Mary Lillian Ellison (July 22, 1923 – November 2, 2007) 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 ...
better known by her
ring name
A ring name is a type of stage name used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or projecting ...
The Fabulous Moolah.
She began her career working with promoter
Billy Wolfe
William Harrison Wolfe (July 4, 1896 – March 7, 1963) was a professional wrestling promoter who was active from the 1930s to the 1950s. Wolfe was the husband and manager of Mildred Burke and ran a traveling troupe of women wrestlers alongside h ...
and his wife, wrestler and trainer
Mildred Burke
Mildred Burke (August 5, 1915 – February 18, 1989) was an American professional wrestler. She is overall a three-time women's world champion under different incarnations and recognitions.
Burke's heyday lasted from the mid-1930s to the mid-1950 ...
, as well as working alongside professional wrestler
"Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers. She won the
NWA World Women's Championship
The NWA World Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). The title was first won by Mildred Burke in 1937 def ...
in 1956 and was the most prominent holder of the title for 28 years. She is overall an eight-time women's
world champion
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
and to this day holds the record as the longest reigning women's
world champion
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
in combination of all her reigns.
In the 1980s, she joined the
World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
(WWF, later WWE) as part of the
Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection
The 1980s professional wrestling boom (more commonly referred to as the Golden Era and the Rock 'n' Wrestling Era) was a surge in the popularity of professional wrestling in the United States and elsewhere throughout the 1980s. The expansion of ...
storyline, feuding with
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...
and
Wendi Richter
Victoria "Wendi" Richter (born September 8, 1961) is an American retired professional wrestler. She began her professional wrestling career in companies such as the National Wrestling Alliance, where she teamed with Joyce Grable, with whom she ...
, the latter of whom defeated her for the
WWF Women's Championship WWF may refer to:
Non-profit organizations
*World Wide Fund for Nature or World Wildlife Fund, a nature conservation group
*World Water Forum, an international forum for water issues
*Working Women's Forum, a training, trade and credit union in In ...
in the main event of
The Brawl to End It All
The Brawl to End It All was a professional wrestling event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and broadcast live on MTV. It took place at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York on July 23, 1984. The show was a major event in the ...
in 1984. Moolah regained the Women's Championship on two further occasions before entering semi-retirement towards the end of the decade. She continued to make sporadic appearances for WWF/WWE until her death, often in comedic roles with longtime friend
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 1999, she became the oldest champion in the history of professional wrestling, up to that point in time, when she won the Women's Championship for a final time at age 76.
During her lifetime, Moolah was lauded as a leading figure in
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 wrestling federations called promotions. Some promotions are exclusively for women, ...
and was considered one of the industry's greatest wrestlers. She became the first woman to be inducted into the
WWF Hall of Fame
The WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame which honors professional wrestlers and professional wrestling personalities maintained by WWE. Originally known as the "WWF Hall of Fame", it was created in 1993 when André the Giant was posthumously in ...
in 1995 and is also a member of the
NWA Hall of Fame
The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) Hall of Fame is an American professional wrestling hall of fame maintained by the NWA. It was established in 2005 to honor select wrestling personalities, mostly alumni of the NWA. Inductees receive commemora ...
and the
Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
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 ...
. However, her legacy has since been damaged in the years following her death, when allegations surfaced that she had exploited female wrestlers under her tutelage both financially and sexually.
Early life
Mary Lillian Ellison was born in 1923 in
Kershaw County, South Carolina
Kershaw County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 65,403. The county seat and largest city is Camden. The county was created in 1791 from parts of Claremont, Lancaster, Fairfie ...
,
and grew up in Tookiedoo, 12 miles from
Columbia.
[Ellison, Lillian. ''First Goddess of the Squared Circle'', p. 26.] The youngest of five children, Ellison was the only daughter of a part-
Cherokee
The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...
father and an
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
mother. Her parents owned a farm, a grocery store, and a service station.
[
When her mother died of cancer, eight-year-old Ellison went to live with her paternal grandmother and worked on her cousin's cotton farm to make money. At age 10, Ellison was still deeply distraught over her mother's death; to cheer her up, her father took her to the local wrestling matches. Ellison liked the matches, but it was not until she saw Women's Champion ]Mildred Burke
Mildred Burke (August 5, 1915 – February 18, 1989) was an American professional wrestler. She is overall a three-time women's world champion under different incarnations and recognitions.
Burke's heyday lasted from the mid-1930s to the mid-1950 ...
wrestle that "they began to mean much more" to her.[Ellison, Lillian. ''First Goddess of the Squared Circle'', pp. 30–32.]
Ellison returned to the Columbia home of her father and brothers.[Ellison, Lillian. ''First Goddess of the Squared Circle'', pp. 36–38.] She graduated from Columbia High School Columbia High School may refer to:
*Columbia High School (Huntsville, Alabama)
*Columbia High School (Georgia)
*Columbia High School (Florida)
*Columbia High School (Idaho)
*Columbia High School (Illinois)
*Columbia High School (Mississippi), a Mis ...
, but at age 14 married 21-year-old Walter Carroll. They soon became parents to a daughter. A few months after the birth of her daughter, she divorced Carroll.[ Still only 15, she left her daughter with a friend and set out on a wrestling career of her own.][Ellison, Lillian. ''First Goddess of the Squared Circle'', pp. 43–45.]
Professional wrestling career
National Wrestling Alliance (1949 - 1983)
Early career (1949–1955)
Ellison began her wrestling career with Mildred Burke
Mildred Burke (August 5, 1915 – February 18, 1989) was an American professional wrestler. She is overall a three-time women's world champion under different incarnations and recognitions.
Burke's heyday lasted from the mid-1930s to the mid-1950 ...
's husband Billy Wolfe
William Harrison Wolfe (July 4, 1896 – March 7, 1963) was a professional wrestling promoter who was active from the 1930s to the 1950s. Wolfe was the husband and manager of Mildred Burke and ran a traveling troupe of women wrestlers alongside h ...
