Sea Story Mixed Boxing by GES While with the Merchant Marine after World War II my ship called at Copenhagen. I had a day ashore and while wandering around the city I chanced across an arena where a boxing card was scheduled for that evening. Scanning the poster I noticed one of the contestants was a woman by the name of Eika (eye-ka), her last name I could not pronounce nor can I recall its spelling. She was to appear in a four round exhibition at 60 kilos against a male opponent. An odd match I thought, until I learned her background and history through a flyer translated from Danish. During World War II when Denmark was occupied by German armed forces Eika joined the Resistance. Still a teenager she served as a messenger until intercepted one night by a German patrol. She managed an escape leaving behind one German soldier doubled over in pain and another with a knife between his ribs. This incident gained her a promotion to a sabotage group where her daring and aggressiveness earned her assignments with elite strike squads. The mission of these select units was to attack and destroy small patrols and remote outposts. This was close combat, quick and bloody, and in that capacity Eika approved to be one of the most effective and lethal members of the group. Silent and nimble, it was Eika who would be sent forward to cut down a sentry. On disengagement Eika would be the last to withdraw, laying down a final burst of suppression fire to discourage immediate pursuit, then quickly slipping away into that nimbus that surrounds irregular operations. But as the Nazi tide ebbed toward its climatic vortex in Berlin, Denmark was liberated and talents such as Eika's were left with little opportunity for expression. Restless due to this sudden abatement of activity for which she had a natural affinity, Eika continued building on her hand-to-hand combat training in a boxing gym where she had friends from the Resistance. Finally, a chance to relive in a limited way past experiences in the underground, a male boxer her own weight agreed to a four round exhibition bout. It was scheduled to immediately follow the main event tonight. I planned to attend. The boxing card ran its course and the main event finally ended. I must say at that time boxing in Denmark was not of a high order and scheduling this mixed bout after the main event did not bode well. Sensing this perhaps, the crowd thinned out and I was able to garner an aisle seat close to ringside near the steps leading to the ring apron. The male contestant arrived first and Eika a minute or so later. The referee introduced both principals and gave them brief instructions. Eika and her male opponent appeared to be about the same size. Eika's legs were smooth and solid looking, her upper body lean and wiry with her midsection exhibiting a finely honed rack of abdominal muscles. Her shoulders were a little wider than most women's and her dark blond hair was cut short. She wore white boxing trunks and a small white bra across medium sized breasts that were supported by well developed pectoral muscles. On her feet were white boxing shoes and white socks reaching half way to the knees that tended to emphasize her calf muscles. If nothing else, Eika was fit. This in contrast to her male opponent who, while not a slob, was nowhere near the peak condition of Eika. His blond hair, lighter than Eika's, was cut to a flat top, and his demeanor was somewhat that of a guy on a bit of a lark. He did not know he was touching gloves with a buzzsaw. Round one opened and Eika moved swiftly to the attack behind a snappy left jab. It was stick and move for Eika and Eika moved very well indeed. Her male opponent had trouble keeping up with her and had even more trouble landing punches on his elusive target. It was an active round for both but at the end I favored Eika and I hoped she could keep it up for three more. The second round started much as the first but both contestants had loosened up a bit and more movement and action was evident. It soon became apparent that this was to Eika's advantage since she demonstrated the most mobility and virtuosity. Eika had the better left jab and scored repeatedly to the face of her opponent, especially to the nose. About the middle of the round, in an effort to avoid these rapier like blows, Eika's male opponent went into a half-crouch. Immediately Eika stepped forward and in quick succession delivered two of the most vicious right uppercuts I have ever witnessed. The effect on her male opponent was instant and devastating. His head snapped up, he went rearward a couple of steps and fell over flat on his back, his legs flying up into the air, then coming back to the canvas with twin thuds. Eika went to a neutral corner and the referee started the count. The fallen fighter brought himself to a sitting position and sat there shaking his head. His nose was bleeding and he looked surprised and confused. He got to his feet, the referee wiped off his gloves, and the bout continued. Eika moved to the attack throwing a lot of punches, not many of which landed. Her opponent was on a bicycle and did his best to avoid contact. Eika was overanxious and the second round ended with Eika chasing her male opponent around the ring. Round three started on a subdued note. Eika's approach was more deliberate now. She went back to her snappy left jab, occasionally following with a quick right. She was scoring well to the head. To protect himself her male opponent was carrying his hands high. Eika threw a high overhand right lead that brought her opponent's arms forward and up, away from his body. Eika followed her right lead with a classic left hook that dug into the guy's right side at the short ribs just above the waistband of his trunks. The force and precision of the blow drove him directly to his knees. He was hurt. He gasped for air through his open mouth and propped himself up on the canvas with his left hand while holding the other glove to his tortured right side. He took a nine count and the fight went on. Eika, at the top of her game, moved in throwing measured lefts and rights in combinations to both head and body. Her battered male opponent, however, had problems. His breathing was labored, blood from his nose was smeared on his face and on Eika's gloves. His lower lip was swelling and a mouse was forming under his right eye. While Eika, her taut body moist and shiny from perspiration, still looked fresh and able, her male opponent appeared to be weak and foundering. With a series of punches to her opponent's head and body, Eika backed him into the ropes. To escape this punishment he moved down the ropes and Eika trapped him in a corner. There Eika threw viscious lefts and rights to the boy’s body causing him to wilt, than sag, and finally to fall forward, crashing downward into Eika's sturdy legs, ending up in a heap at the tips of her boxing shoes. The guy was on his knees, his rearend up in the air, his right cheek resting on the canvas. His left arm lay along side his body while his right hand pushed feebly against the canvas as though making an effort to rise. Eika, body agleam with perspiration, her large and muscular legs literally dominating the scene, stepped back a bit but did not go to a neutral corner nor did the referee send her there. He simply started a now perfunctory count over the beaten male fighter. The count ended and the referee indicated the fight was over. He then motioned Eika to ring center and raised her hand in victory. The crowd reacted with a mixture of disbelief and approval. Eika, showing no emotion, acknowledged the cheers of the fans with a slight bow, returned to her corner, threw a towel over her shoulders and with her handlers, turned to leave the ring. Stepping between the ropes and moving down the ring steps, Eika presented a fine picture of a smooth, strong, well conditioned body with distinct feminine contours. The complete destruction of her male opponent testified to a functional capability not expected in such a persona. As she passed by me I rose and softly applauded her stirring performance. Briefly she glanced my direction, make a barely perceptible nod, and continued on to disappear, I suppose, into oblivion. I stayed with the Merchant Marine until its near demise compelled me to seek another line of work. My traveling now is as a tourist, long retired. But never before or since have I seen anything quite like that evening so long ago in Copenhagen.