Retro Bout: CA. 1950's

Mitzi Gaynor vs. Kim Novak (I) by simguy 7-24-2001

Of the great blondes produced during the studio-age, perhaps none had more potential, and squandered so much of it, than the so-called 'Lavender Blonde' Kim Novak. Possessed of an icy demeanor and sledgehammer fists, Novak was first promoted by Colombia as that studio's answer to Marilyn Monroe. But unlike Marilyn, Novak was no defensive minded, safety first, cutie in the ring.

"She was absolute murder on our girls in sparring," one in-house trainer for Colombia relates. "Coming up - starlets used to call her 'the crippler' for what she'd do - and this was practice mind you. We had girls leave the studio - just flat out breach their contracts, rather than get back in with Kimmie."

Catching the eye of Sinatra, Sammy and other glitterati of the late 50s and early 60s, it was only natural that Kim's KO streak would eventually put her into conflict with another rat pack-fave - Mitzi Gaynor.

"I'd faced a lot of studio brats on the way up," Ms. Gaynor recalls in her memoirs. "At the time, Novak didn't look special to me. She could punch, but she couldn't box a lick - I knew I could lay a strapping on her given half a chance."

In a ring set up poolside at Signature's Vegas villa, under a bright summer sun, a prime Mitzi Gaynor in a pink and white bra style hipster bikini faced a sullen, glaring, near-prime Kim Novak in yellow and white hipster bikini in a battle for Rat Pack supremacy.

Round One: Jabbing midring - Novak's pawing blows came up short as Gaynor's stabbing retorts painted face and set Kim up for repeated short right hands as Gaynor fell in to crowd the receipts. Novak had puncher's arrogance - hands at chest level, pushing out the jab like an obligation, coiling the right hand at her chin just waiting for the opportunity to label Gaynor, and Mitzi took full advantage of her opponent's inactivity. Mitzi's combinations flowed off the jab, ringing Kim's face up with shattering impact and in the middle minute, the tree trunk legged Novak buckled under the incessant tattooing. Flushed with triumph, Gaynor waded in, beating Novak to the ropes with stuffing lefts and rights to the breadbasket and with Kim seated stupid, hands crossed at her body - Gaynor got off with zesty lefts and rights to spank Novak's cooperative face side to side at the bell. Kim stood up shaky, trying to sell like she hadn't been hurt - but a cocky, grinning Gaynor wasn't buying it.

Round Two: Novak tucked her chin, crouched forward and gave a much better account of herself this round. Her jab jolted out from her hip, pounding off a shocked Mitzi Gaynor's face with stunning power, even as Mitzi stood fast and poked her own stick home. At the midway point, both women were diving in behind savage short right hands, but the crunching trade was much to Novak's liking - a blinking and dazed Mitzi G started to give round, and Kim began her familiar stalk, hunting her foe to the corners, jabbing to set up monster straight right hands to the ribs and head. At the bell, Mitzi swooned ropeside, arms up to block the incoming as Novak began to dial in with serious intentions.

Round Three: A lot of the pre-fight talk had centered around the contest below the waist in this match up - Gaynor looked to body up and walk her girl back to settle the debate and perhaps dictate a new style of fight for the middle rounds. It backfired! Locked up high, the girls groaned to push each other back, and in every clinch, it was Novak stepping Mitzi to the ropes, leaning in, and muscling Gaynor hip to hip. Punching grew less frequent, placing a higher premium on power and Kim's wrecking ball fists began to carry the day. Fighting face on face, Novak plowed right hands to the stomach, and chopped lefts up high around Gaynor's guard. Whenever Mitzi crossed her arms and bent forward - Kim would get beefy to the sides, sending shockwaves down Mitzi's backside and creamy thighs; or bludgeon short lefts and rights off the back of Mitzi's overhanging head and temples. At the bell, a glassy-eyed Gaynor lolled back into the ropes, exhaling heavy through pursed lips and giving Novak a stare of grudging admiration for a beating well served.

Round Four: Gaynor went to the jab and to her feet this round, pre-empting Kim who had a tendency to wait her turn. Mitzi steering the dangerous blonde who couldn't punch when her feet weren't set. It was a winning recipe for her as punches and points began to pile up in Gaynor's favor. Novak stepped forward, hands at her stomach, stooping over her front foot, fielding Gaynor's blistering combinations off her sultry face and the occasional thudding dig in behind her elbow. At the end of the second minute, a double jab, right hand, left hook put Novak wobbly butt and sent her stumbling backwards a couple of steps. Mitzi climbed aboard, rode her girl to the ropes and cudgeled midriff to the bell, fighting off Kim's chest and digging furiously between the hips with both mitts.

Round Five: Hurt and punished, Novak proved a warrior this round as she shook it off, stepped to Mitzi Gaynor and POUNDED back the rival blonde's face with the jab and leaned into vicious right hands that just grazed a retreating Gaynor's chin. Mitzi on the ropes couldn't handle Kim - Gaynor would cover up and turn her body side to side - Novak with her shoulder and powerful legs kept Mitzi pinned; awful clubbing strokes to the ribs or in between the hips low on the belly had Gaynor suffering terribly. Mitzi countered with short left hooks from her guard on occasion, but she was finding out what 'the crippler' was all about this round. Gaynor weaved uncertainly to her corner as Novak strutted, apparently oblivious to her own facial swelling.

Round Six: Gaynor took it to Novak this round, bumping shoulders midring and digging left hooks to the paunch. Change of pace had Novak backing up, but midway through, Kim adjusted and began to take Mitzi's hook in order to get off with her right hand. Brutal give and take ensued with both girls soaking up tremendous punishment. But whereas Mitzi's fists bounced off Kim's solid frame without apparent effect - Novak was moving Gaynor, buffeting her from one foot to the other, visibly rocking her with the right hand on the chin. Gaynor began to slow, breaking down from the sheer punishment and in the final minute, Novak wrestled Mitzi's arms away from her body and managed to sink in a tight right hand to the sternum. Gaynor sank into the ropes with a groan, elbows in, face twisted in agony. Kim showed no mercy. Beating Mitzi with crude lefts and rights about the temples, Novak bludgeoned the blonde with breathtaking cruelty, finally cupping Mitzi's chin with the thumb of her left glove and driving home a downward blasting right to Gaynor's face that put her on mat with a sickening crash. A stunning KO finish, continuing Novak's impressive streak and, as if to underscore the backside rivalry - Kim placed a heavy foot on Mitzi's slumbering derriere - posing at the ropes for the Sinatra scrapbook.

Afterward: Kim Novak had taken the best Mitzi Gaynor anyone had ever seen, pulped her and stopped her in brutal fashion, convincing all but Gaynor herself that Mitzi was perhaps just a cut or two below the elite class of celebrity boxers. KO streak intact, Kim looked to be invincible, but the telltale signs of her own limitations had been exposed. Gaynor had gotten to Kim plenty with quality body and head shots. The spine-tingling power of Novak was the story of this bout.

Mitzi would later recall that being hit by Kim Novak, "... was like getting worked over with a lead pipe. Every punch hurt." Quite an endorsement from one of boxing's biggest hearts.