Cora Combs
Encyclopedia
Cora Svonsteckik is an American
former professional wrestler, better known as Cora Combs.
, Kentucky
on March 17, 1923. While attending high school, she was a star on the girls' track
team and won honors in the high jump
category. On graduating, Svonsteckik moved to Nashville
, Tennessee
with the dream of singing at the Grand Ole Opry
. A country western group called the Trail Riders were impressed enough with her vocal talents to make her a member.
During her time away from singing, Cora attended wrestling matches at the Hippodrome in Nashville. It was her first exposure to live professional wrestling and she was easily drawn to the spectacle. Here Cora witnessed the acclaimed Women's World Champion Mildred Burke
. In 1949, Cora was able to get in the backstage area and meet Nashville promoter Nick Gulas
, who introduced her to renowned women's wrestling promoter and trainer Billy Wolfe
. Cora was inspired to become a professional female wrestler, put her music career to an end, and moved to Columbus
, Ohio
to begin an intense training regime at Wolfe's wrestling school.
, Combs competed in Canada
, Mexico
, Japan
, pre-Castro
Cuba
, the Fiji Islands, and Nigeria
, and competed with many greats including her original inspiration Mildred Burke, Mae Young
, The Fabulous Moolah
, Kay Noble
, June Byers
, and many others. In 1967, she was proclaimed the United States Women's Wrestling Champion (belt no longer in use) after a reported series of elimination matches.
Her most famous match was on March 3, 1972 in New York City
. Her match with Princess Ti Ti was the first female professional wrestling match in New York State
, effectively breaking the 50-year ban on women's wrestling. The match was extensively covered by television, radio, newspapers, and other media outlets throughout the city. After that, Combs continued to wrestle and signed with a new wrestling promotion based out of Cleveland
called the International Wrestling Association
(IWA). During her time in the IWA, Cora wrestled as Lady Satan, wearing a mask and changing her clothes to create the character. In the mid-1970s, Cora's daughter Debbie joined the ranks of s professional wrestling. Cora and Debbie then formed the only mother-daughter tag team duo in wrestling history.
Cora was considered one of the best-dressed women in the wrestling business. Her ring attire, which was made by her sister, consisted of a wide variety of colorful jackets and robes. Combs differentiated herself from her competition and established new ground for female wrestlers. Combs finally retired in 1985.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
former professional wrestler, better known as Cora Combs.
Early life
Cora Svonsteckik was born in HazardHazard, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,806 people, 1,946 households, and 1,266 families residing in the city. The population density was 684.6 people per square mile . There were 2,291 housing units at an average density of 326.4 per square mile...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
on March 17, 1923. While attending high school, she was a star on the girls' track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
team and won honors in the high jump
High jump
The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....
category. On graduating, Svonsteckik moved to Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
with the dream of singing at the Grand Ole Opry
Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
. A country western group called the Trail Riders were impressed enough with her vocal talents to make her a member.
During her time away from singing, Cora attended wrestling matches at the Hippodrome in Nashville. It was her first exposure to live professional wrestling and she was easily drawn to the spectacle. Here Cora witnessed the acclaimed Women's World Champion Mildred Burke
Mildred Burke
Mildred Bliss was an American professional wrestler, who wrestled under the name Mildred Burke. She is a member of the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame as well as the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame. Her heyday lasted from the mid-1930s to the mid-1950s, when she held the World Women's...
. In 1949, Cora was able to get in the backstage area and meet Nashville promoter Nick Gulas
Nick Gulas
Nick Gulas was an American professional wrestling promoter in the Southern United States. Also known as The King of Managers and King B, Gulas helped start the careers of such wrestling stars as Tojo Yamamoto, Jackie Fargo, and Jerry "The King" Lawler in the 1960s and '70s, the Bounty Hunters with...
, who introduced her to renowned women's wrestling promoter and trainer Billy Wolfe
Billy Wolfe
William Harrison “Billy” Wolfe 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 her.-Early life:...
. Cora was inspired to become a professional female wrestler, put her music career to an end, and moved to Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
to begin an intense training regime at Wolfe's wrestling school.
Professional wrestling career
In the early 1950s, Cora joined the World Women's Wrestling Association (WWWA), which lead to the immediate rise of her career. In addition to wrestling all over the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Combs competed in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, pre-Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, the Fiji Islands, and Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, and competed with many greats including her original inspiration Mildred Burke, Mae Young
Mae Young
Johnnie Mae Young is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler and currently a WWE Ambassador.Young was an influential pioneer in women's wrestling, helping to increase its popularity during World War II and training many generations of wrestlers...
, The Fabulous Moolah
The Fabulous Moolah
Mary Lillian Ellison , better known by her ring name The Fabulous Moolah, was an American female professional wrestler. She began her career working with promoter Billy Wolfe and his wife, wrestler and trainer Mildred Burke, as well as working alongside professional wrestler "Nature Boy" Buddy...
, Kay Noble
Kay Noble
Mary Charlene Noble , known from childhood by her nickname Kay Noble, was an American female professional wrestler. Her career spanned from the 1950s to the 1980s, during which time she was known for her toughness in the ring...
, June Byers
June Byers
DeAlva Eyvonnie Sibley , better known by her ring name of June Byers, was an American women's professional wrestler famous in the 1950s and early 1960s. She held the World Women's Championship for ten years and is a member of the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame.-Early life:Born in Houston,...
, and many others. In 1967, she was proclaimed the United States Women's Wrestling Champion (belt no longer in use) after a reported series of elimination matches.
Her most famous match was on March 3, 1972 in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Her match with Princess Ti Ti was the first female professional wrestling match in New York State
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, effectively breaking the 50-year ban on women's wrestling. The match was extensively covered by television, radio, newspapers, and other media outlets throughout the city. After that, Combs continued to wrestle and signed with a new wrestling promotion based out of Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
called the International Wrestling Association
International Wrestling Association
The International Wrestling Association is a wrestling promotion in Puerto Rico, started in Japan in 1994 by promoter Victor Quiñones. The Hispanic division was created in 1999. The company was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance until 2001, but again became a member in 2007...
(IWA). During her time in the IWA, Cora wrestled as Lady Satan, wearing a mask and changing her clothes to create the character. In the mid-1970s, Cora's daughter Debbie joined the ranks of s professional wrestling. Cora and Debbie then formed the only mother-daughter tag team duo in wrestling history.
Cora was considered one of the best-dressed women in the wrestling business. Her ring attire, which was made by her sister, consisted of a wide variety of colorful jackets and robes. Combs differentiated herself from her competition and established new ground for female wrestlers. Combs finally retired in 1985.
Championships and accomplishments
- Championship Wrestling from Florida
- NWA Southern Women's Champion (1 time)
- NWA Mid-AmericaNational Wrestling AllianceThe National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
- NWA United States Women's ChampionNWA United States Women's ChampionshipThe NWA United States Women's Championship was a sporadically used title in the National Wrestling Alliance from 1968 until 1987.-Title history:...
(1 time)
- NWA United States Women's Champion
- Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
- (Class of 2007)