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These stories are entirely fictitious accounts of fights that may have taken place in an alternate universe in the mid-1950's between Hollywood personalities. Contains descriptions of nudity, lesbianism and violence.

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MITZI IN HOLLYWOOD Chapter 18 - "Boxing Shirley" - by Kim and Ginny

THE FIGHT - FIRST ROUND

Shirley came straight out of her corner toward Mitzi, her hands together in front of her chest. She was smiling, her cocky confidence clear from her body language. Mitzi, serious and business-like, assumed the classic boxers stance, bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet and moving fluidly as she circled to her left around Shirley.

Shirley opened the action as she twisted her body into a hard right that Mitzi leaned away from. It just missed her chin and Mitzi's face showed a flash of fear but she grinned quickly at the realization that her months of practice had led her to make the right move by reaction. As Shirley straightened up, Mitzi jabbed a left to Shirley's face hard enough that it snapped her head. Shirley looked surprised as she backed up, wiped her nose and checked her glove for blood.

With an animal growl, Shirley surged forward, dipped her right shoulder and airmailed her best knockout punch addressed c/o the side of Mitzi's jaw. This time, Mitzi bobbed left and Shirley's fist glanced off her right shoulder turning her body slightly, but not doing any damage. As her shoulders turned away, Mitzi flicked out her left hand in a rote response as Cyd had drilled into her during endless sparring sessions. Mitzi's jab brushed across Shirley's right bicep and thunked her on the forehead. Shirley was badly off balance, so the light jab send her right to the canvas on her ass. She bounced once and made a cute bee-stung "o" with her lips.

Mitzi stood over Shirley in shock as the redhead quickly scrambled to her feet, stunned but unhurt by the love tap. The referee quickly moved between them and sent Mitzi to her corner while he checked to see if Shirley was alright.

"I'm not hurt, ya lummox. Get outta my way," Shirley mumbled through her mouth protector as she tried to force her way around the referee to get at a grinning Mitzi.

Cyd was yelling at Mitzi from her seat, "Keep your feet moving. Keep your left jab in her face."

The referee wiped Shirley's gloves on his shirt before he gestured for them to resume. Shirley's face was bright red, not from Mitzi's punches but from her embarrassment at being knocked down by a woman she'd called "weak." She shook her shoulders and rushed Mitzi who was slow coming out of her corner where she getting instructions from Cyd. Shirley threw an overhand left that ricocheted off Mitzi's right glove. A wide-swinging right hand clubbed the blonde on the ear and had Mitzi stumbling out of the corner to her right.

Shirley chased her down and threw another roundhouse right hand that smashed Mitzi's own glove against her cheek as she attempted to block it. The punch hit with such force, it made Mitzi fall back into the ropes. She bounced off and ducked under another right that was thrown with such force it spun Shirley around when it missed. Mitzi scurried away and got her feet in motion while Shirley collected herself and gave chase.

Mitzi got up on her toes, graceful, bouncing up and down as she skipped around Shirley who kept her feet set, sliding one in front of the other as she stalked the busty blonde. Mitzi had felt Shirley's power; power perfected by slamming her fists into a big, heavy punching bag during training. Mitzi knew she wanted to avoid that power. The dance-type training Cyd had drilled into Mitzi paid off as she easily kept away from Shirley's bull-like rushes and wild swings.

The round went by rapidly, or so it seemed to the two women. Mitzi's left jab was an effective defense and won valuable points from the three judges. Most importantly, it frustrated Shirley. She became increasingly reckless as time wound down since she'd made a pre-fight promise to, "knock that weakling out in the first round." Every time Shirley got close and tried to set her feet to throw one of her powerful right hands, Mitzi's jab would jar her and it was impossible for her to get set or to time her own punches.

With thirty seconds remaining in the round, both women were perspiring heavily and breathing hard. Shirley hit Mitzi in the body with a hard right that stopped her in her tracks. That it hurt was obvious to everyone from Mitzi's grimace. Shirley set herself and swung a "from the knees" uppercut intended to do serious injury if not knock Mitzi out cold.

