Tale of the Tape:
Joan Collins:
Age: 20
Height: 5'6
Vs
Diana Dors:
Age: 22
Height: 5'5 ½

(Written by Girls Friday)

(Date: 10th January 1954)

intro:
The British celebrity female boxing scene in the fifties was going through some growth, some argue that Europe and America was well ahead of Britain for their fighters, but some would argue that interests in America kept down the dangerous fighters from the small islands next door to them.

Two women who some say could have deserved more press in their careers was Joan Collins and Diana Dors, while in the native England they were big stars through the fifties and sixties, the American market didn't seem to have much time for them, making any publicity they could get golden, so it may not come as much surprise to find out Joan and Diana were far from friends.

Their rivalry begun several years before on the set of "Lady Godiva rides again" the film that would star Diana on her road to stardom, Joan was an uncredited actress in the film about beauty pageants, with rumours the two women would exchange catty insults when the cameras were switched off about looks, to talent, to talking about bedding each others men at the time, they just had that instant magnetism to hate each other.

After the film Diana would claim to be "the only sex symbol Britain has produced since Lady Godiva" some of both women's closest friends claim it wasn't just to grab headlines, it was also a shot across Joan's ego to show her whose boss.

Of course Diana also was seeking a fight with someone she was dubbed the British version of, that being Marilyn Monroe, who Diana would eventually fight in maybe the biggest grudge fight of the decade.

While Diana might have started to forget about Joan, she couldn't as Collins made a name for herself, being dubbed the "Britain's Bad Girl" for her leading role in the film "I believe in you" which was followed by the film that caused this bout to take place, the famous "Squared Circle" that gave Joan her stardom.

Reports came during the filming of that movie, that Joan and another actress called Bernadette O'Farrell decided to have a little try of the gloves the male actors had for their boxing scenes, after stripping down to their underwear with the other cast watching, the two reportedly at first were friendly in their little sparring session, till Bernadette whether by accident or wanting to show her younger costar up hit her with a hard shot to the face, the friendly sparring gave wave to both really fighting and O'Farrell regretting her hit as she was laid out on her back with Joan standing over her.

Some tabloids run the story as Joan could be the one to watch take the mantle of the best of Britain, something Diana wanted for herself, of course the media would ask Diana who she felt about Joan's rise, the blonde mostly giving standard it's nice for her answers.

Till a headline one morning read "Joan calls Dors a chicken" in the report Joan had sat down with a journalist and told them "I'd batter Diana in a fight, she knows I am too rough and tough for her, that's why she should stick to posing for photos and leave the fighting to me" that was the final straw for the blonde.

Who called the media to tell them "print in your damn papers that if Joan wants a fight, she can f***ing have it, I'll batter her back to being an extra" of course the media ran it and a few months later they would be in Blackpool towers legendary ballroom on black and white TV for home viewers about to box in a ring.

It was dubbed as being for charity as their agents didn't want it to be viewed as two women just brawling, though most knew this was two women who hated each other, the ballroom had ladies and gentlemen seated on tables spread out with producers and rich people of the era getting to watch this fight in person.

First onto the ballroom floor was Joan as she walked to the ring, she had a black silk robe, kicking her black heels off next to the steps, Joan jogged up them and stepped through the ropes to a loud cheer, bounced on her toes looking all business.

Diana was next up walking with a beaming smile, she wore a white robe as she nodded to the crowd, blowing a few top producers at ringside a kiss before she kicked off her white heels, jogging up the steps then getting into the ring as she stared at her rival with a look of pure venom.

Both women slowly dropped their robes to wolf whistles and cheers, Joan wore a black one piece to Diana's white one piece, both wore brown gloves of the era, barefoot as agreed upon as they walked to the center of the ring for the final instructions.

Joan tapped her gloves together as she stared at Diana, who had her gloves on her hips, when it came time to touch gloves they banged their gloves into their opponent's with a crack of leather, once back in their corners ready, the bell rung to start 10 rounds of bantamweight action.

Round 1:
"Ding" both stepped out their corner with their gloves high, trading jabs as they moved on their toes, looking very similar in stances early on as they looked for openings, eyes full of fire as they stared each other down.

Joan was the first to step in with a jab up top that finds the guard of Diana, a right hook bangs under the ribs of Diana before a left comes around her guard to her cheek to get a roar from the crowd, Joan smirking as she sees Diana retreat.

That smirk doesn't last long when she tries to come in again, this time Diana pops her in the face with a crisp double jab, moving around the ring as Joan looks the more aggressive, Diana looks to have been listening to her coach on technique.

It's a good back and forth forming as Joan gets clipped to her face by the straight head hunting punches of the beautiful blonde, while she finds ways inside to work the body of Dors, getting a mixture of applause from the crowd with whistles.

Final twenty seconds sees Diana stand her ground, maybe showing she isn't worried about Joan's power or the first lack of discipline from her, both cracking each other with hard cross punches to faces, going toe to toe before the bell rings to end a pretty even round.

Round 2:
Throwing more punches in volume now they know what they are in for, Joan is showing she is the faster fighter as she dips under punches to work the tummy of Dors, driving the blonde back towards the ropes before being shoved back.

The crowd whistling as they watch these two beauties pounding each other, Joan dips into an uppercut that rocks her onto her heels, Diana coming on strong now as she finishes the opening minute of the round by knocking Joan into a corner, the raven haired stunner needing to cover up tight as Diana barks in effort while throwing hooks.

Clinched up, both throw rabbit punches to back of heads as the referee steps in to split them up, eyes full of fury as they try to push past them to get back at their rival, coaches yelling at them to box smart.