, the dominant women's promoter of the time.[ She competed with many other female wrestlers, stepping into the ring with the likes of ]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 ...
, Cecilia Blevins
Cecilia is a personal name originating in the name of Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of music.
The name has been popularly used in Europe (particularly the United Kingdom and Italy, where in 2018 it was the 43rd most popular name for girls born ...
and Mildred Burke
Mildred Burke (August 5, 1915 – February 18, 1989) was an American professional wrestler. She is overall a three-time women's world champion under different incarnations and recognitions.
Burke's heyday lasted from the mid-1930s to the mid-1950 ...
. Wolfe was notorious for advising his wrestlers to enter into sexual relationships with either himself or competing promoters to ensure additional bookings, a practice with which Ellison refused to go along. She, however, soon began a romance with wrestler Johnny Long. Long later introduced Ellison to Jack Pfefer
Jack Pfefer (also commonly spelled as "Pfeffer"; December 10, 1894 – September 13, 1974) was an American professional wrestling promoter during the early-to-mid twentieth century. He pioneered an earlier form of sports entertainment, as he was ...
who gave her the moniker "Slave Girl Moolah".[Ellison, Lillian. ''First Goddess of the Squared Circle'', pp. 60–65.] By the early 1950s, Moolah was a valet
A valet or varlet is a male servant who serves as personal attendant to his employer. In the Middle Ages and Ancien Régime, valet de chambre was a role for junior courtiers and specialists such as artists in a royal court, but the term "vale ...
for "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers, accompanying him to the ring while providing eye candy for the male audiences and assisting Rogers against his opponents.[ Ellison broke up the partnership because Rogers kept pushing her to begin a sexual relationship.][ She then served as the valet for the Elephant Boy (Tony Olivas).][ Olivas was Mexican, but had very dark skin, which caused controversy when Ellison, a white woman, would kiss him on the cheek during their ring entrance routine.][Ellison, Lillian. ''First Goddess of the Squared Circle'', pp. 68–69.] At one show in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
, a man, who thought that Olivas was a black man, attempted to stab Ellison with a knife for kissing him.[ Moolah later left Pfeffer's promotion and began wrestling under Boston promoters Tony Santos and ]Paul Bowser
Paul Forbes Bowser (May 28, 1886 – July 17, 1960) was a professional wrestling promoter who was active from the 1920s to the 1950s in the Boston area.Tim Hornbaker,Paul Bowser Biography" 2006
Wrestler
Bowser grew up on a farm in western Pennsy ...
.[Ellison, Lillian. ''First Goddess of the Squared Circle'', pp. 90–91.] In 1955, she began working for 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 ...
's Capitol Wrestling Corporation
Capitol Wrestling Corporation Ltd. was an American sports promotion company. It was run by Vincent J. McMahon from 1953 to 1982. Operating as the Capitol Wrestling Corporation (CWC), the company was originally a professional wrestling and boxing p ...
.[
]
World Champion (1956–1983)
On September 18, 1956, Moolah defeated 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 ...
in a 13-woman battle royal
Battle royal (; also royale) traditionally refers to a fight involving many combatants that is fought until only one fighter remains standing, usually conducted under either boxing or wrestling rules. In recent times, the term has been used in a ...
to win the vacant World Women's Championship, which shares a lineage with the NWA World Women's Championship
The NWA World Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). The title was first won by Mildred Burke in 1937 def ...
.[Ellison, Lillian. ''First Goddess of the Squared Circle'', pp. 98–100.] She was not immediately recognized by everyone as the NWA Champion because Billy Wolfe, with whom she had conflict earlier in her career, still controlled the promotion.[Ellison, Lillian. ''First Goddess of the Squared Circle'', pp. 104–107.] After the match, Vince McMahon, Sr. dubbed Ellison with a new ring name – The Fabulous Moolah.[ Subsequently, ]June Byers
DeAlva Eyvonnie Sibley (May 25, 1922 – July 20, 1998), better known by her ring name June Byers, was an American women's professional wrestler famous in the 1950s and early 1960s. She held the Women's World Championship for ten years and is ...
came out of retirement to challenge Moolah to a match for the title.[ During the match, Moolah acted as the aggressor and pinned Byers to retain the championship.][ Moolah's first World Championship reign lasted over ten years.] Moolah successfully defended the belt against the top female wrestlers in the world, such as Judy Grable and Donna Christanello, while also purporting to befriend some of the biggest celebrities of the day.[Ellison, Lillian. ''First Goddess of the Squared Circle'', p. 73.] Moolah claimed in her book, ''First Goddess of the Squared Circle'', that she formed friendships with Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
and Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as "rock & roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis made ...
.[
After June Byers retired in 1964, Moolah was subsequently recognized as official NWA Champion, thus making her the undisputed Women's World Champion.] Nevertheless, Moolah dropped the belt on September 17, 1966, to Bette Boucher, although she regained the title just weeks later. She also traded the belt with Yukiko Tomoe during a tour of Japan in 1968.[ On July 1, 1972, Moolah became the first woman allowed to wrestle 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 ...
, which had previously banned women's wrestling.[ In fact, Moolah helped overturn the ban on women's wrestling in the entire state of New York, which the ]New York State Athletic Commission
The New York State Athletic Commission or NYSAC, also known as the New York Athletic Commission, is a division of the New York State Department of State which regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of New York, ...
lifted in June 1972.[Ellison, Lillian. ''First Goddess of the Squared Circle'', pp. 134–137.] During her quest to overturn the ban, she flipped football player Roosevelt "Rosey" Grier onto his back on ''The Mike Douglas Show
''The Mike Douglas Show'' was an American daytime television talk show that was hosted by Mike Douglas. It began as a local program in Cleveland before being carried on other stations owned by Westinghouse Broadcasting. The show went into nati ...