But Mitzi had learned the hard way from her sessions with Cyd not to leave her chin "hanging out there" and as she realized Shirley was winding up, she collected her wits and pulled her head back - just in time. Shirley's fist whistled past her face so hard Shirley almost threw her shoulder out of joint. Mitzi slapped out with a straight right of her own that hit Shirley's face and dropped the off-balance redhead on her backside.

Shirley rolled over quickly and was on her knees before the referee even got Mitzi to the corner. By the time he came back to start counting, Shirley was standing and shaking her head in disgust. She nodded to show she was unhurt and slammed her gloves together in a display of anger. She was now determined to wreak vengeance on Mitzi for the humiliation of being knocked down a second time.

The referee wiped Shirley's gloves again, but she shoved him away and charged at Mitzi, throwing punches with both hands and pummeling the blonde who crouched and covered her head with her hands as Shirley landed several thumping punches before the bell ended the first round.

BETWEEN ROUNDS

Mitzi returned to her corner with her arms hanging limp at her sides. She dropped on her stool, her butt making a wet "THWAP" on the bare wood. She leaned against the corner ropes as Cyd gave her a drink of water and massaged her shoulders.

"You were doing great," Cyd said, "until you stopped moving and jabbing right there at the end."

Mitzi looked at her and sighed, "The ring is so crowded. With me, her and that referee, there's barely room to move. I tried to keep away but she can almost reach from one side of the ring to the other. There's no place I can go."

"I warned you," Cyd snapped angrily. "You gotta keep moving. See what happens as soon as you stand still? She can seet her feet and start to tee off. You coulda been hurt by those punches."

"I DID get hurt! But I can't believe how tired I am," Mitzi gasped. "I've never been this exhausted after an entire wrestling match. Heck, even a long dance number never took this much outta me. And this is only the first round! What's wrong?"

Cyd chuckled. "It's natural. I told you about it weeks ago. There's this adrenaline rush at the start of a fight but it wears off once you can sit down and collect yourself between rounds. Take deep breaths and relax, you're doing great. You knocked her down twice and she barely laid a glove on you. I'm so proud of you. Just stay focused in the next round. Stay up on your toes, keep moving, don't let her corner you and you'll be fine."

Across the ring in the opposite corner, Shirley was not only out of breath and arm-weary after throwing so many hard punches, she was angry that they'd accomplished nothing!

"That lucky bitch! I can't believe it!! She was dancing and prancing around like some damn showgirl. I came to fight, not dance with her! I'm worn out from chasing her around the ring."

Shirley was puffing hard and she complained to Gretchen about being arm-weary and tired. Much the same way Cyd had with Mitzi, Gretchen dismissed it and told her to ignore it. Gretchen told Shirley, "Relax, you're doing fine. She didn't hurt you. Don't change anything, keep doing what you're doing. We'll be fine."

Shirley took a gulp of water.

"Don't change? I don't know if I can run after her like that for another round. I'm gonna beat on that cute little belly and that big soft chest she's flaunting. I gotta slow her down or I'll collapse myself. It's a good thing Frank got such a small ring or I'd never catch up to her. I'm surprised YOU didn't think of that. You must be slipping!"

As Gretchen got her mouthpiece ready, Shirley's eyes narrowed as she saw Mitzi getting last minute instructions from Cyd. She tried to see what advice Cyd was giving, hoping to use it to her advantage in the next round.

"Remember what we practiced," Cyd told Mitzi. "Jab, jab, cross. Then when you have her set up, give her the ol' 1-2." As she spoke, Cyd stood in front of Mitzi , "punching" with her hands using two "jabs" followed by a right under the tip of Mitzi's chin. Shirley tried not to look overconfident as she stood up for the second round bell.

SECOND ROUND

Mitzi was on her feet, shaking her shoulders and bouncing on her toes when the bell rang. She raised her hands and danced out to meet Shirley. She felt more confident than when the fight started for she'd done better than she'd hoped. Shirley hit her harder than Cyd or Anne had during training but, except for one body shot late in the round, none had really hurt. She knew this round would be the key. If she kept Shirley away from her and her jab thumping Shirley's face the way Cyd wanted, she could win the fight and get a chance at the championship.

