Juanita Wright
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Juanita Wright | |
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Statistics | |
Ring name(s) | Sapphire Princess Dark Cloud |
Billed height | 5 ft 2 (cm) |
Billed weight | 155 lb (kg) |
Born | 1935 St. Louis, Missouri |
Died | September 10, 1996 |
Debut | 1989 |
Retired | 1990 |
Juanita Wright (1935 – 10 September 1996) was a professional wrestling manager best known as "Sweet" Sapphire in the World Wrestling Federation, managing Dusty Rhodes from 1989 to 1990. She also wrestled in the independent circuit, known as Princess Dark Cloud. Prior to her involvement with the WWF, Wright was a long-time wrestling fan who often drove for wrestlers in the St. Louis area.
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[edit] WWF
"Sweet" Sapphire was a valet for Dusty Rhodes, both adorned in black outfits with yellow polka dots. Sapphire appeared in the ring at WrestleMania VI in Toronto in 1990, but it was the first mixed tag match in WrestleMania history. She teamed with Dusty Rhodes to defeat Randy Savage & Sensational Sherri (Martel) with Sapphire pinning Sherri, with some outside help from their friend Miss Elizabeth, who had allied herself with them after a previous incident that precipitated the match. During the Spring and Summer of 1990, Sapphire started receiving gifts from a mysterious benefactor. At the 1990 SummerSlam, Sherri defeated Sapphire via forfeit. Sapphire never appeared for her match, since she was nowhere to be found. Seconds before Rhodes was supposed to face Randy Savage, Ted DiBiase announced to the crowd that he had bought Sapphire. Rhodes stood in the ring puzzled. He then lost to Savage because he didn't have the heart to wrestle after what he had just witnessed. Sapphire appeared in skits where she would do favors for DiBiase, such as ironing his money. Sapphire left the WWF shortly afterwards.
[edit] Death
Not much is known about Juanita from the time she left the WWF and the time she died in St. Louis, at age 61, of a heart attack in 1996.
[edit] Trivia
- Juanita Wright was the first black female to hold a wrestling referee's license in Missouri.
- Juanita Wright was a huge wrestling fan, even before she was chosen as Dusty Rhodes' valet.