Phyllis Burch (April 13, 1962 – July 6, 2017) was an American

professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...

active from 1979 to 2013. Burch wrestled under the names Diane Von Hoffman, The Teutonic Terror, and Lady Beast. She wrestled in Memphis's

United States Wrestling Association The United States Wrestling Association (USWA) was a professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee. The company was founded when the Memphis-based Continental Wrestling Association merged with the Dallas-based World Class Wrestlin ...

(USWA) in the 1990s as Moondog Fifi, a member of The Moondogs stable. She also wrestled for the

Ladies Professional Wrestling Association The Ladies Professional Wrestling Association (LPWA) was a women's professional wrestling promotion which operated in the early 1990s (ca. 1989–1992). It was considered a successor to such women's promotions as Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (GLO ...

, Continental Wrestling Association, and

Ladies Major League Wrestling Ladies Major League Wrestling (LMLW) was a women's professional wrestling company that operated from 1989–1992. Their cards were promoted under the Wild Women of Wrestling (WWOW) name. History Howard Brody incorporated the Ladies Major Le ...

Professional wrestling career

Burch initially trained with Dale Mann while attending Fern Creek High School. She also trained under

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 ...

at her training school beginning in 1981. While training, Burch worked at a local IHOP to make money. She originally worked as Moolah's

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 ...

partner and used the ring name Diane Von Hoffman. She also worked in Japan, the Philippines, and Canada with

Leilani Kai Patty Seymour (born January 23, 1960) is a semi-retired professional wrestler, better known by her ring name Leilani Kai. She began training with The Fabulous Moolah right after finishing high school. In the 1980s, as part of the World Wrestling ...

. In Japan, she worked as The Teutonic Terror, a German villainess. In the 1990s, she worked in the USWA as Moondog Fifi, a member of The Moondogs stable. She was ringside as their manager in June 1992, when The Moondogs lost the

USWA Tag Team Championship The USWA World Tag Team Championship was the primary professional wrestling tag team championship promoted by the Memphis, Tennessee-based United States Wrestling Association (USWA). The Continental Wrestling Association and World Class Wrestling ...

Jeff Jarrett Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett (born July 14, 1967) is an American professional wrestler and promoter. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he also serves as Director of Business Development. Beginning his career in his father ...

and

Jerry Lawler Jerry O'Neil Lawler (born November 29, 1949), better known as Jerry "The King" Lawler, is an American color commentator and professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, although he has not performed as a full-time commentator since Ap ...

in a

steel cage 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 ...

. In September 1992, she won the USWA Women's Championship from

Miss Texas The Miss Texas competition was founded in 1937 as a scholarship contest for young women. The winner represents Texas in the Miss America pageant; three winners have gone on to be crowned Miss America (but none since 1975). To become Miss Texa ...

. That same year, as part of The Moondogs' ongoing feud with Jarrett and Lawler, her head was shaved in the middle of the ring. The feud between the Moondogs and Jarrett and Lawler was later voted "Feud of the Year" by ''

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 Publi ...

''. She also worked in

Continental Wrestling Federation Continental Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion based in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Dothan, Alabama from 1985 until 1989, owned by Ron Fuller. The promotion evolved out of the NWA-affiliated Southeastern Championship Wr ...

as Lady Beast.

Personal life

Burch was previously married to fellow wrestler Ringo Mercanerio, with whom she had two daughters named Melissa and Marla. She died on July 6, 2017, at the age of 55 after knee surgery.

Championships and accomplishments

*''

'' ** Feud of the Year (1992) – *

** USWA Women's Championship (1 time)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hoffman, Diane Von 1962 births 2017 deaths American female professional wrestlers Professional wrestlers from Kentucky Sportspeople from Louisville, Kentucky Sportswomen from Kentucky 21st-century American women