Phyllis Burch (April 13, 1962 – July 6, 2017) was an American

professional wrestler Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...

active from 1979 to 2013. Burch wrestled under the names Diane Von Hoffman, The Teutonic Terror, and Lady Beast. She wrestled in Memphis's

United States Wrestling Association The United States Wrestling Association (USWA) was a professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee. The company was founded when the Memphis-based Continental Wrestling Association merged with the Dallas-based World Class Champions ...

(USWA) in the 1990s as Moondog Fifi, a member of

The Moondogs The Moondogs are a Northern Irish rock band formed in 1979, and consisting of Gerry McCandless, Austin Barrett and Jackie Hamilton. Their career spans three albums, four singles and two television programmes. Discography Singles *"She's Nine ...

stable. She also wrestled for the

Ladies Professional Wrestling Association The Ladies Professional Wrestling Association (LPWA) was a women's professional wrestling promotion which operated in the early 1990s (ca. 1989–1992). It was considered a successor to such women's promotions as Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (GLO ...

Continental Wrestling Association Continental Wrestling Association (later the Championship Wrestling Association) was a wrestling promotion managed by Jerry Jarrett. The CWA was the name of the "governing body" for the Championship Wrestling, Inc. promotion which was usually ...

, and Ladies Major League Wrestling.

Professional wrestling career

Burch initially trained with Dale Mann while attending Fern Creek High School. She also trained under

The Fabulous Moolah Mary Lillian Ellison (July 22, 1923 – November 2, 2007) was an American professional wrestling, professional wrestler, promoter and trainer better known by her ring name The Fabulous Moolah. She began her career working with promoter Billy ...

at her training school beginning in 1981. While training, Burch worked at a local

IHOP IHOP Restaurants LLC ( ; acronym for International House of Pancakes) is an American multinational pancake house restaurant chain that specializes in American breakfast foods. It is owned by Dine Brands—a company formed after IHOP's purchase ...

to make money. She originally worked as Moolah's

tag team Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establis ...

partner and used the

ring name A ring name is a type of stage name or nickname used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons ...

Diane Von Hoffman. She also worked in Japan, the Philippines, and Canada with

Leilani Kai Patty Seymour (born January 23, 1957) is an American retired professional wrestling, professional wrestler, better known by her ring name Leilani Kai. She is best known for her work in All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling, All Japan Women's Pro Wrestl ...

. In Japan, she worked as The Teutonic Terror, a German villainess. In the 1990s, she worked in the USWA as Moondog Fifi, a member of

stable. She was ringside as their manager in June 1992, when The Moondogs lost the USWA Tag Team Championship to

Jeff Jarrett Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett (born July 14, 1967) is an American professional wrestler and professional wrestling promoter. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he both wrestles and serves as Director of Business Development. He is also ...

and

Jerry Lawler Jerry O'Neil Lawler (born November 29, 1949), better known as Jerry "the King" Lawler, is an American retired color commentator and professional wrestler signed to WWE under a Legends contract. Prior to joining the World Wrestling Federati ...

in a

steel cage match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick m ...

. In September 1992, she won the

USWA Women's Championship The USWA Women's Championship was a women's professional wrestling title in the American professional wrestling promotion A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestli ...

from

Miss Texas The Miss Texas competition was founded in 1937 as a scholarship contest for young women. The winner represents Texas in the Miss America pageant; three winners have gone on to be crowned Miss America (but none since 1975). To become Miss Texa ...

. That same year, as part of The Moondogs' ongoing feud with Jarrett and Lawler, her head was shaved in the middle of the ring. The feud between the Moondogs and Jarrett and Lawler was later voted "Feud of the Year" by ''

Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...

''. She also worked in

Continental Wrestling Federation Continental Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion based in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Dothan, Alabama, from 1985 until 1989, owned by Ron Fuller. The promotion evolved out of the NWA-affiliated Southeastern Championship W ...

as Lady Beast.

Personal life

Burch was previously married to fellow wrestler Ringo Mercanerio, with whom she had two daughters named Melissa and Marla. She died on July 6, 2017, at the age of 55 after knee surgery.

Championships and accomplishments

*''

'' ** Feud of the Year (1992) – *

(1 time)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hoffman, Diane Von 1962 births 2017 deaths American female professional wrestlers Professional wrestlers from Louisville, Kentucky 20th-century American sportswomen 21st-century American women 20th-century female professional wrestlers 20th-century American professional wrestlers 21st-century female professional wrestlers 21st-century American professional wrestlers Fern Creek High School alumni USWA Women's Champions