Shirley had calmed down between rounds and was now taking a more analytical, less frenetic tact. As Gretchen counseled, she decided not to try to knock Mitzi out but attack her body and punish her. Hurting girls was new to Shirley, but one she had embraced with gusto once she felt the "rush" of having another woman under control and making her cry. She'd done it to Mitzi in the restaurant and now she wanted to do it to her again; this time in front of her friends and supporters. It would almost make up for not knocking her out crisply and cleanly in the opening minutes of the fight, almost - but not quite.

Shirley moved methodically, keeping her feet under her and her body balanced, ready to throw "bombs" at the first opening. Mitzi was on her toes, moving to-and-fro, side-to-side, her left hand flicking out to annoy Shirley by smacking her on the nose, mouth, forehead or eyebrows. Most of her jabs missed, but they disrupted Shirley's timing anyway. Those that struck snapped Shirley's head and rattled her brain. She wasn't moving her torso or her feet, so she was an easy target.

Whenever she got Mitzi within range, Shirley tried one of her crackling left hooks to the body or a screaming right to her head. Mitzi blocked most with her forearms, biceps or shoulder and Shirley grew more frustrated as they neared the mid-point of the second round. Mitzi hadn't hit her very often or very hard but she'd landed several solid left jabs and Shirley's nose was beginning to bleed. As she wiped the blood from her upper lip, Shirley got mad.

Shirley lowered her head and bulled into Mitzi, slamming her between the breasts with her lowered shoulder. She heard a satisfying grunt on impact and felt a rush of exhilaration as she drove a hard left-right to Mitzi's narrow waist. The two women fell into the ropes clinching and Shirley plunged her right into Mitzi's stomach a third time before the referee pried them apart and allowed Mitzi to get away, although she was panting hard and rubbing her tummy.

Mitzi's face betrayed her anxiety, so Cyd yelled something to her. Mitzi nodded, but Shirley realized she'd found a way past the blonde's annoying jab. As soon as she righted herself, Shirley went after Mitzi again. It took her several seconds to close with her adversary although she thought her body attack had slowed Mitzi's dancing a little. Once she was within range, Shirley once more ducked her shoulder and charged. This time, however, Mitzi wasn't taken by surprise. As Shirley bulled into her, she turned her body and dropped her right hand over Shirley's left shoulder, hitting her behind the left ear.

Shirley's momentum carried her past Mitzi and she sprawled on her hands and knees with the upper half of her body draped outside the ropes above Nikki who stared up open-mouthed in shock and surprise. Mitzi let out a whoop of joy and raised her hands as she turned to look for a corner into which (she'd finally learned) she was supposed to go when she knocked Shirley down. It was a different than wrestling and she still wanted to jump on her opponent as soon as they hit the mat. It took Mitzi a while to get used to the difference in rules between the two styles of fighting. But, by the third time she knocked Shirley down, it had become second nature.

Shirley untangled herself from the ropes and got to her feet. When she realized the referee was counting, she complained that she'd stumbled and fallen, or at least been pushed rather than knocked down. Either way, it shouldn't count as a knockdown. He ignored her, wiped her gloves on the front of his shirt and motioned for them to resume fighting. Shirley was scowling. It was finally getting through to her that she'd underestimated Mitzi and, if she didn't hurry up and DO something, she may actually lose. It helped her focus as she struggled to recall the advice Gretchen and her girls tried to teach, but which she ignored in her hubris.

Shirley stomped her foot angrily and hit her gloves together to snap herself out of her funk. It was beginning to dawn on her that she'd have to change her way of fighting if she wanted to be successful. Clearly, what she'd been doing was NOT working. She started to move her feet more and circle with Mitzi who was now bouncing even more confidently than before. The sight of Mitzi's big bosom jiggling just out of her reach was infuriating, but Shirley kept reminding herself there was plenty of time left to make Mitzi pay for her insolent disrespect.

