One of pro wrestling’s trailblazers is about to receive the recognition she deserves.
The late Mildred Burke set the standard for women in the industry, overcoming atrocious amounts of degradation and discrimination to become a genuine star. She perfected the craft and headlined over men during the height of her popularity, an incredible rise to extraordinary heights after her start at Midwestern carnivals. But despite her run of fame, Burke went on to suffer the greatest indignity of all, which was to be written out of history.
Yet Burke, who died in 1989, is a forgotten pioneer no longer, as Billy Corgan and the National Wrestling Alliance have acquired Burke’s championship title belt.