Jean Antone (July 17, 1943 – August 4, 2016) 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 or ...

. After debuting in 1961, she worked a series of mixed tag team matches with partner

Terry Funk Terrence Funk (born June 30, 1944) is an American retired professional wrestler, rapper, disc jockey and actor. Funk is known for the longevity of his career – which spanned more than 50 years and included multiple short-lived retirements – a ...

. In the early 1970s, she went to

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

to work for

All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling , nicknamed Zenjo (全女: 全 meaning "All", 女 meaning "Woman") was a ''joshi puroresu'' (women's professional wrestling) professional wrestling promotion, promotion established in 1968 by Takashi Matsunaga and his brothers. The group held th ...

. While part of the company, she held the

WWWA World Single Championship The was the top singles women's professional wrestling championship in All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling (AJW) from 1970 until it closed in 2005. It was also known in ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' and other London Publishing wrestling magazines as ...

once and the

WWWA World Tag Team Championship The World Women's Wrestling Association (WWWA) World Tag Team Championship was the top doubles championship in All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling (AJW) from 1970 until it closed in 2005. During those years the title was held by many of the most famo ...

twice with partner

Sandy Parker Sandy Parker (born March 2, 1952) is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. She debuted in 1969, wrestling in Canada, the United States, and Japan. In Japan, she worked for All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling, holding numerous titles. She also had ...

. Back in the United States, she wrestled in Oregon's first women's match in over 50 years in 1975.

Professional wrestling career

Antone first decided to be a professional wrestler after watching a match at the age of 14. After high school, her mother offered to buy her a new car or pay for college. Antone refused both, instead wanting her mom to pay for her wrestling training in Florida. She debuted in 1961. In the 1960s, Antone wrestled in a series of mixed tag team matches with partner

against

Jack Cain Jack may refer to: Places * Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community * Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community * Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas, USA People and fictional characters * Jack (given name), a male given name, ...

and

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 ...

. She twice teamed with

Gil Hayes Gilbert Lee Hayes (October 20, 1939 – July 28, 2022) was a Canadian professional wrestler who competed in North American promotions during the 1960s and 1970s including All-Star Wrestling and Stampede Wrestling where he remained a mainstay fo ...

in a mixed tag team match against

Betty Niccoli Betty Jo Niccoli (born October 9, 1943) is an American former female professional wrestler. She wrestled in the United States, Canada, and Japan. She was also influential in helping lift the ban of women's wrestling in the state of New York. Pro ...

and Paul Peller in early February 1971. In the early 1970s, Antone competed in

. In March 1972, she won the

from Aiko Kyo, but lost it to Kyo six days later. She also held the

twice in 1974 with partner

. The duo first won the title on April 24 from the team of Junko Sasaki and Peggy Kuroda, but they re-lost the title to them during a rematch on May 21. Their second reign began on July 30 after defeating Mariko Akagi and Miyuki Yanagi. On August 5, however, Akagi and her new partner Jumbo Miyamoto defeated Antone and Parker for the title. Back in the United States in 1975, Antone wrestled against Parker in the first women's wrestling match in the state of Oregon in 50 years. She also wrestled in the Midwest, including at

All-Star Wrestling All Star Wrestling (ASW) is a British professional wrestling promotion operated by Brian Dixon and based in Birkenhead, England. Founded as Wrestling Enterprises of Birkenhead in October 1970, it has also been known over the years as All Star P ...

. In the Midwest, she was the California, Kansas, and Central States Champion.

Personal life

Antone married her high school sweetheart in a wrestling ring in Mississippi, as she had a wrestling match immediately afterward. They had a daughter in the early 1960s. The couple later divorced. Antone died on August 4, 2016, at the age of 73."'Little Miss Dynamite' Jean Antone dies", by Greg Oliver, ''SLAM! Wrestling''
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Championships and accomplishments

(1 time) **

(2 times) – with

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 ...

(2 times) *

NWA Central States Heart of America Sports Attractions, also known as the Midwest Wrestling Association, Central States Wrestling and the World Wrestling Alliance, was an American professional wrestling promotion that ran shows mainly in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska ...

**NWA Central States Women's Championship (3 times) *

Stampede Wrestling Stampede Wrestling was a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta. For nearly 50 years, it was one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies. Originally established by Stu Hart in 1948, the prom ...

**Stampede Wrestling North American Women's Championship (1 time) *Other titles **California and Kansas Championships

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Antone, Jean 1943 births 2016 deaths American female professional wrestlers People from Laurel, Mississippi Professional wrestlers from Mississippi Stampede Wrestling alumni 21st-century American women 20th-century professional wrestlers