Mitzi again tried a jab at Shirley's face, but Shirley now realized Mitzi was doing what she'd seen Cyd showing her in the corner (jab, jab, right). The next time Mitzi jabbed twice, Shirley's right hand was already on it's way before the second jab left her face. Shirley's right hit high on Mitzi's forehead and knocked her off balance. Mitzi's third punch of the series (the right) missed Shirley by a mile.

As time wound down, Mitzi kept throwing jabs but Shirley was timing them now. Like a good dancer, Mitzi had an internal clock with a rhythm of it's own. Shirley had learned Mitzi's tempo, now she was predictable. When Mitzi started her 1-2-3 combination, Shirley counterattacked before Mitzi reached "3" the right hand. Mitzi jabbed on "2", Shirley ducked and turned into a brutal left hook that exploded on Mitzi's sternum. She grunted and backed off as the gloved hand thudded off her breastbone. Shirley moved forward quickly and banged a right off Mitzi's left bicep as she raised her hands and bent over to protect her breasts. This was the chance Shirley had waited for!

With Mitzi cowering in front of her, Shirley set her feet and teed off. Mitzi no longer tried to punch back, just stood there taking what Shirley was dishing out. Even so, Mitzi's defense was a tough nut for Shirley to crack. At first . . .

Shirley was able to block Mitzi's jabs but Mitzi's mind stayed with her learned "dance" routine, unable to improvise. When she rose up from her crouch to try the "jab-jab-right" routine once more, Shirley took advantage of the expanse of pale torso in front of her and banged a left or right to Mitzi's finely honed body. After several of those exchanges, Mitzi stopped trying to jab and crouched in a corner protecting her head and upper body with her hands, arms and elbows while she waited for the bell to save her from more punishment.

Shirley took her time, she started to pick the stationery blonde apart. She dipped her knees and drove her fist up under Mitzi's elbows into her ribs or the abs girdling her tight stomach. At first, Mitzi was able to shake off the body-jarring blows, but when Shirley turned her full weight into each one, she heard Mitzi grunt as a fist slammed into her tender flanks. In her eagerness to stop the pain, Mitzi made the mistake of lowering her arms, leaving her head vulnerable.

Shirley landed a looping overhand right that buckled Mitzi's knees and shoved her butt back between the corner ropes. With Cyd screaming for Mitzi to, "Move! Get out of the corner!" Shirley put her forearm across Mitzi's chest and uppercut her below the breasts twice before the referee stepped in to break them up and give Mitzi a chance to escape the corner.

Shirley reached out and grabbed Mitzi's bra, hooking the thumb of her left glove between her breasts. She used the hold to turn Mitzi around to hit her. Mitzi pulled away and when Shirley tried to yank her back, the flimsy "tearaway" bra broke. The material between the cups snapped and Mitzi, dazed and hurt, looked down in surprise as her bare breasts popped free. She grabbed at the bra with both hands, blushing deeply, as Shirley drew back her right hand. The referee jumped in and wrapped his arms around Shirley just in time to save Mitzi.

He stopped the fight and tried to fix Mitzi's "equipment." Unable to repair it, he took Mitzi to her corner and had Cyd pull it down around her waist rather than waste time removing it. He shook his finger at Shirley, warning her about "dirty tricks." The brief stoppage, gave Mitzi a few valuable seconds to regain her senses.

At the moment the referee restarted the fight, Shirley surged forward and put her head against Mitzi's. The two women stand toe-to-toe trading lefts and rights to the body. Mitzi protected her head as Shirley pounded a hard right to her stomach. Mitzi's knees wobbled as she dropped her hands to her burning stomach which exposed her head. Shirley cuffed her in the ear and Mitzi went spinning out of the corner along the ropes, using her hands for support to keep from falling. Shirley walked after her, grabbing Mitzi's shoulder, turning her and slicing a hard right across the blonde's cheek and nose.

Mitzi's head rocked back, then she lunged forward, throwing her arms around Shirley's shoulders and holding on as the Shirley desperately tried to get room to throw the punch she *knew* would end Mitzi's resistance. But Mitzi held tight and she couldn't get her hands free to punch before the referee again moved in to separate them. Shirley was forced to back off and give Mitzi more time to recover.

