[ 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 ...
. Her career spanned from the 1950s to the 1980s, during which time she was known for her toughness in the ring. She worked along well-known female professional wrestlers such as 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 ...
, 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 Mildr ...
, and Gladys Gillem. She also wrestled in mixed tag team matches with partners such as her husband Doug Gilbert
Douglas Gilbert (born February 5, 1969) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with regional professional wrestling promotions throughout the Southern United States, as well as for Extreme Championship Wrestling ...
and 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 ...
. During her almost thirty years wrestling, she held the Texas Women's Championship, Central States Women's Championship, and AWA World Women's Championship
The AWA World Women's Championship was the women's professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a dramatic enactment of wrestling as a spectator sport. As is the norm for this sport, women's professional wrestling is organized by wrestli ...
. She was also 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 ...
in 2001, before dying of stomach cancer in April 2006.
Professional wrestling career
Noble first wanted to become a professional wrestler at age 15 and wanted promoter Gust Karras to help her break into the business.[ She, however, did not begin her professional wrestling career until 1957 at the age 18 after being approached by a promoter in her hometown of ]St. Joseph, Missouri
St. Joseph is a city in and the county seat of Buchanan County, Missouri. Small parts of St. Joseph extend into Andrew County. Located on the Missouri River, it is the principal city of the St. Joseph Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includ ...
. She was trained by Laura Martinez and Sonny Myers
Harold "Sonny" Myers (January 22, 1924 – May 7, 2007) was an American professional wrestler, involved in the business for sixty years.
Professional wrestling career
Myers held prominent heavyweight championships in several territories, most ...
.[ The following year in October 1958, Noble, along with ]Lorraine Johnson
Lorraine , also , , ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; german: Lothringen ; lb, Loutrengen; nl, Lotharingen is a cultural and historical region in Northeastern France, now located in the administrative region of Gra ...
, 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 ...
, and Laura Martinez were charged with inciting a riot when they began fighting outside of the ring, but they pleaded not guilty in court.[ The promoters of the event paid the fine.][
She later helped train male professional wrestler ]Colonel DeBeers
Edward Wiskoski (born January 10, 1945) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances in the American Wrestling Association under the ring name Colonel DeBeers from 1985 to 1990.
Early life
Wiskoski was the fi ...
.[ During her career, she held both the Texas Women's Championship and Central States Women's Championship.][ Throughout her years wrestling, Noble was known for her toughness and strength.][ She was also a high-flying wrestler.]
In the 1960s, she worked primarily in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
.[ During this time, she wrestled a series of mixed tag team matches with her husband Doug Gilbert against Roy Collins and Barbara Baker.][ She also wrestled a series of matches against and teaming with ]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 ...
.[ She also wrestled as the partner of ]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, ...
in mixed tag team matches against Jean Antone
Jean Antone (July 17, 1943 – August 4, 2016) was an American professional wrestler. After debuting in 1961, she worked a series of mixed tag team matches with partner Terry Funk. In the early 1970s, she went to Japan to work for All Japan Women' ...
and 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 ...
.[ Funk was also her partner on occasion.][ Her other well-known opponents included Penny Banner, ]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 Mildr ...
, and Gladys Gillem. In 1963, she won the vacant AWA World Women's Championship
The AWA World Women's Championship was the women's professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a dramatic enactment of wrestling as a spectator sport. As is the norm for this sport, women's professional wrestling is organized by wrestli ...
by defeating Kathy Starr in Minnesota, and she held the title for approximately eight years, losing it to 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 ...
in November 1971 in Canada.
She was named WFIA's "Girl Wrestling of the Year" in 1971.[ By the 1980s, Noble only wrestled part-time while raising her children In 2001, 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 ...
, a society of retired professional wrestlers, honored her contributions to women's wrestling.[
]
Personal life
She once worked for Bob Geigel
Robert Frederick Geigel (October 1, 1924 – October 30, 2014) was an American professional wrestling promoter and professional wrestler. He operated the Kansas City, Missouri-based Heart of America Sports Attractions promotion from 1963 to 1986 ...
as a bartender in Kansas.[ After retiring from professional wrestling, Noble entered into the pest control and upholstery industries.][ Noble owned Kay's Upholstery in ]Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo ( ; Spanish for "yellow") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Potter County. It is the 14th-most populous city in Texas and the largest city in the Texas Panhandle. A portion of the city extends into Randall County ...
. She later worked in pediatrics at Baptist St. Anthony's Hospital.[ In her spare time, she played the piano.][
Noble was first married to ]Doug Gilbert
Douglas Gilbert (born February 5, 1969) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with regional professional wrestling promotions throughout the Southern United States, as well as for Extreme Championship Wrestling ...
(Doug Lindzy), whom she met in an elevator and married in 1959.[ The couple had three children: Teresa, Michael, and Steve.][ At this time they lived in North Branch, Minnesota where the children started school in ISD 138. later they bought a home in ]South Bend, Indiana
South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan), St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 United S ...
, where they also owned horses.[ Her second marriage to Dean Fortune produced two sons, David and Danny.][ In November 1985, she married Dick Bell, to whom she was still married at the time of her death.][
She died on April 27, 2006 in Amarillo, Texas due to an inoperable ]cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
of the stomach, having been diagnosed the previous October. Her funeral was on May 1, 2006.[ At the time of her death, she also had 20 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.][
]
Championships and accomplishments
* American Wrestling Association
The American Wrestling Association (AWA) was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 until 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo. The territory was originally part o ...
** AWA World Women's Championship
The AWA World Women's Championship was the women's professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a dramatic enactment of wrestling as a spectator sport. As is the norm for this sport, women's professional wrestling is organized by wrestli ...
(1 time)
* 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 ...
** Other honoree (2001
The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...
)[
* ]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 ...
** National Women's Television Championship (1 time)
** NWA World Women's Tag Team Championship
The NWA World Women's Tag Team Championship is a women's professional wrestling tag team championship defended in member promotions of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).
History
From the early 1950s through 1983, it was the first women's w ...
(1 time) – with Lolita Martinez
* 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 (1 time)[
* NWA Texas
** ]NWA Texas Women's Championship
The NWA Texas Women's Championship is the National Wrestling Alliance's women's professional wrestling championship in the state of Texas.
Title history
See also
*Jim Crockett Promotions
*National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestl ...
(2 times)[
* ]Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
The Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame (PWHF) and Museum is an American professional wrestling hall of fame and museum located in Wichita Falls, Texas currently closed to water leaks. The museum was founded by Tony Vellano in 1999, and was previo ...
** Lady Wrestler (Class of 2010
The 2010 general election took place on 6 May 2010 and saw each of Parliament's 650 constituencies return one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons. Parliament, which consists of the House of Lords and the elected House of Commons, ...
)[
* Wrestling Fans International Association
** WFIA's Girl Wrestler of the Year (1971)][
]
References
External links
Slam Wrestling obituary
{{DEFAULTSORT:Noble, Kay
1940 births
2006 deaths
American female professional wrestlers
AWA World Women's Champions
Deaths from stomach cancer
Deaths from cancer in Texas
Professional wrestlers from Missouri
Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
Sportspeople from St. Joseph, Missouri
Stampede Wrestling alumni
20th-century American women
20th-century American people
21st-century American women
20th-century professional wrestlers