Ida Mae Martinez Selenkow (September 9, 1931 – January 19, 2010) 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 ...

in the 1950s, known as Ida Mae Martinez. After her retirement in 1960, she appeared in the 2004 documentary ''

Lipstick & Dynamite ''Lipstick and Dynamite: The First Ladies of Wrestling'' (often referred to as ''Lipstick and Dynamite'') is a 2004 documentary film about the early days of women's professional wrestling in North America. It was directed by Ruth Leitman, who inte ...

'' about the early years of

Women's professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a dramatic enactment of wrestling as a spectator sport. As is the norm for this sport, women's professional wrestling is organized by wrestling federations called Professional wrestling promotion, promotions. Some prom ...

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 A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...

in Nursing and was one of the first nurses in Baltimore to work with

AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

patients.

Professional wrestling career

After watching a female professional wrestling match between Johnny Mae Young and Gloria Barattini, Martinez sought out promoter

Billy Wolfe William Harrison Wolfe (July 4, 1896 – March 7, 1963) was a professional wrestling promoter who was active from the 1930s to the 1950s. Wolfe was the husband and manager of Mildred Burke and ran a traveling troupe of women wrestlers alongside ...

. Wolfe invited her to train in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...

. She debuted professionally in August 1951 in Ohio. She won the Championship of Mexico in 1952. She held the title until 1953. She retired in 1960 after remarrying. In the 1980s, she became a board member for the

Cauliflower Alley Club The Cauliflower Alley Club is a non-profit fraternal organization, which includes a newsletter and website, comprising both retired and active professional wrestlers and boxers in North America. Established in 1965 by Mike Mazurki and Art Ab ...

. Martinez also was featured in the 2004 documentary about women's wrestling, ''

''. In 2006, the

Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame The Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame (PWHF) and Museum was an American professional wrestling hall of fame and museum located in Wichita Falls, Texas; following the postponement of its 19th induction ceremony, planned for May 2020, and an annou ...

awarded her the Senator Hugh Farley Award for her contribution in and outside of the ring.

Personal life

Martinez was born in

New London, Connecticut New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States, located at the outlet of the Thames River (Connecticut), Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, which empties into Long Island Sound. The cit ...

and raised in

North Stonington North Stonington is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States which was split off from Stonington, Connecticut, Stonington in 1724. The town is part of the Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, Southeastern Connect ...

, where she lived with relatives after her mother abandoned her. She never knew her father.''Baltimore Sun'' obituary
/ref> Her guardians were reportedly abusive and she left home sometime between the ages of 13 and 15 to live with her cousin. She attended

Norwich Free Academy The Norwich Free Academy (NFA), founded in 1854 and in operation since 1856, is a coeducational independent school for students between the 9th and 12th grade. Located in Norwich, Connecticut, the Academy serves as the primary high school for Nor ...

, but eventually dropped out of high school. In addition to school, she worked as a yodeler and singer at country and

minstrel A minstrel was an entertainer, initially in medieval Europe. The term originally described any type of entertainer such as a musician, juggler, acrobat, singer or fool; later, from the sixteenth century, it came to mean a specialist enter ...

shows. She married at age 17 and claimed that her husband was abusive. 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. She received her

GED Ged or GED may refer to: Places * Ged, Louisiana, an unincorporated community in the United States * Ged, a village in Bichiwara Tehsil, Dungarpur District, Rajasthan, India * Delaware Coastal Airport, in Delaware, US, callsign GED People * Ged B ...

in 1971, an

Associate's Degree An associate degree or associate's degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of academic qualification above a high school diploma and below a bachelor's degree. ...

in nursing in 1975, and a

Bachelor's Degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

in nursing in 1980. Ten years later she received her

from the

University of Maryland School of Nursing The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) is a public university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1807, it is the second oldest college in Maryland and comprises some of the oldest professional schools of dentistry, law, me ...

. She was inducted into the Nursing Honor Society

Sigma Theta Tau The Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing () is the second-largest nursing organization in the world with approximately 135,000 active members. History In 1922 six Indiana University students at the Indiana University Training S ...

. She was one of the first nurses in Baltimore to care for

patients. She also published writings about her work with

patients. She later converted to

Judaism Judaism () is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic, Monotheism, monotheistic, ethnic religion that comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, and legal traditions of the Jews, Jewish people. Religious Jews regard Judaism as their means of o ...

. In 2004, she released a yodeling CD, ''The Yodeling Lady Ms. Ida''. She appeared on ''

The Rosie O'Donnell Show ''The Rosie O'Donnell Show'' is an American daytime variety show, variety television talk show created, hosted, and produced by actress and comedian Rosie O'Donnell. It premiered on June 10, 1996, and concluded after six seasons on June 27, 200 ...

'' as a yodeler in April 1999. She was also a member of the

Western Music Association The International Western Music Association was incorporated in 1989 to promote and preserve western music in its traditional, historical, and contemporary forms. The IWMA host the International Western Music Convention every November in Albuque ...

Championships and accomplishments

Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum The Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame (PWHF) and Museum was an American professional wrestling hall of fame and museum located in Wichita Falls, Texas; following the postponement of its 19th induction ceremony, planned for May 2020, and an annou ...

**Senator Hugh Farley Award (2006) *Other titles **Championship of Mexico **Ladies' International Wrestling Association Award (1989) **Gulf Coast Wrestling Reunion Pioneer Award **Seattle Hall of Fame Award (1999)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Martinez, Ida Mae 1931 births 2010 deaths American nurses American women nurses American female professional wrestlers Converts to Judaism Jewish American sportspeople Jewish professional wrestlers Sportspeople from New London, Connecticut Professional wrestlers from Connecticut University of Maryland, Baltimore alumni American yodelers Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum 21st-century American Jews 21st-century American women 20th-century female professional wrestlers 20th-century American professional wrestlers 20th-century American sportswomen

Professional wrestling career

Personal life

Championships and accomplishments

See also

References