and handing out pain with surgical precision. Gaynor would be beaten to the precipice, but Raquel would hold back just enough, letting the blonde wander away, giving her just a bit more rope. In the dying seconds, Raquel dipped to her left and casually bit three short, left uppercuts into Gaynor's face, completely breaking the blonde down and sprawling her helpless into the ropes. The bell sounded as Raquel smiled - an artist stepping back from a glorioous canvas of carnage.
Round 10: Welch was patient, stepping to Gaynor, dipping to her left and once again jerking a series of little left uppercuts into the blonde to send Gaynor reeling. Mitzi floundered to the ropes, leaning forward as Raquel set up shop and the race for the KO was on. Mitzi grim as she bent low, then rocked back with her tragically beaten face numb from punishment - Raquel hard-eyed as she speared her lead right hand into that eye, then poked it in again as Mitzi lolled backward in a haze. Raquel would get off with her slicing hacks, then sweatily palm the beaten blonde's shoulders back to reset herself. Time and again, Gaynor would take crisp punches to her face and loll badly to one side, looking like she might go down, only to have Raquel palm her back upright to allow the blonde to regain her balance. The final few seconds would be a black eye for celebrity boxing as a defenseless Mitzi Gaynor sat with her butt helpless on the ropes, hands at her stomach as Raquel palmed her soft chest and chopped right hands across the mouth over and over to the bell. At the end, Raquel bodied up and used her chest to press the near unconscious Gaynor against the ropes - Mitzi's head lolling back and to the side as Raquel drank in the sight. Technically a decision for Raquel Welch, but in reality a cold blooded, extended beating which would never be forgiven.
After: The fight that Mitzi Gaynor had dreamed about had turned into one of her most dreadful nightmares as Raquel Welch clearly took out her career frustrations on the aging song and dance icon in what would turn out to be a historically significant fight for the sport. No longer would semi-private bouts be the pre-eminent venue for celebrity fisticuffs - the dangers inherent in un-sanctioned brawling became crystal clear as Mitzi Gaynor was carried to the nearest guest room. And Raquel Welch's reputation, hallowed as the greatest celebrity fighter of her generation, never really shook off the ugly display of malice toward a well-liked 'senior citizen.' The free-spirited, force-of-nature that had been Raquel Welch had been replaced by a resentful, vindictive ring assassin and, although she would always be respected as a fighter, she was never again beloved by fans the same way as she had been earlier.