Women's World Championship
| Women's World Championship | |||||||
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The Women's World Championship was the first women's professional wrestling world title.[1]
History
Cora Livingston defeated Hazel Parker in 1906. Though the contest was originally for the Featherweight Championship, from that point she was billed as the first women's champion of the world.[2] She then went to face women's champion Laura Bennett in a champion vs champion match in 1910. While Livingston was proclaimed as world champion, Laura was simply referred as women's champion. The match saw Cora Livingston victorious and it was at that time she was officially recognized as the first women's world champion.[1][3]
Mildred Burke won a woman's world championship title in 1937 and held it for close to two decades. Mildred Burke won the women's wrestling world championship title defeating Clara Mortenson the inaugural champion.[4][5] Clara had competed for the vacant championship against Barbara Ware, with Clara coming out victorious, following her victory, she was billed as the first women's world champion.[6] On June 14, 1953, June Byers won a 13-woman tournament in Baltimore to claim the belt. She quickly became a popular fan favorite champion.[7] Byers and Burke wrestled a two out of three falls match in 1954 it went to a no contest. Subsequently, Byers was recognized as the NWA World Women's Champion, and Burke went on to create the WWWA World Championship and was recognized as its first champion.[8]
Title history
| Wrestler: | Times: | Date: | Location: | Notes: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cora Livingston | 1 | October 1910 | Kansas City, MO | Recognized as the first Women's Champion of the World. |
| Livingstone retired as champion in 1925. | ||||
| Clara Mortenson | 1 | 1932 | Defeated Barbara Ware to win inaugural title.[when?][citation needed] | |
| Mildred Burke | 1 | January 28, 1937[5] | Chattanooga, TN | |
| Clara Mortenson[5] | 2 | February 11, 1937 | Chattanooga, Tennessee | Despite having lost the title in 1937, Mortenson was billed as World Champion in her appearance fourteen years later in the 1951 film Racket Girls. |
| Mildred Burke[5] | 2 | April, 1937 | ||
| June Byers | 1 | June 14, 1953 | Baltimore, MD | Byers won a 13-woman tournament to win the vacant championship.[9] |
| Byers and Burke wrestled a two out of three falls match in 1954. The bout went to a no contest. Subsequently, Byers was recognized as the NWA World Women's Champion, and Burke went on to create the WWWA World Championship and was recognized as its first champion. The Women's World Championship was retired in 1954. | ||||
See also
- World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship (original version)
- Women's World Tag Team Championship
- NWA World Women's Champion
- WWWA World Championship
References
- ^ a b Brian Solomon (2015). Pro Wrestling FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the World's Most Entertaining Spectacle. Hal Leonard. ISBN 9781617136276.
- ^ Laprade, Pat; Murphy, Dan (April 11, 2017). Sisterhood of the Squared Circle: The History and Rise of Women's Wrestling. ECW Press. ISBN 9781773050140 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Mrs. Bowser Dies; Was Mat Champ". April 11, 2014.
- ^ "Mildred Burke". WWE.
- ^ a b c d Freedman, Lew (September 7, 2018). Pro Wrestling: A Comprehensive Reference Guide. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781440853517 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Clara Mortenson - OWW".
- ^ June Byers at imdb.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-11.
- ^ Malnoske, Andrew. "Mildred Burke". Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum. Retrieved 2009-02-20.
- ^ Freedman, Lew (September 7, 2018). Pro Wrestling: A Comprehensive Reference Guide. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781440853517 – via Google Books.