WWE Changes Name of ‘Fabulous Moolah Battle Royal’ After Public Backlash (Exclusive)

Outcry mounted amid accusations Moolah pimped out and stole money from fellow women wrestlers

Fabulous Moolah - WWE.com
WWE.com

Amid mounting pressure from fans, WWE has changed the name of next month’s “Fabulous Moolah Battle Royal,” TheWrap has learned exclusively.

The WrestleMania 34 match will now just be called the “WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal,” we’re told by the pro wrestling promotion. Yes, some (mostly digital) signage will have to change.

“After further consideration, we believe it’s best to proceed with the name ‘WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal,’” WWE told TheWrap on Thursday. “What remains most important is that this historic match is part of WWE’s unwavering commitment to the Women’s Division.”

“We are very pleased that WWE has decided to proceed with the name ‘WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal,’” match sponsor Snickers told us.

On Monday, WWE announced that it would hold it’s first-ever all-female battle royal at the so-called Super Bowl of sports entertainment. Chairman Vince McMahon & co. originally named the match after the pioneer of women’s wrestling, The Fabulous Moolah (pictured above).

But the backlash to the match’s name honoring Moolah was swift, and a Change.org petition demanding WWE remove her moniker from the event’s title reached 10,000 signatures.

Mission accomplished, we suppose.

While Moolah is a huge name in the history of women’s professional wrestling, her reputation as a booker, trainer and mentor to other women is anything by “fabulous.” She has been accused by women who wrestled for her of pimping them out to men in the business, as well as skimming large chunks of their pay.

Moolah, whose real name was Mary Lillian Ellisor, died in 2007 at age 84.

Last year, WWE honored fellow legend of women’s wrestling Mae Young with The Mae Young Classic, an all-female elimination tournament.

WrestleMania 34 takes place on Sunday, April 8 from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. Fans can catch the event on pay-per-view or the WWE Network.

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