Obviously, she came through at a time when promoters were sketchier than they are now. "Dark Side of the Ring" producer Evan Husney explained the difficulty around covering the subject of Moolah's alleged crimes. [57] 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. On the night of November 25, 1985, WWF Ladies Champion Wendi Richter entered . Dottie Downs passed away January 8, 2015. [27] On July 1, 1972, Moolah became the first woman allowed to wrestle at Madison Square Garden, which had previously banned women's wrestling. A press release was issued to PWInsider.com this afternoon in response to allegations made againt the late Lillian "Fabulous Moolah" Ellison that led to WWE removing her name from their Wrestlemania 34 Women's Battle Royal. I cant believe that anybody is that jealous, or that stupid. "From what my mother told me, she was their favorite. [5] Her team (Moolah, Velvet McIntyre, Rockin' Robin, and the Jumping Bomb Angels) defeated champion Martel and her team (Leilani Kai, Judy Martin, Donna Christanello, and Dawn Marie).[5]. 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. Im not a phony and Im not fronting today. Watch WrestleMania and other WWE Premium Live Events on Flow. On the flip side, there were defenders such as the Fabulous Moolah's daughter, and wrestlers such as Selina Majors, not to mention the "Fight For Moolah" founder Nigel Sherrod. [7][8] Years later, Moolah called McIntyre the best female wrestler in Canada. [77], Dave Meltzer 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. Amidthese discussions, the WWE had begun reinventing itswomen's division. She is considered to be the firstoctogenarianto compete ina WWEring. She was the longest reigning Women's Champion ever, holding the World Women's Championshipwhich would eventually become the WWE's Women's Championshipfor an astronomical 28 years before losing it to Wendi Richter at . [56], Over the years, various female wrestlers have come forward with stories accusing Ellison of being a pimp who often provided various wrestling promoters with unsuspecting female wrestlers that would be used as sex objects. Im not a fake. Against her father's wishes of staying home and raising the baby, she set off to make her wrestling dreams come true. Moolah was trained for the ring in the 1940s by then-Women's Champion Mildred Burke, the sport's biggest female star at the time. She continued to participate in events until her . 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. From this point on Ellison was hooked on the sport and wanted to be a star. Plus, get every WWE Premium Live Event and the worlds best TV and movies, Longest reigning Women's Champion in sports-entertainment history; 1995 WWE Hall of Fame Inductee. [13][14] Ellison and Carroll divorced shortly after their daughter's birth. We would like to send you notifications for the latest news and updates. All Star Junior Festival 2023 Results (3/1): Great Sasuke, CIMA, Hiromu Takahashi, More In Action, MLW Underground Results (2/28): John Hennigan vs. Davey Richards, Billie Starkz In Action. Long before Montreal, Vince McMahon was involved in another well-manipulated screwjob. [40] 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 contests and strip matches. [26] Nevertheless, Moolah dropped the belt on September 17, 1966, to Bette Boucher, although she regained the title just weeks later. Inducted by then-Women's Champion Alundra Blayze, Moolah was recognized as the true pioneer -- and biggest legend -- in the history of women's wrestling. Mary stood up for her mother throughout the episode. [33] 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, which was broadcast live on MTV. [5] The match saw Moolah defeat Ivory to regain the WWF Women's Championship, thus becoming the then-oldest champion ever,[5][21] though she lost the title back to Ivory eight days later. [3] McIntyre defeated Richter in two separate matches in Bill Watts's Mid-South Wrestling Association. Her career continued to flourish with the formation of the WWF, which experienced an explosion of popularity in the 1980s as WWF CEO Vince McMahon agreed to position her as the face of the women's division, despite the fact she was in her 60s. Known as Fabulous Moolah, she was the longest reigning Women's Champion in sports-entertainment history. [23] After the match, Vince McMahon, Sr. dubbed Ellison with a new ring name The Fabulous Moolah. Ellison also says that she dated country singer Hank Williams for four months in 1952. Moolah won in a one fall contest. [5][34] Richter won it back at the inaugural WrestleMania, 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. 