| Judy Grable | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Birth name | Nellya Baughman |
| Born | August 21, 1935 Bremerton, Washington, U.S.[1] |
| Died | May 9, 2008(2008-05-09) (aged 72)[1] |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Judy Grable Peaches Grable |
| Billed height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)[1] |
| Billed weight | 137 lb (62 kg)[1] |
| Trained by | The Fabulous Moolah[2] |
| Debut | 1953[1] |
| Retired | 1966 |
Nellya Baughman[1] (August 21, 1935 – May 9, 2008) was an Americanprofessional wrestler who was best known by herring nameJudy Grable. She was an active wrestler during the 1950s and 1960s. In addition to her nickname "The Barefoot Contessa" due to her preference for wrestling barefoot,[1] she was also known as "the acrobatic blonde with the educated flying feet".[3]
Grable trained for her professional wrestling career withThe Fabulous Moolah in her school inColumbia, South Carolina.[1][2] She debuted in 1953 using the name Peaches Grable.[1] Moolah's female trainees worked in Boston under promoterPaul Bowser, and in Boston, Grable and Moolah were involved in afeud.[2]
She wrestled in theNational Wrestling Alliance (NWA) territories through the 1950s and the 1960s. In September 1956, abattle royal was held to determine the newNWA World Women's Champion, but Grable lost to long-time rival The Fabulous Moolah.[3] On September 20, 1959, Grable made an appearance as a contestant on the popular television showWhat's My Line?[1] The episode became famous in part because of the highly risque banter from guest panelistGroucho Marx and consequentmalapropisms by regular panelistDorothy Kilgallen and hostJohn Daly.
Even though she retired in the late 1960s, Grable's last in-ring work occurred in Superstar Wrestling in 1974.[1]
On March 31, 2017, Grable was posthumously inducted into theWWE Hall of Fame as a part of the Legacy wing.
Grable was the youngest of six children, including four brothers and one sister.[1] She was atomboy who liked fishing, hunting, and sports.[1] She alsowrestled atGrand Junction High School.[1] Her family later moved to Florida, where Grable became interested in thecircus.[1] She was employed atRingling Brothers Circus as anacrobat for six months, deciding she would rather wrestle after falling off a high wire.[1]
In the late 1960s, Grable retired from wrestling after marrying a serviceman[1] and returned to school, graduating in 1978.[1] She was then employed as a nurse's assistant in a home for veterans.[1] One of her daughters works as a wrestler under the name Debbie Grable.[1]
Grable died on May 9, 2008, after living with diabetes, strokes, andAlzheimer's.[1]
Penny Banner & Lorraine Johnson, 55, Ohio
