While most remember The Fabulous Moolah for her in-ring work and her history-making 28-year run as Women's Champion, it was a manager that the Hall of Famer got her start in the industry she eventually dominated. Dubbed "Slave Girl Moolah," she would manage The Elephant Boy. It was around that time that she also accompanied "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers, arguably one of the greatest wrestlers of his era. Ultimately, those two partnerships fizzled and Moolah began focusing on her in-ring career. Her successes between the ropes are well documented. One of the greatest female talents to lace a pair of boots, she has earned every bit of praise she ever received for her in-ring exploits. But that does not mean her career as a manager had come to an end. In 1985, she played a key role in the inaugural WrestleMania event and one of that night's headlined bouts. Accompanying Leilani Kai to the ring for her Women's Championship defense against Wendi Richter, the issues between she and pop music star Cyndi Lauper really fueled the rivalry and helped make it the high profile match that it became. Moolah was a fairly big star, much more so than Kai, and her interactions with Lauper outside the ring helped to draw audiences and capture their attention, bringing more eyes to the revolutionary event in the process. She was essential to the success of the storyline and it was a manager that she gained her greatest mainstream recognition.
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.
