Female Wrestlers

james morton

Ron and others. You have beaten me to the post. I have been thinking we have been neglectng the women wrestlers. There are few in the A-Z but do we know what happened to the many others? What, for example, about Rusty Blair? I do like the potential Countess Bartelli!

Didn't I read in the 1960s there was mixed-tag on Indy promotions in the Midlands?

Ron Historyo

Great idea to get this down in Writing James. Forgetting attempts in the 1930's Ladies Wrestling really did have to be rebuilt in the 1960's especially in London where a ban went on the longest.The first batch that I can find on my bills crop up about 1965. So the sixties girls we have are. Mitzi Mueller , Lorita Loren , Nancy Barton , Pattie McGowen , Judy Starr , Yvonne Willetts , Kathy Kay , Pauline Ash , Helen Bartelli , Shirley Southern , Cindy Stephens , Anita Cortez.

Here is my list of who I found in the 1970's and of course some could have been about earlier.

Haggetty's daughter , Viv Martell , Pussy Galore , Miss Portugal , Katrina , Suzy Parkins , Molly Malone , Paula Valdez , Klondyke Kate , Rusty/Lena Blair , Susan Sexton , Miss Cheeta ,Blackfoot Sioux/Miss Linda , Miss barbarella , Gypsy Princess, Cherokee Princess.

In the 1980's I began to pick up..... Catwoman , Big Momma , Coleen O'Hara, Donna Marie ,Teenage Tracy , Naughty Nickie , Dynamite Debbie , Miss Spitfire.

Great care is needed as some of these girls did a bit of name swapping.

Bill Smith

Don't forget the "outstanding" Viv Martell.I believe she was from a wrestling family.

Bernard Hughes

I don't know much about woman wrestlers, never saw them.However in this neck of the woods, we do have Ricky Knight's wife, better known as Sweet Saraya and his daughter now wrestling in the States as Paige.

Hack

An article reporting her farewell match gives Mitzi's debut, against Nancy Barton, but in 1963. It also states that her father was "well known northern professsional Joe Connolly." Do we know anything about him?

Jacko

I hadn't realised Mitzi was that old. Where was she from? Liverpool? I wouldn't think she was actuallu German was she?

Ron Historyo

Mitzi it seems had a German Grandmother.

I think her stepfather was Roy "Bull" Davis who I thought got her started , however do we know his real name. He had apparently used the name Charlie Northey for his very early wrestling. Could he have been Joe Connelly.

The plot thickens as Naughty Nancy Barton was Marion Northey.

SaxonWolf

I was always led to believe that Northey was the family name (Roy Bull Davis and Skull Murphy).

Didn't realise that Nancy Barton was (or could have been) part of the family!

Ron Historyo

This is getting confusing and the trouble is there is a lot of info on old forum blogs.

It is looking to me that Mitzi is perhaps not connected to Roy Bull Davis and indeed her father was Joe Connelly.

Davis was Charlie Northey and I believe is connected to Nancy Barton

martin.R.Gillott

I worked on the bill many times with women wrestlers and yes, I built up a respect for them. They were entertaining and could wrestle well. There was the odd embarassment with swearing and breaking wind but then so did the blokes.

Duncan

That's why I stopped taking my wife - she was terrible!

Anglo Italian

I saw Mitzi Mueller wrestle live and her non-wrestling attributes distracted me from the wrestling itself.

martin.R.Gillott

I remember in the 70s, one indipendent promoter thought it would be a good idea to bill myself against a young female wrestler (Miss Karina). As I wrestled as a gay boy, he thought that it would be amusing. I felt that it would have been in bad taste and was not happy about it. I think that it was her father ( Jack Cassidy) that finally blocked it and thankfully, it never happened. I have to say that Miss Karina and her sister Patti Mc goohan were good wrestlers and thoroughly nice people. A joy to watch.

