Ida Mae Martinez

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Ida Mae Martinez
Birth nameIda Mae Martinez
BornSeptember 9, 1931[1]
New London, Connecticut[1]
DiedJanuary 19, 2010(2010-01-19) (aged 78)[1]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Ida Mae Martinez
Ida May Martinez
Billed height5 ft 2 in (157 cm)[1]
Billed weight125 lb (57 kg)[2]
Debut1951[1]
Retired1960[1]

Ida Mae Martinez Selenkow (September 9, 1931 – January 19, 2010) was an American

AIDS
patients.

Professional wrestling career

After watching a female professional wrestling match between Johnny Mae Young and Gloria Barattini, Martinez sought out promoter Billy Wolfe.[1] Wolfe invited her to train in Columbus, Ohio.[1] She debuted professionally in August 1951 in Ohio.[1] She won the Championship of Mexico in 1952.[1][3] She held the title until 1953.[2]

She retired in 1960 after remarrying.

Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame awarded her the Senator Hugh Farley Award for her contribution in and outside of the ring.[3]

Personal life

Martinez was born in New London, Connecticut and raised in North Stonington, where she lived with relatives after her mother abandoned her. She never knew her father.[4]

Her guardians were reportedly abusive [3] and she left home sometime between the ages of 13 and 15 to live with her cousin.[1][3] She attended Norwich Free Academy,[1] but eventually dropped out of high school.[3] In addition to school, she worked as a yodeler and singer at country and minstrel shows.[1] She married at age 17 and claimed that her husband was abusive.[1] Her wrestling career began in 1948, when a customer, who was a wrestler, asked her if she wanted to wrestle. She said yes.

She retired from the ring in 1960 to marry a Baltimore businessman, Herbert Selenkow. They later had two daughters, but later divorced.

AIDS patients.[2]

She later converted to Judaism.[1] In 2004, she released a yodeling CD, The Yodeling Lady Ms. Ida.[1] She appeared on The Rosie O'Donnell Show as a yodeler in April 1999.[1][2][3] She was also a member of the Western Music Association.[2]

Championships and accomplishments

See also

  • List of Jewish professional wrestlers

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y Oliver, Greg (January 19, 2010). "Ida Mae Martinez was wrestler, yodeler, nurse". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on January 1, 2013. Retrieved January 20, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Ida Mae Martinez". GLORY Wrestling. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
  3. ^
    Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. Archived from the original
    on April 4, 2009. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
  4. ^ Baltimore Sun obituary