Fabulous Moolah Trainee Speaks Out Against WWE Tribute, Says Hall of Famer “Pimped Women”

One of The Fabulous Moolah’s former wrestling students thinks she was a monstrous and grotesque person.

WWE announced on Monday that women from Raw, SmackDown LIVE, and NXT will face-off in the first-ever Fabulous Moolah Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans, Louisiana. This announcement did not come without controversy as WWE’s decision to honor The Fabulous Moolah has garnered significant backlash among fans on social media due to her reputation.

While Moolah, a WWE Hall of Famer, is best known for her time in the company during the 1980s and “Attitude Era,” she was also a prominent trainer and promoter in women’s professional wrestling. Over the years, several female wrestlers have accused her of financial and sexual exploitation (those accusations are detailed here). She also played a prominent role in “The Original Screwjob” of Wendi Richter and has been accused of sabotaging the careers of other female wrestlers.

Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet reached out to Jeannine Mjoseth, who got her start in the business with Moolah as Mad Maxine/Lady Maxine, to get her thoughts on the Fabulous Moolah Memorial Battle Royal and she issued the following statement.

“The Fabulous Moolah was a real-life heel. A lot of women paid to train at her school and then went out on the road. They risked life and limb in their matches and she repaid them with the worst kinds of abuses. She skimmed their money, she ignored women who were badly hurt, she pimped women out to creepy men and on and on. She was not a mother figure. She was more like Kali, the Indian Goddess of Destruction. I met her in my early 20s and I had never met such a monstrous person.

“I was smart enough to get the hell away from her and start my own independent career in Tampa as part of the Championship Wrestling from Florida. Luna Vachon, Peggy Fowler and I all left together, which I hope put a serious dent in her confidence, if not wallet.

“I understand why Moolah was so grotesque. Her family was dirt poor and she determined that she was never going to be hungry again. But it doesn’t excuse her dog-eat-dog behavior. I’d much rather see WWE establish a named match for outstanding wrestlers (and decent human beings) like Susan ‘Tex’ Green, Beverly Shade, Leilani Kai, Wendi Richter, Princess Victoria or Joyce Grable. They all put their hearts and souls into wrestling for decades and helped others along the way.

“But wrestling isn’t PC. It’s about generating heat. And you can’t draw more heat than naming a match for The Fabulous Moolah. May she be the last of her kind.”