grahambrook

I recall attending a show at The Houldsworth Hall in Deansgate, Manchester, in the early seventies, promoted by Jack Cassidy, which featured a girls' tag match in which blue-eyes Miss.Karina and Lolita Loren faced the rule-bending team of Klondyke Kate and Patti Mc.Goohan; all four Cassidy girls in the ring together. When I started promoting I used Cassidy's girls initially but it caused much grief. I was only in my early twenties so they just thought I had no place in wrestling promotion (especially as I had no wrestling ability myself) and acted accordingly. Big Chris (Klodyke Kate - later "Hellcat" Haggetty) was particularly dismissive claiming that I could not organise a piss-up in a brewery and ordering me to stay well away from her bouts in terms of making any suggestions regarding the contest. She would also present me with receipts from her hairdresser expecting these to be met in addition to any agreed fee because such hairdresser visits, she argued, were needed due to her appearance in the ring. Eventually I stopped using them and used other lady wrestlers. I was told by Big Chris that she and her sisters would come to my shows and cause trouble but, thankfully, it never happened. I remember mentioning it once to Jack (Cassidy) but he did not wish to become involved. He felt that he had done his duty as a father by teaching them all the rudiments of performing in the ring and, having done that, it was then up to them to deal with promoters in their own way.

I did find Paula Valdez and Lena Blair much easier to deal with so used them. Through booking Bobby Barron to supply the ring and wrestle for me I came into contact with several of the Blackpool girls who worked for me such as his wife Rita (as Gypsy Sarah then as an Indian squaw; I think Apache Princess but I'm not sure), Kim Cordell and Big Bertha ( who later wrestled as Klodyke Jane, her real name was (I think) Jane Porter, and even later as Klondyke Kate when the original, Chrissy Thompson, had adopted the monicker of "Hellcat" Haggetty). Once I put on a show at The Royal British Legion in Runcorn New Town and topped it with Hell's Angels (Adrian Street and Bobby Barron) versus The Romanies ("Romany" Max Raeger and Pedro the Gypsy) and booked the wives of both Bob and Ada to wrestle each other; Gypsy Sarah versus Blackfoot Sioux. I believe that it was after this that Rita decided that she wanted to be a Red Indian and pestered Bob repeatedly until he gave in and allowed her to switch from Gypsy Sarah to Apache Princess. She certainly knew how to fire up the punters and was very crude in the ring (being particularly crude when Bob was not on the show). They gave me good bouts as indeed did another girl wrestler with a very professional attitude, Nicky Monroe, who I believe later married Broughton Ranger Johnny South.

In my last handful of shows in the mid-eighties at Walsall Football Club I got my ring from Pete Evans and he recommended a very pleasant brother and sister called Fitzhenry. He wrestled as Kid Brannigan and she wrestled as Trudy Saturn, although not for long as I believe she got married and her partner forbade her from further wrestling. In the last show she did for me back in 1986 I matched her with Living Doll (Cliff Richard had rereleased it with The Young Ones for charity at the time), a wrestler from Bury called Jody Lees. You couldn't have met two nicer ladies but unfortunately my interests were moving on by that stage. A few months later I invited Cy Laurie to come and spend a week with me doing shows throughout the northwest and commenced on the path of jazz promoter, a path which I am still treading.

I still enjoy lady wrestling and was thrilled some years back to see Fabulous Moolah and Mae Young at The Kensington Olympia. I am also watching with interest Paige's career development in WWE.

Ron Historyo

A super insight Graham, really enjoyed reading the above.

Give us some more anytime.

John

I thought that the above post by Graham Brook was very interesting and I enjoyed reading it.

