Mae Young

Oct 15, 2009 - by Jamie Cruickshank

Photo credit: World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.

Photo credit: World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.

Real name: Johnnie Mae Young
Height: 5’4″
Weight: 180 lbs.
Date of birth: March 12, 1923
Date of death: January 14, 2014
Hometown: Austin, TX
Pro debut: 1939
Trained by: Fred, Eugen, Everett & Lawrence Young
Finishing move: Elbow Drop

Biography

– Young competed on her high school boys wrestling team at aged 15. She was reportedly the first woman to achieve such a feat.
– Whilst still in high school, Young attempted to challenge World Champion Mildred Burke, but was refused. She was offered a shoot match with Gladys Gillem instead, defeating her inside 10 seconds
– In the early 50’s, Young & Ella Waldek became the first NWA Womens Tag Team Champions
– It was around this time that Young trained an aspiring young wrestler named Mary Ellison. Ellison would later adopt the ringname ‘The Fabulous Moolah’
– On October 15, 1951, Young defeated Cora Combs to become the first NWA Florida Womens Champion
– In 1954, Young was one of the first group of American women to tour Japan following the war
– In July 1968, Young became the NWA United States Womens Champion
– Young largely stepped away from wrestling in the 70’s, but continued to make occasional appearances, aswell as operating a wrestling school
– In 1991, Young quit the wrestling business to become a Christian evangelist. She later renounced this decision and returned to the sport
– Young made her WWF debut on the September 9, 1999 episode of Smackdown, being attacked by Jeff Jarrett
– Young wrestled her first WWF match 3 weeks later on Raw, teaming with Moolah to defeat Ivory in an Evening Gown Match
– At No Mercy ’99, Young was in the corner of The Fabulous Moolah as she defeated Ivory to win the WWF Womens Title
– At Survivor Series ’99, Young, Moolah, Debra & Tori defeated Ivory, Jacqueline, Luna & Terri in an 8-Woman Tag Team Match
– At the ripe young age of 76, Young was named ‘Miss Royal Rumble’ after winning a bikini contest at Royal Rumble 2000
– In mid-2000, Young was involved in an infamous romantic storyline with Mark Henry, culminating in her giving birth to a hand
– On July 29, 2002, Young returned to Raw alongside Moolah, only to be attacked by 3 Minute Warning
– At Bad Blood ’03, Young attacked Eric Bischoff, who had arranged the attack by 3 Minute Warning
– In 2004, Young was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
– At New Year’s Revolution ’06, Young appeared in the Bra & Panties Gauntlet Match, performing a striptease before being attacked by Victoria, who she then eliminated from the match
– Young made an appearance at WrestleMania 22, alongside Gene Snitsky
– On the August 24, 2007 edition of Smackdown, Young made a surprise appearance in a bikini contest
– At SummerSlam ’07, Young and Moolah appeared in a backstage segment with Vince McMahon & William Regal
– On March 29, 2008, Young was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by Pat Patterson
– On November 2, 2008, the 800th episode of Raw, Young was on the losing side of a 16-Diva Tag Team Match
– At WrestleMania 25, Young was the guest timekeeper for the Divas match
– On November 15, 2010, Young defeated Layla & Michelle McCool in a Falls Count Anywhere Handicap Match. This made Young the first (and to date only) person to wrestle in 9 different decades
– Between 2010 and 2013, Young continued to make occasional comedic appearances for WWE
– On March 4, 2013, Young appeared on Raw in a segment celebrating her 90th birthday. This would be her final on-screen appearance
– Young was diagnosed with a serious illness in December 2013 and would succumb to it on January 14 of the following year
– On January 26, 2014, Young was voted in to the GERWECK.NET hall of fame with 93% of the vote

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