Ida Mae Martinez Selenkow (September 9, 1931 – January 19, 2010) was an American professional wrestler in the 1950s, known as Ida Mae Martinez. After her retirement in 1960, she appeared in the 2004 documentary Lipstick & Dynamite about the early years of Women's professional wrestling in North America. In addition to wrestling, Martinez was a yodeler, releasing the CD The Yodeling Lady Ms. Ida also in 2004. Martinez also obtained a Master's Degree in Nursing and was one of the first nurses in Baltimore to work with AIDS patients.
| Ida Mae Martinez | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Birth name | Ida Mae Martinez |
| Born | September 9, 1931[1] New London, Connecticut[1] |
| Died | January 19, 2010 (aged 78)[1] |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Ida Mae Martinez Ida May Martinez |
| Billed height | 5 ft 2 in (157 cm)[1] |
| Billed weight | 125 lb (57 kg)[2] |
| Debut | 1951[1] |
| Retired | 1960[1] |
Professional wrestling career
editAfter watching a female professional wrestling match between Johnny Mae Young and Gloria Barattini, Martinez sought out promoter Billy Wolfe.[1] Wolfe invited her to train in Columbus, Ohio.[1] She debuted professionally in August 1951 in Ohio.[1] She won the Championship of Mexico in 1952.[1][3] She held the title until 1953.[2]
She retired in 1960 after remarrying.[1] In the 1980s, she became a board member for the Cauliflower Alley Club.[1] Martinez also was featured in the 2004 documentary about women's wrestling, Lipstick & Dynamite.[1] In 2006, the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame awarded her the Senator Hugh Farley Award for her contribution in and outside of the ring.[3]
Personal life
editMartinez was born in New London, Connecticut and raised in North Stonington, where she lived with relatives after her mother abandoned her. She never knew her father.[4]
Her guardians were reportedly abusive [3] and she left home sometime between the ages of 13 and 15 to live with her cousin.[1][3] She attended Norwich Free Academy,[1] but eventually dropped out of high school.[3] In addition to school, she worked as a yodeler and singer at country and minstrel shows.[1] She married at age 17 and claimed that her husband was abusive.[1] Her wrestling career began in 1948, when a customer, who was a wrestler, asked her if she wanted to wrestle. She said yes.
She retired from the ring in 1960 to marry a Baltimore businessman, Herbert Selenkow. They later had two daughters, but later divorced.[1] She received her GED in 1971, an Associate's Degree in nursing in 1975, and a Bachelor's Degree in nursing in 1980.[1][3] Ten years later she received her Master's Degree from the University of Maryland School of Nursing.[1] She was inducted into the Nursing Honor Society Sigma Theta Tau.[2] She was one of the first nurses in Baltimore to care for AIDS patients.[1] She also published writings about her work with AIDS patients.[2]
She later converted to Judaism.[1] In 2004, she released a yodeling CD, The Yodeling Lady Ms. Ida.[1] She appeared on The Rosie O'Donnell Show as a yodeler in April 1999.[1][2][3] She was also a member of the Western Music Association.[2]
Championships and accomplishments
editSee also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y Oliver, Greg (January 19, 2010). "Ida Mae Martinez was wrestler, yodeler, nurse". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on January 1, 2013. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b c d e f g h i "Ida Mae Martinez". GLORY Wrestling. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Bryla, Bob. "Ida Mae Martinez". Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on April 4, 2009. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
- ^ Baltimore Sun obituary[permanent dead link]