He mentioned Nicky Monroe in his post. I remember watching a good documentary about a title bout between Nicky Monroe and Klondyke Kate, in 1989 I believe. That was the first time I had ever seen any women's wrestling, as it was not shown on World of Sport and there was none at my local halls. I enjoyed the documentary and was impressed by how good the lady wrestlers were. Both wrestlers came across as likeable people in the documentary, even though Klondyke Kate was playing a heel.

grahambrook

Just a quick sideline on Nicky Monroe. Her father was a promoter so she was brought up in the business. I don't know how it works now but, in my days as a promoter, you agreed the wage with the worker and, on the night, paid them wage plus petrol. That's why promoters tried to get a carful of workers from a particular area. Some wrestlers really tried it on regarding petrol money. I recall a show I promoted at The Gala Baths, West Bromwich, where I booked Count Bartelli, Ian Wilson and Brian Lewis from the Manchester area and asked the three of them to travel together. Bartelli and Wilson arrived and Bartelli informed me that Lewis had been held up by something which happened at work but would not let me down and would be in the hall in good time for his bout (Count Bartelli vs Strangler Lewis was my top of the bill). Sure enough he arrived about fifteen minutes into the show, worked an excellent bout with Bartelli (I had not met him before, he had been Bartelli's recommendation) but, at the end of the evening, he wanted his wage plus petrol money so I ended up paying petrol money from Manchester to West Bromwich to both Bartelli (for himself and Wilson) and Lewis. At the time I regarded it as one of those unfortunate occurrences and was just glad that my main event had taken place as billed. On the next show there (topped by Les Kellett vs Klondyke Jake) I was talking to a very nice elderly couple who told me of the interesting conversation they had had for a good half hour or so with Lewis at the pub across the road. They were surprised that his companions, Bartelli and Wilson, had a quick drink and left yet Lewis stayed on for another half hour or so. Well, he got one over on me but, when Bartelli suggested booking the two of them again, I declined, so I'm not really sure who was the winner and who was the loser.

I tell this story to contrast with Nicky Monroe who claimed her petrol and produced a receipt from the garage where she had stopped to fill up. John is correct. Both she and Kl;ondyke Kate (Jane Porter rather than Chrissy Thompson) was also a very friendly girl. Probably not something to dwell on on a public site such as this, but during Jane's travels on the continent, she amassed a very interesting collection of magazines.

Robins Rules

Rusty Blair was a more than capable lady wrestler (I'm sure she won the World title in Lagos?) that was a regular up our way. Blackfoot Sioux, Cherokee Princess, Tina Starr, Hellcat Haggetty. Lolita Loren, Paula Valdez, Viv Martell, Miss Nancy (is that right) - all put on a good show. I can remember Rusty taking on Bruce Welch one night! Lucky chap that he was...

Andy

I too remember most of these ladies wrestling, Paula Valdez and Blackfoot Sioux were regulars at my local venue.

There were also a couple of rulebenders who really riled the crowd - one was called Spitfire and the other was the masked Black Widow.

Also remember Julia Prayter, wife of John Prayter.

CHRIS NEWMAN

Early 90's myself and my Linda's younger brother Mike, thought Nicky Monroe (a Bournemouth Belle beauty) was just great, down at the local hall.

Her wrestling wasn't bad either. Apart from a pretty face ...... she had a lovely round .............. that being the third probably ... (you wondered what I was gonna say there didn't you) ... you were dead right of course .... but I meant her tagging with Julie Starr versus the ubiquitous force of nature Klondyke Kate - partnered by Tina Martin. Tina could noticeably wrestle a bit.

So,come to that - could the others. Tina though, may just have had an edge wrestling-wise technically, over the other three on the night.

Katia

Mum was Maria Rivoldi. I am sure she will have some memorabilia hidden somewhere.

SaxonWolf

Hi Katia, I think I am correct in saying that your Mum was the first wrestler to wrestle against Sue Brittain, in her first match, up in the North East? (for Cyril Knowles), I am sure I read that somewhere.

james morton

You're quite right SW; she seems to have been in with Maria Rivoldi in her first bout. . If you look on the web there's an article '"Sue Brittain - Her Courage Changed Women's Wrestling". There also a pic of the pair wth Ms Rivoldi holding Ms Britton in what is described as a 'phallic armlock'.

