Professional wrestling career
In 1962, while working at the ticket counter for a professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling that has little relationship to the rules of the amateur olympic form. "Promotion" also describes a role which entails man ...
, she met The Fabulous Moolah
Mary Lillian Ellison (July 22, 1923 – November 2, 2007) was an American professional wrestler better known by her ring name The Fabulous Moolah.
She began her career working with promoter Billy Wolfe and his wife, wrestler and trainer Mild ...
, who offered to train Casey to wrestle. Casey soon decided to take Moolah up on her offer and moved to South Carolina to train.[ Her first match was a ]tag team
Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establish ...
match that pitted her and Judy Grable
Nellya Baughman (August 21, 1935 – May 11, 2008) was an American professional wrestler who was best known by her ring name Judy Grable. She was an active wrestler during the 1950s and 1960s. In addition to her nickname "The Barefoot Contessa" d ...
against Rita Cortez and Brenda Scott
Brenda Scott (born March 15, 1943) is an American film and television actress. Her stage name comes from an F. Scott Fitzgerald character.
Early life
On March 15, 1943, Scott was born in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Career
Scott appeared in films suc ...
that fall.[ Casey also wrestled Miss Brenda in a ]two out of three falls match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
for the opening of a December 1962 card Card or The Card may refer to:
* Various types of plastic cards:
**By type
***Magnetic stripe card
*** Chip card
*** Digital card
**By function
***Payment card
****Credit card
**** Debit card
****EC-card
****Identity card
****European Health Insur ...
also featuring Fred Blassie
Frederick Kenneth Blassman (February 8, 1918 – June 2, 2003) was an American professional wrestler and manager, known by the ring name "Classy" Freddie Blassie. Renowned as "The Hollywood Fashion Plate","Classy" Freddie Blassie with Keith Elliot ...
. While working under Moolah, Casey traveled all around the United States; she was also one of the first women to ever compete in a tag team match in the state of Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
.[ While in Hawaii, Casey fell in love with a local champion surfer and took a brief hiatus from wrestling.][
Two years later, Casey returned to the continental United States and professional wrestling.][ She worked for promoters ]Vince McMahon, Sr.
Vincent James McMahon (July 6, 1914 – May 24, 1984), sometimes referred to as Vince McMahon Sr., was an American professional wrestling promoter. He is best known for running the Capitol Wrestling Corporation, which was later renamed WWWF (World ...
, Vince McMahon, Jr., and Leroy McGuirk
Leroy Michael McGuirk (December 13, 1910 – September 9, 1988) was an American amateur and professional wrestler, and wrestling promoter. He was involved in professional wrestling for more than fifty years. As one of the longest surviving member ...
.[ During this time, she wrestled Donna Christanello at ]Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...
in New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
.[ In 1964, she had a match that pitted she and ]Penny Banner
Mary Ann Kostecki (August 11, 1934 – May 12, 2008), better known by her ring name Penny Banner, was an American professional wrestler.
Best known for her time spent in the American Wrestling Association (AWA), she was also the Commissioner of ...
against Cora Combs
Beulah "Cora Combs" Szostecki (March 17, 1927 – June 21, 2015), and Kathy O'Brien.[ The following year, she defeated ]Kay Noble
Mary Charlene Noble (October 15, 1940 – April 27, 2006), known from childhood by her nickname Kay Noble, was an American professional wrestler. Her career spanned from the 1950s to the 1980s, during which time she was known for her toughnes ...
in a match, but was defeated in another match by Bette Boucher.[ She was also defeated by ]Mae Young
Johnnie Mae Young (March 12, 1923 – January 14, 2014) was an American professional wrestler. She wrestled throughout the United States and Canada and won multiple titles in the National Wrestling Alliance. Young is considered one of the pione ...
in a 1968 NWA United States Women's Championship
The NWA United States Women's Championship was a sporadically used women's professional wrestling championship in the National Wrestling Alliance from 1968 until 1987.
