 |
Wrestling legends Ethel Johnson (left) and
her older sister Babs Wingo during
a match in the 1950s.
|
During question-and-answer sessions after screenings and in press interviews, people often ask me what I found most fascinating about these phenomenal women's stories. One thing I continue to find fascinating is that the reason why this story has been little-known for so long ‒ until now ‒ is that the women were often reluctant to talk about the wrestling business. The lady wrestlers were secretive even when they were in the business, but especially after they left the business.
In the documentary, I interviewed wrestling legends Ethel Johnson and Ramon Isbell as well as the children of the late Marva Scott. Interestingly enough, both Ethel and Ramona chose not to really talk about the fact they were wrestlers when they were in the business.
Ethel even shares that she made a conscious decision to not even tell her children that she was a wrestler. In the documentary, Ethel's daughter Shelly talks about how for the longest time, she didn't know her mother was a wrestler. She just assumed that her mother did some kind of work that required her to go away for a couple weeks at a time.
One day when Shelly was a kid, she and her friends were playing with the TV on in the background and her mother came on TV in a wrestling match. And of course Shelly and her friends started jumping up and down and screaming in excitement.
Ramona also was reluctant to talk about the fact that she was a wrestler, although her children did ultimately find out.
 |
Wrestling legends Ramona Isbell (left) and Ethel Johnson
reminisce over old times during an interview shoot
for the documentary "Lady Wrestler."
|
However, Marva Scott not only told her children about the fact that she was a wrestler, she involved them in her training routine. In the documentary, Marva's adult children Kim Martin and James Black talk about how their mother would ride their bikes and Marva would wrestle with James to help her get ready for her matches in Japan and Australia and faraway places like that.
 |
Marva Scott is pictured on the bottom right in
this vintage press clipping.
|
Marva would put a mattress in the basement and throw James around like a sparring partner. Kim talks about helping her mom make her elaborate costumes.
I found it really interesting that many of the African-American female wrestlers ‒ like Wonder Woman with her double identity Diana Prince ‒ kept their globe-trotting adventures a secret from the people in their everyday lives.
But Marva was one of the few lady wrestlers who decided to be vocal about the fact that she was a wrestler and to involve her children in her training routine.
If you want to find out more about "Lady Wrestler," upcoming screenings and the forthcoming DVD and streaming releases, visit Ladywrestlermovie.com. To watch the trailer, click here.
No comments:
Post a Comment