Mae Young | |
|---|---|
 Young in 2001 | |
| Born | Johnnie Mae Young (1923-03-12)March 12, 1923 Sand Springs, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Died | January 14, 2014(2014-01-14) (aged 90) Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Resting place | Greenlawn Memorial Park Columbia, South Carolina |
| Other names | Billie Young[1] The Great Mae Young[1] Madame X[1] Mae the Queen[1] Mrs. Stasiak[1] Marie Young[2] |
| Occupation | Professional wrestler |
| Years active | 1939–2014Professional wrestling career |
| Ring name(s) | Mae Young[3] Miss May Young The Queen |
| Billed height | 5 ft 3 in (160 cm) |
| Billed from | Sand Springs, Oklahoma[3] |
| Trained by | Mildred Burke[2] |
| Debut | August 20, 1939[3][4] |
| Retired | November 15, 2010 |
| Signature | |
 | |
Johnnie Mae Young[5] (March 12, 1923 – January 14, 2014) was an Americanprofessional wrestler, trainer and promoter.[6] She wrestled throughout the United States and Canada and won multiple titles in theNational Wrestling Alliance. Young is considered one of the pioneers in women's wrestling as she helped to increase the popularity of the sport throughout the 1940s and duringWorld War II. In 1954, she andMildred Burke were among the first female competitors to tour post-warJapan.
Beginning in 1999, Young had renewed success in her career after joiningWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE).[7] Young was part of a recurring comedic duo with best friendThe Fabulous Moolah in appearances on WWE televised events.[5] Young is also remembered for takingbumps well past the age of 80 on televised programming. In 2004, she was inducted into theProfessional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum as part of their "Lady Wrestler" category. On March 29, 2008, Young was inducted into theWWE Hall of Fame.
In 2017, an all-female professional wrestling tournament was introduced by WWE and was namedMae Young Classic as a tribute to her memory. Its purpose was to showcase the new female wrestlers that had signed with the company and were in development, as well as independent circuit veterans from around the world. The winner received a contract with WWE and a trophy for their achievement. After the second tournament in 2018, the tournament was discontinued.[8]
Johnnie Mae Young was born inSand Springs, Oklahoma, on March 12, 1923.[5] She was the youngest of eight children (one died at birth). Her mother Lilly Mae Young was a single mother (her partner left to find work and never returned) living during theGreat Depression. Young's oldest sister Inie was severely disabled by whooping cough at a very young age.[5] Young was anamateur wrestler on her high school's boys' wrestling team at the age of fifteen.[4][7][5] Her brothers Fred, Eugen, Lawarence, and Everett taught her to wrestle and helped her join the team. Young also playedsoftball withTulsa's national championship team.[4][7]
I learned to wrestleamateur inSand Springs so I never heard of women professional wrestlers but one day I heard intulsa paper there was going to be a women's world championship match come to town of Oklahoma so I immediately got at home with my brother and I shout hey let's you and I go over cause I am going to challenge that champion namedMildred Burke, so I went and there was a promoter (Billy Wolfe) at that time and I told him I want to challenge the world's champion Mildred Burke, he said you can't do that cause you never wrestle a wrestling match, I said yeah but I beat her, I can beat her so the only one who was Burke's adversary at the time, he broke over that there was only two other girl wrestlers in the whole world that wasGladys Gillem and a girl with the name of Elvira Snodgrass so I asked the wrestling coach in Sand Springs and I said I want to try out to be a professional wrestler so it brought Kill'em Guillem over and he put me in one corner Gladys in another so he snailed the bell and I run over her taking her down like a bull and beat her in just seconds, then Billy put me against Elvira Snodgrass and I also beat her in seconds, so then Billy says to me well he says I think I may make a girl wrestler of you.
