Mildred Burke
Mildred Burke | |
---|---|
Birth name | Mildred Bliss |
Born | [1] Coffeyville, Kansas, US[1] | August 5, 1915
Died | February 18, 1989 Los Angeles, California, US | (aged 73)
Spouse(s) | Billy Wolfe (−1952) |
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | Mildred Burke |
Billed height | 5 ft 2 in (157 cm)[2] |
Billed weight | 138 lb (63 kg)[2] |
Trained by | Billy Wolfe |
Debut | 1935[2] |
Retired | 1955[1] |
Part of a series on |
Professional wrestling |
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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-1950s, when she held the
Early life
Born Mildred Bliss on August 5, 1915, in
Professional wrestling career
Prior to wrestling, she was an office stenographer by day, had outstanding muscle development, and was hoping to become a professional wrestler.
In the 1930s, Burke wrestled over 200 men, but only lost to one of them.[7]: 33
Despite the riches that her husband earned as a
Split from Billy Wolfe
The problems caused by Wolfe's infidelity came to a head in 1952 when Wolfe and Burke separated. Burke found herself frozen out of professional wrestling among all
Dealings with the NWA
Burke faced many obstacles, as women were banned from yearly NWA conferences, and this diminished the importance of women in professional wrestling.[6]: 292 An example of the discrimination was evident during the dispute with Wolfe. Burke sat in the lobby of the Blackstone Hotel in Chicago as male dignitaries argued behind closed doors about her future. Wolfe's voice was the only one heard by the membership. In the end, the NWA declined to recognize women's wrestling after the meeting, Wolfe regained his stake, but many women were loyal to Burke and refused to wrestle for Wolfe.
Genuine animosity
In a letter to NWA members on November 4, 1953, Burke refuted Wolfe's claim that she would wrestle only one woman grappler.[6]: 292 She claimed that there were twelve grapplers with whom she would work. Wolfe, however, used his influence to get her frozen from NWA members, and her promising run in the Southeast with Cowboy Luttrall and Paul Jones in 1954 fizzled.[6]: 292
Emotionally exhausted, Burke wrestled Wolfe's daughter-in-law
Legacy
In the early 1950s, Burke started the World Women's Wrestling Association in
After the tensions with Wolfe and the NWA, Burke traveled with an escort for the rest of her career as a protective measure. She started International Women's Wrestlers Inc. with Bill Newman and the
Her efforts to spread women's wrestling internationally reached Japan and brought about the World Wide Women's Wrestling Association (WWWA).
Mildred Burke introduced women's wrestling to several countries, including almost every state of the United States, Canada, Cuba, Mexico, and parts of the Orient: Japan, Hong Kong, Macao, and the Philippines.
In 2002, she was posthumously inducted into the
On August 17, 2018, NWA's owner Billy Corgan acquired Burke's original title belt and presented it on August 28, at NWA EmPowerrr.[9] The NWA World Women's Championship is also referred to as "The Burke".[9]
Personal life and final years
In her later years, Burke ran a women's wrestling school in
Burke died from a stroke[10] on February 18, 1989, in Northridge, California,[1] and was buried at the Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles.
Championships and accomplishments
- Independent
- Women's World Championship (2 times)
- Women's World Lightweight championship (2 times)[11]
- International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
- National Wrestling Alliance
- Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Class of 2002[1]
- World Women's Wrestling Association
- 1 time)
- Women's Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Class of 2023[13]
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- WWE
In other media
In 2009, Jeff Leen published a biography of Burke, titled "Queen of the Ring".[14] In June 2023 filming began on Queen of the Ring, a biopic of Burke, based on Leen's book. Canadian actress Emily Bett Rickards will play Burke in the film.[15]
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f "Mildred Burke Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum Entry". PWHF.org. Archived from the original on February 1, 2009. Retrieved May 5, 2007.
- ^ a b c d Greenberg, Alan. "MILDRED BURKE... She Never Met Her Match". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 5, 2007 – via Wrestling-Titles.com.
- ^ "Mildred Burke Online World of Wrestling Profile". onlineworldofwrestling.com. Retrieved May 5, 2007.
- ^ a b "Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame Inductees". Wrestling Information Archive. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved May 5, 2007.
- ISBN 978-0-8225-3332-0.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-55022-741-3.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-06-001258-8.
- ^ Molinaro, John F. (2002). Top 100 Pro Wrestlers of All Time. Winding Stair Press. p. 177.
- ^ a b Barrasso, Justin (August 17, 2021). "Billy Corgan's NWA Acquires Mildred Burke's Title Belt to Celebrate Women's Wrestling Pioneer". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
- ^ a b Almond, Elliott (February 14, 1989). "Mildred Burke, 73, Dies After Stroke". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
- ^ "Women's World Lightweight Title". wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
- ^ Johnson, Mike (March 13, 2022). "Steve Austin & More: International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2022 Announced". PWInsider.com. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
- ^ "FIRST INDUCTEES ANNOUNCED FOR WOMEN'S WRESTLING HALL OF FAME | PWInsider.com". www.pwinsider.com. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
- ^ Gewen, Barry (July 27, 2009). "Female Star in the Make-Believe World of Wrestling". The New York Times. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
- ^ Ross Sapp, Sean (June 4, 2023). "Liv Morgan and Charlotte Flair cast for upcoming Mildred Burke movie". Fightful.com. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
External links
- Mildred Burke on WWE.com
- Mildred Burke's profile at Cagematch.net , Wrestlingdata.com , Internet Wrestling Database