1
00:00:01,392 --> 00:00:03,002
Now I understand you had
a rough match last night.
2
00:00:03,046 --> 00:00:05,346
Ah, you wrestled a lady,
and she got 14 stitches.
3
00:00:05,396 --> 00:00:07,046
Yeah, well...
4
00:00:07,094 --> 00:00:08,574
If that's what it
takes to try to win,
5
00:00:08,617 --> 00:00:09,747
that's what I'll do.
6
00:00:09,792 --> 00:00:10,882
[cheering]
7
00:00:10,923 --> 00:00:12,013
You can't say
"women's wrestling"
8
00:00:12,055 --> 00:00:14,185
without thinking
The Fabulous Moolah.
9
00:00:14,231 --> 00:00:17,231
If she had not run the
women's wrestling business,
10
00:00:17,278 --> 00:00:19,058
there may not have
been women's wrestling.
11
00:00:19,106 --> 00:00:20,926
Introducing,
first, to my right,
12
00:00:20,977 --> 00:00:23,497
former World
Women's Champion...
13
00:00:23,545 --> 00:00:25,585
The Fabulous Moolah!
14
00:00:25,634 --> 00:00:27,074
[cheering]
15
00:00:27,114 --> 00:00:29,774
As Moolah, the promoter,
I want to make money
16
00:00:29,812 --> 00:00:32,902
for my talent and I want to
make money for Moolah.
17
00:00:32,945 --> 00:00:34,295
[cheering]
18
00:00:34,338 --> 00:00:36,428
Oh, come on!
19
00:00:36,471 --> 00:00:40,261
Even to this day,
if you say, "women's wrestling,"
20
00:00:40,301 --> 00:00:43,911
the picture of Moolah
appears in my mind.
21
00:00:43,956 --> 00:00:46,216
♪
22
00:00:46,263 --> 00:00:49,053
If Moolah was alive today...
23
00:00:49,092 --> 00:00:50,962
I'd probably slap her.
24
00:00:51,007 --> 00:00:53,837
She was so jealous of any woman
25
00:00:53,879 --> 00:00:57,619
that was younger than
her in wrestling.
26
00:00:57,666 --> 00:01:00,756
She was also a manipulator,
and she was also a thief.
27
00:01:00,799 --> 00:01:04,019
She wanted to hurt me...
Bruise me...
28
00:01:04,064 --> 00:01:06,024
[shouting]
29
00:01:06,066 --> 00:01:07,416
I'll knock your teeth out!
30
00:01:07,458 --> 00:01:10,368
There was drugs;
there was sex;
31
00:01:10,418 --> 00:01:14,118
there was a lot of
abuse with Moolah.
32
00:01:14,161 --> 00:01:17,601
I'm like, wow, they waited
'til she passed away to say
33
00:01:17,642 --> 00:01:20,562
all these things so she couldn't
stand up and defend herself.
34
00:01:20,602 --> 00:01:24,002
I was warned, but I
wanted to wrestle so bad.
35
00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:27,650
She gave her whole life
to professional wrestling.
36
00:01:27,696 --> 00:01:31,696
She gave all these
girls an opportunity and,
37
00:01:31,743 --> 00:01:34,753
for nobody to stand up
for her, I don't know...
38
00:01:34,790 --> 00:01:36,750
just couldn't deal with it.
39
00:01:36,792 --> 00:01:40,192
She was a great
professional wrestler...
40
00:01:40,230 --> 00:01:44,450
But she didn't
know when to stop.
41
00:01:44,495 --> 00:01:47,015
On this episode, the life...
42
00:01:47,063 --> 00:01:51,153
legend, and controversy
of the Fabulous Moolah.
43
00:01:51,198 --> 00:01:54,638
[bell chimes]
44
00:01:54,679 --> 00:01:57,029
♪
45
00:01:57,073 --> 00:01:58,733
[match bell chimes]
46
00:01:58,770 --> 00:02:02,730
...Fabulous Moolah, with a WWF
women's title on the line here.
47
00:02:02,774 --> 00:02:05,564
She made all of her
costumes herself.
48
00:02:05,603 --> 00:02:08,743
Anything flashy, she loved.
49
00:02:08,780 --> 00:02:10,910
She was just that
kind of person.
50
00:02:10,956 --> 00:02:13,786
It really never impressed
me that much because,
51
00:02:13,829 --> 00:02:15,959
to me, she was just my
mother and I didn't
52
00:02:16,005 --> 00:02:19,835
really realize how
popular she was.
53
00:02:19,878 --> 00:02:22,138
My name is Mary Austin,
54
00:02:22,185 --> 00:02:26,095
and I'm the only child of
The Fabulous Moolah.
55
00:02:26,146 --> 00:02:28,966
My mother kind of kept
me out of the spotlight,
56
00:02:29,018 --> 00:02:31,978
but she loved the spotlight.
[laughs]
57
00:02:32,021 --> 00:02:33,501
She was determined to do it.
58
00:02:33,544 --> 00:02:35,204
When you really
love something,
59
00:02:35,242 --> 00:02:39,032
you put yourself into it, and
she had all of herself into it.
60
00:02:39,071 --> 00:02:41,991
This is one Mary let me have.
As you can see,
61
00:02:42,031 --> 00:02:45,341
how beautiful it is - sparkly,
just like Moolah liked it.
62
00:02:45,382 --> 00:02:47,212
- [laughs]
- Oh, yeah.
63
00:02:47,254 --> 00:02:51,134
My name is Selina Majors.
I wrestled as Bambi.
64
00:02:51,171 --> 00:02:52,911
Started in 1986.
65
00:02:52,955 --> 00:02:55,175
I've been in it
for 32 years.
66
00:02:55,218 --> 00:02:58,478
I wanted my name, as a kid,
to be Dynamite Dixie Majors,
67
00:02:58,526 --> 00:03:00,436
so I've got these big
posters that would say,
68
00:03:00,484 --> 00:03:02,404
"The Fabulous
Moolah Champion vs.
69
00:03:02,443 --> 00:03:04,793
Dynamite Dixie Majors".
70
00:03:04,836 --> 00:03:08,706
I had this life-size doll,
and I'd take that doll and
71
00:03:08,753 --> 00:03:11,283
I would body slam it,
and climb up on the bed,
72
00:03:11,321 --> 00:03:13,851
and drop an elbow.
73
00:03:13,889 --> 00:03:16,109
I'd stand in front of the
mirror with my hairbrush,
74
00:03:16,152 --> 00:03:18,072
do little interviews
and tell Moolah
75
00:03:18,110 --> 00:03:21,380
how I was gonna
come and wrestle her.
76
00:03:21,418 --> 00:03:24,598
As you can tell, I like the,
the bad guys, the heels.
77
00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:26,639
She was a heel.
She played that part.
78
00:03:26,684 --> 00:03:28,254
My name's
The Fabulous Moolah.
79
00:03:28,295 --> 00:03:30,245
I've been wrestling
since I was 15 years old,
80
00:03:30,297 --> 00:03:33,337
and I am the world's
champion lady wrestler.
81
00:03:33,387 --> 00:03:36,647
They hated her, but
that's what she wanted.
82
00:03:36,694 --> 00:03:39,314
She's nasty and she cheats!
83
00:03:39,349 --> 00:03:40,829
[shouting]
84
00:03:40,872 --> 00:03:43,532
Oh, I'd fix up a little
spoon handle, you know,
85
00:03:43,571 --> 00:03:45,091
about the
size of your finger,
86
00:03:45,137 --> 00:03:47,787
roll it up with tape and
put it down in my bra.
87
00:03:47,836 --> 00:03:50,356
The meaner she was, the more
they liked it, you know.
88
00:03:50,404 --> 00:03:51,974
And she loved being a heel.
89
00:03:52,014 --> 00:03:55,104
Stick it in their eyes,
in the throat.
90
00:03:55,147 --> 00:03:56,447
Ha!
91
00:03:56,497 --> 00:03:58,887
The Fabulous Moolah
started as a female wrestler,
92
00:03:58,934 --> 00:04:01,284
and then she became the
female wrestling champion,
93
00:04:01,328 --> 00:04:04,158
and then she became the booker
of all the girl wrestlers.
94
00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:06,860
I first broke into wrestling
as a photographer.
95
00:04:06,898 --> 00:04:08,768
I was a 15-year-old kid
and I was doing all of the
96
00:04:08,813 --> 00:04:11,253
photography that was sold
in the arenas for the entire
97
00:04:11,294 --> 00:04:12,774
Memphis wrestling territory.
98
00:04:12,817 --> 00:04:15,117
"Moolah, can I get a couple
of pictures for the magazine?"
99
00:04:15,167 --> 00:04:16,687
Always say for
the magazines, right.
100
00:04:16,734 --> 00:04:18,304
"Why of course
you can, darling."
101
00:04:18,345 --> 00:04:20,295
And she had her stock poses.
Boom, boom, boom,
102
00:04:20,347 --> 00:04:22,997
and 30 seconds and
she's off to the ring.
103
00:04:23,045 --> 00:04:26,605
Moolah pioneered the
hair pulling, cat fighting,
104
00:04:26,657 --> 00:04:31,487
scratching, crowd-pleasing
kind of women's wrestling.
105
00:04:31,532 --> 00:04:35,622
She broke glass ceilings,
one after another.
106
00:04:35,666 --> 00:04:39,236
She got into wrestling when
there was no women in wrestling.
107
00:04:39,279 --> 00:04:42,889
Women's wrestling was actually
banned in Madison Square Garden,
108
00:04:42,934 --> 00:04:46,634
and Moolah was the one that
was chosen to break the ban.
109
00:04:46,677 --> 00:04:48,197
She was the
featured girl in the
110
00:04:48,244 --> 00:04:50,254
first girl's match
in the Garden.
111
00:04:50,290 --> 00:04:54,730
Now that she's almost 60,
she's on MTV.
112
00:04:54,772 --> 00:04:58,302
It's 1984, the Rock 'n'
Wrestling Connection.
113
00:04:58,341 --> 00:05:01,691
Cyndi Lauper and that
whole era of network TV,
114
00:05:01,736 --> 00:05:04,086
and Madison Square Garden,
and MTV,
115
00:05:04,129 --> 00:05:05,389
and rock 'n' roll stars...
