Legendary 90-year-old female pro wrestler Mae Young, whose goal was to compete in a pro wrestling match on her 100th birthday, died Tuesday night in Columbia, S.C.,
according to the Los Angeles Times.
Young had been involved in professional wrestling since 1939 but was most popular in her 70s and 80s. She was once
"power-bombed" through a table by Bubba Ray Dudley.
Urgent: Do You Approve Or Disapprove of President Obama's Job Performance? Vote Now in Urgent Poll
"There will never be another Mae Young," WWE Chairman and Chief Executive Vince McMahon told the Los Angeles Times. "Her longevity in sports entertainment may never be matched, and I will forever be grateful for all of her contributions to the industry. On behalf of WWE, I extend our sincerest condolences to her family and friends."
Young was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.
Born Johnnie Mae Young in Sand Springs, Okla., she picked up wrestling as a child, with her brother recruiting unsuspecting male friends to fight her,
Young's WWE biography said.
When Young defeated Gladys "Kill 'Em" Gillem, during a pro wrestling tour in Tulsa in 1939, promoter Billy Wolfe took the Young under his wing and began touring across the country with his stable of female wrestlers.
She was the first ever NWA United States women's champion. She was the winner of the Miss Royal Rumble 2000 bikini contest in 2000.
Condolences for Young came on Twitter from actor and former pro wrestler Dewayne Johnson, WWE Hall of Famer Titus O'Neil and WWE executive Stephanie McMahon.
Editor's Note: Do You Support Obamacare? Vote in Urgent National Poll
Related Stories:
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.