Ella Waldek: A life of triumphs and tragedy
06.10.11
A natural blonde and a stunning physical specimen, Ella Waldek was one of the most golden figures of the Golden Age of Wrestling. She was also one of the most tragic. Her life story is an incredible tale of triumph over adversity.
When she broke into the mat game around the middle of the last century, Waldek presented a vision of athleticism and sex appeal that had been seldom seen in the wrestling ring. At 5-5 and a perfectly proportioned 140 pounds, she personified muscular grace. She also had a ruthless aspect that, combined with an utter fluency with wrestling holds, led one wrestling magazine to deem her the "roughest, toughest girl wrestler."
Even in the stilted, hyperbolic sportswriter prose of the age, her skill and style shine through: "With blinding speed the girl slipped from one hold to another -- nelsons and counters -- body slams swiftly converted to roll overs, hammer locks spun out of, Boston Crabs unraveled with all the skill of a female Houdini, Short Arm scissors
Source: CANOE