Katia

Yes that'sright. Mum trained a lot with Sue Britain before Sue's debut. I have seen some posters - Maria Rivoldi v Princess Little Bird, Mitzi Mueller and Britt Vartzo. I have mentioned to mum about the site. She came up with another Jenny Muff! She is having a think and will root through her cupboards.

powerlock

Women's wrestling was a real rarity in the north east, in fact until All Star came along I cannot recall any shows with womens bouts unless they were smaller independent shows that I had missed apart from one year when Ron Taylors wrestling and boxing booth had a pair of lady wrestlers on at the Race Week Hoppings fair. I wonder if there was other parts of the country where women wrestling was rarely seen?

Graham Bawden

I remember seeing Paula Valdez wrestle at the Winter Gardens in Weston Super Mare. She was very good. She went on to manage Dave Fit Finlay. A highly polished professional in the ring.

Bill Smith

Have seen (Princess) Paula Valdez wrestle on Youtube,and I must agree with you Graham she was very good. Possibley the best woman wrestler of the last 75 years was Mae Young,when she was young

Hack

I've just had a look through some Ringsport mags, my collection only starts in March 1970. I was surprised how little there was, almost nothing.

Other than a few photos of American female wrestlers the first reference is in February, 1973. In Midland Miscellany Charles Street (a pseudonym of Jack Taylor I was once told) refers to Dirty Diana rawling from Yorkshire, Sue Brittain of Leeds, and Susy Parkins from Norfolk.

The following month, March 1973, there's short articles and photos of Susie Parkins and Lady Caroline, with Caroline in a match against Sugar Pie Harlem. It was said that Lady caroline had retured in 1968 to start a family.

In April, 1973 Charles Street again writes an article on Girl Grappling, referring to Nola Goldsmith, who had also retired in 1968 to have a baby, Hellcat Haggerty (he describes her as "All woman") and Gerry Jansen. The author says that the lack of co-operation between independent promoters results in a lack of fulfilled potential in matching the female wrestlers.

Nothing more until February, 1974 when there are photographs and short write ups about Viv Martell and Cherokee Sioux.

No more references until I ended my subscription in April 1974.

Of course, at the moment we've only got as far as making lists, which is a good start. But we do need memories and knowledge, so do help us develop this if you can

james morton

I've come across a photo of Rusty Blair 'defending her world championship' in Lagos against the teenager Bella Ogulave, Dated 29 September 1980 ,

Ron Historyo

Mitzi's first opponent was Naughty Nancy Barton when she was 14.

Mitzi's maiden name was Connolly , I think her mother married Roy Bull Davis (stepdad ?)

Hack

Yes I've seen 14 mentioned and Nancy Barton seems a likely opponent. But its unlike you Ron to come up with such a statement without a time and place.

Ron Historyo

She gave an interview in Simon Garfields ...THE WRESTLING

Dale Storm

I started out as a seventeen year old rookie in the professional business way back in the early 1960's, Mitzi (Pat) had gotten into the business just a few short months before me. I was lucky enough to see both Nancy and her in action in their early years. I was also there when Big Kath, (a term of endearment I can honestly assure you) Mr Jack Cassidy's daughter, first took on the mantle of the genus of "Klondyke Kate" long before (Jayne) ended up with that pro handle. Yes Mitzi was in fact just 14 on her debut and although it may well be that the other young lady mentioned in a preivous thread was in fact just 12, (a very, very young and impressional age in the extreme) and if the time scale was in fact late 80/90's? Then sadly the "British Crossover" American orientated style had been going for around twelve years plus at that time and therefore its really not relevant from a true UK Wresting perspective. Its always all the harder to be one of the originators, especially when first entering a very, very strongly male establishment with all the peer resentment there was from many of the top guys back then. We most definately have to thank the Independents Promoters for the "Ladies" introduction (Joints wouldn't touch them with a barge pole!) and no more so than my mentor Mr Danny Flynn. God Rest Him! Its also true to say that most of the paying audienceses back then were only really interested in "tits and bums" and not much else, and sadly that's just about what they got at that time. Mitzi was taught by her wrestler father and could actually do a lot on the mat if required. Nancy learned her trade in the Salford/Manchester area among a small troop of eager young ladies which included one (Anne Barton) and she two could work if called upon to do so. But as I've already stated, no young ladies were being asked to give us much in the way of proper holds back then. The main point however seems to me to be getting lost in the mist of the intervening years by most however, and that is the revision of the sport in the 1940's which saw a completely new set-up being created, with its new rules and code of conduct but still there was no provision for "Woman Wrestlers" within its statute. It was only really after Ms Sue Brittain first had the guts to take on the establishment and the subsequent introduction of the "Woman's Movement" in general, when they burned their bras, and then we had the start of the move to PC, that things started to change on a wider plane. I can't answer for anyone else or indeed for some books on Britsh Wrestling which I've read personally, but with no disrespect intended I have to say this "I was there, I was very, very luck, I lived the early pioneering days" so I feel to some extent I can talk about them with some authority!" I'm very glad to say that unlike some, I've included quite a section in my book "Ask him again Ref!" dedicated to the fairer sex and their undoubted contribution once they got properly established. And I've also included a lot of pictures of the girls I know best. (Thank you to Hack for the plug, its most welcome) Its all there in those pages folks, its of course entirely up to you should you wish to purchase a copy? The ladies do however deserve a proper section and I for one am very confident that this site "Wrestling Heritage" which is undubtedly the leading light both in the UK and now in Europe will make that happen whenever they can find the right opportunity . Regards Dale Storm

