Girl Wrestlers In Armory Tilt

The Tampa Tribune – July 17, 1950

Wrestling returns to Fort Homer Hesterly Armory tonight with Mildred Burke, world’s woman champion, matched against Ann LaVerne of Canton, Ohio in her second Tampa defense of the title she has held for the past 13 years.

The Blue-eyed mat queen will spot her rival nearly 15 pounds but will still rule the prematch favorite due to her impressive record. Miss LaVerne, better known in the West than in the East, is rated as one of the roughest girl wrestlers in the game and plenty of action appears in store for the fans.

Ladies Wrestling At The Stadium Tonight At 8.30

Saint Johns Daily News – September 14, 1955

Second women’s match ever to be held at the Stadium will take place tonight at 8.30 with Ohio’s Darling Dagmar pitting her strength against Alberta’s Alma Mills, first lady to win a wrestling match here.

Billed as the most beautiful girl in wrestling, Dagmar has already made a following here. Alma Mills is the current local woman favourite, however, after her win over Miami’s Hilda Burke.

Hilda Burke vs. Alma Mills Ad

Saint Johns Western Star – August 29, 1955

Alma Mills Wins Wrestling Bout

Saint Johns Daily News – August 26, 1955

Little Alma Mills [pictured], 130 pound grappling lady from Edmonton, Alberta, turned the tables on U.S. star Hilda Burke, at 160 pounds, last night in a best of three ladles’ wrestling premiere before 4000 fans at the Stadium.     ‘

A capacity crowd hooted and hollered through the first round as bad girl Hilda pulled at the curly locks of Alma and scratched away to gain the opening verdict.

Lady Wrestlers Are Fogged Out Will Meet Tonight

Saint Johns Daily News – August 25, 1955

Lady wrestlers Alma Mills of Alberta and Hilda Burke of Hollywood hovered over the city yesterday in a TCA plane which could not make a landing in the fog. As a result the wrestling match scheduled for last night at the Stadium had to be cancelled.

The big match will now go ahead tonight.

Untitled

Saint Johns Western Star – August 25, 1955

Alma Mills [pictured] of Alberta, Canada, will be one of the first lady wrestlers to be featured in a match in Corner Brook. She is scheduled to meet Hilda Burke of Hollywood, California as the main feature in a boxing ticket Monday, August 29 at Humber Gardens.

Hilda Burke, the second wrestler featured in the main bout at the Humber Gardens, Monday, August 29, is shown above in her working clothes. She will meet Alberta lady-wrestler Alma Mills in a title bout that should be something new for Corner Brook spectators.

Ladies Wrestling Makes Debut At Stadium Tonight

Saint Johns Daily News – August 24, 1955

Alma Mills, sister of the famed Mills Brothers wrestling team, will pit her strength against Hilda Burke tonight in the first women’s wrestling card ever held at the Stadium. The match starts at 8.30.

From Edmonton, Alberta, Alma Mills weighs in at 130 pounds compared to Hilda Burke’s 140. Hilda Burke was once the U.S. champion and is a grappling favourite all across the United States.

Lady Wrestlers At The Stadium On Wednesday

Saint Johns Daily News – August 22, 1955

Lady wrestlers will make their first appearance in Newfoundland on Wednesday night when Alma Mills of Alberta clashes with Hilda Burke of Hollywood, California, at the Stadium.

Promoter Tom Dunne forecasts a fine exhibition of grappling from two of the best women exponents of the art.

Pro Wrestling Hall Of Fame Opens On A Shoestring

Albany NY Times Union – May 4, 2002
By Paul Grondahl

For a beleaguered city beset by cop scandals, crime-ridden neighborhoods and economic malaise, perhaps there’s nothing like a little old-school smackdown to revive its faded luster.

At least that’s the hope of the organizers of the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in a downtown storefront along a stretch of abandoned buildings in derelict Canal Square. The Hall of Fame’s grand opening events are today and Sunday.

Bonnie Watson Meets Champ Tonight

Daytona Beach Morning Journal – February 27, 1954

Bonnie Watson, who has become a top notcher in girl wrestling, will get her biggest chance to-night.