116
00:05:05,435 --> 00:05:08,475
And this place is
ready to explode tonight!
117
00:05:08,525 --> 00:05:12,005
...Got so much national
attention that NBC and
118
00:05:12,050 --> 00:05:13,530
everybody else
started looking at,
119
00:05:13,574 --> 00:05:14,924
at pro wrestling.
120
00:05:14,966 --> 00:05:18,926
She made it from the mid-50s
to the dawn of MTV,
121
00:05:18,970 --> 00:05:20,450
for the biggest
payoff she ever made.
122
00:05:20,494 --> 00:05:22,454
There she is,
the fabulous one,
123
00:05:22,496 --> 00:05:24,236
The Fabulous Moolah...
124
00:05:24,280 --> 00:05:26,630
putting her
title on the line!
125
00:05:26,674 --> 00:05:29,294
There'll never be
anyone to have the,
126
00:05:29,329 --> 00:05:32,589
the guts that she had.
127
00:05:32,636 --> 00:05:35,766
This must have
been really old.
128
00:05:35,813 --> 00:05:37,423
Look at that.
Look at her hair.
129
00:05:37,467 --> 00:05:39,767
This is a wrestling license.
130
00:05:39,817 --> 00:05:43,207
Her mom passed away when
she was about 9, I think.
131
00:05:43,255 --> 00:05:46,075
And then, it was her dad and
her brothers that raised her,
132
00:05:46,128 --> 00:05:48,438
so she learned
how to fight real early.
133
00:05:48,478 --> 00:05:50,608
It was rough for her.
134
00:05:50,654 --> 00:05:54,014
I was an only child and
she was just a teenager.
135
00:05:54,049 --> 00:05:57,139
She went to wrestling
matches every week,
136
00:05:57,182 --> 00:05:58,662
and my mother
saw Mildred Burke.
137
00:05:58,706 --> 00:06:00,656
She said,
"That's what I want to be."
138
00:06:00,708 --> 00:06:03,358
It's Mildred Burke,
of Los Angeles, California,
139
00:06:03,406 --> 00:06:04,836
World Champion.
140
00:06:04,886 --> 00:06:06,496
Back in the 30s and 40s,
141
00:06:06,540 --> 00:06:09,110
Mildred Burke was such
a legitimate athlete.
142
00:06:09,151 --> 00:06:10,761
She was in tremendous shape,
143
00:06:10,805 --> 00:06:13,495
and she just had a natural
flair for, for wrestling.
144
00:06:13,547 --> 00:06:15,417
But behind the scenes,
Billy Wolfe,
145
00:06:15,462 --> 00:06:17,422
Mildred Burke's husband,
was pulling the strings and
146
00:06:17,464 --> 00:06:19,254
managing the
whole women's troop,
147
00:06:19,291 --> 00:06:21,381
for good and bad.
148
00:06:21,424 --> 00:06:25,214
When she was 17 or 18,
she went to see Billy Wolfe.
149
00:06:25,254 --> 00:06:27,044
When you became a
wrestler for Billy Wolfe,
150
00:06:27,082 --> 00:06:30,092
you automatically had to...
go to bed with him.
151
00:06:30,128 --> 00:06:32,298
She said she
wasn't doing it,
152
00:06:32,348 --> 00:06:34,348
and she could find some
other way to wrestle without
153
00:06:34,394 --> 00:06:37,054
having to go to bed
with him or anyone else.
154
00:06:37,092 --> 00:06:38,792
What's the worst
experience you,
155
00:06:38,833 --> 00:06:40,103
you might want to
say that, like,
156
00:06:40,138 --> 00:06:41,618
you ever had
with a promoter?
157
00:06:41,662 --> 00:06:44,192
[laughs] That's kind
of hard to talk about.
158
00:06:44,229 --> 00:06:45,839
- Really is.
- Hm.
159
00:06:45,883 --> 00:06:47,673
The Fabulous Moolah,
at one point,
160
00:06:47,711 --> 00:06:49,801
was married to a
guy named Buddy Lee.
161
00:06:49,844 --> 00:06:51,764
Buddy Lee used to wrestle.
162
00:06:51,802 --> 00:06:54,852
Of course, they met and they
sort of fell for each other.
163
00:06:54,892 --> 00:06:57,422
And, she did most
of the wrestling,
164
00:06:57,460 --> 00:06:59,720
and he did most
of the booking.
165
00:06:59,767 --> 00:07:02,247
She basically copied the
166
00:07:02,291 --> 00:07:05,341
Mildred Burke and
Billy Wolfe playbook.
167
00:07:05,381 --> 00:07:07,731
They kept their own stable;
they took all the bookings.
168
00:07:07,775 --> 00:07:10,075
And more importantly,
a booking fee
169
00:07:10,125 --> 00:07:12,335
out of all of the girls' pay.
170
00:07:12,388 --> 00:07:15,038
You knew right off the bat
why she got in the business
171
00:07:15,086 --> 00:07:17,346
and why she wanted
to be a star:
172
00:07:17,393 --> 00:07:20,053
she loved money.
[laughs]
173
00:07:20,091 --> 00:07:21,661
♪
174
00:07:21,702 --> 00:07:23,622
Moolah would play such a
dominant role in
175
00:07:23,660 --> 00:07:26,580
women's wrestling that in 2018,
176
00:07:26,620 --> 00:07:28,710
11 years after her death,
177
00:07:28,752 --> 00:07:31,802
her memory still
loomed over the sport.
178
00:07:31,842 --> 00:07:34,192
The WWE made the
announcement on March the 12th,
179
00:07:34,236 --> 00:07:36,106
that they were going
to honor The Fabulous Moolah
180
00:07:36,151 --> 00:07:39,071
by having The Fabulous Moolah
Memorial Battle Royal.
181
00:07:39,110 --> 00:07:42,240
I thought it was very nice that
they would name it after her.
182
00:07:42,287 --> 00:07:44,637
Keeping her legacy going.
183
00:07:44,681 --> 00:07:48,081
2 or 3 days later,
that'd all been taken away.
184
00:07:48,119 --> 00:07:50,299
Let's talk about The Fabulous
Moolah controversy.
185
00:07:50,339 --> 00:07:52,169
I think it's a
bunch of bull.
186
00:07:52,210 --> 00:07:54,300
I really think
it's a bunch of bull.
187
00:07:54,343 --> 00:07:56,043
Moolah has an awful past.
188
00:07:56,084 --> 00:07:58,264
Some really,
really sick shit.
189
00:07:58,303 --> 00:07:59,653
She was an evil person.
190
00:07:59,696 --> 00:08:01,956
Moolah was
pimping girls out.
191
00:08:02,003 --> 00:08:03,273
A lot of the
stuff was alleged,
192
00:08:03,308 --> 00:08:04,958
we gotta say that.
It's alleged.
193
00:08:05,006 --> 00:08:07,226
Grossed out about it.
Name it something else.
194
00:08:07,269 --> 00:08:09,179
It's not hard.
Scrap it.
195
00:08:09,227 --> 00:08:11,837
♪
196
00:08:11,882 --> 00:08:13,492
Stories started coming
out on the internet,
197
00:08:13,536 --> 00:08:16,096
Fabulous Moolah, suddenly,
was a horrible person
198
00:08:16,147 --> 00:08:18,537
who took advantage of
all these women,
199
00:08:18,585 --> 00:08:21,105
and pimped 'em out,
and fed 'em drugs,
200
00:08:21,152 --> 00:08:22,682
and all this stuff.
201
00:08:22,719 --> 00:08:26,029
They contacted the sponsors and
they had to take her name off.
202
00:08:26,070 --> 00:08:28,940
I was very shocked
because I knew better.
203
00:08:28,986 --> 00:08:30,856
I knew none of
that was true.
204
00:08:30,901 --> 00:08:35,171
And, thanks to Nigel,
he took the lead way on it.
205
00:08:35,210 --> 00:08:36,650
My name is Nigel Sherrod.
206
00:08:36,690 --> 00:08:39,210
I'm mostly known as
a wrestling host.
207
00:08:39,257 --> 00:08:42,347
The "Fight for Moolah"
campaign came about because
208
00:08:42,391 --> 00:08:46,131
we started a petition to
put the truth out there,
209
00:08:46,177 --> 00:08:49,787
and to honor the woman
who broke down the walls
210
00:08:49,833 --> 00:08:51,233
for everybody else.
211
00:08:51,269 --> 00:08:52,969
I just wanted to clear
her name because
212
00:08:53,010 --> 00:08:55,580
Moolah's not here
to defend herself.
213
00:08:55,622 --> 00:08:58,672
Did Moolah, indeed,
take advantage of the girls?
214
00:08:58,712 --> 00:09:00,242
Some of the
girls have said yes,
215
00:09:00,278 --> 00:09:01,848
some of the
girls have said no.
216
00:09:01,889 --> 00:09:05,889
I think that it was ignorant
canceling The Fabulous Moolah
217
00:09:05,936 --> 00:09:09,196
Memorial Battle Royal
because I interviewed
218
00:09:09,244 --> 00:09:12,514
over 20 women, and they
all said the same thing:
219
00:09:12,552 --> 00:09:13,992
"There's no truth
to those rumors."
220
00:09:14,031 --> 00:09:15,601
♪
221
00:09:15,642 --> 00:09:19,302
Accusations about Moolah
polarized the wrestling world.
222
00:09:19,341 --> 00:09:22,651
They originated from an
investigative newspaper story
223
00:09:22,692 --> 00:09:25,302
that quoted serious
allegations by the family
224
00:09:25,347 --> 00:09:28,607
of one of her former wrestlers.
225
00:09:28,655 --> 00:09:31,345
St. Mark, if you see
these guys moving around,
226
00:09:31,396 --> 00:09:34,046
they, they are a
professional film company,
227
00:09:34,095 --> 00:09:37,705
and they are doing an
episode dealing with
228
00:09:37,751 --> 00:09:40,451
pro women wrestlers...
229
00:09:40,492 --> 00:09:44,582
which one of 'em was
my mother, South Carolina's
230
00:09:44,627 --> 00:09:47,107
first black female
professional wrestler,
231
00:09:47,151 --> 00:09:48,681
Sweet Georgia Brown.