''.[ Moolah continued an uninterrupted eight-year reign before losing to Sue Green 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 1976.[ Moolah regained her title a short time later.][ She also bought the legal rights to the championship in the late 1970s,][ and after losing the championship for two days to Evelyn Stevens in 1978, began another long reign, defending her title for another six years.][ Also in the 1970s, Moolah held the ]NWA Women's World 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 ...
twice with 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 ...
.[
]
World Wrestling Federation (1983–1987)
Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection (1983–1987)
In 1983, Vincent Kennedy McMahon began expanding the World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
(WWF) nationally, and Moolah sold him the rights to her Women's World Championship. Moolah agreed to appear exclusively for the WWF, and thus became the first WWF Women's Champion WWF may refer to:
Non-profit organizations
*World Wide Fund for Nature or World Wildlife Fund, a nature conservation group
*World Water Forum, an international forum for water issues
*Working Women's Forum, a training, trade and credit union in In ...
.[ The following year, singer ]Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...
began a verbal feud with manager "Captain" Lou Albano, who long had a reputation of being a villain, that brought professional wrestling into mainstream culture in a storyline that became known as the "Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection."[Ellison, Lillian. ''First Goddess of the Squared Circle'', pp. 169–170.] When it was finally time for Lauper and Albano to settle their differences in the ring, a match-up was scheduled with Albano representing Moolah against the challenge of Lauper's protégé, Wendi Richter
Victoria "Wendi" Richter (born September 8, 1961) is an American retired professional wrestler. She began her professional wrestling career in companies such as the National Wrestling Alliance, where she teamed with Joyce Grable, with whom she ...
.[ After much buildup and hype, the Fabulous Moolah lost the championship to Richter on July 23, 1984, in the main event of '']The Brawl to End It All
The Brawl to End It All was a professional wrestling event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and broadcast live on MTV. It took place at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York on July 23, 1984. The show was a major event in the ...
'', which was broadcast live on MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
.[Shields, Brian. ''Main Event: WWE in the Raging 80s'', p. 87.][ Prior to the match, the WWF promoted Moolah as holding the championship for the previous 28 years.
After losing the title to Richter, Moolah aided ]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 F ...
in defeating Richter for the title in February 1985.[ Richter won it back at the inaugural ]WrestleMania
WrestleMania is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event held annually between mid-March and mid-April by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Since premiering in 1985, 37 editions followed, mos ...
, but when Richter's relationship soured with the WWF, Moolah donned a mask as "The Spider Lady" and regained the belt on November 25, 1985, in a controversial decision.[ Richter was never told she would be losing the title and fell victim to a real-life "]screwjob
Professional wrestling has accrued a considerable amount of jargon throughout its existence. Much of it stems from the industry's origins in the days of carnivals and circuses. In the past, professional wrestlers used such terms in the presence ...
" finish known as " The Original Screwjob". Richter promptly quit the WWF afterward,[ while Moolah continued to be champion for another two years—excluding a six-day reign by ]Velvet McIntyre
Velvet McIntyre (born November 24, 1962) is an Irish-Canadian retired professional wrestler. After beginning her career in 1980, she wrestled in American independent promotions before joining the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). She ...
during a tour of Australia in 1986—before losing the belt to Sherri Martel
Sherry Schrull (née Russell; born February 8, 1958 – June 15, 2007) was an American professional wrestler and manager, better known by her ring names, Sherri Martel and Sensational Sherri.
Martel began her professional wrestling career in the ...
on July 24, 1987.[ She later captained a team at the inaugural ]Survivor Series
Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the sec ...
.[ Her team (Moolah, Velvet McIntyre, Rockin' Robin, and the ]Jumping Bomb Angels
The Jumping Bomb Angels were a female Japanese professional wrestling tag team. The members were Noriyo Tateno and Itzuki Yamazaki, Itsuki Yamazaki.
History Japan
Noriyo Tateno and Itsuki Yamazaki formed one of the most well-known teams on th ...
) defeated champion Martel and her team (Leilani Kai, Judy Martin, Donna Christanello, and Dawn Marie
Dawn Marie Psaltis (born November 3, 1970) is an American actress, nurse and a retired professional wrestler and professional wrestling valet. She is perhaps best known for her appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and the Smac ...
).[
]
American Wrestling Association (1988)
On September 3, 1988, Moolah wrestled AWA World Women's Champion Madusa Miceli to a double DQ on an independent card in Medina, Ohio. Afterwards Moolah would retire from wrestling.
Ladies International Wrestling Association (1990-2000)
During her retirement Moolah was the promoter for Ladies International Wrestling Association (LIWA) in 1990 based in North Carolina. Also the shows were held in Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
. She started wrestling again in 1993 at the age of 70 when she defeated Sunny Brook. On June 21, 1996, she teamed with 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 ...
at LIWA Golden Girls Extravaganza event in Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
where they wrestled Liz Chase and Lori Lynn to a no contest. Moolah continued wrestling for the promotion and even continued teaming with Young. In 2000, while working for WWF; LIWA shut down. Moolah would continue working for WWF.
Return to World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (1995, 1999–2007)
Throughout the early 1990s, she made appearances in video packages and at live WWF events.[ On June 24, 1995, she was the first female wrestler to be inducted into the ]WWF Hall of Fame
The WWE Hall of Fame is a List of halls and walks of fame, hall of fame which honors professional wrestlers and professional wrestling personalities maintained by WWE. Originally known as the "WWF Hall of Fame", it was created in 1993 when Andr ...