While still in high school, Young went to a professional wrestling show and challenged then-championMildred Burke when she visited Tulsa to wrestleGladys Gillem.[4][5] Because the promoters told her she could not wrestle the champion, she wrestled Gillem in ashoot fight, beating her within seconds.[5] After the fight, promoterBilly Wolfe wanted Young to become a professional wrestler.[5] She left home two years later to wrestle professionally.[4] Young later traveled toCharlotte, North Carolina, where she met and trained withThe Fabulous Moolah and also metEd "Strangler" Lewis who told her "I don't like girl wrestlers, women should be in the kitchen, but after seeing you, you was born to be a wrestler."[9]
There have been conflicting reports as to the year in which Young began her career. Young claimed her first match was August 20, 1939,[4] while WWE said she "started her professional career" this year.[7] However, Young also once said her first match was March 22, 1940.[10] According toDave Meltzer ofThe Wrestling Observer, historians have been unable to find any records that she began in 1939 and that her first match was most likely in 1941.[11] Meltzer wrote, "In reality, Young is believed to have competed in seven decades, matching the record held byLou Thesz. ... You really couldn't call [her] 2010 match anything resembling a pro wrestling match, even giving as much leeway as possible. While she always claimed to have started in 1939, at 16, historians researching have been unable to find any records of her wrestling prior to 1941, when she turned 18 and went on tour with Billy Wolfe's troupe."[11]
In 1941, Young, along with Mildred Burke, opened upCanada for female wrestling.[5] In Canada, they worked forStu Hart.[5] She was wrestling inMemphis, Tennessee, on December 7, 1941, the day thatPearl Harbor was bombed by theJapanese, which led to theUnited States enteringWorld War II.[5] During the war, Young helped women take advantage of the fact that the men were fighting overseas by expanding their role in the sport.[4][7]
She fought under the nicknames of "The Queen" and "The Great Mae Young", but she used her real name for most of her matches. During the 1950s, she wrestled for Mildred Burke's World Women's Wrestling Association (WWWA). In 1954, Young and Burke were some of the first females to tour Japan after the war.[7] In 1951, she became theNational Wrestling Alliance's (NWA) first Florida Women's Champion. Five years later in September 1956, she participated in thebattle royal to determine the newNWA World Women's Champion afterJune Byers was stripped of the title, but the championship was won by Young's friend The Fabulous Moolah.[12] In 1968, she became the NWA's firstUnited States Women's Champion. She wrestled for WWWF in two matches in 1969 and 1972. At this point it is unknown when Mae left the wrestling business and retired. In the late 70s, Mae worked in the real estate business in San Leandro California.
As an instructor, her students includedRic "The Equalizer" Drasin[3] and The Fabulous Moolah.[4][3]
In 1993, Young would come out of retirement and started wrestling again for the first time in over 20 years.[13] She worked forFabulous Moolah's Ladies International Wrestling Association based in Las Vegas. On June 21, 1996, she teamed with Fabulous Moolah at LIWA Golden Girls Extravaganza event inLas Vegas where they wrestled Liz Chase and Lori Lynn to a no contest.[14] She continued working with LIWA and even teaming with Moolah until 1998. She left the promotion and went to the WWF in 1999.