232
00:09:48,718 --> 00:09:52,158
[applause]
233
00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:54,070
I'm Michael McCoy.
234
00:09:54,115 --> 00:09:57,725
I'm Senior Pastor at
St. Mark Baptist Church.
235
00:09:57,771 --> 00:10:00,861
That article that came out
in the Columbia Free Times,
236
00:10:00,904 --> 00:10:04,174
it was about what my mother
had to go through and endure
237
00:10:04,212 --> 00:10:06,002
while she was in wrestling.
238
00:10:06,040 --> 00:10:08,910
I started a search to
try to find out the truth.
239
00:10:08,956 --> 00:10:10,826
Maybe you could just
tell us your name and
240
00:10:10,871 --> 00:10:12,001
a little bit about yourself.
241
00:10:12,046 --> 00:10:14,046
Yes, my name is
Barbara Harsey,
242
00:10:14,091 --> 00:10:18,571
and I am the proud daughter
of Susie Mae McCoy.
243
00:10:18,618 --> 00:10:21,798
- Who is also known as?
- Sweet Georgia Brown.
244
00:10:21,838 --> 00:10:23,708
♪
245
00:10:23,753 --> 00:10:26,973
When my mom went
into wrestling,
246
00:10:27,017 --> 00:10:31,107
she was with the
so-called great Moolah.
247
00:10:31,152 --> 00:10:33,812
She said she was
forced to do
248
00:10:33,850 --> 00:10:37,380
a lot of things
against her will.
249
00:10:37,419 --> 00:10:39,939
Now, these are just
stories that I heard.
250
00:10:39,987 --> 00:10:41,817
Do I know any truth to 'em?
251
00:10:41,858 --> 00:10:45,078
No, I can't sit here and say
I know truth to it or not.
252
00:10:45,122 --> 00:10:48,522
But, you know,
when more than 1, 2, 3 people
253
00:10:48,560 --> 00:10:51,560
saying the same story...
254
00:10:51,607 --> 00:10:53,777
You know,
somebody ain't lying.
255
00:10:53,827 --> 00:10:59,527
♪
256
00:10:59,571 --> 00:11:02,441
Philip... Honey.
257
00:11:02,487 --> 00:11:06,667
Can you walk these guys outside
and show them the banister?
258
00:11:06,709 --> 00:11:08,059
This is my husband, Philip.
259
00:11:08,102 --> 00:11:09,712
- Hi, how are y'all doing?
- How's it going?
260
00:11:09,756 --> 00:11:11,236
Sure, sure I can.
261
00:11:11,279 --> 00:11:13,539
♪
262
00:11:13,585 --> 00:11:15,885
- Back here, hanging.
- Oh, wow.
263
00:11:15,936 --> 00:11:19,286
Back when Moolah died,
my husband,
264
00:11:19,330 --> 00:11:24,600
he went over to tear down
the barn that the ring was in,
265
00:11:24,640 --> 00:11:28,510
and he found a banister,
the women's wrestlers,
266
00:11:28,557 --> 00:11:30,727
and he brought it back,
thought I would want,
267
00:11:30,777 --> 00:11:33,167
you know, keep it.
268
00:11:33,214 --> 00:11:35,044
For the better
part of 25 years,
269
00:11:35,085 --> 00:11:37,605
every top girl wrestler
was trained by Moolah,
270
00:11:37,653 --> 00:11:40,533
booked out by Moolah,
and was controlled by,
271
00:11:40,569 --> 00:11:42,009
by Moolah's group.
272
00:11:42,049 --> 00:11:44,309
Can you tell us who
Sweet Georgia Brown was?
273
00:11:44,355 --> 00:11:48,795
Yeah, she was one of the,
the first African American women
274
00:11:48,838 --> 00:11:52,098
to wrestle,
and my mother trained her.
275
00:11:52,146 --> 00:11:55,236
Believe it or not, it was on a
mattress in the living room.
276
00:11:55,279 --> 00:11:57,589
♪
277
00:11:57,629 --> 00:12:00,629
It was unreal,
but they learned a lot.
278
00:12:00,676 --> 00:12:03,636
I was told she had
that drive to go get it.
279
00:12:03,679 --> 00:12:05,329
You know, it was
like she had a purpose,
280
00:12:05,376 --> 00:12:07,806
she wanted to be there.
281
00:12:07,857 --> 00:12:09,767
The first time I
seen her wrestling,
282
00:12:09,816 --> 00:12:11,296
the place was jam packed.
283
00:12:11,339 --> 00:12:12,819
Throwing each
other out the ring,
284
00:12:12,862 --> 00:12:16,132
they're kicking,
body slamming.
285
00:12:16,170 --> 00:12:19,520
I just figured, you know,
this is one tough lady.
286
00:12:19,564 --> 00:12:23,394
Being one of the first black
females to get into the
287
00:12:23,438 --> 00:12:28,138
wrestling business, the
KKKs was at their fullest.
288
00:12:28,182 --> 00:12:31,272
Segregation was
really bad at that time.
289
00:12:31,315 --> 00:12:32,615
Whenever they
were on the road,
290
00:12:32,664 --> 00:12:34,884
my mother was
very protective.
291
00:12:34,928 --> 00:12:36,928
There was a time
in Mississippi,
292
00:12:36,973 --> 00:12:40,323
she did have a
run-in with some KKKs.
293
00:12:40,368 --> 00:12:43,498
She was thrown on
the floor of the bus,
294
00:12:43,545 --> 00:12:45,935
and she was
scared for her life.
295
00:12:45,982 --> 00:12:48,812
♪
296
00:12:48,855 --> 00:12:51,505
She'd 'a had to have been
super passionate because, see,
297
00:12:51,553 --> 00:12:55,253
in 1964, she was
ranked #4 in the world.
298
00:12:55,296 --> 00:12:57,906
If she would 'a had the
opportunity to fight for
299
00:12:57,951 --> 00:13:00,481
the world's title, she
probably would 'a won it,
300
00:13:00,518 --> 00:13:03,428
but Moolah was most
definitely not gonna let a
301
00:13:03,478 --> 00:13:07,128
student challenge her
for the world's title.
302
00:13:07,177 --> 00:13:08,827
♪
303
00:13:08,875 --> 00:13:12,005
When my mom went
into wrestling,
304
00:13:12,052 --> 00:13:14,792
she left us with
one of her sisters.
305
00:13:14,837 --> 00:13:18,227
She'd call us names,
"half-breeds."
306
00:13:18,275 --> 00:13:20,495
She was a witch.
307
00:13:20,538 --> 00:13:23,848
God forgive me.
She's dead and gone.
308
00:13:23,890 --> 00:13:26,680
Every time my mother went on
the road and she come back,
309
00:13:26,718 --> 00:13:28,848
just about,
she was pregnant.
310
00:13:28,895 --> 00:13:31,285
One of my aunts said that,
"Every time you come back home,
311
00:13:31,332 --> 00:13:32,862
you come back home
with one of these half,
312
00:13:32,899 --> 00:13:36,249
half white kids, half-breeds,"
and we got mistreated,
313
00:13:36,293 --> 00:13:39,863
you know, for years growing up
because of our color.
314
00:13:39,906 --> 00:13:43,606
I hated where
she had left us.
315
00:13:43,648 --> 00:13:45,518
I hated her career.
316
00:13:45,563 --> 00:13:48,703
But then, when I
got the full story...
317
00:13:48,740 --> 00:13:52,660
from her, I kind
of understood.
318
00:13:52,701 --> 00:13:59,361
There's a lot of abuse with
Moolah and Buddy Lee.
319
00:13:59,403 --> 00:14:01,323
I saw her one time;
320
00:14:01,362 --> 00:14:04,102
this big old car had pulled up.
321
00:14:04,147 --> 00:14:06,667
She was getting out
the back of the car,
322
00:14:06,715 --> 00:14:10,455
and it was only
for a few hours.
323
00:14:10,501 --> 00:14:13,461
I didn't know the man's
name at the time,
324
00:14:13,504 --> 00:14:16,684
but he thought it
was time to go.
325
00:14:16,725 --> 00:14:19,505
My sister and I,
we grabbed hold of her leg,
326
00:14:19,554 --> 00:14:22,214
but he kind of
like pushed her,
327
00:14:22,252 --> 00:14:24,952
and she hit her head
getting into the car.
328
00:14:24,994 --> 00:14:27,744
I don't know if it
was intentionally,
329
00:14:27,779 --> 00:14:30,569
or it was an accident.
330
00:14:30,608 --> 00:14:33,218
My mom said everywhere
she went and
331
00:14:33,263 --> 00:14:35,833
everything she did was done
332
00:14:35,875 --> 00:14:39,485
according to Buddy Lee
and Moolah.
333
00:14:39,530 --> 00:14:43,750
I think she thought that it was
gonna be glamorous and glory,
334
00:14:43,795 --> 00:14:47,055
but it turned out to be
something totally different.
335
00:14:47,103 --> 00:14:48,323
♪
336
00:14:48,365 --> 00:14:52,405
I heard different
stories about my mother.
337
00:14:52,456 --> 00:14:54,146
It's real sad.
338
00:14:54,197 --> 00:14:58,937
And I have, I have no reason
not to believe that account.
339
00:14:58,985 --> 00:15:02,675
There was one gruesome
time that we talked about.
340
00:15:02,727 --> 00:15:07,987
She was told to drink,
and pop pills,
341
00:15:08,037 --> 00:15:12,517
and she was made to have...
342
00:15:12,563 --> 00:15:14,443
sex with other men.
343
00:15:14,478 --> 00:15:17,128
On the road, some of the
promoters would pay
344
00:15:17,177 --> 00:15:20,917
some of the girls until they
slept with other promoters.
345
00:15:20,963 --> 00:15:27,233
From what my mother told me,
she was their favorite.
346
00:15:27,274 --> 00:15:31,104
And you can call it
entertaining or whatever...
347
00:15:31,147 --> 00:15:33,757
It's still pimping
and prostitution.
