The Fabulous Moolah:
28 fabulous years defining a generation
A
year and a half in the making, and kept
under wraps for a while since for may reasons including credible respect to the
late female whilst certain timing in the wrestling world was not right to
publish, now Wrestling Wonders exclusively honours one of the greatest female champions
in history.
Born
July 22nd, 1923, Mary Lillian Ellison would go on to become the most cemented
female wrestler of the sport.
She
began inspiring female grapplers most notably as part of the Rock ‘n’ Wrestling
Connection tandem bearing witness to her battle against Wendi Richter and pop
icon Cyndi Lauper. Defeating Richter in 1984, Ellison gained her very first WWF women's championship.
The
four-time champion, every reign lasting in length, earned the longest title
reign in history by any professional athlete among the WWF.
Winning
the NWA World Women’s championship in 1956, she held the title over an impressive
near thirty years.
Her
career started in 1949 trained by promoter Mildred Burke. Her first bout was against
June Byers on May 26th. Her first characterisation, Slave Girl Moolah,
brainchild of Jack Pfeiffer, joined male wrestler Johnny Long, her future
husband.
As
early as 1950, Moolah abetted “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers contributing appeal to
male audiences, also helping him against competition. Turning sour in the
realms of reality, Rogers, a charismatic and handsome wrestler at that time,
sought more from her personally, which Ellison rejected, allowing herself to avoid
becoming part of a sexual relationship which then led to their on screen
partnership to become redundant.
Still in the ‘50s, Ellison moved on with her
career shepherding Elephant Boy, a Mexican wrestler portrayed by Tony Olivias
which soon sparked controversy with the audience in that era. Entering the
ring, she planted a kiss as routine to her beau on the cheek. Audiences were
very particular regarding ethnicity back then and fans considered interracial
connections with the wrestlers untoward and forbidden. The Mexican was
considered black to the audience. Shortly after this period, Moolah made the
decision to part ways with the company. To this day, it remains a mystery
whether this reception caused her departure from said organisation, under Pfeiffer’s
rule.
Embarking on a new chapter, working with
Boston promoters, Ellison was soon headed to Vince McMahon's Sr to link with
his Capitol Wrestling Corporation in 1955.
The following year in ’56, the women's world
championship was vacant, a perfect time for Moolah to participate in a thirteen
woman battle royal besting Judy Grable as the last woman remaining to capture
the title. This title shares its heritage with the NWA world women's championship.
Under control of Billy Wolfe, the NWA neglected to recognise her as NWA
champion since rebuffing his advances in previous years, with strained
relations, politically.
Subsequently, McMahon Sr rewarded her
accolades re-branding her “The Fabulous Moolah.” Even retired grappler June Buyers
broke tradition of retirement to face Moolah for the honourable championship,
which Buyers could not wrest from her adversary’s waist. Moolah’s first
championship rule lasted a decade, totaling ten outstanding years in the
sport. She defended successfully against many opponents including a face from
her past, Judy Grable.
Buyers eventually re-retired in 1964, leaving
Moolah to be finally acknowledged as NWA (National Wrestling Alliance) champion which melded her as the very
first undisputed women's world champion. Betty Boucher ended her longstanding
as champion in 1966, only for Ellison to restore rule weeks later. She also
traded it to Yukiko Tomoe, on a tour of Japan in ’68.
Banned from wrestling at its most noted home
for the sport, Madison Square Garden, women’s wrestling entered a new era of
monumental historic change on July 1st 1972, as Moolah became the first woman
to ever wrestle in the garden itself. Female wrestling was shifting into a
rapid change worldwide. Lifting a ban with the New York Athletic Commission,
Moolah persuaded the state of New York to accept female wrestling in June 1972,
cementing a legacy encouraging all females after her.
Stronghold to the title and reforming female
stance on the sport, in the late 70s, Ellison bought legal rights to the
championship. She went on for another six year reign after being without said
championship for two days, when transitional champ Evelyn Stevens held it in
1978.
During ’83, the WWF was expanding. Vince
McMahon Jr, (Vincent Kennedy McMahon) convinced Moolah to sell him the
championship. Issuing a national outreach, the WWF acquired the title, where
Moolah and McMahon, bartered exclusivity to the company and in doing so went on
to became the first WWF Women’s champion.
Plunged into a new era, pop/rock icon Cyndi
Lauper began a fierce war of words with Captain Lou Albano. Albano caused
enough outrage to create a topic of mainstream culture from the feud, sparking
the highly influential Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Connection. Requiring a powerful
female to silence Lauper’s protégé Wendi Richter, the pair met on PPV.
Representing Albano, Moolah’s title found itself on the line. Richter downed
Moolah’s attempt in a hotly anticipated challenge for the title at PPV, The
Brawl to End It All. Albano joined Moolah’s corner in support. The pay-per-view
was broadcast on the MTV music channel, beginning the WWF's major dominance in
media relations. The company made public knowledge of Moolah’s accomplishments,
spanned over the previous twenty-eight years as champion.
Moolah featured in a programme supporting
Leilani Kai in her battle with Richter as champion in February 1985; however
the underlying tension backstage was becoming somewhat sour. The relationship
between the WWF and Richter was waning. Moolah, instructed to don a mask saw
her regain the championship on November 25th in what would be a controversial
decision. Ugly scenes unfolded as Richter had not been informed beforehand she
was scheduled to lose the title to Moolah, shielded by her mask as “Spider
Lady.” This was classified as the original screw job reminiscent to the
Montréal double-cross in 1997 involving Bret “Hitman” Hart and Shawn Michaels.
