[maine516]

Anyone here have an interest in this topic?  I've recently collected about 40 of his western paperbacks and have read 24 so far.   All but 3 had at least one catfight (some have several catfights).  I'm trying to find the best catfights in the approx. 130 or so westerns books he wrote.   I can share the titles of what I've read so far.  I'm looking for others to share titles of books they've read that I haven't yet come across.     

[sinclairfan]

The best was Belle Boyd vs Eve Coniston, round 2.  They both get caught spying in Mexico, and their punishment is to fight topless in a saloon full of guys, and the guys get to have their way with the loser.  Belle wins with a pair of double-knees to Eve's chest.

There's one where Calamity Jane has like a 45 minute showdown fight with a villainess that ends with Calam dunking the bad girl in the water, but it's never explained where the bad gal got the fighting skills to go toe-to-toe with Calam, so that ruined it for me.  There's also one where the villainess declines a 1on1 showdown with Calam in a corral--what a cruel tease on the reader!

Edson seems to be partial to Belle Boyd, so look fot her fights over Calamity Jane's.

[Bear]

A passing glance at an actual photo of Calamity Jane would douse even the most ardent catfight fan's interest in imagining her in any kind of sexy activity.  That being said, history holds that brothel / saloon owner Madame Bulldog physically threw Jane out of her establishment in Virginia City, Nevada one evening.  The Madame was no looker either -- hence the nickname. 

[sinclairfan]

Hey hey hey.  Put some 21st century blue jeans on Calamity Jane and from the neck down, you've really got something there.

[maine516]

I agree that the Belle vs. Eve fight is an excellent one - I have that book.  One of my favorites is Calam vs. a villainess in Ranch War.  The fight is outdoors and ranges all over the place.  The Quiet Town brawl is also very good.

Anyone know of some great fights from the earlier books he wrote in the '50's and '60's? 

[sinclairfan]

The Ranch War fight always bothered me because it's never explained where the bad girl got the skills to go toe-to-toe with Calamity Jane for an hour.  Or was Calamity just having a bad day?

[tomboy999999]

Pre internet etc JT 's books were one of favourite catfight sources.

IIRC one of the very best western catfights was in " diamonds ..." I've forgotten the full title but the UK paperback cover actually featured the catfight - daring in those days.

The lesser known Bunduki series - a sort of sub Tarzan series set in Africa had a cool english woman " Dawn" who was Bunduki's partner/love interest. As Bunduki was Hunki ( sorry) she had several fights with local women - pretty good ones too

[ripher_apart]

Buy a paperback book called Mistress Glory.... It takes place in England during the time of bare knuckle boxing.  One lady gets her boyfriend to show her how to fight.  She challenges a larger woman to a fight or a fight takes place and is well done, though short in length...
bill

[sinclairfan]

Just bought the last 1 cent used copy still on Amazon-thx

[colt 45]

If you can, find the Rockabye County series.  Female deputy is involved in several fights and all have apartment house wrestling in them.  Very good.  All Edson's books were good reading as well as good fights.. The Wildcats and the Bad Bunch have several with Belle Boyd, Calamity and Belle starr in them.

[sinclairfan]

In the Rockabye County series, there's one that the deputy shows up at a woman's house intentionally out of uniform, specifically so they can fight.  And if I'm not mistaken, there's biting involved in the fight.

[maine516]

I just finished "The Trouble Busters". There's a very good fight between Freddie Woods and Kate Gilgore.  They are are rival saloonkeepers and Freddie is also the mayor (and later marries the hero Dusty Fog). The confrontation builds up over several chapters and culminates in a showdown behind locked doors in Freddie's saloon, with their saloon girls also getting in on the act in an overall brawl (no men in the saloon). Freddie and Kate keep getting separated so they go into Freddie's office, lock the door, pause for a drink, and then continue their lengthy battle.

I'm now reading "Slip Gun". This also has a very good fight between Wil Jeffreys and Lily Shivers. Wil is the mayor and Lily is the saloonkeeper. Their rivalry goes back to childhood and there is a very nice build up to the fight in previous chapters. They finally agree to fight topless in Lily's room where there is only a bed. The other furniture has been conveniently moved to the hallway for redecorating. Lily locks the door and they have a sexy, long battle. This fight is now one of my favorites.

I now have 45 of his westerns - and I've just ordered 3 more. I've read 25 so far. Only 3 do not have a catfight, but they still have strong female good and bad characters and they are good stories.

I'm not a fan of female ring wrestling, mud wrestling or boxing; I prefer the different scenario fights with good buildups. Lengthy, even battles between attractive, well-built women, starting out topless, or becoming topless or nude as the fight progresses. These are the type of fights I'm looking for in JT's books.  The 2 books I described above are just that.

[maine516]

sinclairfan - Just curious, do you happen to recall if the Rockabye County fight you mentioned where the deputy shows up at a woman's house out of uniform so they can fight is from "The Sheriff of Rockabye County"?  I'm planning to get some of the books in this series soon.  Thanks.

[sinclairfan]

Maine- sorry, I don't have the book available, but no that title doesn't sound quite right.

[sinclairfan]

I also like that the girl JT liked better always won the fight.  That's why he never had Calamity Jane fight Belle Boyd--he loved each of them equally, and didn't want to choose.