348
00:15:33,802 --> 00:15:35,802
♪
349
00:15:35,847 --> 00:15:38,237
Buddy Lee was
not a nice person,
350
00:15:38,285 --> 00:15:40,415
and my mother
was on the road,
351
00:15:40,461 --> 00:15:42,681
and she came home a day
early and caught him
352
00:15:42,724 --> 00:15:46,214
in her bed with one of the
girls that she trained.
353
00:15:46,249 --> 00:15:48,599
And, she threw Buddy out;
that was it.
354
00:15:48,643 --> 00:15:50,693
A lot of the girls
went with him.
355
00:15:50,732 --> 00:15:53,652
Georgia Brown was one of the
girls that went with Buddy.
356
00:15:53,691 --> 00:15:56,091
I started to search for
my father, and then,
357
00:15:56,129 --> 00:15:57,959
one of the first places
where I started was
358
00:15:58,000 --> 00:15:59,830
with The Fabulous Moolah.
359
00:15:59,871 --> 00:16:03,401
Honestly, I was almost kind of
afraid a little bit because
360
00:16:03,440 --> 00:16:05,310
I heard of the Moolah
that everybody else
361
00:16:05,355 --> 00:16:07,705
talked about, but...
362
00:16:07,749 --> 00:16:12,279
the Moolah that I met,
she seemed to be a fine lady.
363
00:16:12,319 --> 00:16:13,709
I asked Moolah,
364
00:16:13,755 --> 00:16:16,145
"Did my mother ever talk
about who my father was?"
365
00:16:16,192 --> 00:16:18,112
And Moolah took me
to her wall and
366
00:16:18,151 --> 00:16:21,591
she pointed out this
one picture...
367
00:16:21,632 --> 00:16:24,642
And I said, "Who is this guy
right here in the middle?"
368
00:16:24,679 --> 00:16:28,249
And she said, "Well,
his name is Buddy Lee."
369
00:16:28,291 --> 00:16:30,691
He was kind of
rough on the girls.
370
00:16:30,728 --> 00:16:33,298
I think that happened
with Sweet Georgia Brown,
371
00:16:33,340 --> 00:16:36,040
that she was one that had
to go to bed with Buddy.
372
00:16:36,082 --> 00:16:39,172
And, matter of fact,
I think the son, Michael,
373
00:16:39,215 --> 00:16:41,695
is proof of that.
374
00:16:41,739 --> 00:16:44,349
If Buddy Lee's my father,
then that's who he is.
375
00:16:44,394 --> 00:16:46,834
I wasn't coming in to
look for anything and
376
00:16:46,875 --> 00:16:48,305
I didn't want anything.
377
00:16:48,355 --> 00:16:52,915
I just wanted to close
a chapter in my life.
378
00:16:52,968 --> 00:16:55,968
I knew that
everything was over
379
00:16:56,015 --> 00:16:59,055
when my uncle burned up
380
00:16:59,105 --> 00:17:02,195
all of her stuff and
he poured gas on it,
381
00:17:02,238 --> 00:17:05,758
and he set it on fire.
382
00:17:05,807 --> 00:17:08,807
Right there in front of us.
383
00:17:08,853 --> 00:17:11,513
At the end, she kind of
thanked him because of
384
00:17:11,552 --> 00:17:14,422
the things that she
had to endure,
385
00:17:14,468 --> 00:17:18,778
the things that she was
made to do by Moolah,
386
00:17:18,820 --> 00:17:23,390
by Buddy Lee,
by the industry itself.
387
00:17:23,433 --> 00:17:27,133
Listening to your mom
describe some of the
388
00:17:27,176 --> 00:17:30,436
most horrific things
she had to do,
389
00:17:30,484 --> 00:17:32,924
you can't just walk away.
390
00:17:32,964 --> 00:17:35,534
Regardless of the
abuse she went through,
391
00:17:35,576 --> 00:17:38,616
regardless of if they
made her use drugs,
392
00:17:38,666 --> 00:17:42,096
they made her use alcohol,
whether they pimped her...
393
00:17:42,148 --> 00:17:44,448
She still was
South Carolina's
394
00:17:44,498 --> 00:17:47,408
first black female
professional wrestler.
395
00:17:47,457 --> 00:17:50,807
Honor it.
396
00:17:50,852 --> 00:17:53,162
Sweet Georgia Brown's
life was shaped by
397
00:17:53,202 --> 00:17:55,642
forces beyond her control.
398
00:17:55,683 --> 00:17:57,553
For Moolah to succeed,
399
00:17:57,598 --> 00:18:00,988
she would need to build her own
women's wrestling empire.
400
00:18:01,036 --> 00:18:06,126
♪
401
00:18:06,172 --> 00:18:08,302
The Fabulous Moolah
single-handedly built her
402
00:18:08,348 --> 00:18:10,698
women's training school
into a powerhouse
403
00:18:10,741 --> 00:18:13,001
that dominated the industry.
404
00:18:13,048 --> 00:18:16,698
It attracted young women eager
to follow in her footsteps.
405
00:18:16,747 --> 00:18:19,447
In Columbia, South Carolina,
there was a location called
406
00:18:19,489 --> 00:18:23,189
Moolah Drive [laughs] and
on Moolah Drive was the
407
00:18:23,232 --> 00:18:25,452
house that Moolah built,
and also,
408
00:18:25,495 --> 00:18:28,535
a variety of other buildings.
It was a compound.
409
00:18:28,585 --> 00:18:30,195
The women not
only trained there,
410
00:18:30,239 --> 00:18:32,069
but they lived on the
property and
411
00:18:32,111 --> 00:18:35,851
Moolah presided over it
like a mother lion.
412
00:18:35,897 --> 00:18:38,987
She took girls from
all walks of life,
413
00:18:39,030 --> 00:18:42,690
and she brought 'em in,
she taught 'em a skill.
414
00:18:42,730 --> 00:18:45,730
She put it together like a
group or a union and
415
00:18:45,776 --> 00:18:49,256
took care of the girls, and made
sure they were taken care of.
416
00:18:49,302 --> 00:18:52,172
She was one of the
most powerful women
417
00:18:52,218 --> 00:18:53,568
in the wrestling business.
418
00:18:53,610 --> 00:18:55,660
If you were a female wrestler
at that point and
419
00:18:55,699 --> 00:18:57,959
you wanted to get booked,
you pretty much had to
420
00:18:58,006 --> 00:19:00,786
go through Moolah or
you weren't gonna work.
421
00:19:00,835 --> 00:19:03,315
♪
422
00:19:03,359 --> 00:19:05,839
- I have a bunch of questions.
- Okay.
423
00:19:05,883 --> 00:19:07,673
I took my truth
serum before I came in.
424
00:19:07,711 --> 00:19:09,061
Okay.
[laughs]
425
00:19:09,104 --> 00:19:11,854
My name is Wendi Richter.
426
00:19:11,889 --> 00:19:13,849
Wendi Richter!
427
00:19:13,891 --> 00:19:17,291
I was a professional
wrestler for over 20 years.
428
00:19:17,330 --> 00:19:19,720
The first time I ever
watched a wrestling match,
429
00:19:19,767 --> 00:19:24,987
I watched The Fabulous Moolah
vs. Vivian St. John.
430
00:19:25,033 --> 00:19:29,083
And I told my friend,
"I could beat Moolah."
431
00:19:29,124 --> 00:19:32,354
The referee gave me
Moolah's phone number.
432
00:19:32,388 --> 00:19:35,568
She told me to come on
to Columbia, South Carolina.
433
00:19:35,609 --> 00:19:37,999
I was there within 2 weeks.
434
00:19:38,046 --> 00:19:39,566
My name's Victoria Otis.
435
00:19:39,613 --> 00:19:43,403
I wrestled as
Princess Victoria...
436
00:19:43,443 --> 00:19:46,053
...Victoria!
437
00:19:46,097 --> 00:19:49,227
I come from a very,
very abusive childhood,
438
00:19:49,275 --> 00:19:52,575
and that's basically
what took me to wrestling.
439
00:19:52,626 --> 00:19:54,106
You had to want it.
440
00:19:54,149 --> 00:19:57,239
You had to bleed,
you had to cry.
441
00:19:57,283 --> 00:19:59,763
When I was wrestling,
it had been about a year,
442
00:19:59,807 --> 00:20:02,457
and I was told
by my promoter,
443
00:20:02,505 --> 00:20:04,675
"Look, I've done
all I can do.
444
00:20:04,725 --> 00:20:06,805
I've tried to get you
booked other places.
445
00:20:06,857 --> 00:20:08,467
The only way I can
get you booked is
446
00:20:08,511 --> 00:20:10,771
I gotta send you to Moolah."
447
00:20:10,818 --> 00:20:13,118
I still remember a
friend of mine telling me,
448
00:20:13,168 --> 00:20:15,258
"Vickie," he said,
"Don't go to Moolah's.
449
00:20:15,301 --> 00:20:17,431
Find a job,
get on your feet.
450
00:20:17,477 --> 00:20:19,697
Just don't go to Moolah's."
451
00:20:19,740 --> 00:20:23,530
I was warned, but I
wanted to wrestle so bad.
452
00:20:23,570 --> 00:20:26,270
♪
453
00:20:26,312 --> 00:20:28,882
When you first got
to the property,
454
00:20:28,923 --> 00:20:31,193
there's these big gates.
455
00:20:31,230 --> 00:20:33,360
After dark,
the gates were locked.
456
00:20:33,406 --> 00:20:36,056
If you weren't home and
you weren't working,
457
00:20:36,104 --> 00:20:38,544
you got locked out.
458
00:20:38,585 --> 00:20:42,145
Moolah had a roommate
named Diamond Lil,
459
00:20:42,197 --> 00:20:46,847
and we all called her Katie.
And, I really like Katie.
460
00:20:46,897 --> 00:20:49,197
My name is Diamond Lil,
461
00:20:49,248 --> 00:20:52,288
and Buddy Lee named me
Diamond Lil.
462
00:20:52,338 --> 00:20:54,118
Katie come from a
hard background too,
463
00:20:54,165 --> 00:20:55,945
and she was a wrestler,
and she lived
464
00:20:55,993 --> 00:20:59,433
in the house with Moo,
and she called her Ma.
465
00:20:59,475 --> 00:21:01,425
And she's been right there
with my mother
466
00:21:01,477 --> 00:21:04,177
through thick and thin.
