[sinclairfan]

Reasons why Tatum O'Neal's 2007 Wicked, Wicked Games catfight is a classic.

1.  It's Tatum O'Neal!!  The Bad News Bears tomboy, all grown up.  We all wanted her to catfight in Bad News Bears, and knew that she wanted to too--there was just no worthy opponent.  Well, now she has one.
2.  Physical matchup:  the two women are identical in height and build, and face which is emphasized and re-emphasized in the buildup.
3.  Blonde vs brunette.  'Nuff said on the point.
4.  Wife vs mistress/ alienation of affections.  The wronged wife gets to confront her rival.
5.  The clothes:  professional business clothes, yet comfortable enought to fight in, including the sensible fight shoes.
6.  Class conflict:  rich bitch vs (literally) maid.
7.  The first punch:  Tatum baits her enemy, begging her to do something about it.  She gets her wish.
8.  The purse:  it's not set down.  It's punched loose.
9.  The audience:  3 attractive women.  Pride on the line.
10.  Tactics--mostly catfighting, but some good uppercut gut punches.

[Bear]

Thanks for the tip.  Had never seen it before, until now.  It IS a good one. 

[VAKris]

Debbe Dunning always a favorite.  Does a great job of selling the reaction to a gut punch.  Real fight I think Debbe would have taken Tatum apart but this was exciting to watch.   Some of the daughters on Wicked Wicked games would have been great fighters also.  And you also have Joan Severance that could have been in the mix.

[Sandman13]

My only objection is that there was not a clear winner and loser. Otherwise, great fight.

[sinclairfan]

Tatum's "Bad News Bears" character was the ultimate 1975-1981 IRL subliminal catfight matchup trope.  During those years, Little League / Babe Ruth League / American Legion baseball teams would have one, and usually only one, female player; who of course was a tremendous athlete.  When the two teams took the field, everyone on the field and in the stands would be mentally sizing up the two opposing females and wondering who would win between them if a brawl broke out.

Then, if the boys' baseball and affiliated girls' softball teams traveled together and watched each others' games, the highest-skilled softball girls would be staring daggers at the baseball-playing girl, quietly rooting for her to fail.

[damon96_05]

My only objection is that there was not a clear winner and loser. Otherwise, great fight.

True. Also a little too short, but Debbe Dunning looked great. Almost forgot how hot she was. Almost