| Marva Scott | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Marva Aniece Wingo |
| Born | November 21, 1937 Decatur, Georgia, U.S.[1] |
| Died | August 15, 2003 (aged 65) Columbus, Ohio, U.S.[2] |
| Cause of death | Cancer |
| Spouse(s) | Clesson H. Goodwin[2] |
| Children | 4[2] |
| Relatives | Babs Wingo Ethel Johnson |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Marva Scott Marva Wingo Martha Scott Marva Johnson Mary Scott African Black Cat |
| Billed from | Detroit, Michigan[3] |
| Debut | 1954 |
| Retired | 1979 |
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
Scott began her career in the early 1950s at the age of 16.[7] 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.[8] WWE named Marva 51 of the best wrestlers of all time in April 2021.[9]
Personal life
Scott was born Marva Aniece Wingo in Decatur, Georgia, to Gladys Chase and Clifford Wingo[2] on November 21, 1937.[10] Scott’s sisters, Babs Wingo and Ethel Johnson, were also professional wrestlers.[1]
Scott was married to Clesson H. Goodwin and had four children.[11] 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
- Clete Kaufman Promotions
- Ohio Women's Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ethel Johnson[12]
- Women's Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Class of 2023[13]
References
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 18 April 2024.
Specific
- ^ a b c d Nash, Ebony (2022-09-27). "Babs Wingo, Marva Scott, and Ethel Johnson: Wrestling's Unsung". Pro Wrestling Stories. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Marva Goodwin". Columbus Dispatch. Columbus, Ohio. August 20, 2003. p. 06C.
- ^ 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.
- ^ CageMatch.net
- ^ Erdman, Corey (2018-03-23). "The Forgotten Story of the First Black Female Wrestlers". Vice. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
- ^ Genzlinger, Neil (November 25, 2019). "Ethel Johnson, Early Black Wrestling Star, Is Dead at 83". The New York Times. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ CageMatch.net
- ^ CageMatch.net
- ^ 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.
- ^ Internet Wrestling Database
- ^ Columbus Dispatch. Columbus, Ohio. August 20, 2003. p. 06C.
- ^ "Ohio Women's Tag Team Title". wrestling-titles.com.
- ^ "FIRST INDUCTEES ANNOUNCED FOR WOMEN'S WRESTLING HALL OF FAME | PWInsider.com". www.pwinsider.com. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
External links
- Marva Scott at Cagematch.net
- Professional wrestling record for Marva Scott from The Internet Wrestling Database
- Marva Scott at Oklafan.com
- Marva Scott at Wrestlingdata.com
This page was last edited on 10 June 2024, at 12:27