.[ In the late 1990s, Pat Patterson and Ellison began jokingly discussing a comeback for her, which resulted in Patterson contacting WWF Chairman ]Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy McMahon (; born August 24, 1945) is an American media proprietor and retired professional wrestling promoter, executive, and performer. From 1982 to 2022, he served as the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the w ...
about the possibility.[Ellison, Lillian. ''First Goddess of the Squared Circle'', p. 205.] In 1999, Moolah and 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 ...
re-emerged in the WWF (later renamed World Wrestling Entertainment, WWE).[ The WWF women's division, however, had since moved away from the traditional athletic match-ups of the past and now featured women competing in sexually-themed ]bikini contest
A bikini is a two-piece swimsuit primarily worn by women that features two triangles of fabric on top that cover the breasts, and two triangles of fabric on the bottom: the front covering the pelvis but exposing the navel, and the back coverin ...
s and strip matches.
Upon returning, Moolah and Young began appearing regularly in comedic roles.[ On the September 9, 1999, episode of '']SmackDown!
''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes simulc ...
'', 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 J ...
invited Moolah, 76, into the ring and smashed a guitar over her head.[ On the September 27, 1999, episode of '']Monday Night Raw
''WWE Raw'', also known as ''Monday Night Raw'' or simply ''Raw'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that currently airs live every Monday at 8 p.m. ET on the USA Network in the United States. The show fe ...
'', Moolah and Young defeated Ivory
Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally from elephants) and teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mammals is ...
in a Handicapped Evening Gown match, which led to a title match at No Mercy on October 17.[ The match saw Moolah defeat Ivory to regain the WWF Women's Championship, thus becoming the then-oldest champion ever,][Ellison, Lillian. ''First Goddess of the Squared Circle'', pp. 2–7.] though she lost the title back to Ivory eight days later.
On the September 15, 2003, episode of ''Raw'', Moolah won a match against Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
. Moolah had been promised the match for her eightieth birthday and became the first octogenarian to compete in a WWE ring. After Moolah's victory, the "Legend Killer" Randy Orton
Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor who is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw brand but is currently out of action due to a back injury. H ...
came out and performed an ''RKO
RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheu ...
'' on her.[ Moolah and Young made another appearance at New Years Revolution in 2006, during a Bra and Panties Gauntlet match attacking Victoria and stripping her of her top. She also made brief appearances at ]WrestleMania 23
WrestleMania 23 was the 23rd annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown!, and ECW brand divisions. The event ...
and the 2007 Draft Lottery on June 11, 2007. Her last WWE appearance before her death was at SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
in August 2007, in a backstage segment with Vince McMahon and Raw General Manager William Regal
Darren Kenneth Matthews (born 10 May 1968), better known by the ring name William Regal, is an English retired professional wrestler. He is known for his over 20 years spent in WWE, as both a performer and an on-screen authority, and for his ti ...
.
Training and promoting
Ellison and her second husband Johnny Long began training women to become female wrestlers, including Ella Waldek
Elsie Schevchenka (December 2, 1929 – April 17, 2013), better known as Ella Waldek (Mecouch), was an American professional wrestler. She was one of the subjects of the 2005 documentary film '' Lipstick & Dynamite: The First Ladies of Wrestling' ...
, Daisy Mae, and Katherine Simpson.[ Long later contacted promoter ]Jack Pfefer
Jack Pfefer (also commonly spelled as "Pfeffer"; December 10, 1894 – September 13, 1974) was an American professional wrestling promoter during the early-to-mid twentieth century. He pioneered an earlier form of sports entertainment, as he was ...
, who agreed to book some of the wrestlers at his shows.[ After marrying wrestler Buddy Lee, he began helping Ellison train the female wrestlers.][ After she left Pfeffer's promotion in the 1950s, Ellison found it difficult to book her trainees in shows due to Pfeffer's influence over other ]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 ...
promoters.[ Ellison claimed Pfeffer would threaten to reveal the pre-planned nature of wrestling if any other promoters did not do as he liked.][ As a result, Ellison began selling cosmetics door-to-door and Lee opened a service station to make enough money to pay their bills.][ They later began to book their wrestlers, including ]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 ...
in Boston, under promoter Paul Bowser
Paul Forbes Bowser (May 28, 1886 – July 17, 1960) was a professional wrestling promoter who was active from the 1920s to the 1950s in the Boston area.Tim Hornbaker,Paul Bowser Biography" 2006
Wrestler
Bowser grew up on a farm in western Pennsy ...
.[
In the late 1950s when the once-dominant promoter of women's wrestling, ]Billy Wolfe
William Harrison Wolfe (July 4, 1896 – March 7, 1963) was a professional wrestling promoter who was active from the 1930s to the 1950s. Wolfe was the husband and manager of Mildred Burke and ran a traveling troupe of women wrestlers alongside h ...
, was out of business, Ellison and Lee began to book their female wrestlers for more and more shows.[Ellison, Lillian. ''First Goddess of the Squared Circle'', pp. 108–112.] They began calling their promoting business Girl Wrestling Enterprises (GWE).[ Ellison demanded a lot from the girls of GWE, including that they had to keep their hair and make-up done, act like a lady, and not date men who were in the professional wrestling business.][ In addition to women, Ellison also trained ]midget professional wrestler
Midget wrestling is professional wrestling involving people of exceptionally short stature. Its heyday was in the 1950s and 1960s, when wrestlers such as Little Beaver, Lord Littlebrook, toured North America, and Sky Low Low was the first holder ...
s, including Katie Glass
Katie Glass (born June 1, 1944) is a retired professional wrestler, better known by her ring name "Diamond Lil".
Professional wrestling career
Glass was trained by The Fabulous Moolah at her wrestling school in South Carolina. She first appear ...
in the 1960s.[ Ellison founded the Ladies' International Wrestling Association, a non-profit organization to help retired professional wrestlers, in the late 1980s.][ In the 1990s, she spent most of her time training female wrestlers at her school in ]Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 census, it is the second-largest city in South Carolina. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the city ...
.[Ellison, Lillian. ''First Goddess of the Squared Circle'', pp. 8–10.] She also began training men, including Del Wilkes
Delbert Alexander "Del" Wilkes, Jr. (December 21, 1961 – June 30, 2021) was an American professional wrestler and college football player, better known by his ring names, The Trooper and The Patriot. Over the course of his nine-year career, W ...
