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WOMANLY INVASIONWASHINGTON — At National .arena here, shortly after Mitsu Arakawa had gouged, stomped and twisted Rip Miller Into submission, and immediately before George (the animal) Steele was to per form similar niceties upon Duke Savage, a change came over the midweek wres tling audience.Rousing themselves from the semi stupor that too many drinks and not enough fresh air had created, men whis tied and women gaped as four females in clinging outfits cilmbed into the ring.One man deserted his beer and plodded hesitantly to ringside with pen and paper,collecting several of the girl wrestlers’autographs.Meanwhile, a considerably less en thralled plump woman spotted wrestler Toni Rose and began changing, 'Tom Rose gonna get beat, Tom Rose gonna get beat Toni Rose, you cheat (ex-claimer).”, This did not go unnoticed by Miss Rose, who promptly draped her 5-foot-3, 137-pound frame over the ropes and snarled a challenge to the plump woman to enter the ring. The two exchanged in suits for several minutes until a bell rang, beginning the match.“Some 20 minutes later, after enough hair-yanking, stomach-kicking and arm bending to satisfy the worlds most deEnter Rina To Do Battlemanding misogynist, Miss Rose and teammate Donna (hristanello had been vanquished by the team of Bette Boucherand Vivian Vachon. As the girls left the ring, the plump woman began again.“I told you you’d lose,” she bellowed 1 told you you'd lose, Toni Rose. You know why? ’Cause you cheat (exclaim-er).Such evenings are typical for Misses Rose, Boucher, Vachon and Christanello. From Washington to California, from Australia to Japan, these four wrestle as many as 250 nights a year.The only places they are not likely to be found wrestling, in fact, are Connecticut and New York, both of which have outlawed girls’ wrestling. What with the recent antidiscrimination la v of sexes, though, those two states seem certain to eventually join the others in allowing the womanly invasion of the sport.This is good news, not only for the girls, but also for the promoter. Vince McMahon, who handles the national arena matches, admits that women wres tiers “more than pay their way. It helps the box office, no doubt about it.”“Girls draw very well,” adds Miss Boucher. “They’re on the card and the place sells out. ”Rut getting a chance to wrestle means much more for the girls, most of whomclaim a love of the sport that would warm strangler Lewis’s heart. Miss Miss Boucher, with seven years’ experience, says. “I think it’s the greatest sport in the world.”Ranked as the world’s fifth best worn an grappler in a current wrestling maga zinc, Miss Boucher had plenty of cncour agement from her environment, which included three amateur boxing brothers and a pro boxing father. Her younger sister is also a wrestler.“Why not wrestle?” asks Miss Chns-tanello, who started wrestling four years ago, after watching a TV match. “You travel, you meet interesting people, you make money . .Especially, it should be. stressed, the girls make money. The average begin ner, estimates promoter McMahon, earns about $18,000 annually, while stars earn more than $50,000.Watching the girls drop-kick each other across the ring, one would find it hard to begrudge them their money. And should one suggest that wrestling is only feigned violence, the girls become aghast.“See that scar,” asks Miss Boucher, ponted to a gash on her back, it’s very easy for them to tell me it’s fake. I say let’s go in the ring and I’ll show them if it‘s fake.“About 19 out of every 20 girls who try wrestling give it up,” says Miss Rose “It’s simply too tough for them ”You go in there expectant to get hurt.” says Miss Boucher, who has had her expectations filled in the past by breaking her wrists and having her head cut open I’ve had black eyes,” recalls the blond Miss Vachon, “for three weeks.” Less harmful to their health, but more painful to their pride, is the common be lief that girl wrestlers resemble the body blimps of their male counterparts.That went out with the dark ages.” says Miss Rose, who at 36-24-36 is not likely to be mistaken for haystacks Calhoun. ‘We don’t rely on strength like the men It's speed and leverage that count.\s a result, says the 5-2, 130-pound Miss Boucher, “people look at me andsay, ‘You can’t be'.”But while their eye-catching figures are a boon to attendance, they may in the long run threaten the sport. While most gird wrestlers would second Miss Vaction's statement that she will wrestle “as long as my body holds up.” a lot more must secretly agree with Miss Boucher’s comment, “until I meet the right fella.”Thev’re like airline stewardesses.” sighed MsMahon. “They get married and tey get out.”
Newspaper Details
Las Vegas Sun
Las Vegas, Nevada, US
Wed, Jul 02, 1969
Page 21
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 10 Dec 2018
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