SaxonWolf

A news piece on Marjorie Farrer (Sue Brittain) from when she died in 2013.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-22512390 ;

SaxonWolf

This looks like 1960's?, perhaps John Lister can give us more details?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFcuDN8bHyY ;

SaxonWolf

Anne Starr v Empress Black Dagger (?) from 1964 in Kent

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jfwcSAxWTE

james morton

I've come across a few more names - sorry if theyve already been mentioned. Akala Jan, Linda Lovelace, Rita Lester, Blondie Babs, Ellie McPherson, Lady Dawn, Ann Dering, Penny Aspell, Gemma Best, Madame Kiss, Kelly Andrews and Ana Marie Mastway.

There is also a pic of Rusty Blair named as World Champ along with Mitzi M the 'British and European Champion'

SaxonWolf

There is also a pic of Rusty Blair named as World Champ along with Mitzi M the 'British and European Champion'

James morton

Akala Jan was supposed to be from India, but I am sure I read that she was actually from Bradford.

Sue Brittain and her husband, Ron, were promoters (think it was called Ace Promotions, based in Leeds).

SaxonWolf

Pictures on English women wrestling, in 1932

http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/photo/english-women-take-up-wrestling-1-december-high-res-stock-photography/152381200 ;

http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/photo/english-women-take-up-wrestling-1-december-high-res-stock-photography/152381201 ;

http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/photo/english-women-take-up-wrestling-1-december-high-res-stock-photography/152381199 ;

and from 1930, in my own Sheffield

http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/photo/evelyn-croft-and-lola-mclean-at-the-high-res-stock-photography/107876851 ;

Ron Historyo

What I will do to do this some justice is to make a gallery of bills that mention each wrestler.

Any real names for any of the girls could be put against each bill in the comments until such time they could be in an A-Z

The tricky thing is that in some cases there have been originals and the batton has been passed as in the case of Klondyke Kate.

Hack

Good idea Ron. That would be interesting and helpful. As there was a request for a ladies section we need a good collective effort.

james morton

The bout at the RAH after which Mueller was said to have retired was with her tagging Rusty Blair against Klondyke Kate and Naughty Nickey Monroe. Naturally Mueller gained the winning fall.

Hack

Good un James. Nicky Munroe another name to add to the list.

james morton

There is quite a lot of footage on You Tube. Lena and Rusty Balir seem to be different people.Pippa McQueen wrestled as Tarrawen.

Ron Historyo

http://www.wrestlingheritage.co.uk/apps/photos/album?albumid=16103356

I have done a Girls gallery that shows at least once , most of the names mentioned. Sure I must have missed one or two.