, and in 1995 trained more men than women.[ She also spent time training in Los Angeles at Verne Langdon's Slammers Gym.
]
Allegations of exploitation
Financial and sexual exploitation
Journalist Dave Meltzer
David Allen Meltzer (born October 24, 1959) is an American journalist who reports on professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Since 1983, he has been the publisher and editor of the ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON''). He has als ...
wrote an obituary for Moolah in which he stated that "different promoters had very different ideas of what being professional meant." Wrestling historian Tim Hornbaker said that Moolah "chose not to" break the "dishonest, greedy" practices established by her mentor Billy Wolfe.[ Pat Laprade and Dan Murphy, in their book ''Sisterhood of the Squared Circle'', wrote that Moolah's "tactics could be just as ruthless and cutthroat as those of 'The Godfather, Don Corleone.][
]Wendi Richter
Victoria "Wendi" Richter (born September 8, 1961) is an American retired professional wrestler. She began her professional wrestling career in companies such as the National Wrestling Alliance, where she teamed with Joyce Grable, with whom she ...
and Mad Maxine
Jeannine Mjoseth is a journalist, photographer, independent art curator, and retired professional wrestler better known by her stage names Mad Maxine and Lady Maxine. During her stint in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), the 6'4" wrestler had ...
both claimed that Ellison did not actually train the wrestlers at her wrestling school.[ According to Richter, Ellison accepted payment of the training fee (which at the time of Richter's training was $500) and had other female wrestlers within her camp (including ]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 F ...
, Judy Martin, Winona Littleheart
Winfred "Winnie" Childree, also known as Winfred Barkley (September 5, 1955 – May 9, 2020) was an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring names Winona Littleheart and The Lock.
Professional wrestling career National Wrestling ...
, and 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 ...
) train the new recruits; these women did not get paid for their additional work as trainers. Richter also claimed that Ellison required all women that received training at her camp to sign a contract that allowed Ellison to function as their booker and receive 25% of their booking fee. Trainees were also required to rent duplex apartments on Ellison's property and they were responsible for paying her for rent and utilities. The training lasted six months and took place up to five hours per day inside a wrestling ring in a barn that lacked heating and air conditioning or fans.[ Mad Maxine said that due to owing Moolah both rent and training fees amounting to $1,500, the trainees "went into debt to oolahand she controlled their lives... It was an environment ripe for abuse." Maxine also said that when she went to work for WWF, Moolah was taking at least half of her earnings.] Debbie Johnson, another former trainee of Ellison's, stated that she was required to give Ellison 30% of her booking fee, and her paycheck was further reduced as Ellison deducted travel expenses, food, rent, and utilities before paying her. As a result, Johnson worked for Ellison for two years before she received any money. Johnson stated that Ellison would refuse to book certain women in her training camp if they angered her, and that Ellison monitored her and refused to let her leave the physical constraints of the training camp unless she was accompanied by someone else.
Over the years, various female wrestlers have come forward with stories accusing Ellison of being a pimp
Procuring or pandering is the facilitation or provision of a prostitute or other sex worker in the arrangement of a sex act with a customer. A procurer, colloquially called a pimp (if male) or a madam (if female, though the term pimp has still ...
who often provided various wrestling promoters with unsuspecting female wrestlers that would be used as sex objects. 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 ...
directly described Moolah as a pimp who "in return for money," rented her female trainees out "in bulk" to wrestling promoters so that the promoters and the male wrestlers could have sex with them. Banner said the women who were "sent on these tours were not told of this 'arrangement' ahead of time," and that "those who refused to have sex with wrestlers and promoters were raped."[ One of the most notorious accusations is from the family of Sweet Georgia Brown (Susie Mae McCoy), who was trained by Moolah and her husband, Buddy Lee. The ''Columbia Free Times'' reported allegations made by her daughter in 2006, in which she said her mother told her that she was often raped, given drugs, and made an addict in an intentional attempt by Ellison and Lee to control her.] Ida Martinez, who wrestled during the 1960s, also recalls that many of the regional promoters " demanded personal services" before they would pay the female wrestlers. Mad Maxine described Moolah as an "evil person," saying Moolah made money by sending trainees "out to this guy in Arizona and pimped them out." In a 2002 interview, Luna Vachon
Gertrude Elizabeth Vachon ( ; January 12, 1962 – August 27, 2010) was an American-Canadian professional wrestler, better known as Luna Vachon.Lisa S. Davis,Ex-wrestler Luna Vachon, 48, found dead", ''Tampa Bay Online'' (August 31, 2010). Over ...
claimed that when she was sixteen years old and training at Ellison's camp, Ellison sent her out of state to be photographed by an older man. Although she remained clothed during the photo shoot, Vachon stated she felt taken advantage of by Ellison and the older man. Vachon also stated that her aunt, 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 ...
, witnessed Ellison abusing alcohol and having sex with her female trainees. 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 ...
, a lesbian former pupil of Ellison's, also claims that Ellison forbade her from going to any gay bars and tried to press her to date men. Parker says this enraged her, because "(Moolah) was two faced because she had her own little dalliances that we all knew about."
However, several former co-workers have spoken out in Ellison's defense. Professional wrestler Shane Douglas
Troy Allan Martin (born November 21, 1964) is an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name Shane Douglas. He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Championship Wrestling (W ...
said he never heard anybody speaking against Moolah during his career. Former female wrestler Beverly Shade also defended Moolah, claiming "Moolah wasn't that kind of person." 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 Apr ...
also said he "never heard or saw anything like that when I was in the business around Moolah and her girls." Former trainee Princess Victoria said Moolah never pimped any women or used drugs, but she did take money from them. Michael McCoy, Sweet Georgia Brown's son, refuted allegations made by his sister, stating that she has an agenda and that the allegations are false. However, on the Dark Side of the Ring episode about The Fabulous Moolah, Michael McCoy stated that she was indeed made to have sex with paying promoters. Bruce Prichard
Bruce Prichard (born March 7, 1963) is an American professional wrestling executive, booker, and producer and a former manager, commentator, and occasional professional wrestler. In addition to his corporate roles with WWE, Prichard has also a ...
said she was protecting herself from the promoters and the only negative thing he heard of her was " took a percentage of their pay, which was laid out in their contract clearly before they even started training, day one."
