Mae Young | |
|---|---|
 Young in 2001 | |
| Born | Johnnie Mae Young March 12, 1923 Sand Springs, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Died | January 14, 2014 (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 | 1939–2014 |
| 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 American professional wrestler, trainer and promoter.[6] She wrestled throughout the United States and Canada and won multiple titles in the National 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 during World War II. In 1954, she and Mildred Burke were among the first female competitors to tour post-war Japan.
Beginning in 1999, Young had a renewal success in her career after joining World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE).[7] Young was part of a recurring comedic duo with best friend The Fabulous Moolah in appearances on WWE televised events.[5] Young is also remembered for taking bumps well past the age of 80 on televised programming. In 2004, she was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum as part of their "Lady Wrestler" category. On March 29, 2008, Young was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
In 2017, an all-female professional wrestling tournament was introduced by WWE and was named Mae 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]
- ^ a b c d e "Mae Young Wrestlingdata profile". Wrestlingdata. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
- ^ a b "Mae Young". Cagematch. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
- ^ a b c "Mae Young". WWE. Retrieved June 4, 2017.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
lifewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Ryan Nation (March 27, 2008). "HOFer Mae Young vows to keep wrestling". Slam! Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original on January 1, 2013. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Santos, Cory (January 5, 2024). "The hidden history of Mae Young, wrestling promoter". Slam Wrestling. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
- ^ "Hall of Fame: Mae Young". WWE. March 2008. Archived from the original on March 27, 2008. Retrieved April 2, 2008.
- ^ MUELLER, THE DOCTOR CHRIS. "Mae Young Classic 2017 Results: Winners, Grades and Reaction for Round of 32". syndication.bleacherreport.com. Retrieved December 22, 2022.