In her eagerness to hurt Mitzi, Shirley wound up and threw a wild right that the ducking Mitzi took on the shoulder. It rocked her but also gave her the impetus to stumble back out to the middle of the ring where she could run. Shirley hurried after her and ran her down on the far side, cuffing Mitzi about the head and shoulders in her eagerness to land a telling blow.

Desperately, Mitzi bobbed her head and moved her shoulders from side to side, using her gloves to cover her face. Shirley grabbed the back of Mitzi's head and thrust an uppercut up between her elbows that rocked the blonde and sent her arching backward against the top rope. With Mitzi hurt and dazed, Shirley moved in to begin the punishment she felt Mitzi so richly deserved for showing her up.

Just an instant before the bell, Mitzi threw an uppercut that, while not delivered with much power, still caught Shirley under the chin and rocked her head. The bell rang but Shirley, enraged by the disrespect showed for her, continued to hit Mitzi after the bell. The referee wrapped his arms around Shirley from behind and dragged her off of Mitzi who slumped in the corner holding her side. Even then, Shirley kicked Mitzi once before Gretchen scrambled into the ring and helped drag her away to her corner.

"I'll kill you bitch!" Shirley screamed as she shook her fist at Mitzi who had to be helped to her stool by a worried Cyd Charisse. The referee came over, grabbed Shirley's shoulder and shook his finger at her. Then he went to each of the judges and penalized Shirley for hitting and kicking Mitzi after the bell.

BETWEEN ROUNDS

Cyd waved an ammonia capsule under Mitzi's nose while Mitzi shook her head, her eyes wild and frightened.

"Relax," Cyd said, splashing water on Mitzi's face. "You're fine, don't panic. You're way ahead and she really hasn't hurt you." Mitzi reached down and gently touched her ribs, wincing she hissed, "YOU might not be hurt, but MY ribs are really sore. Get me another bra too, she ruined mine. I can't fight without a bra."

"There's no time to go looking for a stupid bra," Cyd snapped. "Forget about your bra and keep your mind on the fight. You got a lot more problems than a bra. Besides, your boobs look great."

Gretchen meanwhile was telling Shirley, "Slow down Shirl. Take it easy out there. You're in control of the fight now, don't make a mistake and leave yourself open like you did before. Beat up her body, hurt her; but don't do her a favor and knock her out. That'd just end her pain and humiliation and you wanna make it last as long as you can. You hurt her enough and she'll turn tail and run away."

Shirley nodded and her lips twisted in a crooked grin. "Yeah, that's right. That's a good idea. I really hurt her the last round and she hasn't hardly laid a glove on me. I wanna make that little simp suffer. I'm gonna hurt her so bad she'll quit right there in front of all those fawning fans. That'll teach her who the best boxer is."

THIRD ROUND

By the time the bell rang to start the third and last round, Mitzi had regained her composure and was once more focused. Shirley was still fussing and fuming at Gretchen who was telling her she's doing fine and to just calm down. Both women stood before the bell, but it was Shirley who *leaped* out of her corner and attacked Mitzi before she was three steps from her corner. Shirley landed two quick, hard body punches that stung Mitzi and sent her sliding along the ropes hunched over with one hand over her ribs and the other over her face as she tried to escape.

Once more Shirley rushed blindly after her and, once more, Mitzi jarred her with a short, straight left jab that halted the brutish redhead in her tracks. Mitzi cuffed Shirley's ear with a right and used it to push past her to glide away across the ring, bouncing on her toes but her left hand on a fresh red blemish over her left ribs.

Shirley slammed her fists on the ropes in frustration, turned and chased after Mitzi, running her down in the corner where Cyd Charisse was standing and screaming at Mitzi, "Move...move your feet."

Shirley cut off Mitzi's retreat and trapped her in the corner as she wrestled against the ropes. As they clinched, she banged lefts and rights into Mitzi's ribs behind her protective elbows. The "THUMP" of leather on flesh was accompanied by grunts from Mitzi each time Shirley got in a clean shot to her ribs.