Neil Kemp

During my career, I met several lady wrestlers, as they were called. I became friends with two, but have never heard of them since way back, when I left Leicester to live in Leeds. I just wondered if, perhaps, Heritage could do an article about lady wrestlers some time?. The two I knew were Lady Caroline, who was married to, or lived with Jack Taylor, and always put on a great show. The other was the sister of Chris McManus, and whose wrestling name I can´t remember, other than her real surname. If you met her, you wouldn´t know she wrestled, but she was good and tough. I have never heard about Chris McManus either, yet we were close back in the day, and he also lived in Leicester. If I have missed articles about female wrestlers, I apologise, but I hope to see more at some point. And if anyone knows the whereabouts of Chris McManus, maybe you can comment, please?

james morton

One thing members don't seem to have been too keen on is admitting they actually watched women's bouts. [art from the Mueller retirement I only saw one A Tag in Calais between two very acrobatic French girls and two billed as from Britain. One who looked liked Joyce Grenfell (but I do not think it cannot have been she) sulked outside the ropes for most of the match and the oher who was carrying a few excess pounds did all the work. On one occasion when she had given one of the French girls a good kicking she shouted at her 'Raus raus, stehe, stehe', which, contrary to popular belief, shows how, multi-lingual some Brits are. Come on now lads. Hands up those who have seen good female wrestling in the 60s-80s

Peter

A few years ago the magazine History Today had a photo of two women wrestlers at a fair in Aldgate Oxford taken in 1910!

David Mantell

Plenty of females who have worked as carny shooters have taken on male challengers.  Mildred Burke did it in the USA.  So did Klondyke Kate over here.   Plenty of working class women in the North of  England in the C19th and early C20th were into Lancashire catch wrestling as a practical sport just as much as the menfolk were, and plenty of them would have taken on male opponents and thought nothing of it.

Hack

Wasn't Johnny Kwango's mother a wrestler?My mother would be 101 this year, had she not unfortunately not died 20 years ago. No one would mess with her. Forget Wigan wrestlers. No one would mess with Lancashire women.

Graham Bawden

I remember seeing a bout between Klondyke Kate and Nicki Monroe, some years ago. It was a hard fought contest, with Kate winning. Tough girls..

Bill Smith

Possibly the best female shooter was "The Great Mae Young." Mae,or to give her her full name Johnnie Mae Young,was feared by both men and women in the USA.

David Mantell

From what I've heard, Roy Wood's daughter Andrea is pretty damn lethal as a shooter. Lovely person in everyday life tho.

Graham Brook

I was a huge fan of Mae Young and was thrilled to see her live some years ago when WWE came to The Kensington Olympia. It just so happened that I had already planned to be at Kensington Town Hall in the daytime to watch an oud recital promoted by George Galloway so it was only a hop and a skip over to the Olympia. Firstly, Mae Young and Fabulous Moolah took part in a pre-show skit with Jerry Lawler and later, in the show proper, they seconded Terri Runnels and The Kat in an arm-wrestling contest which finished with all four of them throwing water bottles at each other. How I would have loved to have seen her in her heyday. I recall hearing the story (although I forget the source) that she was involved in a bout early in her career which was supposed to be one hour cats so both she and her opponent were surprised when, after about twenty minutes, the M.C. rang the bell and climbed into the ring to make an announcement. The announcement was the bombing of Pearl Harbour (or Harbor as the yanks would have it).

I looked up the chapter "Women" in David Marchbank's excellent "Wrestling...the truth about the grappling game" published in 1966. The first women's bout which he documented was in Hawkhurst in Kent and it was staged as a fund-raiser for the local wrestling club b y pub landlord Arthur Stephens featuring local member Ann Starr versus Mademoiselle Chi-Chi Djaileb, Empress of the Black Dagger. The bout was over four five minute rounds and the result was a draw. Marchbanks also mentions a bout which took place some seven months later between Mitzi Mueller and "Naughty" Nancy Barton at Pontypridd Municipal Hall in the Rhondda Valley. Local vicar the Reverend Derek Green was quoted as saying, "It is a tragedy that Pontypridd should stage such an unbecoming practice. That women should want to pursue such a sport is an even greater tragedy."