Manipulation of the women's wrestling industry in the United States
As well as allegedly exploiting female wrestlers sexually, Ellison was accused of using her influence to control the women's wrestling scene and ensure that other women did not gain greater recognition. In addition to being a key participant in the original screwjob on Wendi Richter, Ellison used her influence to take over the spot originally held by her protégé Mad Maxine on the animated series ''Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling
''Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling'' is an American animated television series that originally aired on CBS Saturday mornings from September 14, 1985 to October 18, 1986, with reruns airing until June 27, 1987.
History
''Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wres ...
''. Maxine was about to receive a big push by Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy McMahon (; born August 24, 1945) is an American media proprietor and retired professional wrestling promoter, executive, and performer. From 1982 to 2022, he served as the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the w ...
but left the WWF shortly afterwards, as Ellison was unwilling to provide her with additional bookings. Maxine said that Moolah never told her about the WWF's plans to include her in the cartoon. Numerous other former trainees defected from Ellison after growing tired of sharing their paychecks with Ellison. Women wrestlers including Vivian and Luna Vachon, Ann Casey
Lucille Ann Casey (September 29, 1938 – March 1, 2021) was an American professional wrestler, better known by her ring name Ann Casey, or Panther Girl.
Early life
Casey was born in Saraland, Alabama, one of nine children to John and Viola Cas ...
, and Darling Dagmar moved into other regions where Ellison had less control and negotiated their own payouts with promoters.
Both Judy Martin and Leilani Kai told in later interviews that Moolah would collect the women wrestlers' pay from promoters and, after taking out her own pay, would only give the girls half of the money they were owed (keeping half of their pay for herself, plus her own pay) and telling them that was all the promoter gave her to give them. Martin stated that shortly before Ellison left the WWF in 1988 (shortly after falling out with Martin and Kai due to Ellison no longer receiving their booking fees), she sabotaged the duo while they were touring Japan. Martin stated that Ellison contacted Japanese promoters and informed them that the Jumping Bomb Angels
The Jumping Bomb Angels were a female Japanese professional wrestling tag team. The members were Noriyo Tateno and Itzuki Yamazaki, Itsuki Yamazaki.
History Japan
Noriyo Tateno and Itsuki Yamazaki formed one of the most well-known teams on th ...
were supposed to drop the WWF Women's Tag Team Championship
The WWF Women's Tag Team Championship was a women's professional wrestling tag team title in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). The belief its holders were considered world champions was expressed by Jesse Ventura, an announcer for s ...
to The Glamour Girls
The Glamour Girls was a female professional wrestling tag team. The members were Judy Martin and Leilani Kai
History Early career and training
Leilani Kai was trained by The Fabulous Moolah in 1975 right after she finished high school at ' ...
before Martin and Kai returned to the United States. This was contrary to the booking decision made by Pat Patterson before the Japanese tour began. Unable to reach Patterson by telephone, Kai and Martin agreed to win the titles from the Angels since Ellison had already misinformed the Japanese promoters. Martin stated that upon returning to the United States, Patterson was angry with them and confirmed that nobody within the WWF made the decision for the title change and that due to her long-standing relationship with the company, the WWF refused to listen to their explanation of Ellison's deceit. Shortly thereafter, the WWF phased out the WWF Women's Tag Team Championship. In a later shoot interview, Leilani Kai told that had things gone as the WWF originally planned, The Glamour Girls would have had a title match against the Jumping Bomb Angels at WrestleMania IV
WrestleMania IV was the fourth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It took place on March 27, 1988, at the Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall in Atl ...
and that Ellison's actions had cost the four girls what would have been ultimately their biggest ever payday.
Women that chose to continue allowing Ellison to work as their booker were kept under tight control. Velvet McIntyre
Velvet McIntyre (born November 24, 1962) is an Irish-Canadian retired professional wrestler. After beginning her career in 1980, she wrestled in American independent promotions before joining the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). She ...
was forced to compete against Ellison (whom McIntyre stated she didn't care for) at WrestleMania 2
WrestleMania 2 was the second annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view List of WWE pay-per-view events, event produced by the WWE, World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). The event took place on April 7, 1986 (a Monday), making ...
instead of competing during an all-women tour of Kuwait with a group of Ellison's other female wrestlers. Their WrestleMania 2 match lasted less than two minutes with the referee ignoring McIntyre's leg being on the ropes while she was being pinned. Women that did not agree to Ellison's booking fees faced limited options. Rhonda Sing
Rhonda Ann Singh (February 21, 1961 – July 27, 2001) was a Canadian professional wrestler. After training with Mildred Burke, she wrestled in Japan under the name Monster Ripper. In 1987, she returned to Canada and began working with Stampede W ...
stated that Ellison contacted her and offered to let her wrestle Richter in a couple of pay-per-view matches for the WWF in 1985, but demanded she receive half of Sing's pay check; a stipulation Sing was unwilling to accept. 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 ...
stated that her retirement was due in large part to Ellison refusing to allow any of her female wrestlers to accept bookings against Banner, which severely limited the number of bookings that Banner was offered by promoters.
Legacy
At the time of her death, Kevin Eck wrote in ''The Baltimore Sun
''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries.
Founded in 1837, it is currently owned by Tr ...
