The Sensational Miss Marilyn Monroe

Norma Jean (Marilyn Monroe's real name) had her first fights when she was growing up in a series of foster homes. She wasn't too good as a youngster, but as she grew (and had more fights because other girls objected to the way Marilyn "flirted" with their boyfriends) she improved markedly.

By the time she was working in a factory in California during the Second World War (where she was discovered by a photographer) she had become something of a "tough" although her self-confidence was never very strong. (She suffered from an inferiority complex her entire life.)

Once she started modeling, she was offered $100 for an underground fight, which she accepted (and won the fight). She later told an interviewer that winning that fight gave her, "... a feeling of having some control over my life at last" and she took several more fights, which she also won.

The pictures in the first section (immediately below) are of Marilyn during the late 1940's when she was still finding her way in Hollywood, but was already well established as a fighter. The second section contains photos of Marilyn during her heyday as an actress, by which time she had pretty much quit fighting due to pressure from the studio which didn't want their star injured or disfigured, as well as from her fiance, baseball star Joe DiMaggio whom she married in 1954. This would have been the time during which her much-discussed dressing room fight with Mitzi would have occurred.

Marilyn: The Early Years

One of Marilyn's first two-piece fight costumes. Although Marilyn was reluctant to fight in two piece suits, she later admitted it gave the match a "level of excitement I hadn't expected. Now I always wear two pieces...or even less."

A classic shot of Marilyn weighing in before a fight. Always conscious of her weight, Marilyn struggled in the early years to keep her figure trim. As you can see here, she was in top shape for this fight (possibly her first match with Peggy Lee).

An early Marilyn professional fight was when she appeared as one of the stock "caricature" personalities, "The Farmer's Daughter." In this bout she was handily defeated by Esther Williams, the reigning champion. Later, Marilyn would even the score in one of her last fights.

Marilyn was justifiably proud of her body, she worked out regularly to maintain it in peak condition as these two shots of the young, fit, Marilyn show.

Marilyn: The Fabulous Fifties


Here is a rare candid shot of Marilyn recuperating from a sprained ankle. This was taken in 1950 after she won the title, beating Esther Williams two out of three falls. A few months later, she announced her retirement from fighting, although she still did some "informal" matches like the one with Mitzi in her dressing room.


Marilyn and Jane Russell appear together in public shortly after Mitzi's second encounter with Marilyn. There were rumors about Jane Russell helping Mitzi out of a tough spot, but none of the women will confirm that.


In returning to the world of "underground" fighting, Marilyn was returning to her fighting origins, but this time as the highly paid "star" of the show and not a "bit player." Here Marilyn shows how well-developed her legs have become after years of working out. Compare her legs here to those in the "Farmer's Daughter" pose above to see the dramatic difference. (Note also the fishnet stockings she would use to punish the sensitive flesh of her opponent as she used her powerful legs).

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