Several times Mitzi tried to push Shirley away so she could get out of the corner, but Shirley kept a knee between Mitzi's legs which made it impossible for her to escape. Shirley put her head on Mitzi's chest and banged her ribs with both hands and whipped a right or left to her head whenever she lowered her hands to shield her tender sides from the assault.

The referee finally stepped in and made Shirley back up so Mitzi could get off the ropes. The blonde was obviously hurting as she walked rather than using her footwork by dancing and gliding. Shirley quickly pursued, grabbed Mitzi's arm, spun her around and slammed her right fist, twice, against Mitzi's ribs buckling her knees. Mitzi grabbed Shirley's arms and held on, trying to catch her breath.

Shirley grabbed Mitzi under the arms and threw her several feet across the ring into the ropes, moved in and clinched again, using the opportunity to slug Mitzi again in the ribs which brought a high-pitched whimper from the blonde. Mitzi tied up Shirley's arms, trapping the redhead's gloves between their chests so Shirley couldn't hit her in the ribs.

Suddenly, Mitzi screamed and shoved Shirley away! She looked down and saw red marks across the tip of her bare breast where Shirley had raked the laces of her gloves over the soft, sensitive flesh. Mitzi turned to the referee, cupped her breast as she pouted, "She scratched my boob!"

The referee immediately stepped in and put his arm between them while he checked out Mitzi's bosom closely. He wagged a finger under Shirley's nose. "I warned you before about those stunts, MacLaine. One more dirty trick and I'll stop the fight."

Shirley angrily pushed the offending finger from her face and moved toward Mitzi who backed up rubbing her lacerated breast with the palm of her glove, her eyes wide. Shirley threw a flurry of punches at the injured breast, forcing Mitzi to cradle her right arm over her bosom to shield it while her left elbow was low at her left side covering her ribs. That posture let Shirley land a left that rocked Mitzi and sent her stumbling back to the ropes in trouble again. Her breast was burning from her own sweat and liniment from Shirley's gloves.

Mitzi leaned her back on the ropes and allowed Shirley to thump fist after fist into her body, working her stomach until she dropped her hands, then banging away at her exposed breasts or ribs. Despite all the punches she was landing, Shirley's frustration at her lack of success showed itself by her taking chances to try to hurt Mitzi even further. She grabbed Mitzi's left wrist and pulled her arm forward, twisting Mitzi and pulling her off balance, then she slammed her right fist as hard as she could into Mitzi's already damaged ribs.

Mitzi screamed and collapsed to her knees clutching her side, tears spilling from her eyes. Shirley stood over her, her lips curled in a sneer, her gloves in front of gesturing for Mitzi to, "Get up." The referee moved in rapidly and pushed Shirley away, cursing at her for holding and hitting. He walked to the side of the ring and told each of the judges to disregard the knockdown before he went to Mitzi and helped her to her feet.

"Are you OK?" He asked, "How are your ribs? Can you continue or should I stop the fight?"

Mitzi's face showed her pain, but she mumbled, "OK," and slowly raised her gloves to her chin.

Shirley lost all control when she heard the referee tell the judges to disregard the knockdown. She'd damn sure knocked Mitzi down and she intended to do it again! Furious at being "cheated" of the knockdown, she reached around the referee trying to hit Mitzi as soon as she raised her gloves. When the referee turned around one way to stop her, she ran the opposite direction and started banging away at Mitzi again until the referee separates them.

Mitzi just stood at the ropes and allowed Shirley to walk right up to her. She laid her head on Shirley's shoulder as the redhead went to work banging her body. Suddenly, Mitzi's body convulsed as she reacted to a particularly vicious "low blow." She gasped and her hands dropped straight to her lower tummy. Shirley never missed a beat. A whistling right hand cracked Mitzi on the side of the jaw and she dropped to her knees and then pitched forward, face down at Shirley's feet.

The ecstatic redhead jumped up and down and raised her hands over her head, dancing and celebrating in her belief the fight was over instead of going to a neutral corner as the rules require.

Shirley was screaming at the referee to start the count, but he told her not to tell him how to do his job. He grabbed her arm and took her to the corner. "I oughta forfeit the fight right now after that low blow."