I was too young to recall Nancy Barton although I believe she was related in some way to Roy "Bull" Davies. I knew Mitzi however although she never worked for me. Through Brian Dixon I booked her once to top the bill for me at a show I was promoting at The Silklands Club adjacent to Macclesfield Town Football Club but he pulled her out before the big day because he wanted to use her on one of his own shows. There was no written contract so there was nothing I could do about it but it did put me off approaching him again about using her. Lady wrestlers I did use included both Klondyke Kates (Big Chris and Jane Porter), Paula Valdez, Lena Blair, Lolita Loren, Blackfoot Sioux, Gypsy Sarah (Apache Princess), Kim Cordell, Trudy Saturn, Jody Lees, Lady Emma and Nicky Monroe. The Black Widow was mentioned in earlier posts. Although I did not use her as The Black Widow, I used her without that particular costume in her more usual guise of "Romeo" Joe Critchley.

George Johnson

So when Mitzi wrestled with The Black Widow she was really wrestling Joe Critchley ?

Graham Brook

Yes

Collectively Heritage members listed the following female wrestlers

Kelly Andrews

1980s

Apache Princess

Her husband was wrestler Bobby Barron

Pauline Ash

Wrestling as early as 1965. According to The Stage magazine she was blonde and from Halifax.

Penny Aspdell

1960s

Barbarella

1970s

Yvonne Bardot

1960s

Helen Bartelli

Wrestling as early as 1965

Naughty Nancy Barton

"The Wildcat of the Mat" was certainly wrestling by 1965, a frequent opponent of Mitzi Mueller. Naughty Nancy was not Ann Barton (as had been planned) but a friend of Ann's who took over when Ann was overcome by nerves. As I have found Lolita wrestling nancy in February 1965 it would seem reasonable to assume both were working as early as 1964.

Pauline Bell

Wrestling in 1966. Billed from Halifax

Gemma Best

Big Momma

1980s

Black Widow

Wrestling in 1977

Blackfoot Sioux/Miss Linda

1970s. Wife of Adrian Street

Lena Blair (also known as Leather Blair, Miss Lena and Lena Stromm)

1970s - 1980s. Cousin of Monty Swann.

Rusty Blair

1970s

Sue Brittain

Mentioned in Ringsport in 1973, from Leeds

Bunnygirl Sue

Wrestling in 1977

Lady Caroline

Mentioned in Ringsport with a short article and photo in March 1973. It was said that Lady Caroline had retired in 1968 to start a family.

Catwoman

1980s

Miss Cheeta

1970s

Cherokee Princess

1970s

Anita Cortez

Wrestling in 1966

Lady Dawn

1970s and 1980s

Dynamite Debbie

1980s

Ann Deering

1960s

Lady Emma

Ann Barton, the original Lolita Loren, returned as Lady Emma. Maybe there were others? Wrestling in the 1980s

Empress Black Dagger

1960s

Pussy Galore

Wrestling in 1977, in Scotland

Nola Goldsmith

Mentioned in Rigsport, April, 1973, reportedly retired in 1968 to have a baby

Gypsy Princess

1970s

Hellcat Haggerty

Was certainly wrestling by 1971, and mentioned in Ringsport April,1973. Daughter of Jack Cassidy.

Haggetty's Daughter

1970s. Any connection with Hellcat Haggetty?

Marion Hood

1960s

Akala Jan

1970s

Lady Jane

Wrestling by 1976

Gerry Jansen

Mentioned in Ringsport in April, 1973, with photo.

Klondyke Kate

Two of them

Katrina

1970s

Kathy Kay

Wrestling by 1966

Kathy Kegan

Wrestling in 1981

Madame Kiss

Terri Kruger

1980s

Jodie Lee

1980s

Rita Lester

Wrestling by 1976

Princess Little Bird

Lolita Loren

The original Lolita was Ann Barton, wrestling as early as 1965. As I have found Lolita wrestling nancy in February 1965 it would seem reasonable to assume both were working as early as 1964. The second Lolita Loren was a daughter of Jack Cassidy.

