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Remembering Sand Springs native Mae Young

Posted: Jun 9th 2026 By: Facebook.com/SandSpringsMuseum

Mae Young amazed wrestling fans for over sixty years. She began wrestling in the late 1930s at Sand Springs High School. While still in high school, she also played on Tulsa's National Championship Softball Team and the Tulsa Women's Football Team. As a senior she gained notice by challenging then famous woman wrestler Gladys "Kill'em" Gillem to a match. Her spunk and natural abilities merited a tryout. In 1941, at the age of seventeen, Mae graduated from Sand Springs High School. In that same year Young began life as a professional wrestler.

Young, along with Mildred Burke, Mae Weston, and Gladys "Kill'em" Gillem, paved the way for women in the male dominated field of sports. During the Second World War, Young and her counterparts opened many territories and states to women wrestlers. In 1954, Young and Burke were the first women wrestlers to tour post-war Japan.

Young worked to promote and encourage female wrestlers. Over the years she was a mentor to numerous wrestlers, including "the Fabulous Moolah." In 2004 she was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame.

She credited her success to the encouragement of coaches Ed Dubie, Shag Charvos, and former teacher C. C. Jelks. The influence of Sand Springs remained with her. The Great Mae Young proudly claimed Sand Springs, Oklahoma as her hometown. If you're not sure where it is located, Mae would say, "It's a suburb of Tulsa." In 2005 she was inducted into the Sand Springs Education Foundation Hall of Fame.
FUN FACTS - In the year 2000 Mae set a world record by wrestling in at least one professional wrestling match for seven consecutive decades. Mae was the oldest wrestler on the WWE roster, followed by "The Fabulous Moolah," and Vince McMahon. She was ranked No. 4 of the 50 Greatest Women Wrestlers of All Time.

From: Community World - Tulsa World October 20, 2004
Mike Averill:
"Young's first big break came in 1939. Mildred Burke, the top female wrestler at the time, was in Tulsa to wrestle against Gladys "Kill 'em" Gillem. Young decided she was going to challenge Burke. The promoter said she wasn't qualified. He told her she could wrestle two other girls and she said, 'Bring 'em on.' She beat both girls in no time and Mildred's manager said he could make a wrestler out of her. And he did. Young not only is the only woman to wrestle Burke to a draw, she was a one-time National Wrestling Alliance Florida Women's Champion, two-time Women's United States Champion and was named World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.'s Miss Royal Rumble in 2000. She said wrestling just came naturally to her. Ed The Strangler Lewis told her he didn't really like girl wrestlers because a woman's place is in the home. But then he said he had to say Mae was born to wrestle. That was a great compliment. Young and Lewis became close friends and he even taught her tow to use his signature headlock. Mae said it could tear your head off."

Mae's Moves: The Elbow Drop, The Bronco Buster, D-Generation X Crotch Chop Taunt

At the age of 77 she was powerbombed through a table off of the wrestling arena stage by Bubba Ray Dudley. At the age of 79 Mae was attacked along with the Fabulous Moolah by 3-Minute Warning, where she was scoop slammed and diving splashed.