Ethel Johnson (wrestler)

{{Infobox professional wrestler

|name = Ethel Johnson

|image =Ethel Johnson (wrestler).jpeg

|names = Ethel Johnson
Rita Valdez

|birth_name = Ethel Blanche Wingo

|height = {{height|ft=5|in=5}}{{cite web|last=Genzlinger|first=Neil|title=Ethel Johnson, Early Black Wrestling Star, Is Dead at 83|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/25/sports/ethel-johnson-dead.html?action=click&module=News&pgtype=Homepage|work=The New York Times|date=November 25, 2019|accessdate=November 25, 2019}}

|weight = {{convert|115|lb|kg|abbr=on}}

|birth_date = {{birth date|1935|05|14|mf=y}}

|death_date = {{death date and age|2018|09|14|1935|05|14|mf=y}}

|birth_place = Decatur, Georgia, U.S.

|death_place = Columbus, Ohio, U.S.

|death_cause = Heart disease

|spouse = Leon Hairston (–2010)

|children = 3

|trainer = Mildred Burke{{cite web|last=Greet|first=Jamie|title=The Pioneers: Ethel Johnson: The First African-American Female Wrestler (VIDEO)|url=https://lastwordonsports.com/prowrestling/2018/02/01/ethel-johnson-first-african-american-female-wrestler/|work=Last Word on Pro Wrestling|date=February 1, 2018|access-date=July 12, 2023}}

|debut = 1952

|retired = 1976

}}

Ethel Blanche Hairston ({{nee}} Wingo; May 14, 1935 – September 14, 2018) was an American professional wrestler whose ring name was Ethel Johnson.{{cite web|last=Gary|first=Marlan|title=Ethel Blanche Hairston|website=TheChapelOfPeace.com|date=21 September 2018 |url=https://www.thechapelofpeace.com/ethel-blanche-hairston/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20191126123246/https://www.thechapelofpeace.com/ethel-blanche-hairston/|archivedate=November 26, 2019|url-status=live}} She debuted at age 16,{{cite news|last=Erdman|first=Corey|title=The Forgotten Story of the First Black Female Wrestlers|date=March 23, 2018|work=Vice|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/d3588k/the-forgotten-story-of-the-first-black-female-wrestlers|accessdate=November 26, 2019}} becoming the first African-American women's champion.{{cite news|title=Lady Wrestlers|work=Jet|date=February 21, 1952|pages=56–58|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K0MDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA56|issn=0021-5996|accessdate=November 26, 2019}} She was a fan favorite, billed as "the biggest attraction to hit girl wrestling since girl wrestling began."{{cite book|last1=Laprade|first1=Pat|last2=Murphy|first2=Dan|title=Sisterhood of the Squared Circle: The History and Rise of Women's Wrestling|year=2017|publisher=ECW Press|chapter=Chapter 3: When Millie Met Billy: The Billy Wolf Era|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f_lsDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT69|accessdate=November 26, 2019|isbn=9781773050140}}

Professional wrestling career

Johnson started her training after her sister Babs Wingo, the first African-American woman to desegregate professional wrestling, in the 1950s, signing with the promoter Billy Wolfe. Their younger sister Marva Scott would later join professional wrestling as well. In 1952, Johnson, along with her sisters worked three matches including a tag team match in the main event at Baltimore, Maryland, which drew the highest record crowd of 3,611 fans. By 1954, Johnson and Wingo received top billing alongside Gorgeous George, after drawing 9,000 fans at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. While touring Latin America, Johnson worked under the name Rita Valdez.

Johnson was known for her athleticism, being one of the first female wrestlers to perform a standing dropkick in her matches, as well as including a variation of the flying headscissors

During her time in wrestling, Johnson faced popular wrestlers at the time such as June Byers and Penny Banner, and even challenging Mildred Burke for her NWA World Women's Championship.{{cite web|last=Lindsey|first=Philip|title=WWE's bewildering exclusion of first black women wrestlers|url=http://www.diva-dirt.com/2019/02/12/wwe-exclusion-black-women-wrestlers/|work=Diva Dirt|date=February 12, 2019|accessdate=February 12, 2019|archive-date=August 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190817143557/http://www.diva-dirt.com/2019/02/12/wwe-exclusion-black-women-wrestlers/|url-status=dead}} Eventually, Johnson caught Stu Hart's eye and began working for his promotion Big Time Wrestling as well as wrestling for the Capitol Wrestling Corporation. In her final years in wrestling, Johnson worked at American Wrestling Association, where her last match was against her sister Marva Scott in 1976.

Personal life

Johnson was born Ethel Blanche Wingo in Decatur, Georgia, to Gladys Chase and Clifford Wingo on May 14, 1935. Johnson had two other wrestling sisters: her older sister, Betty (ring name: Babs Wingo), and younger sister, Marva (ring name: Marva Scott).

Johnson took her stage name to differentiate her from Betty, who became a professional at about the same time. They often wrestled each other, but many fans would not know that they were related. Johnson said it was every women's wrestlers' dream to perform in Madison Square Garden, but women's wrestling was banned in New York during her prime. She retired in 1977 without ever performing there.

Johnson died of heart disease on September 14, 2018, in Columbus, Ohio. She was 83.{{cite web|last=|first=|title=Ethel Hairston Obituary - Columbus, OH: The Columbus Dispatch|url=https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dispatch/obituary.aspx?n=ethel-hairston&pid=190273763&fhid=9065|work=Legacy.com|date=|accessdate=}}

Filmography

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
2016 \| Lady Wrestler: The Amazing, Untold Story of African American Women in the Ring \| Herself \| Documentary

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

2016

| Lady Wrestler: The Amazing, Untold Story of African American Women in the Ring

| Herself

| Documentary

Championships and accomplishments

Independent
Colored Women's World Championship (3 times){{cite web|last1=|first1=|title=Colored Women's World Title|url=https://www.wrestling-titles.com/world/world-negro-wm.html|work=wrestling-titles.com|date=|accessdate=}}
Ohio Women's Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Marva Scott{{cite web|last1=|first1=|title=Ohio Women's Tag Team Title|url=https://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/oh/oh-wt.html|work=wrestling-titles.com|date=|accessdate=}}
Texas Colored Women's Championship (2 times){{cite web|last1=|first1=|title=Texas Colored Women's Title|url=https://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tx/tx-negro-wm.html|work=wrestling-titles.com|date=|accessdate=}}
National Wrestling Alliance
NWA World Women's Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with June Byers{{cite web|last1=Garcia|first1=Raphael|title=Black History Month In Wrestling Spotlight: Ethel Johnson|url=https://dailyddt.com/2020/02/20/black-history-month-ethel-johnson/|work=Daily DDT|date=March 20, 2020|accessdate=}}
Women's Wrestling Hall of Fame
Class of 2023{{Cite web|url=https://www.pwinsider.com/ViewArticle.php?id=165040|title=FIRST INDUCTEES ANNOUNCED FOR WOMEN'S WRESTLING HALL OF FAME | PWInsider.com|website=www.pwinsider.com|accessdate=21 April 2023}}
WWE
WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2021)