Toni Rose
| Toni Rose | |
|---|---|
| Ring name(s) | Toni Rose |
| Billed height | 5'5"[1] |
| Trained by | The Fabulous Moolah[1] |
Toni Rose is an American former professional wrestler.
Professional wrestling career
Rose grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana.[1] She decided to become a professional wrestler at the age of seven, but first attended high school and college.[1] She trained under The Fabulous Moolah in 1965.[1] During her first match, which occurred in Atlanta, Georgia, her opponent Bambi Bell knocked Rose unconscious.[1]
During a match in Australia in 1969, Rose was injured and left partially blind in one eye.[1] In the early 1970s, Rose held the National Wrestling Alliance's NWA Women's World Tag Team Championship twice with The Fabulous Moolah.[2][3] They first won the title in May 1970, but lost it to Donna Christanello and Kathy O'Day. During a rematch in June, Rose and Moolah regained the title.[3] Later that November, Rose won the title once again, this time with Christanello.[3] In 1972 at the Superbowl of Wrestling, they defended the World Women's Tag Team Championship against Sandy Parker and Debbie Johnson. During their reign, there was an unrecorded title change; Susan "Tex" Green and Parker won the title from Christanello and Rose in November 1971 in Hawaii, but they regained it in February 1972 in Hong Kong.[3][4] After a three year reign as champions, they were officially defeated for the title by the team of Joyce Grable and Vicki Williams on October 15, 1973 in New York.[3] It was not until October 1975 that Rose and Christanello regained the title from Grable and Williams, holding it for approximately four years.[3]
During this time, she also wrestled against Susan "Tex" Green in Leroy McGuirk's promotion.[5] During her career, Rose was also a contender for Moolah's NWA World Women's Championship, but never won the title.[6] In December 1974, Rose was in a match to crown the vacated NWA United States Women's Championship, but lost to Ann Casey.[7]
Championships and accomplishments
- National Wrestling Alliance
- NWA Women's World Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with The Fabulous Moolah (2) and Donna Christanello (2)[2][3]
- NWA Southern Women's Championship (Georgia Version) (1 time)
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 "Wrestling to the tune of $68,000 a year". The Sydney Morning Herald. January 5, 1972. Retrieved 2009-08-17.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Ellison, Lillian. First Goddess of the Squared Circle, p.143–145.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Duncan, Royal and Gary Will (2006). "NWA Women's World Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ↑ Pierce, Dale. "Interview with Susan Green". Wrestling Then and Now. Retrieved 2009-01-11.
- ↑ Johnson, Steven (March 26, 2004). "Susan Tex Green: Prodigy to pro". SLAM! Wrestling. Retrieved 2009-08-17.
- ↑ Greenberg, Keith Elliot (2000). Pro Wrestling: From Carnivals to Cable TV. Lerner Publications. p. 35. ISBN 0-8225-3332-4.
- ↑ Duncan, Royal and Gary Will (2006). "NWA Women's US Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. p. 197. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
References
- Ellison, Lillian (2003). The Fabulous Moolah: First Goddess of the Squared Circle. ReaganBooks. ISBN 978-0-06-001258-8.
Further reading
- Kreiser, Jamie Melissa (April 7, 2008). "Sandy Parker: Addicted to wrestling". SLAM! Wrestling. Retrieved 2009-06-30.