'': "The Fabulous Moolah didn't just dominate women's wrestling for parts of four decades, she was women's wrestling. Moolah ... is unquestionably the most influential and famous female wrestler in history." ''The Post and Courier
''The Post and Courier'' is the main daily newspaper in Charleston, South Carolina. It traces its ancestry to three newspapers, the ''Charleston Courier'', founded in 1803, the ''Charleston Daily News'', founded 1865, and ''The Evening Post'', f ...
'' columnist Mike Mooneyham described her as "one of the greatest female performers to ever step into a professional wrestling ring and the most powerful woman outside the squared circle." She was the only female performer to be included in WWE's ''Top 50 Superstars of All Time'' DVD, placing 27th on the list. In 2016, after allegations against Moolah had become more prevalent, Luke Winkie of ''Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...
'' listed Moolah as the 69th greatest wrestler of all time because of her lengthy title reign but wrote that he "didn't feel great about it".
Dave Meltzer
David Allen Meltzer (born October 24, 1959) is an American journalist who reports on professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Since 1983, he has been the publisher and editor of the ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON''). He has als ...
described that women's wrestling "went way way down" under Moolah's "tutelage", but he also said he did not know if it was her fault. Meltzer said that although women "used to headline and they were successful", "during the period Moolah controlled women's wrestling, the popularity and product didn't evolve." However, Meltzer noted that Moolah herself "stood the test of time" to remain culturally relevant long after the Japanese female wrestlers of the 1980s (more popular at that time) had faded from relevance.
In March 2018, WWE announced "The Fabulous Moolah Memorial Battle Royal", a battle royal
Battle royal (; also royale) traditionally refers to a fight involving many combatants that is fought until only one fighter remains standing, usually conducted under either boxing or wrestling rules. In recent times, the term has been used in a ...
for the female wrestlers of the company scheduled for WrestleMania 34
WrestleMania 34 was the 34th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on April 8, 2 ...
named in honor of Moolah. The decision to hold a battle royal in honor of Moolah drew controversy after the allegations of exploitation against Moolah resurfaced. Two days after the announcement, WWE renamed the match "WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal
The WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal was a professional wrestling battle royal held at WrestleMania by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE. The winner of the match received the WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal Trophy. The inaugural ...
", removing Moolah's name from the event. A 2019 episode of ''Dark Side of the Ring
''Dark Side of the Ring'' is a Canadian documentary television series produced by Vice Studios. The series focuses on controversial subjects and events within the realm of professional wrestling.
Series overview
Episodes Season 1 (2019)
Seas ...
'' broadcast on Viceland
Viceland (stylized in all caps), and Vice TV in the United States, are brands used for television channels owned and programmed by Vice Media. Viceland launched on February 29, 2016, with two branded cable channels; the American version (rebra ...
examined the allegations against her in the aftermath of the battle royal name controversy. The episode repeated many of the allegations against her but also featured comments from the son of Sweet Georgia Brown and wrestlers Selina Majors
Selina Majors (born May 24, 1967), better known by her stage name Bambi, is an American professional wrestler.
Professional wrestling career
Early career
Majors debuted as a professional wrestler in 1986 working for David McLane. She competed in ...
and Beverly Shade, who defended her. "If I choose not to like her because of what she did to me, that's fine," Princess Victoria stated. "But Moolah needs to be remembered. She was an icon in this business. You can't take away her history because she was an asshole!"
Other media
An animated version of Moolah was included on ''Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling
''Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling'' is an American animated television series that originally aired on CBS Saturday mornings from September 14, 1985 to October 18, 1986, with reruns airing until June 27, 1987.
History
''Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wres ...
''. In addition, she appeared in one of Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...
's music videos, "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough
"The Goonies 'R' Good Enough" is a song by American singer Cyndi Lauper. It was released as a single in 1985, and is from the soundtrack of the film ''The Goonies''. It was her fifth top 10 single on the Hot 100.
Background
Before its inclusion on ...
". An illness in the mid-1970s meant Ellison had to pull out of the Bill Cosby
William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and media personality. He made significant contributions to American and African-American culture, and is well known in the United States for his eccentric ...
movie ''Mother, Jugs & Speed
''Mother, Jugs & Speed'' is a 1976 American black comedy film directed by Peter Yates. It stars Bill Cosby (Mother), Raquel Welch (Jugs), Harvey Keitel (Speed), and Larry Hagman as employees of an independent ambulance service trying to survive ...
'', which had a role written specifically for her. In 2002, Moolah wrote her autobiography, ''The Fabulous Moolah: First Goddess of the Squared Circle''.[ The book has been criticized for keeping ]kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe, as a noun, is the portrayal of staged events within the industry as "real" or "true", specifically the portrayal of competition, rivalries, and relationships between participants as being genuine and not staged. ...
(the stance that wrestling storylines are real) and did not reveal a lot about her time controlling women's wrestling. Defending herself against these claims, Ellison retorted it was hard to fit all of her almost five decade career into one book.[
Moolah and Young, along with several other female wrestlers, starred in the 2004 film '']Lipstick and Dynamite
''Lipstick and Dynamite: The First Ladies of Wrestling'' (often referred to as ''Lipstick and Dynamite'') is a 2004 documentary film about the early days of women's professional wrestling in North America. It was directed by Ruth Leitman, who inte ...
'', a documentary about the female wrestlers from the 1950s era. They also appeared on ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien
''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien. NBC aired 2,725 episodes from September 13, 1993, to February 20, 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and music ...
'' promoting the film.[
]
Personal life
Ellison's first husband was Walter Carroll, who became the father of her daughter Mary.[ Mary wrestled briefly but decided against pursuing the profession.][ Ellison had six grandchildren.][ Ellison and Carroll divorced shortly after their daughter's birth. Later, Ellison married wrestler Johnny Long.][Ellison, Lillian. ''First Goddess of the Squared Circle'', pp. 55–57.] Marital conflicts developed when Long wanted Ellison to be a housewife instead of a career woman.[ In addition, Ellison accused Long of being a "womanizer".][ Ellison and Long divorced. Ellison also says that she dated country singer ]Hank Williams
Hank Williams (born Hiram Williams; September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century, he reco ...
for four months in 1952.[ According to Ellison, Williams proposed to her,][ but Williams's drinking and ]heroin
Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brow ...
abuse forced the couple to go separate ways.[ She further claimed that he wanted Ellison to quit her wrestling career, which she did not want to do.][ Two months after the breakup, Williams died due to an overdose.][Ellison, Lillian. ''First Goddess of the Squared Circle'', pp. 73–77.]
