RETRO BOUT 1967

Posted by Simguy on Saturday, 22-May-1999 10:05:03

Sophia Loren aside, Paluzzi and Cardinale were the two most alluring women in Italy, and had the fight not been staged by the usual band of European thrill seekers, it surely would have erupted of its own accord. Fought on the Isle of Capri in classical surroundings, both women dazzled under the hot Mediterranean sun. Paluzzi in her pale blue bikini, Cardinale in her French maid bikini; both woere their hair up in elegant fashion for the spectacle. In Italy, both girls were stars, and neither owned the small crowd outright fir this fight.

R1: Lucianna took over ion the slow starting Claudia, pounding her tawny tummy with curving lefts and rights, then working to the head with a snapping left hook. Claudia seemed dopey, taking punches and staring forlornly back at Lucianne in dim outrage. Paluzzi took her time, walked Claudia around the ring, and thoroughly worked the exotic brunette over this round.

R2: Every good turn deserves a beating in return—and Claudia dished out the fists with an ambitious attitude this round. Now Cardinale came forward, eyes glittering meanly as she swing wide from her hips, overpowering the red headed model, and forcing Lucianna to cover up, Cardinale held and hit Paluzzi, pulling Lucianna’s head to breast and clubbing away with awkward, girlish blows with her free arm. In the clinches, Claudia powered free with uppercuts, following though straight into the air with her fists—wide open for counters, but Palazzo was too busy surviving, Cardinale returned the shutout, and established that she would not be bullied.

R3: Having both had their fun, the girls settled into a toe to toe slugfest fought in barely 4 square feet of canvas. Both found each other’s chin receptive to left hooks, and both girls lost their form occasionally to wail away wildly with both hands. In the end, Claudia’s uppercuts, short and to the point seened to sap some of the enthusiasm from Lucianna at the bell.

R4,5: Solid rounds from Claudia as she continued to engage Paluzzi in slogging trench warfare. The strain was beginning to show on: Lucianna was visibly worn, often resting with her hands on Claudia’s hips, her head of Claudia’s shoulder. Cardinale breathing hard, would accept these embraces only for a moment, before stepping back, and leading with her chest into whipping rights and lefts to the body and head of her opponent.

R6: This round smelled of desperation from Lucianna, but she dominated with anxious energy. Keeping her punches short, Lucianna came forward, lifting little right and left uppercuts int0 Claudia’s face, fighting off Claudia’s chest and keeping the pressure in with constant contact. Claudia began to tire, and she slumped forward, hands at Lucianna’s waist as the red head swatted at her head. Paluzzi stuffed Cardinale into an available corner in the waning seconds, and set about the grim task of [pounding away at the breasts, belly and trunks of her foe to the bell. Claudia pointed in outrage as she slumped in the corner, but she had survived.

R7: It was apparent early in this round, that Paluzzi was spent. Her hollow eyes seemed resigned as she stooped forward, hands at her chest, walking into Cardinale’s range finders. Claudia pitty patted with long left hands, then turned her magnificent torso into a crushing uppercut that seemed to freeze time for Lucianna, she bent backwards, mouth open, eyes closed, and seemed to arch there for several moments before coming back. Lucianna was hurt, and Claudia pounced. Holding Paluzzi by the shoulder, Cardinale slugged viciously to the mouth, putting Lucianna on the ropes. There, the beat down was uncontested, Lucianna virtually shredded as Claudia leaned into a series of hammering lefts and rights finally depositing the beat redhead in her hands and knees. Claudia reeled away with a relieved look on her face during her victory prance around the ring.

This fight would be the template for many to follow, with Claudia winning the majority and in the end, establishing herself as the clear superior. Lucianna would slide into obscurity, but certainly deserves better treatment from boxing’s chroniclers who have tended to gloss over Paluzzi’s achievements. She never avoided “Italy’s Raquel Welch”, stepping eagerly into the fray every time even when it became apparent that she was overmatched.

Reposted by Archer 2/27/10.