"Low blow?" Shirley yelped. "Since when's it illegal to hit her in her face?"

He put a hand on her chest and told her gruffly, "You stay *right* there. Don't move until I tell you to come out. Any more of that stuff and you're finished." Shirley grumbled and mumbled, but she remained in the corner while he went back to where Mitzi was beginning to stir but before he could start to count, Gretchen distracted him by screaming at him. Finally, he turned to Mitzi and began to count.

"One."

She got up at "eight" barely aware of where she was. The referee checked her eyes and asked her if she was alright. She said she was, but before he cleaned off her gloves he held up two fingers.

"How many do you see?" he said.

Mitzi's thick, powerful legs were her pride and joy. They had earned her a good living as a dancer. Now, these twin pillars that supported her throughout the fight were lifeless and weak. It was as if Shirley's hard fists that battered her body had finally forced even her strong legs to submit to the awesome arm-strength and punching power of the redhead. She looked down at her wobbly legs and then back up at the referee.

"Two," she said.

He motioned for Shirley to come out of her corner and continue boxing. Shirley wasted several seconds whining to the referee about his "slow count" which just gave Mitzi a few more seconds to clear her head before she attacked. Shirley backed Mitzi around the ring and Mitzi no longer tried hit back, just clutched at every opportunity, held on and looked over Shirley's shoulder at Cyd who is screaming at her to keep moving.

The extra time had given Mitzi a little time to recover and when she remained crouched with her gloves at her cheeks and her arms protecting her ribs. She couldn't throw punches from that position but all she wanted now was to survive and just not be hurt anymore. Shirley landed 3-4 hard punches that drove Mitzi back into her corner where she covered up. Shirley beat on Mitzi's body until the referee moved in to separate them.

Shirley backed up a few steps and as soon as Mitzi came off the ropes, then stepped in and brought her right hand up from her hip. Her glove smashed through Mitzi's loose arms without resistance. It wedged apart Mitzi's breasts and crashed on the point of her chin. Mitzi's body jerked up and back, her legs locked and her eyes rolled back in her head. She dropped right on the seat of her panties and slumped back into the corner, her arms draped limp over the bottom ropes with her long, strong dancers legs stretched full length in front of her. Her left foot twitched a couple of times and then was still. Shirley thrust her right hand in the air and danced across the ring to the far corner as the referee turned to Mitzi and started to count.

The crowd was on their feet roaring and screaming. A few feet away Cyd was leaning on the ring apron, yelling into Mitzi's ear and pounding her open hand on the canvas. On the far side of the ring, Gretchen was on her feet, her mouth open in shock, her eyes wide. Nikki stood with her neck craned forward trying to get a better look at Mitzi, her hand clutching Gretchen's arm so hard the nails nearly drew blood.

Mitzi slowly shook her head from side-to-side as the referee started to count, almost as if pleading with him not to count her out. She gave her head a vigorous shake as she tried to get up, but her legs collapsed and she dropped on her butt, shaking her head sadly as the referee counted to ten before he waved his arms over Mitzi's prostrate body. Shirley turned around and climbed on the ropes, shaking her fists in the air and blowing kisses to her fans.

The referee came over, raised Shirley's hand, then flung it down in disgust before he turned his back on her as the crowd spilled into the ring. Cyd helped Mitzi who was still dazed and disoriented while Gretchen tried to get Shirley down off the ropes. Frank and the time keeper grabbed the referee and pulled him aside in a hurried conference. It was chaos.

After several minutes of confusion, Frank announced that time had expired before the referee had finished counting over Mitzi's body, but that with all the noise, the referee hadn't heard the bell. He said they'd have to tabulate the scores of the judges to determine the winner. He read the scores one at a time with lots of dramatic pauses:

"Judge Rocky Graziano scores the bout 26 - 24 for Gaynor!

"Judge Doris Day scores the bout 27 - 25 for MacLaine!

"Referee Joe Louis scores the bout 27 - 25 for the winner - and the next contender for the championship, Mitzi Gaynor!

(Mitzi in Hollywood will continue in Chapter 19)