Before her official recognition by WWE fans, she made a cameo appearance being shown by the camera along withThe Fabulous Moolah,Freddie Blassie,Lou Albano, andNikolai Volkoff in the crowd of theWrestleMania X event on March 20, 1994.[15]
Young made her official debut in theWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF) on the September 9, 1999, episode ofSmackDown!, where she was introduced with The Fabulous Moolah and later was attacked byJeff Jarrett being put into thefigure-four leglock.[7] After this appearance, both Mae and Moolah began appearing regularly on WWF televised shows. Mae made her WWF in-ring debut on the September 27 episode ofRaw is War; along with Moolah, she competed in ahandicappedevening gown match againstWWF Women's ChampionIvory, who stripped Mae from her gown before Moolah picked up the victory.[16] AtNo Mercy on October 17, Mae managed Moolah, who defeated Ivory for the championship – her last wrestling title before her death in 2007.[3][17] AtSurvivor Series on November 14, she and Moolah competed in aneight-woman tag team match along withDebra andTori against Ivory,Jacqueline,Terri Runnels, andLuna Vachon, with their team coming out victorious.[18]
At theRoyal Rumble event on January 23, 2000, Mae Young won the Miss Royal Rumble 2000swimsuit contest and afterwardsflashed her breasts. However, she was actually wearing a prosthesis and did not actually expose herself.[19] At the end of 1999 and through 2000, Mae developed a storyline along with "Sexual Chocolate"Mark Henry where she started dating him,[4] which included akayfabe pregnancy and attacks byThe Dudley Boyz, specificallyBubba Ray Dudley who performedpowerbombs on Young through tables twice in consecutive episodes ofRaw – the first being in the ring and the second, in which Young was originally reliant on a wheelchair, being off the entryway stage as what has been described as the most notorious powerbomb in WWE history. Mae was 77 years of age at the time, but expressed enthusiasm for the stunt.[4][20] Her child was eventually delivered and found to be nothing more than a bloody rubber hand.[21] On April 2, Mae accompaniedThe Kat atWrestleMania 2000 to her match against Terri Runnels; Kat lost the match as Mae was distracted by kissing theguest referee,Val Venis, before attacking Terri and her manager, Moolah.[22]
On December 24, 2001, Young and Moolah appeared backstage on the Christmas Eve edition of Raw, which marked their last appearance before returning in the summer of 2002.[23]
On the July 29, 2002, episode ofRaw, Mae Young returned along with Moolah, to promote her new book: "The Fabulous Moolah: First Goddess of the Squared Circle" before being attacked by3-Minute Warning on orders of general managerEric Bischoff.[24] On the September 15, 2003, episode ofRaw, she accompanied Moolah at her last wrestling singles match, in which she defeatedVictoria before being attacked byRandy Orton and an infuriated Victoria.[25] On June 15 atBad Blood, Mae appeared during a segment along withStone Cold Steve Austin and Eric Bischoff where she stripped herself in the ring and shared a passionate kiss with Eric Bischoff and performed abronco buster on Bischoff before beingstunned by Austin.[26]
In 2004, Mae Young was inducted into theProfessional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum as part of theirLady wrestler category class of that year.[27] On the September 23 episode ofSmackDown!, Young teamed with Moolah and defeatedDawn Marie andTorrie Wilson.[28]
On March 23, 2005, Moolah and Mae Young appeared on theLate Night with Conan O'Brien show to promote their2005 documentary in which they starred about their 1950s heyday along with several other lady wrestlers of their era.[29] On January 8, 2006, atNew Year's Revolution, Young re−appeared along with Moolah during abra & pantiesgauntlet match where shestripped herself before being attacked by Victoria as she left the ring, which led to both women retaliate and rip off Victoria's shirt.[30] AtWrestleMania 22 on April 2, Young appeared along with Moolah during a backstage segment withSnitsky.[31]