Later, Ellison met a wrestler named Buddy Lee, whom she regarded as the "love of her life."[ They were eventually married, and after divorcing in 1970 after nine years of marriage, they remained friends until Lee's death in 1999.][Ellison, Lillian. ''First Goddess of the Squared Circle'', pp. 82–85.] The divorce was attributed to Lee's affair with Rita Cortez, one of the wrestlers the duo was training. In the early 1980s, Ellison opened Moolah's Hideaway, a bar and grill which was operated by her daughter Mary and frequented by André the Giant
André René Roussimoff (; 19 May 1946 – 28 January 1993), better known by his ring name André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. Roussimoff was known for his great size, which was a result of gigantism caused by exce ...
.
Beginning in 1991, Ellison lived with 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 house in Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 census, it is the second-largest city in South Carolina. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the city ...
. Her estate was located on a road named Moolah Drive.[ A ]midget professional wrestler
Midget wrestling is professional wrestling involving people of exceptionally short stature. Its heyday was in the 1950s and 1960s, when wrestlers such as Little Beaver, Lord Littlebrook, toured North America, and Sky Low Low was the first holder ...
named Katie Glass
Katie Glass (born June 1, 1944) is a retired professional wrestler, better known by her ring name "Diamond Lil".
Professional wrestling career
Glass was trained by The Fabulous Moolah at her wrestling school in South Carolina. She first appear ...
also lived with Moolah for over forty years.[ Another wrestler, Donna Christanello, also lived with Ellison on-and-off for forty years, ending in May 1999.][Ellison, Lillian. ''First Goddess of the Squared Circle'', pp. 143–145.]
During her return to the ring in 1999, Ellison began experiencing occasional dizziness, and as a result, her doctor requested that she begin to wear a heart monitor.[Ellison, Lillian. ''First Goddess of the Squared Circle'', pp. 18–22.] A few days later, Ellison was admitted to the hospital for what turned out to be two clogged arteries and viral pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...
.[ She stayed at the ]intensive-care unit
220px, Intensive care unit
An intensive care unit (ICU), also known as an intensive therapy unit or intensive treatment unit (ITU) or critical care unit (CCU), is a special department of a hospital or health care facility that provides intensiv ...
of the hospital for 24 days, during which she was unconscious for fifteen days.[ After leaving the hospital, she again slipped into unconsciousness in the bathroom at her home, crushing several ]vertebrae
The spinal column, a defining synapomorphy shared by nearly all vertebrates,Hagfish are believed to have secondarily lost their spinal column is a moderately flexible series of vertebrae (singular vertebra), each constituting a characteristic i ...
.[ She underwent successful back surgery in mid-December.][
]
Death
Ellison died on November 2, 2007, at the age of 84 in Columbia, South Carolina. According to her daughter Mary, the possible cause of death was a heart attack or blood clot related to a recent shoulder replacement surgery. Ellison is buried in a grave plot at Greenlawn Memorial Park in Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 census, it is the second-largest city in South Carolina. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the city ...
.
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 ...
** Ladies Wrestling Award (1997
File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...
)
*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 World Women's Championship
The NWA World Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). The title was first won by Mildred Burke in 1937 def ...
( 5 times)[
** ]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 ...
( 3 times) – with 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 ...
(2) and Patty Nelson (1)
** NWA Hall of Fame
The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) Hall of Fame is an American professional wrestling hall of fame maintained by the NWA. It was established in 2005 to honor select wrestling personalities, mostly alumni of the NWA. Inductees receive commemora ...
(Class of 2012)
*''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 ...
''
** Stanley Weston Award (1991)
*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 ...
** Class of 2003
*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 Hall of Fame
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 pro ...
(Class of 1995)
*World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
** WWF Women's Championship WWF may refer to:
Non-profit organizations
*World Wide Fund for Nature or World Wildlife Fund, a nature conservation group
*World Water Forum, an international forum for water issues
*Working Women's Forum, a training, trade and credit union in In ...
( 4 times)[
** ]WWF Hall of Fame
The WWE Hall of Fame is a List of halls and walks of fame, hall of fame which honors professional wrestlers and professional wrestling personalities maintained by WWE. Originally known as the "WWF Hall of Fame", it was created in 1993 when Andr ...
(Class of 1995
Class or The Class may refer to:
Common uses not otherwise categorized
* Class (biology), a taxonomic rank
* Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects
* Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used differentl ...
)[
*'']Wrestling Observer Newsletter
The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four We ...
''
** Worst Match of the Year (1984)
* Other
** JWPA Women's Championship
** USA Women's Wrestling Championship
** Women's World Junior Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
See also
* List of oldest surviving professional wrestlers
This is a list of oldest surviving professional wrestlers. As of 2017, there are 42 living veterans from the "History of professional wrestling in the United States#Television era (1950s to 1970s), Golden Age of Wrestling" (1950s–1970s) over 75 ...
Notes
References
References
*
*
External links
*
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Fabulous Moolah, The
1923 births
2007 deaths
American female professional wrestlers
People from Kershaw County, South Carolina
Professional wrestlers from South Carolina
Professional wrestling controversies
Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
Professional wrestling promoters
Professional wrestling trainers
Sportspeople from Columbia, South Carolina
WWE Hall of Fame inductees
WWF/WWE Women's Champions
Stampede Wrestling alumni
20th-century American women
21st-century American women
20th-century professional wrestlers
NWA World Women's Champions