Title history
Footnotes
See also
*List of National Wrestling Allianc ...
match.[
With ]Vivian Vachon
Diane Vachon (January 23, 1951 – August 24, 1991) was a Canadian professional wrestler and singer, best known by her ring name Vivian Vachon. A member of the Vachon family of wrestlers, she was the sister of Maurice and Paul Vachon, and the au ...
as her partner, Casey defeated Donna Christanello and Cora Combs in a 1970 match.[ In 1972, Casey discovered that her son had gotten involved in drug trafficking with a truck driver, and after she forced him to stop, the truck driver shot her six times.] Although the doctors told her that her professional wrestling career was over, Casey was able to wrestle again within several months.[ In 1974, Moolah offered to let Casey win the USA Women's Wrestling Championship from her, and Casey was subsequently never defeated for the belt.][ Later that year in December, Casey also won the vacated NWA United States Women's Championship by defeating ]Toni Rose
Toni Rose is an American retired professional wrestler.
Professional wrestling career
Rose grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. She decided to become a professional wrestler at the age of seven, but first attended Terre Haute High School and col ...
in a match.[ She held the championship for approximately four years before losing it to ]Joyce Grable
Betty Wade-Murphy (born November 9, 1952), better known by her ring name Joyce Grable, is an American former professional wrestler. She was the long-term tag team partner of Wendi Richter. She held the NWA United States Women's Championship once ...
.[ Meanwhile, wrestling magazine '']Pro Wrestling Illustrated
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publish ...
'' recognized Casey as the " Girl Wrestler of the Year" in 1975.
Retirement
Casey remarried and had a daughter in the 1970s.[ She still occasionally wrestled, and from 1980 to 1985, she worked for the Mississippi Forestry Commission.][ Afterward, she received her ]paralegal
A paralegal, also known as a legal assistant, or paralegal specialist is a professional who performs tasks that require knowledge of legal concepts but not the full expertise of a lawyer with a license to practice law. The market for paralegals i ...
license, as well as a bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
in criminal justice
Criminal justice is the delivery of justice to those who have been accused of committing crimes. The criminal justice system is a series of government agencies and institutions. Goals include the Rehabilitation (penology), rehabilitation of o ...
with a minor in psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...
from the University of South Alabama
The University of South Alabama (USA) is a public research university in Mobile, Alabama. It was created by the Alabama Legislature in May, 1963, and replaced existing extension programs operated in Mobile by the University of Alabama. The first ...
.[ After divorcing her second husband, she began working as a bail bondsman.][ Subsequently, she opened a restaurant and drove trucks.][
Casey's last match occurred in 1990, when she defeated Judy Grable to retain the USA Women's Championship.][ In 2004, she was honored by the ]Cauliflower Alley Club
The Cauliflower Alley Club is a non-profit fraternal organization, which includes a newsletter and website, comprising both retired and active professional wrestlers and boxers in North America.
Established in 1965 by Mike Mazurki and Art Abram ...
, an association for retired professional wrestlers.[
After retiring from the ring, Ann Casey wrote an autobiography titled ‘Autobiography of professional woman wrestler, Ann Casey: The Lady, The Life, The Legend.’] The book, made available as print-on-demand, comprises more than three volumes and is over 1,000 pages long. A shorter adaptation of Casey's autobiography appeared in Brooklyn-based sports magazine Victory Journal in December 2014 under the title "The Legend of Panther Girl", with the tagline "She fought to win. They shot to kill."
Death
Casey suffered a heart attack in 2005, and was hospitalized in later years. She died on March 1, 2021, at the age of 82.
Championships and accomplishments
*Cauliflower Alley Club
The Cauliflower Alley Club is a non-profit fraternal organization, which includes a newsletter and website, comprising both retired and active professional wrestlers and boxers in North America.
Established in 1965 by Mike Mazurki and Art Abram ...
**Honoree (2004)
*National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is an American professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion and former professional wrestling governing body operated by its parent company Lightning One, Inc.
Founded in 1948, the NWA ...
**NWA United States Women's Championship
The NWA United States Women's Championship was a sporadically used women's professional wrestling championship in the National Wrestling Alliance from 1968 until 1987.
Title history
Footnotes
See also
*List of National Wrestling Allianc ...
(1 time)
*''Pro Wrestling Illustrated
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publish ...
''
** Girl Wrestler of the Year (1975)
*Other titles
**USA Women's Wrestling Championship (1 time)[
**Southern States Ladies Championship][
**Mississippi State Ladies Championship][
]
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Casey, Ann
1938 births
2021 deaths
21st-century American women
American female professional wrestlers
Native American professional wrestlers
People from Mobile County, Alabama
Professional wrestlers from Alabama
20th-century professional wrestlers