For three decades, The Fabulous Moolah was the standard bearer when it came to women's professional wrestling. The undisputed champion of the sport for a record-shattering 28 years, she was the baddest woman in the industry, willing and able to punish any young whipper snapper who even thought about wrestling the gold away from her. More importantly, Moolah laid the groundwork for every badass woman to step through the ropes in the generations that followed. Brought up in the industry at a time when men dominated, she had to fight, scratch and claw for any and everything she wanted. More importantly, as a woman, she had to prove her worth in every opportunity she ever received. She did so by showcasing her toughness, tossing her opponents around the ring and laying into them with forearms, clotheslines, chokes and stomps that ensured they would feel it for days to come. When the time came for Vince McMahon to pull a fast one on Wendi Richter, screwing her out of the Women's Championship as her star (and ego) inflated, he turned to Moolah, who could hold her own and force the desired outcome. Even well into the Attitude Era, Moolah was demonstrating just how tough and bad she really was, laying into the likes of Ivory, Jacqueline and Luna, and standing up for the rights of women against the male chauvinistic Jeff Jarrett.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