467
00:21:04,219 --> 00:21:08,959
Katie liked to drink beer,
but she wasn't allowed to.
468
00:21:09,006 --> 00:21:11,266
Katie used to come out to
the pond and go fishing,
469
00:21:11,313 --> 00:21:13,363
then I come in there and
drop a 6-pack in the pond,
470
00:21:13,402 --> 00:21:16,882
and her and I'd sit there
and drink beer. [laughs]
471
00:21:16,927 --> 00:21:20,147
I was famous for getting the
beer on the property. [laughs]
472
00:21:20,191 --> 00:21:22,061
♪
473
00:21:22,106 --> 00:21:23,976
They had apartments.
474
00:21:24,021 --> 00:21:27,461
And she would put 2 or 3
girls in there at a time,
475
00:21:27,503 --> 00:21:30,903
and they would come down
to the gym every morning.
476
00:21:30,941 --> 00:21:35,471
What I remember the most about
my training at Moolah's
477
00:21:35,511 --> 00:21:39,041
was learning to drop kick.
478
00:21:39,080 --> 00:21:42,300
I would go out
there and drop kick,
479
00:21:42,344 --> 00:21:45,394
and drop kick, and drop kick,
and just land on the mat.
480
00:21:45,434 --> 00:21:48,184
The mat wasn't soft.
It was all bloody,
481
00:21:48,219 --> 00:21:51,789
and by that time,
a lot of it was mine.
482
00:21:51,832 --> 00:21:55,272
There were buckets
strategically placed.
483
00:21:55,314 --> 00:21:57,844
And it wasn't if you
were gonna throw up,
484
00:21:57,881 --> 00:21:59,711
it was when you were
gonna throw up and
485
00:21:59,753 --> 00:22:02,413
would you hit the bucket?
486
00:22:02,451 --> 00:22:05,631
The one thing that
Moolah taught me,
487
00:22:05,672 --> 00:22:08,152
take a bite and growl.
488
00:22:08,196 --> 00:22:10,236
♪
489
00:22:10,285 --> 00:22:12,365
Moolah,
she never trained me.
490
00:22:12,418 --> 00:22:18,768
She just took the money and
she had the girls train me.
491
00:22:18,815 --> 00:22:20,295
She wanted her $300.
492
00:22:20,339 --> 00:22:24,389
Now, can you imagine,
4 girls in one little house,
493
00:22:24,430 --> 00:22:30,570
she's getting $1200 a month?
In the 80s!
494
00:22:30,610 --> 00:22:33,400
And on top of that,
she's taking 25% off of
495
00:22:33,439 --> 00:22:37,489
what she's telling
us we're paid.
496
00:22:37,530 --> 00:22:39,450
Bull puggy.
497
00:22:39,488 --> 00:22:41,358
I'm sitting here
24 hours a day,
498
00:22:41,403 --> 00:22:44,013
making your connections
with the promoters.
499
00:22:44,058 --> 00:22:46,838
All you got to do is sit
your lazy butt in the car
500
00:22:46,887 --> 00:22:49,407
and go to wrestle,
and collect their money and
501
00:22:49,455 --> 00:22:53,625
send me 25%.
And I thought that was...
502
00:22:53,676 --> 00:22:55,496
that was fair.
503
00:22:55,548 --> 00:22:57,808
♪
504
00:22:57,854 --> 00:23:01,604
There's a picture of me
in this brown outfit that
505
00:23:01,641 --> 00:23:04,951
Moolah presented to me at
Christmas in front of
506
00:23:04,992 --> 00:23:08,522
all the girls, after she had
given all of them
507
00:23:08,561 --> 00:23:11,351
a 5, or $10 gift.
508
00:23:11,390 --> 00:23:14,310
That was no cheap outfit.
That was hand-beaded.
509
00:23:14,349 --> 00:23:18,269
That was a 2 to $300 outfit.
She couldn't take me in
510
00:23:18,309 --> 00:23:20,399
privately and give me
this outfit,
511
00:23:20,442 --> 00:23:21,972
she had to do it
in front of the girls.
512
00:23:22,009 --> 00:23:26,229
That was another one of her
little manipulation things.
513
00:23:26,274 --> 00:23:28,974
Everything brings
back memories now,
514
00:23:29,016 --> 00:23:33,276
and it's like the
flood gates get opened.
515
00:23:33,324 --> 00:23:35,414
I was in a match.
516
00:23:35,457 --> 00:23:38,327
I know it was the first or
second week in September 1984.
517
00:23:38,373 --> 00:23:40,813
- [dogs barking]
- A girl...
518
00:23:40,854 --> 00:23:46,084
Shut up!
519
00:23:46,120 --> 00:23:50,340
[sighs]
Um...
520
00:23:50,385 --> 00:23:53,905
The night I broke
my neck in the ring.
521
00:23:53,954 --> 00:23:59,924
A girl stumbled and
she sat on my head.
522
00:23:59,960 --> 00:24:03,220
That was the day my
world fell apart.
523
00:24:03,267 --> 00:24:05,227
♪
524
00:24:05,269 --> 00:24:07,879
It hurt so bad I
couldn't stand it.
525
00:24:07,924 --> 00:24:10,584
I remember a moment
at the hospital,
526
00:24:10,623 --> 00:24:13,193
they had my neck braced.
527
00:24:13,234 --> 00:24:16,114
I remember being on a cot.
528
00:24:16,150 --> 00:24:18,330
Then the next
thing I remember,
529
00:24:18,369 --> 00:24:21,759
I don't know how, but I'm
back at Moolah's property
530
00:24:21,808 --> 00:24:23,508
and Moolah's walking me
out to the ring.
531
00:24:23,549 --> 00:24:25,249
She said, "I want to see
if you can take a bump."
532
00:24:25,289 --> 00:24:28,159
I took a bump and I cried.
533
00:24:28,205 --> 00:24:29,815
Every time I took a bump,
534
00:24:29,859 --> 00:24:33,429
I felt like something
was exploding.
535
00:24:33,472 --> 00:24:36,522
This went on for a month,
two months.
536
00:24:36,562 --> 00:24:38,782
Moo comes to me
one day, she said,
537
00:24:38,825 --> 00:24:41,345
"Hon, if you go see
this guy in Holland,
538
00:24:41,392 --> 00:24:43,222
he'll give you pay day."
539
00:24:43,264 --> 00:24:46,574
I thought to myself,
I can't wrestle, might as well.
540
00:24:46,615 --> 00:24:48,265
I get on the phone
with this guy and
541
00:24:48,312 --> 00:24:54,142
I make it explicitly clear:
it's separate motel rooms.
542
00:24:54,188 --> 00:24:57,188
[sighs] The conversation after
I hung up from him,
543
00:24:57,234 --> 00:24:59,544
with Moo was,
"You know, hon,
544
00:24:59,585 --> 00:25:03,805
the nicer you are to him,
the bigger your pay day'll be,
545
00:25:03,850 --> 00:25:06,240
and you could
really use a pay day."
546
00:25:06,287 --> 00:25:08,027
Producer: And so,
was Moolah sort of insinuating,
547
00:25:08,071 --> 00:25:09,771
like, the idea that...?
548
00:25:09,812 --> 00:25:12,992
When Moolah
looked at me and said,
549
00:25:13,033 --> 00:25:16,383
"You know the
nicer you are to him,
550
00:25:16,427 --> 00:25:19,817
the nicer he'll be to you."
551
00:25:19,866 --> 00:25:22,776
What else can I say?
552
00:25:22,825 --> 00:25:24,475
When this guy first
picked me up at the airport,
553
00:25:24,523 --> 00:25:27,743
I said, "Damn, this guy didn't
get beat by the ugly stick,
554
00:25:27,787 --> 00:25:29,827
he got beat by the
whole damn forest."
555
00:25:29,876 --> 00:25:31,566
♪ [suspenseful]
556
00:25:31,617 --> 00:25:34,397
I wake up the next morning,
I catch him right here and
557
00:25:34,445 --> 00:25:37,485
I grab his hand and
I'm holding it.
558
00:25:37,536 --> 00:25:42,756
I said, "Dude, I will
break your wrist."
559
00:25:42,802 --> 00:25:48,072
And she was fire engine
red pissed when I got back.
560
00:25:48,111 --> 00:25:51,511
"I can't believe she
didn't sleep with him!"
561
00:25:51,550 --> 00:25:54,470
Well, not a week after I got
back is when Moo came to me
562
00:25:54,509 --> 00:25:57,689
and said, "Look, you can't
wrestle and I need my rent.
563
00:25:57,730 --> 00:26:00,470
I'll take that yellow outfit,
I'll take the brown outfit,"
564
00:26:00,515 --> 00:26:04,295
that she gave me for Christmas.
I left the property that day
565
00:26:04,345 --> 00:26:07,035
with my Chevy Malibu
station wagon and
566
00:26:07,087 --> 00:26:09,127
20 bucks in my pocket.
567
00:26:09,176 --> 00:26:12,606
She dumped me and
I never wrestled again.
568
00:26:12,658 --> 00:26:14,488
♪
569
00:26:14,529 --> 00:26:17,709
When I walked
away 30 years ago,
570
00:26:17,750 --> 00:26:21,620
my heart was broke.
[sighs]
571
00:26:21,667 --> 00:26:25,277
I can't even explain it.
I missed the road.
572
00:26:25,322 --> 00:26:29,242
I missed my friends,
I missed my family.
573
00:26:29,283 --> 00:26:32,853
And when I left, do you know
what Moo told the girls?
574
00:26:32,895 --> 00:26:36,025
She told them I was in
prison for dealing cocaine.
575
00:26:36,072 --> 00:26:39,382
For God sakes, she couldn't tell
'em that I broke my neck and I,
576
00:26:39,423 --> 00:26:43,823
and I was of no use to her
anymore so I had to go
577
00:26:43,863 --> 00:26:45,913
'cause then
they knew their fate.
578
00:26:45,952 --> 00:26:51,042
♪
579
00:26:51,087 --> 00:26:53,957
I love wrestling.
580
00:26:54,003 --> 00:26:56,573
To protect this
business, to me,
581
00:26:56,615 --> 00:26:59,175
is like protecting
the country.
