‘Lady Wrestler’ Documentary Shows Black Women as Wrestling Pioneers

While I love wrestling, I have to admit it’s just recently that I’ve begun researching in order to know more about the female pioneers of the sport, past the Fabulous Moolah and more recently Mildred Burke. Sisterhood of the Squared Circle: The History and Rise of Women’s Wrestling is a good resource, by the way. In the Mildred Burke chapter, (Ethel Johnson, Marva Scott, Babs Wingo, Louise Greene, Kathleen Wimberly and Ramona Isbell are mentioned) You can cut your eyes at me when I say women had more obstacles having and maintaining careers as professional wrestlers in the Western World but on some level you, too, know it’s true. The documentary film Lady Wrestler: The Amazing, Untold Story of African-American Women in the Ring  highlights some of those obstacles for Black women wrestlers too, but we’ll circle back to that. Some of my favorite entertainers in the ring from my childhood included women of color like the biracial badass, ultimate heel (and queen of my heart forever) Aja Kong. I remember the pride I had seeing Jacqueline win the WWE Women’s Championship when it was reintroduced in 1998 (the first!) and then the cruiser-weight title belt later. (do you remember the dab she did before accepting her place in the WWE hall of fame?! ICON.) There was also Midnight with her gorgeous bodybuilder physique, who often came around with Booker T and Stevie Ray when they were better known together as Harlem Heat. ‘Athena’ aka Adrienne Reese, Your Forever ROH Champion (AEW). Sa…