RETRO BOUT: LATE 1950's

Posted by Simguy on Thursday, 20-May-1999

Before: Ironically, Mansfield had missed Loren during her European promotional tour, but it wouldn’t be long until the two hit it off at a swank studio party for Loren in New York. It was supposed to be a publicity showcase for Sophia, who MGM had groomed almost specifically to eventually replace Mansfield as their resident big girl. It is quite clear that Mansfield had no idea she was being ‘fed’ to Sophia – if anything, the platinum powerhouse assumed Loren was there to make her look good. Certainly, they were two of the biggest and strongest celebrities to ever take the ring, and neither ever indulged in anything even remotely resembling ring generalship during their fistic careers. Sophia wore a strapless one-piece bathing suit with green and black vertical stripes against Jayne in her tiger striped ‘fightin’ bikini.

During R1: Mansfield stormed out of her corner, bosoms jiggling maniacally as she trailed her right hand behind her in a clear signal of her intent. Telegraphed or no, Loren stood straight up and took the punch off her solid chin and promptly rolled to the canvas in a big, plush heap. Mansfield hooted with pleasure as Sophia got wobbly to her feet and the brawl was on.

Jayne bored in on the taller girl, shoving Sophia to the ropes and putting her head in Loren’s chest. Mansfield rotated her shoulders, lifting her punches underhand into Loren’s available gut and bulging breasts. Sophia, despite being stunned by Jayne’s crashing opener, stood in well, and stunned Jayne towards the end of the round simply by shouldering the blonde back. Mansfield wasn’t used to another girl using her sheer strength against her, but it was Sophia who finished the round by walking Jayne back at the bell.

R2: This time the two beauties met at center ring and began trading in earnest. Mansfield soaked up a beautiful right hand, walking into the punch and responding with her own clubbing right to the ribs. Head on shoulder slugging ensued, but it was Loren who dictated the action. She would pound a ponderous one two off Jayne’s midsection, then take the blonde by the shoulders and simply extend her arms, pushing Jayne back a step, and Sophia would advance. Mansfield tried to set her feet and lift her punches into the big Italian’s body, but she was in retreat the entire round and couldn’t sustain her attack. Toe to toe, Loren was simply too strong, and by the end of the second, Mansfield wore a drained expression as the European’s heavy hands began to tell.

R3: Jayne came out bombing once again, using the looping lead right to the temple to shake Sophia up early. Mansfield had a nice sequence, fighting off Sophia’s chest early, but midway through the round, Sophia drew a gasp from the crowd with a huge right uppercut to stop Jayne Mansfield in her tracks. Jayne ate the punch, then stood paralyzed, mouth drooping. Sophia bodied up, shoved Jayne back, smacked back her head with a very stiff jab, then plowed her whole body in behind a straight right to the chin. Jayne Mansfield went down like a Dutch elm, crashing flat on her back, chest wobbling for several seconds thereafter as she lay out cold. KO3 Sophia Loren.

After: With one punch, Sophia Loren established herself as a dreadful slugger. No one had ever overpowered Jayne Mansfield like Loren had on this occasion, and Jayne would never be the same after this crushing defeat. Without studio backing, her career on the downslide, Jayne Mansfield’s training (never all that rigorous to begin with) would eventually disappear beneath the alcohol, late nights, and desperate shenanigans, leaving her little more than a soft-bodied punching bag for the next generation of studio-bred stars.