582
00:26:59,226 --> 00:27:03,966
If wrestling needed me,
I'd do it in a heartbeat.
583
00:27:04,013 --> 00:27:07,453
All someone has
to do is ask.
584
00:27:07,495 --> 00:27:08,885
Moolah!
585
00:27:08,931 --> 00:27:12,411
As wrestling gained
popularity in the early 1980s,
586
00:27:12,456 --> 00:27:15,196
the WWF looked to
replenish its roster
587
00:27:15,242 --> 00:27:16,942
with younger wrestlers.
588
00:27:16,983 --> 00:27:19,383
Moolah's protégé,
Wendi Richter,
589
00:27:19,420 --> 00:27:21,420
was an obvious choice.
590
00:27:21,465 --> 00:27:23,545
♪
591
00:27:23,598 --> 00:27:27,518
Wendi Richter,
hell of a person.
592
00:27:27,558 --> 00:27:29,738
Hell of a lady.
593
00:27:29,778 --> 00:27:33,698
She loved her business.
She honed her skills.
594
00:27:33,739 --> 00:27:37,919
She worked very hard to
become the wrestler she was.
595
00:27:37,960 --> 00:27:39,830
Do you have an assumption
as to why there was
596
00:27:39,875 --> 00:27:42,395
so much friction between
you and Moolah?
597
00:27:42,443 --> 00:27:45,453
The only thing I can think of
why there was so much friction
598
00:27:45,489 --> 00:27:47,669
is possibly she was
jealous of me 'cause
599
00:27:47,709 --> 00:27:49,539
I was younger than her.
600
00:27:49,580 --> 00:27:52,450
And, like my father said,
they couldn't put her face
601
00:27:52,496 --> 00:27:55,846
on a can of dog
food to sell it.
602
00:27:55,891 --> 00:27:58,851
Wendi Richter began
to eclipse her mentor,
603
00:27:58,894 --> 00:28:02,644
and she left Moolah's stable
to join Vince McMahon.
604
00:28:02,681 --> 00:28:05,771
When I left Moolah's,
I had a conversation
605
00:28:05,814 --> 00:28:08,084
with Vince McMahon
and told him that
606
00:28:08,121 --> 00:28:10,081
I didn't want to live there
anymore and
607
00:28:10,123 --> 00:28:13,743
I did not want my
check going to her.
608
00:28:13,779 --> 00:28:19,739
I wanted the check to come to me
so I knew what I was making.
609
00:28:19,785 --> 00:28:22,915
As soon as Vince took
over from his father,
610
00:28:22,962 --> 00:28:24,882
he started making changes.
611
00:28:24,920 --> 00:28:29,100
One advantage that he had
was that a lot of celebrities
612
00:28:29,142 --> 00:28:32,752
had grown up in the New York
area as fans of wrestling,
613
00:28:32,798 --> 00:28:34,928
and one of those was
Cyndi Lauper.
614
00:28:34,974 --> 00:28:37,594
♪
615
00:28:37,628 --> 00:28:40,068
♪ GIRLS, THEY WANNA
HAVE FUN ♪
616
00:28:40,109 --> 00:28:44,809
Cyndi Lauper was on an
airplane flight with Lou Albano.
617
00:28:44,853 --> 00:28:47,733
And then, Lou Albano
tells everyone that
618
00:28:47,769 --> 00:28:50,289
he was managing
Cyndi Lauper. [laughs]
619
00:28:50,337 --> 00:28:53,037
I created and
made Cyndi Lauper.
620
00:28:53,079 --> 00:28:54,649
Took her from a nothing.
621
00:28:54,689 --> 00:28:57,039
I don't know if anybody
knows it, but when she did
622
00:28:57,083 --> 00:29:00,433
"Girls Just Want to Have Fun,"
he was in it.
623
00:29:00,477 --> 00:29:02,257
That's how all of
this came together.
624
00:29:02,305 --> 00:29:05,825
It all boiled down to
that Lou Albano said,
625
00:29:05,874 --> 00:29:09,534
"I'm going to choose someone
to represent me in the ring,"
626
00:29:09,573 --> 00:29:12,663
so Lou Albano
chose Fabulous Moolah.
627
00:29:12,707 --> 00:29:14,137
Whoo, I'm happy!
628
00:29:14,187 --> 00:29:16,407
And Cyndi Lauper chose me.
629
00:29:16,450 --> 00:29:18,840
Moolah may have the
World's Championship Belt,
630
00:29:18,887 --> 00:29:21,587
but she also has
Lou Albano on her side.
631
00:29:21,629 --> 00:29:23,409
Oh, Lou.
[laughs]
632
00:29:23,457 --> 00:29:25,887
As soon as Cyndi Lauper got
involved with Lou Albano,
633
00:29:25,938 --> 00:29:29,588
Vince McMahon saw gold and
fostered that connection
634
00:29:29,637 --> 00:29:31,857
into The Rock 'n'
Wrestling Connection.
635
00:29:31,900 --> 00:29:34,640
- Happy New Year!
- At MTV!
636
00:29:34,685 --> 00:29:36,295
The wrestlers
giving their hand at it.
637
00:29:36,339 --> 00:29:39,389
They have been involved with
rock 'n' roll in the past year.
638
00:29:39,429 --> 00:29:43,829
It brought the dated look of
wrestling into the main stream.
639
00:29:43,869 --> 00:29:46,919
Wendi Richter morphed
from the Dallas cowgirl to,
640
00:29:46,959 --> 00:29:49,049
Wendi Richter, a little bit
more Cyndi Lauper-ish,
641
00:29:49,091 --> 00:29:51,961
little more rock 'n' roll,
and that's what led the
642
00:29:52,007 --> 00:29:54,437
MTV movement there in
1984 that pretty much
643
00:29:54,488 --> 00:29:56,528
paved the way for the
first WrestleMania.
644
00:29:56,577 --> 00:29:58,837
They were giving girls
more of a push than
645
00:29:58,884 --> 00:30:00,584
they probably
ever had before.
646
00:30:00,624 --> 00:30:03,414
They were really trying
to escalate the girls up,
647
00:30:03,453 --> 00:30:06,673
trying to get
equal to the men.
648
00:30:06,717 --> 00:30:08,807
It was the turning point
for women's wrestling.
649
00:30:08,850 --> 00:30:11,640
Vince wanted to make
Wendi Richter the equivalent
650
00:30:11,679 --> 00:30:14,769
as Hulk Hogan would be so
he had a male role model and
651
00:30:14,813 --> 00:30:16,083
a female role model.
652
00:30:16,118 --> 00:30:18,378
Since the most widely
recognized female champion
653
00:30:18,425 --> 00:30:21,115
of the previous 30 years had
been The Fabulous Moolah,
654
00:30:21,167 --> 00:30:23,037
Wendi needed to beat
Moolah for the title.
655
00:30:23,082 --> 00:30:24,822
Well, with that in mind,
ladies and gentlemen,
656
00:30:24,866 --> 00:30:27,516
we'd like to introduce to you
the number one contender
657
00:30:27,564 --> 00:30:30,874
for the ladies championship,
Miss Wendi Richter.
658
00:30:30,916 --> 00:30:33,476
And the rest is history.
659
00:30:33,527 --> 00:30:35,697
Ladies and gentlemen, this
title belt will be on the line
660
00:30:35,746 --> 00:30:38,486
at Madison Square Garden
just moments from now,
661
00:30:38,532 --> 00:30:40,532
this lady to defend.
662
00:30:40,577 --> 00:30:43,617
Their rivalry was about to
explode in what would become
663
00:30:43,667 --> 00:30:47,147
one of the most watched
matches of all time.
664
00:30:47,193 --> 00:30:49,983
That was probably
the most nervous
665
00:30:50,022 --> 00:30:55,292
I've ever been in my life.
I knew every move mattered.
666
00:30:55,331 --> 00:30:58,681
There was so much at stake
and it was against Moolah.
667
00:30:58,726 --> 00:31:01,856
It was the culmination
of my whole career.
668
00:31:01,903 --> 00:31:04,563
Moolah had been very
jealous and guarded of
669
00:31:04,601 --> 00:31:06,521
that championship
for a long time,
670
00:31:06,560 --> 00:31:09,430
but Vince was able to write
the appropriate amount of
671
00:31:09,476 --> 00:31:13,436
money on a check and,
that changed Moolah's mind.
672
00:31:13,480 --> 00:31:15,260
And also, by doing that,
673
00:31:15,308 --> 00:31:19,398
Moolah got Vince McMahon Jr's
loyalty for life.
674
00:31:19,442 --> 00:31:22,922
- 1, 2...
- [match bell]
675
00:31:22,968 --> 00:31:26,008
That's when
everything changed.
676
00:31:26,058 --> 00:31:32,718
The winner of this title and
new World Women's Champion!
677
00:31:32,760 --> 00:31:35,760
Wendi Richter!
678
00:31:35,806 --> 00:31:38,026
- [cheering]
- Oh my word!
679
00:31:38,070 --> 00:31:42,770
When I won the championship,
it was a feeling like no other.
680
00:31:42,813 --> 00:31:47,603
Everyone was up on
their feet and screaming.
681
00:31:47,644 --> 00:31:51,004
I can't believe someone
beat her after 28 years,
682
00:31:51,039 --> 00:31:53,299
and that someone was me.
683
00:31:53,346 --> 00:31:54,736
It was a big deal for the fans
'cause they wanted
684
00:31:54,782 --> 00:31:56,312
to see Wendi win, right.
685
00:31:56,349 --> 00:31:58,789
But it was a bigger deal
inside the business because
686
00:31:58,829 --> 00:32:01,179
two generations of wrestlers
had come and gone
687
00:32:01,223 --> 00:32:04,403
without ever seeing
The Fabulous Moolah lose.
688
00:32:04,444 --> 00:32:07,104
It was shocking to the folks
in the business who knew
689
00:32:07,142 --> 00:32:10,362
about the stranglehold that
Moolah had had on the thing.
690
00:32:10,406 --> 00:32:12,276
Right here is the new champ,
691
00:32:12,321 --> 00:32:14,671
the terrific symbol of
the new woman.
692
00:32:14,715 --> 00:32:17,625
My match against Moolah for
the championship was
693
00:32:17,674 --> 00:32:20,204
kind of ground zero for
women's wrestling.