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. On September 3, 1988, Moolah wrestled AWA World Women's Champion Madusa Miceli to a double DQ on an independent card in Medina, Ohio. [13][14][15], Ellison began her wrestling career with Mildred Burke's husband Billy Wolfe, the dominant women's promoter of the time. Former wrestlers Selina Majors and Beverly Shade similarly defended Moolah. After a 40-year career and induction into the Hall of Fame, imagine the surprise of our fans everywhere in 1999, when Moolah -- by that time in her 70s -- returned to WWE television with long-time friend and fellow competitor Mae Young by her side. Born Lillian Ellison in South Carolina in 1923, Moolah became a fan of sports-entertainment following the passing of her mother; her father would take her to shows as a young girl in hopes of cheering up his distraught daughter, and little did he know the impact it would have. [4][28] 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 lifted in June 1972. She was made to have sex with other men," Harsey continues. What horrible things to say about a person that had been dead over 10 years!You r wrong and ur additude(sic)sucks!She will always b the best woman wrestler ever n was NEVER a pimp as u said.Get ur facts straight.Two sides to every story. And how will wrestling handle issues like sex trafficking and sexual abuse in the future? Trainees were also required to rent duplex apartments on Ellison's property and they were responsible for paying her for rent and utilities. Long later introduced Ellison to Jack Pfefer who gave her the moniker "Slave Girl Moolah". "Especially knowing the Moolah that I had grew to know. Her daughter, Mary Austin, 66, of Myrtle Beach, said Saturday night from her mother's home on Moolah Drive that Ellison, who had six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, loved her . 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. She started wrestling again in 1993 at the age of 70 when she defeated Sunny Brook. It was necessary as her wrestling suit's right strap had broken during her failed top rope splash onto Moolah so they had to do this.Some speculated she was promised she'd win the title that night to get her to wrestle Moolah who she hated and cost her the chance to wrestle on an all women's wrestling tour of Syria. But her career actually began outside the ring, where she served as one of wrestling's first female valets. She was previously married to Walter Carroll and Johnny Long. [90] She stayed at the intensive-care unit of the hospital for 24 days, during which she was unconscious for fifteen days. Mary Lillian Ellison (July 22, 1923 November 2, 2007) was an American professional wrestler better known by her ring name The Fabulous Moolah. Watch every Premium Live Event and enjoy some of your favorite WWE content on Disney + HotStar. [46][47] Her last WWE appearance before her death was at SummerSlam in August 2007, in a backstage segment with Vince McMahon and Raw General Manager William Regal. [11] In November 1993, she won the Canadian Wrestling Alliance's Women's Championship from Iron Maiden, but lost it to Iron Maiden again in January 1994. In 2003, Moolah celebrated her 80th birthday by facing Victoria on Raw; that night, she defeated Victoria to become the first octogenarian to compete in a WWE ring. You can't take away her history because she was an asshole! [49] 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. Nonetheless, the WWE controversially decided to name an inauguralwomen's Battle Royale at Wrestlemania after Moolah in March2018. During her lifetime, Moolah was lauded as a leading figure in women's professional wrestling and was considered one of the industry's greatest wrestlers. Additionally, one of the portions included Johnson's encounter with The Fabulous Moolah. [13][14] Mary wrestled briefly but decided against pursuing the profession. [11], 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. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Learn More. [27] She also bought the legal rights to the championship in the late 1970s,[27] and after losing the championship for two days to Evelyn Stevens in 1978, began another long reign, defending her title for another six years. You read that correctly: The Fabulous Moolah was a sex trafficker. Beginning in 1991, Ellison lived with Mae Young in a house in Columbia, South Carolina. [71] Women that did not agree to Ellison's booking fees faced limited options. Rhonda Sing 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. [3] They continued to feud into 1996, when the two women joined Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling, where the two traded the Women's Championship, which McIntyre held for two months. I tend to believe anyone who has accusations of that nature. [25] She further claimed that he wanted Ellison to quit her wrestling career, which she did not want to do. From her debut in 1949 to her record-breaking WWE Women . To what extent does wrestling have to address the criminal histories of itsmost beloved stars? Tributes Roll in After the Fabulous Moolah Death News You can't take away her history becauseshe was an a--hole!". Why is it that Moolah's name continues to create such debates amongwrestling fans? Moolah regained the Women's Championship on two further occasions before entering semi-retirement towards the end of the decade. While the name Lillian Ellison may not be well-known to