Retro Bout: 1967

Posted by Simguy on 1/1/2006, 11:27 am.

Before: they called Jean Hale the “Poor Man’s Kim Novak”, and like Novak, Hale was a throwback 50s-style blonde bombshell trapped in the emerging era of the 1960s sex kitten. Her style was more Mansfield than Welch: strong punching, slow hands and feet, durable tummy and chin. A come-forward, steady worker, Hale’s busiest year as a fighter was in support of 1967’s “In Like Flint”--a year that would see her take beatings at the hands of Andress and Novak, but compete well against Diane Cilento (twice), Goldie Hawn and Lucianna Palucci to a standstill in a notorious Bond Girl/Flint girl contest, the jury was out on Hale: she seemed to lack elite class, but she did give a good account of herself almost every time out, Coming into Jill St. John, pundits were split on whether to favour the veteran blonde or not.

For Jill St John--in 1967 still years removed from her fighting prime and international renown--was considered a can’t miss, blue chip prospect. Tall, strong, young--St, John had pounded her way up the ranks in a series of gaudy mismatches and calculated risks that had made her one of BLONDE! Magazine’s “Fighters to Watch” in 1967. Hale would be yet another stepping stone in the careful management of the young redhead, but unlike some of the previous victims, everyone knew Jean could put a girl through her paces. “We thought Hale would be a good test,” recalled one St. John camp follower, “Someone Jill could really develop with.”

Fighting in a palm-shaded, outdoor ring in the Bahamas, before a select crowd of Jet-Setters and industry big-wigs, St John wore a baby blue hipster bikini with bra straps and twist-tied top, with her trademark tight red curls. Hale fought in white hipster bikini with a sturdy push  up top supported by wide shoulder straps.

During R1: Hale jumped out to an uncharacteristic fast start, rocking St. John moments in with a right cross and dropping her to her knees with a series of clubbing follow up rights to the back of the head. St John rallied, but was badly stunned and Hale took brawny advantage, crowding Jill at the ropes and handing out a thump-tacular beating. Hale’s blue eyes shone Arctic cold as she meted out this punishment, reaching in to palm the insides of Jill’s elbows, oppressing her shoulder into Jill’s chest to smack her--it was Hale at her methodical best, piling on mileage to her opponent’s curvy torso in a shutout first.

R2: St. John warily circled to her right, eyes betraying her anxiety about Hale’s right hand. Jean stalked patiently, right at her cheek; a heavy stepped-in jab backing St. John up and spanking crisply against her forehead. Hale leaned in with short, muscular rights ticketed for Jill’s chin, but it was the hook Jean really wanted: bending forward with her right hand, Jean dug left hands up out of her crouch, really worrying Jill’s right flank and bringing a grimace to St. John’s lips. Again, the young redhead’s back hit the ropes and she assumed a grabby, don’t-hurt-me posture. Hale refused to cooperate--coming in with her head below Jill’s chin, batting away thick to the waist both dukes and pounding up-torso in Jill with thumping work to the chest,. St. John would slug back late the round to avoid dukes and pounding up-torso on Jill with thumping work to the chest.; St John would slug back late the round to avoid another shutout, but swinging off her heels and foundering on the ropes, redhead simply couldn’t budge determined blonde from her dominant position on the former’s chest.

R3: Hale pawed her jab, crouched, crept forward, snuck right hands to the body and chin of St John, collected hooks as Jill tottered backward. Scuffing up and absorbing punishment--Jill St John looked confused and harried--often reaching out to palm Jean’s broad white shoulders before stepping away from her. Hale kept to the same plodding, but consistent pace--walking Jill down, systematically bashing at the arms, chest, tummy, mopping up the chin as it became available. St. John spent more time with her back to the ropes--upright, flustered--pushing at hale and sponging some terrific, compact clout from her determined opponent. After 3, Jean Hale had not only swept the cards--she was bullying and battering her luscious foe.

R4: St, John rallied, firming up mentally, standing her ground and treating Jean hale to a does of her own medicine this round, Flat footed and strong--Jill banged out a hard jab, twisting into short right hands to answer Hale punch for punch, and this time--it was the blonde battler stepping away with a frown on her brow. Jill’s jab--still in it’s infancy as a weapon--was clearly more educated than Hale’s when St. John cared to use it--and she did so to great effect this round, steering Hale and backing her up. Jill enjoyed her first moments of supremacy at the ropes as Hale covered up and shrank back, absorbing thudding redhead leather on pale shoulders, biceps and hips. Jill finished the round trying to punch her way through the stooped over blonde’s guard with right uppercuts, banging away against the tightly closed forearms as Hale grimaced under fire at the bell.

R5: St. John continued her winning ways, discovering that Jill hale was a completely different fighter when forced to back up. Jean’s eyes took on a hooded, resentful look as she covered up and stepped away from Jill’s pounding jabs and whistling right crosses--unable to stand toe-to-toe with the resurgent redhead. Jill’s eyes danced brightly as she hopped after her foe and pounded Hale’s creamy waist, sitting blonde in the ropes and working her over with ever-increasing authority. Hale’s blocking defense was sturdy and effective, but she felt the strength of St. John’s wallops, even on the arms and flanks. Sulking at the ropes, her face buried in her mitts, her torso tilted forward--Jean Hale was giving up everything she had worked so hard to achieve in the first few rounds, as a grinning St John treated herself to pampered blonde torso meat in the fifth. As she had in the fourth, St., John  finished up the fifth with short, jerking right uppercuts, this time stuffed repeatedly into the overhanging mass if Hale’s hulking breast at the bell.

R6: Jean pawed the jab, caught Kill a hard right hand over St., Johns carelessly low left hand and just like that--blonde stole redhead thunder. Jean carried into Jill on follow through, immediately clinching to smother the receipts and walking St. John to the ropes. A push to disengage, a pawing jab, another clubbing right hand and another buxom clinch: Jean Hale was executing pitch-perfect punch-and-clutch, frustrating Jill, who had been enjoying the more wide open slugging of the 4th and 5th. Hale scored rights short to the chin; dug hooks behind the elbow and deep to paunch; reached in around Jill’s waist and bore her bodily into the ropes, St. John pouted and pushed, clearly uncomfortable bearing Hale’s weight, but just as clearly confused as to what might be done about it. And then, it happened: pushing and bumping on Jill, Jean leaned into a booming right cross on the chin that out St. John out in her feet. It wasn’t immediately apparent: Jill drooped forward, still upright, her arms reaching instinctively around Hale’s shoulders. Jean stepped back, digging short lefts and rights into proud redhead paunch and jugs--as the gap widened, Jill wilted father and farther forward before spilling face-and-jugs to the mat. Just like that--it was over: KO6 Jean hale.

After: The significance of this fight wasn’t clearly understood at the time, When St. John’s sleeping cheek bounced off canvas--most in the audience thought she’d bitten off more than she could chew and that the fight would be a manageable setback for the classy redhead--all of which turned out to be true. But Hale was given very little credit for the win at the time--congratulated to be sure--but hardly feted for the achievement. Only in hindsight was it realized that jean hale had pounded out one of the all-time greats with a masterful, controlling and disciplined performance. A gem in the otherwise pedestrian career of  Hollywood’s many unsung starlet-battlers.

Reposted by Archer 7/13/11