Sapphire (wrestler)
| Juanita Wright | |
|---|---|
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| Ring name(s) | Sapphire Princess Dark Cloud |
| Billed height | 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m) |
| Billed weight | 155 lb (70 kg; 11.1 st) |
| Born | October 24, 1934 St. Louis, Missouri[1] |
| Died | September 10, 1996 (aged 61)[1][2][3] |
| Debut | 1989 |
| Retired | 1990 |
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Juanita Wright (October 24, 1934 – September 10, 1996) was a professional wrestling valet and wrestler best known as "Sweet" Sapphire in the World Wrestling Federation where she managed Dusty Rhodes in 1989 and 1990. She also wrestled on the independent circuit as Princess Dark Cloud.
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[edit] Early life
Juanita Wright was born on October 24, 1934 in St. Louis, Missouri. She became a huge wrestling fan and began to drive wrestlers to arenas in the St. Louis area.[4] Wright gained a wrestling referees license, the first woman in the Missouri to do so, before entering the ring as a wrestler. She appeared under the name Princess Dark Cloud and once wrestled a bear.[citation needed] Prior to signing a contract with the World Wrestling Federation, Wright worked as a saleswoman for a clothing company in St. Louis.[5]
[edit] World Wrestling Federation
Wright debuted in 1989 at Survivor Series 1989 as a fan cheering on Dusty Rhodes. Sapphire began to manage Dusty Rhodes, both adorned in black outfits with yellow polka dots. Sapphire later appeared in the ring, teaming with Dusty to take on Randy Savage and Sensational Sherri at Wrestlemania VI. Sapphire pinned Sherri, with some help from Miss Elizabeth, who had allied herself with Sapphire and Rhodes after a previous incident that precipitated the match. Sapphire and Sensational Queen Sherri would square off, both in singles matches and in tag team matches, across the country from April 21, 1990, at the Richmond, VA, Coliseum where she lost to the Queen in a one on one encounter, right up til August 25th. at the Palace of Auburn Hills, where she and Rhodes emerged victorious as a tandem. In the Spring and Summer of 1990, Sapphire began to receive gifts from a mysterious benefactor. At the 1990 SummerSlam pay per view, Sherri defeated Sapphire via forfeit after Sapphire failed to show. Seconds before Rhodes' match against Randy Savage, Ted DiBiase revealed that he had bought Sapphire. A puzzled Rhodes lost to Savage because he did not have the heart to continue. Sapphire began appearing in segments where she would do favors for DiBiase, including ironing his money. Shortly afterward, Sapphire left the WWF. Although it was never explained why on WWF programming, Virgil revealed in an interview with WWF Magazine several months later that the (kayfabe) reason for Sapphire leaving was that DiBiase took all the gifts back.
In a later shoot interview, Sherri Martel revealed that Wright's admiration for Rhodes was legitimate, and that she literally broke down crying when the office told her that they were severing Wright and Rhodes' on-screen partnership. Martel believes that Wright lost complete interest in the company after this, which is why she left the company not long after SummerSlam. Rhodes revealed on his WWE DVD The American Dream: The Dusty Rhodes Story that he once went into Vince McMahon's office and said that he liked Sapphire, but having her around was pointless and that she should be released. McMahon told Rhodes that she "made" Rhodes' character and that she should stay. After extensive thought, Rhodes agreed.
[edit] Personal life
Juanita Wright had two children, named Wanda and Ricco.[1] Little is known about Juanita from the time she left the WWF besides that she worked at Granpa Pigeons in University City, MO., where she enjoyed telling old wrestling stories to her co-workers children. She died in St. Louis, Missouri from a heart attack on September 10, 1996.[2]
[edit] In popular culture
A character called "Sweet Sapphire" has recently been adopted by Earl Douglas, a male African American radio producer for XM Radio's Ron and Fez Show due to his uncanny resemblance to Juanita, and his pairing with the new sensational show producer, The Midnight Rider. Dusty Rhodes, whom Sapphire had managed in the WWF, has wrestled under the name The Midnight Rider.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c "Sapphire Online World of Wrestling profile". http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/s/sapphire.html.
- ^ a b "Gary Will's Wrestling History: Deceased Pro Wrestlers". http://www.garywill.com/wrestling/decwres.htm.
- ^ Find A Grave profile
- ^ Rhodes, Dusty; Howard Brody (2005). Dusty: Reflections of an American Dream. p. 128. ISBN 1582619077.
- ^ Dave Meltzer article in The National, late 1990