The power of Diana starts to give her control of the action, a sweeping right cross bangs across Joan's cheek, she is knocked into the ropes as Diana now whacks her to the tummy, Collins tight bum clenched as those punches are ripping through her.

At the bell Joan stares hard at Diana, who heads back to her corner shaking her hips with a big grin on that beautiful face, both fighters coaches telling them to be smart about how they are fighting, too often they are swinging big shots with nothing to set it up.

Round 3:
Throwing more jabs before she steps in, Joan is having more success as she is finding more angles to strike, the crack of leather on Diana's body has Collins fans cheering more loudly, Diana landing mostly clipping punches around the top of her younger foes head.

Swinging in a left hook that finds air, Diana gets caught now with an uppercut to her chin that rocks her back, A LEFT HOOK THEN CATCHES DIANA TO HER JAW TO MAKE HER STUMBLE TO HER BACKSIDE!

Joan tells Diana "get up so I can really hurt you!" Getting a loud roar, 1..2...3... Diana shakes her head to clear any cobwebs, 4...5...6.. Moving to her right knee, she watches the count, 7...8.. Up gets Dors as she bangs her gloves together, eyes looking past the referee to her rival, who is waving her to bring it.

Back they come together with Joan weaving under some swinging punches from Diana, the blonde furious at being knocked down, things made worse by the fact she is missing and being made to pay by Joan's fists smacking her back.

Covering up as they enter the final thirty seconds, Diana is pressed to the ropes as Joan is insulting her while whacking her to the body, it's a hell of a sight as the crowd is yelling and applauding Joan's skill.

The round ends with Joan returning to her corner all smiles, Diana looking more dower as she sits on her stool, her coach wiping her down as she is told once again to not get reckless, Diana nodding as she knows she can't take Joan lightly.

Round 4:
Banging her gloves together, Diana looks refocussed as they exchange jabs to start, Joan still able to get inside to land some good punches but now she is meeting real resistance after an easy round last time.

A jab slams into her chest to push her back, Joan gritting her gumshield before a right slams across her cheek, Diana knocking sweat from the head of Joan, who is trying to stand her ground but another right hook opens a cut above the left eye of Collins.

Who is looking a little frantic, seeing her own blood has shocked her, Diana pounding her punches more square into the face of Collins, sending sweat with blood flying into the air, Joan needing to hold onto her to get a breather.

Before she knows it though they are back at it, Joan needing to be elusive late on, use her jab to keep the range and box off the back foot as Diana hunts her down up till the bell rings, what a turnaround for Dors, who doesn't celebrate this time as she just focuses on her opponent once she is on her stool.

Round 5:
The cut has stopped bleeding but is definitely playing on the minds of both fighters, a game of cat and mouse breaks out as Joan is moving on the back foot landing some crisp jabs to the chest of Dors, who is throwing straight punches that just miss that cut eye.

Spotting her chance after forty seconds of chasing, Diana gives Joan a shove into a corner behind the raven haired fighter, she lands a right across the eye, Joan crying out as the sight of claret returns, Diana's fans telling her to have Joan as she starts to hammer her beautiful face without any mercy.

Joan trying to fight out the corner but the beating she is taking is clearly taking it's toll judging by her punch output, her left eye now starting to swell as her coach has the towel ready to save the young starlet, THAT GETS TAKEN OUT THEIR HANDS AS A RIGHT HOOK TO THE TEMPLE MAKES JOAN COLLAPSE ONTO HER KNEES!

Diana roars to the crowd as she heads to the neutral corner, leaning in the turnbuckles as she waves Joan to get up, 1...2...3.. Joan is blinking with her good right eye as she looks out of it, 4...5...6.. Trying to find her feet, Joan is shaky, 7...8.. Leading to her slipping and falling to her left side, 9...10 that was it! Joan was counted out!

Winner Diana Dors KO Round 5

After:
Heading over to Joan, Diana showed her contempt for her by pressing her right foot into her chest as she stared at her, telling Collins "don't you f**king dare thing you are better then me", then she flexes her arms for the cameras with a beaming smile as bulbs flash.

Once Diana was happy she made had made her point, she returned to her corner with arms in the air and a real swagger to her step, her coach patting her on the back for announcing herself to the celebrity fighting world with a brutal knockout.

While Joan had to be slowly helped onto her stool, she come fully around looking furious, she told her coach "I got lazy there, I should have had the cow" with her coach reminding her it was her first pro fight and she didn't do badly.

Joan was helped from the ring after her cut was patched up, she looked a sight for sore eyes with her left becoming a good shiner for the tabloids to capture days later, a battle scar to remember this fight by.

Back in the ring all eyes were on Diana, who hand one hand on her left hip as her right was lifted by the referee, though her body was hurting from Joan's attacks, Diana did her best to hide that fact with a smile that was more her gritting her teeth to not say "ouch" off her body's pain.

She left the ring that night full of swagger, telling the papers the next morning outside her house "I told you all I am the sexiest, now you see I am the toughest bytch around, tell Marilyn Monroe to give me a call!", which of course sparked the beginnings of that feud.

Though it would take a few more years for that encounter to take place, Diana first had to go through her British & European rivals, as she would later tell interviewers when looking back at this period "the Americans didn't respect my talents, I can't tell you why that is, maybe because I was better then their girl and they couldn't admit it".

For Joan this early fight and the ones around the fifties were what shaped her for her Dynasty days, Joan would step onto carpets of mansions to catfight, box rivals and once she got to America, she had her prime rival in Linda Evans to make the big bucks off, those two while never becoming friends, learned respect for the other and more importantly would admit they made a living off that rivalry, this was the fight that begun the journey for Collins.