AtWrestleMania 23 on April 1, 2007, Mae Young appeared during a backstage segment along with several other WWE Superstars andHall of Famers.[32] On the August 24 episode ofSmackDown, Mae Young made a special appearance winning aDivas bikini contest.[33] Mae's last appearance with Moolah before her death came atSummerSlam in August 2007, both appeared during a backstage segment along withVince McMahon and Raw's general manager,William Regal, two months prior to her friend's death.[34] On the December 10, 2007, episode ofRaw's 15th Anniversary, Young was involved in a segment alongsideMelina,Sunny,Hornswoggle,Triple H,Shane McMahon,Stephanie McMahon andVince McMahon.[35]
On March 29, 2008, Young was inducted into theWWE Hall of Fame as part of the 2008 class. At the ceremony, she was inducted by fellow wrestler and friend,Pat Patterson.[36] The next night atWrestleMania XXIV, she appeared when she was introduced as part of the2008 Hall of Fame class.[37] On the 800th episode ofRaw on November 3, Mae Young competed in a 16-Diva tag match, where she waspinned byBeth Phoenix.[38]
AtWrestleMania XXV on April 5, 2009, Mae Young appeared as the special guest time keeper for the 25-Divabattle royal, which was won bySantina Marella.[39]
On the November 15, 2010, "Old School" edition ofRaw, Young appeared alongside several WWE legends. Later that night, she was involved in a segment with LayCool, where the latter insulted her, resulting in aFalls Count Anywherehandicap match againstLayCool, thus becoming the first person to wrestle over the age of 80, the first person to wrestle in nine different decades and her final stipulated wrestling match.[40]
AtWrestleMania XXVII on April 3, 2011, Mae appeared backstage during a segment along withThe Rock andEve Torres.[41] During the May 2 episode ofRaw,Vickie Guerrero andDolph Ziggler mockingly presented Mae as a "birthday gift" to The Rock, who responded by kissing Young.[42]
Mae Young appeared onSmackDown: Blast from the Past (April 10, 2012), kissingThe Great Khali.[43] andRaw 1000 (July 23, 2012), during which she was escorted by a man dressed in a giant hand costume, claiming to be her son.[44] On September 24 episode ofRaw, Mae appeared in one ofKane and Daniel Bryan's "Anger Management" skits.[45] On the December 31 episode ofRaw, Mae Young was warming up for her match with then-Divas Champion Eve Torres and began experiencing stomach cramps as it was later determined that she was once again pregnant and gave birth to "Baby New Year", played byHornswoggle.[46]
In her last on-screen appearance on the March 4, 2013, episode ofOld School Raw, Mae Young's 90th birthday celebration was interrupted byCM Punk.[47] Backstage, WWE ChairmanVince McMahon and WWE executiveTriple H presented her with a personally monogrammedDivas Championship belt.[48]
Little is known about Young's character before WWE, but it has been widely speculated that she was the first female wrestler to use adropkick. She is remembered in WWE for her comedic performances.[21][49] Among her finishing and signature moves included theelbow drop[1][3] and thebronco buster, in which she used to perform the famous D-Generation Xcrotch chop taunt.[26][28] Young is also remembered for takingbumps, one of her most famous spots was beingpowerbombed through a table off the wrestling arena stage byBubba Ray Dudley at the age of 77.[50] Another famous bump of hers was when she was attacked along with The Fabulous Moolah by3-Minute Warning, where she wasscoop slammed anddiving splashed byRosey andJamal at the age of 79.[24]
Young appeared in oneWWE video game, that beingWWF No Mercy as an unlockable character,[51] and was also featured on themobile game foriOS andAndroid,WWE SuperCard.[52][non-primary source needed][53]
In 2007, Mae Young appeared onJakks Pacific WWE Classic Superstars Series 18. On September 12, 2017, WWE unveiled an exclusive fashion doll done by toy brandMattel of Mae Young.[54]
In November 2020, a Mae Young action figure was included in the Mattel WWE Elite 81 series as a rare exclusive collector's one.[55]
Young is portrayed byFrancesca Eastwood in the 2024 movieQueen of the Ring.
In 1991, Young quit the wrestling business and moved toCalifornia to become aChristianevangelist and take care of her mother, who was sick.[56] She later renounced her evangelist lifestyle.[56] In 1991, she moved in with The Fabulous Moolah andmidget wrestlerKatie Glass at a house inColumbia, South Carolina, an arrangement which lasted until Moolah's death in November 2007.