694
00:32:20,242 --> 00:32:23,422
And, it moved towards a
different level
695
00:32:23,463 --> 00:32:25,513
of women's wrestling.
696
00:32:25,552 --> 00:32:28,602
See, what a lot of people
don't understand is,
697
00:32:28,642 --> 00:32:31,432
once you step
in that ring...
698
00:32:31,471 --> 00:32:33,341
you're addicted.
699
00:32:33,386 --> 00:32:37,906
I think Moolah let
her ego get in her way.
700
00:32:37,956 --> 00:32:41,476
And, Moolah couldn't quit.
701
00:32:41,524 --> 00:32:46,834
♪
702
00:32:46,877 --> 00:32:48,397
Wendi, show 'em
what you got!
703
00:32:48,444 --> 00:32:52,494
[laughs]
Cyndi Lauper!
704
00:32:52,535 --> 00:32:56,235
Oh my-- We were on the
top of a skyscraper.
705
00:32:56,278 --> 00:32:59,148
I remember:
I was hot, I was hungry,
706
00:32:59,194 --> 00:33:04,114
I was thirsty, and it felt like
the day would never end.
707
00:33:04,156 --> 00:33:07,676
When I went to visit my
father and my grandmother
708
00:33:07,724 --> 00:33:11,254
in Kokomo, Indiana,
people recognized me.
709
00:33:11,293 --> 00:33:14,213
I'm thinking,
they know me in Kokomo.
710
00:33:14,253 --> 00:33:16,043
Even though Wendi
was a household name,
711
00:33:16,081 --> 00:33:18,951
Wendi wasn't getting paid like
a household name though.
712
00:33:18,997 --> 00:33:20,817
[cheering]
713
00:33:20,868 --> 00:33:22,698
I found out,
early in my career,
714
00:33:22,739 --> 00:33:25,739
that the men were being paid
far more than the women.
715
00:33:25,786 --> 00:33:28,916
But, if I'm the
only one saying that,
716
00:33:28,963 --> 00:33:31,793
one person can be replaced.
717
00:33:31,835 --> 00:33:34,745
Vince McMahon, he had
been pushing Wendi Richter,
718
00:33:34,795 --> 00:33:37,095
gonna make her a superstar,
she possibly was getting
719
00:33:37,145 --> 00:33:38,705
too big for her britches.
720
00:33:38,755 --> 00:33:41,445
He decided that she
needed to lose the belt,
721
00:33:41,497 --> 00:33:43,717
and who's gonna
beat her for the belt?
722
00:33:43,760 --> 00:33:45,630
I was on the
road constantly,
723
00:33:45,675 --> 00:33:49,065
but it was always
matches against Moolah.
724
00:33:49,114 --> 00:33:51,594
Over and over.
725
00:33:51,638 --> 00:33:55,208
I'll never forget, one time,
she got me in a move -
726
00:33:55,250 --> 00:33:58,650
the Boston Crab - with that,
you never go all the way back
727
00:33:58,688 --> 00:34:00,818
'cause you can
break someone's back...
728
00:34:00,864 --> 00:34:02,614
Well, she did.
729
00:34:02,649 --> 00:34:07,609
She tried to break my back.
She wanted to put me out.
730
00:34:07,654 --> 00:34:10,664
My spine snapped
like firecrackers.
731
00:34:10,700 --> 00:34:13,360
She was just so bitter.
732
00:34:13,399 --> 00:34:15,139
I really believe
in the golden rule,
733
00:34:15,183 --> 00:34:17,143
treat others as you'd
like to be treated,
734
00:34:17,185 --> 00:34:20,405
but sometimes you gotta
treat fire with fire.
735
00:34:20,449 --> 00:34:22,799
And in the ring,
when that bell rang,
736
00:34:22,843 --> 00:34:25,413
you had no friends.
737
00:34:25,454 --> 00:34:28,894
When I was to wrestle
the Spider Lady for a
738
00:34:28,936 --> 00:34:34,066
championship match,
it changed my career.
739
00:34:34,115 --> 00:34:36,155
It changed my life.
740
00:34:36,204 --> 00:34:38,084
♪
741
00:34:38,119 --> 00:34:40,119
I really didn't
think anything of it.
742
00:34:40,165 --> 00:34:43,075
I thought, well, it's just
another championship match,
743
00:34:43,124 --> 00:34:46,484
and it's against
the Spider Lady.
744
00:34:46,519 --> 00:34:49,129
Wendi said that
Moolah had showed up...
745
00:34:49,174 --> 00:34:51,524
♪
746
00:34:51,567 --> 00:34:54,397
She didn't understand
why Moolah was there.
747
00:34:54,440 --> 00:34:57,140
I'd wrestled the
Spider Lady before and
748
00:34:57,182 --> 00:35:01,532
I didn't recall her
being that size.
749
00:35:01,577 --> 00:35:03,537
A very determined
young lady.
750
00:35:03,579 --> 00:35:05,709
Gonna take one heck of a
wrestler to be able to
751
00:35:05,755 --> 00:35:07,625
strip that title from her.
752
00:35:07,670 --> 00:35:10,460
The match really
didn't go that good.
753
00:35:10,499 --> 00:35:14,979
♪
754
00:35:15,025 --> 00:35:17,765
It was just a
wrestling hold.
755
00:35:17,811 --> 00:35:20,211
Spider going--
Oh, small package!
756
00:35:20,248 --> 00:35:23,598
The referee counted, "1,"
I kicked out,
757
00:35:23,643 --> 00:35:25,823
had my shoulder up.
758
00:35:25,862 --> 00:35:27,342
[claps]
"2, 3."
759
00:35:27,386 --> 00:35:29,556
♪
760
00:35:29,605 --> 00:35:33,085
- And that was it.
- [match bell]
761
00:35:33,131 --> 00:35:35,091
What was that?
762
00:35:35,133 --> 00:35:38,013
It appears that the referee
has made a 3-count.
763
00:35:38,048 --> 00:35:41,568
- [match bell]
- The match was over.
764
00:35:41,617 --> 00:35:45,187
Then, the masked person...
765
00:35:45,230 --> 00:35:48,760
took their mask off...
766
00:35:48,798 --> 00:35:51,448
And it was Moolah.
767
00:35:51,497 --> 00:35:54,277
- It is Moolah!
- [cheering]
768
00:35:54,326 --> 00:35:56,196
It is Moolah!
Take a look, kids!
769
00:35:56,241 --> 00:35:59,201
Fabulous Moolah, the oldest,
saltiest dog in the yard
770
00:35:59,244 --> 00:36:01,204
that knows all the tricks,
she was the one
771
00:36:01,246 --> 00:36:02,986
that was chosen because
it was thought that
772
00:36:03,030 --> 00:36:04,990
if things did break down,
773
00:36:05,032 --> 00:36:07,562
that she could handle Wendi
legitimately anyway.
774
00:36:07,600 --> 00:36:10,860
Did you have any idea that,
that was Moolah...
775
00:36:10,907 --> 00:36:11,997
- Mm-mm.
- ...In the match, at all?
776
00:36:12,039 --> 00:36:14,819
No.
I couldn't tell who it was.
777
00:36:14,868 --> 00:36:17,648
[crowd chanting]
Moolah! Moolah!
778
00:36:17,697 --> 00:36:19,827
It was obvious who
was under that mask.
779
00:36:19,873 --> 00:36:23,663
Everybody in the arena knew
who was under that mask.
780
00:36:23,703 --> 00:36:25,443
Wendi knew.
781
00:36:25,487 --> 00:36:27,577
This double-cross
blurred the lines between
782
00:36:27,620 --> 00:36:29,710
business and story line.
783
00:36:29,752 --> 00:36:34,102
Whatever the truth was,
Wendi came out the loser.
784
00:36:34,148 --> 00:36:36,668
I demanded to talk
to Vince McMahon,
785
00:36:36,716 --> 00:36:40,066
and no one would
tell me where he was.
786
00:36:40,110 --> 00:36:43,240
I probably would have killed
him with my bare hands.
787
00:36:43,288 --> 00:36:46,248
What Vinny and
Moo did to her,
788
00:36:46,291 --> 00:36:49,511
Wendi was over like
$1 million at that time.
789
00:36:49,555 --> 00:36:55,515
Her and Cyndi Lauper,
and the cartoon, The Goonies...
790
00:36:55,561 --> 00:36:57,691
You know, Wendi was
over as big as Hogan,
791
00:36:57,737 --> 00:37:00,037
and maybe that
was the problem.
792
00:37:00,087 --> 00:37:07,487
The only thing I can think of is
I was asking to be paid fairly.
793
00:37:07,529 --> 00:37:11,929
I feel like it was a sad
situation that happened because
794
00:37:11,968 --> 00:37:14,278
the girls should be
paid maybe more than
795
00:37:14,319 --> 00:37:15,799
they were at the time.
796
00:37:15,842 --> 00:37:19,672
But, when a promoter tells
you who's gonna win or lose,
797
00:37:19,715 --> 00:37:23,105
you have to go with the
one who's running the show,
798
00:37:23,153 --> 00:37:25,463
whether you like it or not;
that was her choice
799
00:37:25,504 --> 00:37:28,074
to walk away from it.
800
00:37:28,115 --> 00:37:30,195
If everything had
worked with Wendi,
801
00:37:30,248 --> 00:37:34,078
there would've been an
established women's division
802
00:37:34,121 --> 00:37:37,471
with women featured in
more important matches
803
00:37:37,516 --> 00:37:39,776
a lot before it
actually happened.
804
00:37:39,822 --> 00:37:43,652
I was angry for what she just
did to women's wrestling.
805
00:37:43,696 --> 00:37:47,126
For so long she held it back,
she held it back,
806
00:37:47,177 --> 00:37:49,307
she held it back.
Then, finally,
807
00:37:49,354 --> 00:37:53,364
it started to bloom
and she killed it.
808
00:37:53,401 --> 00:37:55,621
I think Moolah was afraid.
809
00:37:55,664 --> 00:37:59,324
I think she was
afraid of walking away.
810
00:37:59,364 --> 00:38:04,114
I left the arena fully dressed
in my wrestling suit,
811
00:38:04,151 --> 00:38:06,331
I hailed a cab
in New York city,
812
00:38:06,371 --> 00:38:08,551
and went to the airport.