sports-entertainment fans, her alter ego is one that will never be forgotten: The Fabulous Moolah. [38] On June 21, 1996, she teamed with Mae Young at LIWA Golden Girls Extravaganza event in Las Vegas where they wrestled Liz Chase and Lori Lynn to a no contest. [89], Beginning in 1991, Ellison lived with Mae Young in a house in Columbia, South Carolina. She was 84. The Matt Riviera Show sent us the following: "Recent social media outrage has led to the WWE removing the name of legendary women's wrestler, the late Fabulous Moolah's (Lillian Ellison) name from a planned featured Women's Battle Royal, which was to honor her at the upcoming WrestleMania 34 event, set for New Orleans, LA on [] [49] In addition to women, Ellison also trained midget professional wrestlers, including Katie Glass in the 1960s. "[81], An animated version of Moolah was included on Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling. "I knew Moolah well enough to know that she just wasnt that type of person," said Shade. McCoy, who was trained and booked by Ellison and her then-husband Buddy Lee, told her daughter that she was often raped, given drugs and made an addict in an intentional attempt by Ellison and Lee to control her. THE FABULOUS MOOLAH: In The Beginning Slave Girl Moolah, her original gimmick, as a valet to male wrestlers Born in South Carolina in 1923, Moolah's saw tragedy at a young age when her mother died when Moolah was only eight years old. [54], In March 2018, WWE announced "The Fabulous Moolah Memorial Battle Royal", a battle royal for the female wrestlers of the company scheduled for WrestleMania 34 named in honor of Moolah. Legend Penny Banner", "Full list of WWE's "Top 50 Superstars of All Time", "Ranking the top 101 wrestlers of all time", "WWE Raw Live TV Review: Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns meet face-to-face, all roads lead to WrestleMania", "WWE face fans backlash after they announce the 'Fabulous Moolah Memorial Battle Royal', "WWE changes name of Fabulous Moolah battle royal", "Why Is Pro-Wrestler The Fabulous Moolah So Controversial? ", "She was told to drink and pop pills. As legend has it, Richter thought something was fishy when she arrived at the Garden and . [51] A midget professional wrestler named Katie Glass also lived with Moolah for over forty years. Finally, in July 1987, Moolah lost the gold to "Sensational" Sherri Martel, and after captaining a team that defeated Martel's in the inaugural Survivor Series later that year, Moolah effectively retired from in-ring competition. The demand for women's wrestling at the time was high, despite the competitors facing considerable sexism from bookers and audiences alike. [1] McIntyre made her professional wrestling debut in Idaho in 1980, and began wrestling full-time three months later. "The Fabulous Moolah" Oh boy, this is a complicated subject. In an interview at the time of her mother's death, her daughter stated that her mother died either from a blood clot due to the surgery or due to a heart attack. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. She was an actress, known for WWF Championship Wrestling (1972), WWE Smackdown! Although she remained clothed during the photo shoot, Vachon stated she felt taken advantage of by Ellison and the older man. 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 protg Mad Maxine on the animated series Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling. AEW Dark: Elevation Spoilers For 3/6 (Taped On 3/1). 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. Wendi Richter Is Candid About Her Dislike For The Fabulous Moolah. "[75] She was the only female performer to be included in WWE's Top 50 Superstars of All Time DVD, placing 27th on the list. [57] 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. [90] A few days later, Ellison was admitted to the hospital for what turned out to be two clogged arteries and viral pneumonia. [20], In the late 1950s when the once-dominant promoter of women's wrestling, Billy Wolfe, was out of business, Ellison and Lee began to book their female wrestlers for more and more shows. [85] Defending herself against these claims, Ellison retorted it was hard to fit all of her almost five decade career into one book. Jim Cornette lays it out and saysit's a little bit of both. It was an environment ripe for abuse." In 1956, she outlasted 12 other ladies -- last eliminating Judy Grable -- to win a Battle Royal for the vacant Women's Championship of the World. [85], Moolah and Young, along with several other female wrestlers, starred in the 2004 film Lipstick and Dynamite, a documentary about the female wrestlers from the 1950s era. Wrestler: Fabulous Moolah Real Name: Lillian Ellison Birthday: July 22, 1923 Hometown: Columbia, South Carolina Height & Weight: 5'5" - 138 lbs Debut: 1950s Previous Gimmicks: Slave Girl Moolah, SpiderLady (WWF) Finishing Move: School-Girl (rollup) Notable Feuds: Fran Gravette, Maria Perez, Leilani Kai, Wendy Richter, Cyndy Lauper, Ivory (WWF)
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