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5 June 1999 Sophia Loren vs Jane Russell

Page history last edited by Archer844 14 years, 1 month ago

 

RETRO BOUT CA. 1950’s.

 

 

 

 

Before:  Jane Russell is one of the Classic Era’s most interesting fighters, if only for the fact that the vast majority of her fights were legitimate contests. Russell acted as studio gatekeeper for years, guarding the likes of Mansfield, Monroe and other studio favourites by making sure the road to the top was a rough one for any up and coming challenger. Studio bosses used to use Russell to test their goods before making big plans—if a girl couldn’t beat Jane, or at least look good trying—she didn’t have a bright future.

 

In Sophia Loren, the matchmakers knew they had the real deal, but after her destruction of Jayne Mansfield, US producers weren’t anxious to see the import rampage through their stables. So the call went out for Jane to “do a number” on the youngster as she had no many times in the past. The rest, as they say, is history. Jane wore a red strapless one piece with black pin-dots and ruffled bust line. Sophia wore a full, coverage green two piece with black trim.

 

During R1: Sophia was a big girl who liked to use her jab in addition to her size, and walked into Jane early to establish her dominance. With her hands out front, Sophia flicked the left jab which only seemed to travel a few inches, but the beefy smack it made upon landing on Jane’s face announced its power to everyone watching. After pounding back Jane’s head, Sophia would lean in, put her gloves on Jane’s shoulders and just push the brunette back a little, then advance with the jab again. The right hand also travelled in short arcs, all shoulder, and it too seemed to jolt Russell badly upon impact. But Russell had good power herself, and although backing up, she did manage to set her feet and plow a nice lead right, left hook onto the jaw of the big Italian. Sophia gobbled up the power, shook her head, and continued plodding forward, and by the final minute, seemed to have Jane stunned as Russell simply took to the bell.

 

R2: Although it was hard to say if Jane had been rocked in the first, it was clear that she wasn’t right this round. Russell seemed dazed, even though she stood a fairly good stance, chin tucked, gloves high, but she was helpless in front of Sophia this round. Loren waded into Russell, backhanding that little jab, chopping that little right, and putting a tell tale wobble in Russell’s behind. Pushing Jane back, then moving in, Sophia only really wound up when she went to Russell’s plush body, pounding away with meaty lefts and rights, then shoving the hurting brunette back after the salvo. A short right uppercut bounced off Jane’s chin after the body work, and she crossed her legs awkwardly, taking a seat with a dim expression. Getting to her feet at 8, Jane looked like a train wreck, and Sophia sailed in with more heavy artillery. Jane’s head was at the perfect height for Sophia: the Italian could cup Jane’s ears in her gloves, pull the brunette forward to her chest, clout her with a short shot, shove her back—constantly keeping Jane in a state of hurt. Russell seemed oblivious at the end of the round as Sophia stood in frnt of her at the bell and took in the carnage with Da Vinci surveying  a painting.

 

R3: Jane came out to make a fight if it, swinging wide with both fists, but the big Italian raised her heavy arms and smothered the insolence with crushing ease. Midway through the round, she was pushing those short, riveting bows into Jane’s face again, and it was more than apparent that Russell was finished. She staggered in, as Sophia loaded up, stuffing her ponderous blows into the soft gut, or cudgeling Russell’s prominent jaw until finally, Jane crumpled to the canvas. Lying on her back, mumbling incoherently, Jane Russell never heard the 10 count.

 

After: With back to back obliterations of Mansfield and Russell, Sophia Loren’s place in the firmament was secured. Russell’s days as gatekeeper were numbered after this numbing defeat, as one Studio exec remarked: “It’s scary when you lose your fastball.”

 

Reposted by Archer 2/28/10.

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