Molly Malone

1970s

Donna Marie

1980s

Viv Martell

Wrestling by 1972, photo and short article in Ringsport in February 1974. Sister of Bob Bell.

Jackie McCann

1980s

Jean McKenzie

Wrestling in 1971

Pattie McGoohan.

Wrestling by 1966. Daughter of Jack Cassidy.

Ellie McPherson

Mitzi Mueller

Mitzi, The Kinky Blonde, was certainly wrestling by 1965, a frequent opponent of Naughty Nancy Barton. Was already being billed as British champion in 1965.

Jenny Muff

1960s

Naughty Nickie

1980s

Nicky Munroe

Husband Johnny South also wrestled, and believed her mother, Heather, also. Step father John McDonald was a promoter in Bournemouth.

Bella Ogulawe

1960s

Coleen O'Hara

1980s

Susy Parkins

Mentioned in Ringsport with a short article and photo in March 1973, from Norfolk

Sugar Pie

1960s

Miss Portugal

Wrestling in 1977, in Scotland

Dirty Diana Rawling

Mentioned in Ringsport in 1973, from Yorkshire

Maria Rivoldi

1970s

Diane Rodrigues

Wrestling in 1966. "The blond bombshell"

Susan Sexton

1970s

Cherokee Sioux

Photo and short article in Ringsport in February 1974

Shirley Southern

Wrestling as early as 1965

Miss Spitfire.

1980s

Anne Starr

1960s

Judy Starr

Wrestling as early as 1965. Was she also Julie Starr?

Tina Starr

Wrestling in the 1980s

Cindy Stephens

"The blonde bomber from Chicago." Wrestling in 1966

Teenage Tracy

1980s

Paula Valdez (Princess Paula)

Wrestling in 1977.

Britt Vartzo

Yvonne Willetts

Was wrestling by 1965

Ron Historyo

That's quite an A-Z.....What have we started?

Hack

Moderator

We've made good progress with this topic. I'm confident there's enough general information to start a ladies celebration, but we are going to need a lot more help for a detailed A-Z. But when we get something up and running it will lead to more interest.

I think our first reference to 1960s female wrestling so far is 1965. I've read an article today in which Mitzi said she started in 1964 and believed she was the first woman wrestler. I'm not sure of that (she'd need an opponent) but 1964 seems a feasible start date for the 1960s, though we know there was female wrestling many years earlier.

Bill Smith

The only womens wrestling match I saw was Pussy Galore v Mitzi Meuller (Mitzi won),on an Independant Bill which featured

Albert Wall v Kendo Ngasaki.....The ref got KOd when he got in the way of Alberts Flying Head Butt,Kendo walked out and refused to carry on with a substitute Ref.George said Kendo had "already won"Also on tthe Bill were Adrian Street,Kung Fu (masked),Kevin Coneely.and some others.

"Kung Fu" was not in any way like the Eddie Hamill version I had seen on TV

Try this,info and photos here.

http://bigdassorted.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/some-british-ladywrestlers-for-you.html

well worth a look

The Riot Squad

Even though most Women's Wrestling seems to be much more recent than the years Wrestling Heritage addresses principally, trying to classify what's what and who's who seems very very difficult.

Probably the weight classes and 21 belts + regional titles give us a structure when discussing and recording non-female werestling and wrestlers. The use of multiple names isn't helping and it's rather confusing in spite of the relatively small pool of women.

We hope that this thread will continue to flourish with confirmed quality input so that some kind of definitive listing or feature can eventually come out of it for permanent display on this site. But we are 100% dependent on Members for this quality input.

Ron Historyo

This is so true and even after digging into my bills and producing a gallery which I thought would yield the first girls circa 1965 it did not capture Maria Rivoldi and Sue Brittain.

Any names or info can be put here and I will also try and get some comments collected in the gallery.

With a good joint effort we can do this justice.