On December 31, 2013, it was reported that Young had been hospitalized.[57]The Charleston Post & Courier erroneously reported that she had died on January 9, 2014.[58] Young's death was announced by the WWE on the morning of January 14 after having died at her home inColumbia, South Carolina.[59][60][61] Young was entombed at Greenlawn Memorial Park in Columbia, South Carolina, the same cemetery where her longtime friendThe Fabulous Moolah also rests.[61]
Mae Young is a highly respected figure and one of the pioneers in wrestling industry. She is overall a three-time champion. Her career spanned nine decades, a career that spanned longer than any wrestler in the wrestling business.[62][63] Young andMildred Burke were the first women to wrestle inCanada.[64] Her last match broke history when she was regarded as the oldest wrestler to ever have a match at the age of 87.[65] Some of her notable trainees wereWWE Hall of FamersThe Fabulous Moolah andJune Byers.[66][67][68] On December 7, 1941, Mae was wrestling in Memphis, Tennessee, the dayPearl Harbor was bombed and the United States enteredWorld War II.[69][70] WWE Hall of FamerPat Patterson said: “There's been only one Mae Young, and there will be only one ever.”[71] Wrestling legendDutch Mantell describe Mae Young as the greatest woman wrestler ever.[72]
She is often recognized by wrestling historians, journalists and colleagues as one of the toughest female wrestlers ever for her willingness to take hard bumps from the male wrestlers.Vince McMahon stated: “There will never be another Mae Young. Her longevity in sports entertainment may never be matched, and I will forever be grateful for all of her contributions to the industry.”[70] WWE Hall of FamerThe Fabulous Moolah stated: “Mae Young, she's tough. She taught me a lot.”[73] In 2008, WWE Hall of FamerJim Ross said: “When it comes to who was the toughest woman, there are no debates. Johnnie Mae Young is universally considered to be the baddest of the bad when it comes to women's wrestling.”[70] Pro wrestling legend“Classy” Freddie Blassie said that: “Mae could kick the hell out of 67% of the men.”[63]
In the book Sisterhood of The Squared Circle by Pat Laprade and Dan Murphy, wrestling journalistDave Meltzer stated, "There is little doubt she was among the toughest of any of the women wrestlers who were in the so-called golden age in the ’40s and early ’50s."[74] After taking hard bumps from theDudley Boyz, they describe Mae as: “The toughest man we had ever been in the ring with”.[75] For her longevity, impact and contributions to the industry, she was inducted into theProfessional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in 2004 and later into theWWE Hall of Fame in 2008.
On January 14, 2014, the exact day of Mae's death, WWE pay tribute to her with a posthumous video which included highlights of her career,[76] and another, six days later, on January 20.[77] On January 16,Total Nonstop Action Wrestling dedicated their liveGenesis episode ofImpact Wrestling to the memory of Young.[78] On January 17,SmackDown was also dedicated to her memory.[79] Two weeks later,Shine16 dedicated to her aten-bell salute.[80]
On March 20, 2017, WWE honored Young during their Women's History Month, a video was released where she was credited as the women pioneer of professional wrestling. WWE praised for her contributions to the wrestling business byStephanie McMahon, the late Fabulous Moolah,Ivory,Beth Phoenix andPat Patterson.[81] On July 30, multiple superstars from the Mae Young Classic recognized and honored Mae's legacy and life, among themLita,Jim Ross,Lacey Evans,Mercedes Martinez,Bianca Belair,Marti Belle andVanessa Borne.[82]
On April 1, 2017, WWE announced that a women's tournament would be taking place in the summer of 2017 at a press conference during theWrestleMania 33 weekend and that there were going to be a total of 32 wrestlers competing.[83]
The tournament was named after Young as an honor to her and it was exclusively for women from bothNXT and theindependent circuit, it took place on July 13 and 14, 2017, which aired on theWWE Network on August 28 (round 1) and September 4 (round 2, quarterfinals, and semifinals), and the final match aired live on September 12, also on the WWE Network.[84] The finalists of the inaugural tournament wereShayna Baszler andKairi Sane, with the winner being Sane on September 12.[85]
In 2018, the tournament turned annual as it was announced a second event for the Mae Young Classic.[86] The winner of the 2018 tournament wasToni Storm on October 28, and she was crowned at the first ever all women's pay–per–viewWWE Evolution.[87]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Lipstick and Dynamite, Piss and Vinegar: The First Ladies of Wrestling | Herself | Documentary |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Ms. Edwards | Episode: "A Person of Interest" |
| 2005 | Late Night with Conan O'Brien | Herself | Guest |
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