Burke wins the World Title

1937-01-28 Chattanooga, TN, USA – Memorial Auditorium

After a series of the unsuccessful challenges, Mildred Burke finally defeats Clara Mortensen to win the world title. Mortensen regains the title from Burke in the following month in Chattanooga with a fast count by the referee, Burke continues to be recognized as the champion in other states and is awarded the championship by the Midwest Wrestling Association in 1937-04 and becomes the first women to win a world pro wrestling championship recognition by a sanctioning body.

In 1949-12, Burke’s manager and husband Billy Wolfe is admitted to the National Wrestling Alliance, and Burke is also recognized as the world champion by the NWA in 1950.

NWA withdraws the sanction of women’s wrestling titles at the annual convention in 1953. Although there had been numerous female wrestlers who were billed as the “NWA” world champions including June Byers, Fabulous Moolah, and Debbie Combs, the NWA head office would never officially recognize another women’s champion until 2000.

Related Links

Source: The Queen of the Ring: Sex, Muscles, Diamonds, and the Making of an American Legend