TRIFULCA '79... or...CATFIGHT '79

Our Miss Universe-ologists who are writing their dissertations on the 1970's will recall the horrific incident in 1979 when the stage collapsed just after the new Miss Universe, Venezuela's Maritza Sayalero, was crowned. Well, this incident was not the first post-pageant pandemonium that Maritza encountered on her journey to Miss Universe. At the 1979 Miss Venezuela Pageant, Maritza found herself face to face with one heck of a catfight. Seems one of her fellow Miss Venezuela contestants, Maria Fernanda Ramirez, Miss Distrito Federal, was not happy with her placement as a runner-up and the title of "Miss International." Maria Fernanda's family wasn't too happy, either. Luckily for Maritza, Maria Fernanda and her family vented their anger at the judges, as you see in the pictures below.

Here is Maria Fernanda, pre-catfight.

Maria Fernanda was indignant at her placement. She ripped her sash off and threw it at the judges, igniting the catfight. By the way, catfights also broke out after the 1977 and 1978 Miss Venezuela pageants.

Maria Fernanda with her bother. While Maria Fernanda's mother was busy clocking Mr. Nunez, Maria Fernanda's brother took on Mr. Nunez's wife, Antoinette Scannone de Nunez, ex-beauty queen herself and president of the Miss Venezuela Committee.

Maria Fernanda's mother sinks her mighty claws in the face of one of the judges, Luis Teofilo Nunez, of the Venezuelan newspaper El Universal.

After Maritza won the Miss Universe title for Venezuela, Maria Fernanda was still unrepentant. She chirped, "Maritza won...but I would have won and brought the crown to Venezuela as well."

Acknowledgements: A special thanks to Beauty School's Esteemed Benefactor. All photos from VENEZUELA FARANDULA. Translation Note: Trifulca is Spanish for fight or brawl. We took the liberty of translating it liberally as catfight.