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Marva Scott (wrestler)

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Marva Scott
Birth nameMarva Aniece Wingo
Born(1937-11-21)November 21, 1937
Decatur, Georgia, U.S.[1]
DiedAugust 15, 2003(2003-08-15) (aged 65)
Columbus, Ohio, U.S.[2]
Cause of deathCancer
Spouse(s)Clesson H. Goodwin[2]
Children4[2]
RelativesBabs Wingo
Ethel Johnson
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Marva Scott
Marva Wingo
Martha Scott
Marva Johnson
Mary Scott
African Black Cat
Billed fromDetroit, Michigan[3]
Debut1954
Retired1979

Marva Aniece Goodwin (née Wingo; November 21, 1937 - August 15, 2003), better known by the ring name Marva Scott,[4] was among the first Black female professional wrestlers in the United States.[2] She began wrestling in the early 1950s and her first reported match happened in 1954.[5] With her older sisters, Babs Wingo and Ethel Johnson, she was part of the first Black trio sister team.[6] Marva Scott was posthumously inducted into the Women’s Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2023.[1]

Professional wrestling career

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Scott began her career in the early 1950s at the age of 16.[4] She was promoted as Babs Wingo's sister, often in tag team bouts against Ethel Johnson.[3]

At one point, Scott became a bleach blonde while wrestling as "The African Black Cat".[3] Scott also tag-teamed with her sister Ethel, and together, they became tag team champions.[1]

Wrestling historian Jim Melby called Scott one of the great "teenage sensations" during the "Golden Age of Wrestling" ranking her among the top six female wrestlers of the era.[3]

Scott retired in 1979.[4] WWE named Marva 51 of the best wrestlers of all time in April 2021.[7]

Personal life

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Scott was born Marva Aniece Wingo in Decatur, Georgia, to Gladys Chase and Clifford Wingo[2] on November 21, 1937.[8] Scott’s sisters, Babs Wingo and Ethel Johnson, were also professional wrestlers.[1]

Scott was married to Clesson H. Goodwin and had four children.[9] Following her retirement, Scott was employed at the Training Institute of Central Ohio.[2]

Scott died of cancer on August 15, 2003, in Columbus, Ohio.[2]

Championships and accomplishments

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References

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General

  • Bournea, Chris (director) (March 29, 2018). Lady Wrestler: The Amazing, Untold Story of African-American Women in the Ring (Documentary). United States: Amazon Prime Video.
  • Jake Manning, Tyler Wood and Nick Alexander (February 7, 2019). "Episode 16: Ethel Johnson, Babs Wingo, & Marva Scott". Spotify.com (Podcast). 10 Bell Pod. Retrieved April 18, 2024.

Specific

  1. ^ a b c d Nash, Ebony (September 27, 2022). "Babs Wingo, Marva Scott, and Ethel Johnson: Wrestling's Unsung". Pro Wrestling Stories. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Marva Goodwin". Columbus Dispatch. Columbus, Ohio. August 20, 2003. p. 06C.
  3. ^ a b c d Laparde, Pat; Murphy, Dan (2017). Sisterhood of the Squared Circle: The History and Rise of Women's Wrestling. Toronto: ECW Press. p. 56. ISBN 978-1773050140.
  4. ^ a b c CageMatch.net
  5. ^ Erdman, Corey (March 23, 2018). "The Forgotten Story of the First Black Female Wrestlers". Vice. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  6. ^ Genzlinger, Neil (November 25, 2019). "Ethel Johnson, Early Black Wrestling Star, Is Dead at 83". The New York Times. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  7. ^ Lindsey, Philip (February 12, 2019). "WWE's bewildering exclusion of first black women wrestlers". Diva Dirt. Archived from the original on August 17, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  8. ^ Internet Wrestling Database
  9. ^ Columbus Dispatch. Columbus, Ohio. August 20, 2003. p. 06C.
  10. ^ "Ohio Women's Tag Team Title". wrestling-titles.com.
  11. ^ "FIRST INDUCTEES ANNOUNCED FOR WOMEN'S WRESTLING HALL OF FAME | PWInsider.com". www.pwinsider.com. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
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