Livid, Richter decisively quit the organisation swiftly whilst Moolah continued
on as champion over the coming two years.
Moolah continued on in battles with Velvet
McIntyre and Sherri Martel (Sensational Sherri) over the next two years.
June 25th, 1995 approached where Moolah
accepted her honours as first female wrestler to be inducted into the Hall of
Fame. Meeting old friend Pat Patterson, Moolah then re-surfaced for one last
run in the WWE. Now featuring slender females, and archaic framed bikini models
fully engrossed in sexually motivated angles, Ellison featured on Smackdown in 1998, receiving a guitar
over her head by Jeff Jarrett. Accompanied by her trainer and friend Mae Young
both added to comedic angles in a tastefully humorous display with sheer skill
given. They proved equals to the younger girls on offer, despite the aging
process.
Utilising her experience, Moolah returned to
action, teaching then champion Ivory a lesson on the Raw brand, in September 1999. Meeting at No Mercy, Moolah, at a
gracious seventy-six years of age proved to the world once again how to
strengthen women’s wrestle, removing the title from Ivory to become the most
respected ever in the sport. Ivory would relieve her of the title eight days
later.
In her downturn period away from the business, Moolah
also trained females and sought bookings for them with federations. Girl
Wrestling Enterprises (GWE) was opened with business partner and later husband
of nine years Buddy Lee. The company had high aspirations and a demanding
schedule with its goals which included appearance maintenance with hair and
make-up presented accordingly whilst acting womanly while dating men who were
in the professional wrestling business was advised against.
Moolah came under
fire also, accused of supplying talent to promoters with unsuspecting females to
provide sexual affection. Susie May McCoy (Sweet Georgia Brown) spoke of being raped
on occasions, confided to her daughter while trained by Moolah and Lee. Alternative
statements revealed promoters wouldn’t extend agreed wrestling payment until
further demand was fulfilled romantically in the ‘60s. Allegedly, Moolah forbode
females attending gay bars and influenced them to consider becoming
heterosexual, a response met with contradiction. Accused of being a shrewd
businesswoman, females under her tutelage conclude Moolah demanded half of
their payments received when booking against high profile talent including a
couple of matches lined up with Wendi Richter. Moolah was accused of pinching
bookings for herself at later dates. Launching the IWA (International Wrestling
Association) a non-profit organisation aiding retired wrestlers in the late ‘80s
– early ‘90s, she spent the remainder of her years training in Colombia, where
she switched to support men learning.
Unstable Diva Victoria soon fell to Moolah on
September 15th, 2003. To celebrate her birthday, she became the first
octogenarian to compete in a WWE ring. Seeing an opportunity, “Legend Killer”
Randy Orton strode out to congratulate Moolah’s victory. Marking his respect,
Orton laid out the 80-year-old with an RKO. Moolah signified another bout of
professionalism and adoration for the fall fabulously.
She would make appearances in 2006 and 2007,
including Wrestlemania 23 and the draft lottery, while also featuring with
Vince McMahon and William Regal. That would be her last showcase in August 2007.
For a young female in a male dominated world,
aiming to put female wrestling onto the radar in a positive light, The Fabulous
Moolah became the beacon of light to all females around the world inspired to
make something more of themselves and the audience. Realising a lucrative
market, she sent the benchmark for all aiming high.
Personal differences and issues of
allegations, for which Moolah sidestepped in part, took the long way around.
Training, booking and wrestling without sexual influences herself, created the
platform of female wrestling rather than eye candy gaining notorious respect by
all her peers years to come and in the future. The only pinnacle of female
wrestling in the ring, able to re-structure an entire division, Moolah remains Queen of the ring. The biggest challenge for
the future will be upholding that legacy for females worldwide. No one will
ever emulate Moolah, and no one is trying to, but aiming to maintain the
platform she created should continue to be a priority.
With a career filled with yearly reigns,
everyone meaningful and monumental with influence, it is no wonder this female
grappler left an air of hope for all of today’s performers. If they can find
their niche, and work at it tenfold, perhaps, on some level, those parameters
of women’s wrestling can resurface in a somewhat backward portrayal.
The Fabulous Moolah, at 84, stood the test of
time for every decade of her life in the ring. Blossoming from a fifteen year
old girl to a fully fledged leading lady; Mary Lillian Ellison truly became the “First
Goddess of the Squared Circle” where this woman changed an entire dimension in
the sport she loved. Ellison passed on November 2nd 2007 due to a blood clot from shoulder surgery. R.I.P. X
© Max Waltham 30th October 2012
Given a reprieve, the former tag
champion, knocked in big promotions years prior has transitioned from
dependable worker to exceptional heavyweight. As champion Conway has the look, skills,
workability and in ring psychology to present others and the company involved
with handsomely.
Still in the ‘50s, Ellison moved on with her
career shepherding Elephant Boy, a Mexican wrestler portrayed by Tony Olivias
which soon sparked controversy with the audience in that era. Entering the
ring, she planted a kiss as routine to her beau on the cheek. Audiences were
very particular regarding ethnicity back then and fans considered interracial
connections with the wrestlers untoward and forbidden. The Mexican was
considered black to the audience. Shortly after this period, Moolah made the
decision to part ways with the company. To this day, it remains a mystery
whether this reception caused her departure from said organisation, under Pfeiffer’s
rule.