813
00:38:08,590 --> 00:38:12,510
They were dead in my life.
They were dead.
814
00:38:12,551 --> 00:38:16,731
♪
815
00:38:16,772 --> 00:38:19,562
Have you ever seen the
footage of the match?
816
00:38:19,601 --> 00:38:23,691
[sighs] I almost did.
I couldn't bear to see it.
817
00:38:23,736 --> 00:38:26,826
What good would it do?
The bitch is dead, okay!
818
00:38:26,869 --> 00:38:29,789
I don't need to see it.
[laughs] I was there.
819
00:38:29,829 --> 00:38:37,179
♪
820
00:38:37,227 --> 00:38:40,447
In 1995, The Fabulous Moolah
became the first woman
821
00:38:40,492 --> 00:38:45,672
inducted into the WWF
Wrestling Hall of Fame.
822
00:38:45,714 --> 00:38:49,984
Tonight is the
greatest night of my life,
823
00:38:50,023 --> 00:38:54,553
being inducted into
the WWF Hall of Fame.
824
00:38:54,593 --> 00:38:56,683
By the year 2000,
the WWF
825
00:38:56,725 --> 00:39:00,025
had phased out traditional
women's athletic wrestling,
826
00:39:00,076 --> 00:39:03,856
in favor of strip matches
and comedy story lines.
827
00:39:03,906 --> 00:39:06,906
But Moolah showed no
sign of slowing down.
828
00:39:06,953 --> 00:39:11,003
She teamed up with fellow
wrestling legend Mae Young.
829
00:39:11,044 --> 00:39:13,534
Mae Young wrestled in
7 different decades.
830
00:39:13,568 --> 00:39:16,698
She was tougher than Moolah,
and that's saying something.
831
00:39:16,745 --> 00:39:20,485
Years ago, they, they had to
put up a chicken wire fence up
832
00:39:20,532 --> 00:39:23,842
over the ring because
they hated me so bad.
833
00:39:23,883 --> 00:39:26,633
It's insane that more people
saw Moolah and Mae
834
00:39:26,668 --> 00:39:29,188
in the late 90s and early 2000s
835
00:39:29,236 --> 00:39:31,496
when they were both
everybody's grandmother.
836
00:39:31,543 --> 00:39:33,893
Or, maybe the Addams
family's grandmother.
837
00:39:33,936 --> 00:39:35,546
I have to be real
careful with her.
838
00:39:35,590 --> 00:39:38,550
Everywhere I go, she either
wants to get drunk or naked.
839
00:39:38,593 --> 00:39:40,033
This would be the place,
I guess.
840
00:39:40,073 --> 00:39:41,293
[laughs]
841
00:39:41,335 --> 00:39:42,855
And then, of course,
they go out on TV and
842
00:39:42,902 --> 00:39:46,342
they can take the tremendous
bumps and incredible falls,
843
00:39:46,384 --> 00:39:49,264
and still somehow not
break into a million pieces.
844
00:39:49,299 --> 00:39:50,779
Ah! Come on!
845
00:39:50,823 --> 00:39:55,133
She should've stopped
in her 60s, but she couldn't.
846
00:39:55,175 --> 00:39:57,175
I mean, my God,
she was 80 years old,
847
00:39:57,220 --> 00:40:01,530
wearing a checkered
school girl outfit.
848
00:40:01,573 --> 00:40:03,533
- [dog growling]
- No, no, stop.
849
00:40:03,575 --> 00:40:06,315
- Stop. Scooter, stop it.
- [barks, growls]
850
00:40:06,360 --> 00:40:09,890
Stop. Sh.
851
00:40:09,929 --> 00:40:13,369
I get the last word, not you.
Be a good boy.
852
00:40:17,327 --> 00:40:19,067
What was her funeral like?
853
00:40:19,112 --> 00:40:21,462
It was crowded and I don't--
I'll tell you the truth,
854
00:40:21,506 --> 00:40:24,636
I don't know. I was just in a
daze the whole time.
855
00:40:24,683 --> 00:40:27,603
I didn't even know
that he was there.
856
00:40:27,642 --> 00:40:31,992
I just remember thinking
that it was the end of an era.
857
00:40:32,038 --> 00:40:37,168
In 2007, Moolah passed
away at the age of 84.
858
00:40:37,217 --> 00:40:39,867
The wrestling families
showed up in large numbers
859
00:40:39,915 --> 00:40:41,865
to pay their respects.
860
00:40:41,917 --> 00:40:45,917
This is where she's buried.
This is hers here.
861
00:40:45,965 --> 00:40:49,355
And this is Katie's and
this was Johnnie Mae's here.
862
00:40:49,403 --> 00:40:50,843
She had that
little thing put there.
863
00:40:50,883 --> 00:40:52,283
She said, "When you
wanna come talk to me,
864
00:40:52,319 --> 00:40:53,839
there's a bench in there.
865
00:40:53,886 --> 00:40:57,276
You won't get wet
if it's raining."
866
00:40:57,324 --> 00:41:01,334
[sighs]
She was all I had.
867
00:41:01,371 --> 00:41:03,901
And, I miss her every day.
868
00:41:03,939 --> 00:41:06,549
No one can ever, can ever
869
00:41:06,594 --> 00:41:10,864
be as good as she was. Never.
870
00:41:10,903 --> 00:41:13,913
Women's wrestling today has
undergone a renaissance
871
00:41:13,949 --> 00:41:16,999
I don't think would have been
possible without the rise of
872
00:41:17,039 --> 00:41:19,829
women in mixed martial arts,
and specifically, Ronda Rousey.
873
00:41:19,868 --> 00:41:22,698
Now it's so
much more refined.
874
00:41:22,741 --> 00:41:26,401
It wasn't that way in
Moolah's day because
875
00:41:26,440 --> 00:41:28,880
that wasn't her strong point.
876
00:41:28,921 --> 00:41:30,921
10 years after
Moolah's death,
877
00:41:30,966 --> 00:41:34,316
her impact on wrestling
remains controversial.
878
00:41:34,361 --> 00:41:36,361
♪
879
00:41:36,406 --> 00:41:39,536
Well, I think in wrestling
there is blurred lines
880
00:41:39,584 --> 00:41:42,854
between your character
and who you really are.
881
00:41:42,891 --> 00:41:46,071
I believe that the fans
couldn't tell the difference
882
00:41:46,112 --> 00:41:50,382
between Moolah and the
character she was playing.
883
00:41:50,420 --> 00:41:55,430
Nobody really knows how
it hurts you to hear that,
884
00:41:55,469 --> 00:41:57,649
that you worked for somebody
and they pimped you out,
885
00:41:57,689 --> 00:41:59,429
so you could get
where you did.
886
00:41:59,473 --> 00:42:04,483
She was-- Had never once
ever drugged any of us.
887
00:42:04,522 --> 00:42:07,792
It just really pisses me off
that they're taking away
888
00:42:07,829 --> 00:42:11,959
the legacy of
The Fabulous Moolah.
889
00:42:12,007 --> 00:42:13,267
I mean, I'll be
honest with you,
890
00:42:13,313 --> 00:42:17,493
Bambi was never a
famous wrestler. But...
891
00:42:17,535 --> 00:42:20,015
if there's one
thing that I could do,
892
00:42:20,059 --> 00:42:22,629
it would be to save
Moolah's name and legacy,
893
00:42:22,670 --> 00:42:25,060
and restore what she gave
894
00:42:25,107 --> 00:42:27,717
to the professional
wrestling business.
895
00:42:27,762 --> 00:42:31,982
Moolah may have
initially opened doors,
896
00:42:32,027 --> 00:42:34,597
but she quickly
closed the door.
897
00:42:34,639 --> 00:42:39,379
She held women's wrestling
back probably for 40 years.
898
00:42:39,426 --> 00:42:42,856
If Moolah had left
Wendi with the belt,
899
00:42:42,908 --> 00:42:47,298
I think women's wrestling
would have skyrocketed.
900
00:42:47,347 --> 00:42:49,917
She wasn't as big a
star as Mildred Burke.
901
00:42:49,958 --> 00:42:51,698
She's not as big a
star as Ronda Rousey,
902
00:42:51,743 --> 00:42:54,533
but she was the
placeholder for 30 years.
903
00:42:54,572 --> 00:42:55,962
How do you think
people should,
904
00:42:56,008 --> 00:42:58,618
should remember Moolah?
905
00:42:58,663 --> 00:43:00,273
Any way they like.
906
00:43:00,316 --> 00:43:02,276
Everybody have
their own opinion.
907
00:43:02,318 --> 00:43:06,888
And me, personally, I don't
have an opinion of Moolah.
908
00:43:06,932 --> 00:43:09,632
None that I care to share.
909
00:43:09,674 --> 00:43:12,984
If I choose not to like her
910
00:43:13,025 --> 00:43:15,195
because of what she did
to me, that's fine.
911
00:43:15,244 --> 00:43:17,684
But, Moolah needs
to be remembered.
912
00:43:17,725 --> 00:43:20,465
She was an icon
in this business.
913
00:43:20,510 --> 00:43:23,640
You can't take away her
history just because
914
00:43:23,688 --> 00:43:25,598
she's an asshole!
915
00:43:25,646 --> 00:43:27,996
All the girls that she
trained remember her,
916
00:43:28,040 --> 00:43:31,260
and they know that they
wouldn't be where they are now
917
00:43:31,304 --> 00:43:33,264
without her, and they
wouldn't have had the
918
00:43:33,306 --> 00:43:35,566
career they had, without her.
919
00:43:35,613 --> 00:43:38,403
Whoever's
starting these rumors,
920
00:43:38,441 --> 00:43:41,101
you're not just
calling Moolah a pimp,
921
00:43:41,140 --> 00:43:43,800
you're calling me
a prostitute...
922
00:43:43,838 --> 00:43:46,408
and that hurts.
923
00:43:46,449 --> 00:43:49,669
And, if you were
not on that property,
924
00:43:49,714 --> 00:43:52,194
if you were not
in that room,
925
00:43:52,238 --> 00:43:55,758
you don't know what happened
and you need to shut up.