Kay Noble
| Kay Noble | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
October 15, 1940 St. Joseph, Missouri |
| Died | April 27, 2006 (aged 65) Amarillo, Texas |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Kay Noble |
| Billed height | 5'7" (1.70 m) |
| Billed weight | 132 lb (60 kg) |
| Trained by | Laura Martinez Sonny Myers |
| Debut | 1957 |
| Retired | 1987 |
Mary Charlene Noble (October 15, 1940 – April 27, 2006), 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. She worked along well-known female professional wrestlers such as Penny Banner, The Fabulous Moolah, and Gladys Gillem. She also wrestled in mixed tag team matches with partners such as her husband Doug Gilbert and Terry Funk. During her almost thirty years wrestling, she held the Texas Women's Championship, Central States Women's Championship, and AWA World Women's Championship. She was also honored by the Cauliflower Alley Club in 2001, before dying of stomach cancer in April 2006.
Noble first wanted to become a professional wrestler at age 15 and wanted promoter Gust Karras to help her break into the business. She, however, did not began her professional wrestling career until 1957 at the age 18 after being approached by a promoter in her hometown of St. Joseph, Missouri. She was trained by Laura Martinez and Sonny Myers. The following year in October 1958, Noble, along with Lorraine Johnson, Penny Banner, and Laura Martinez were charged with inciting a riot when they began fighting outside of the ring, but they pleaded not guilty in court. The promoters of the event paid the fine.
She later helped train male professional wrestler Colonel DeBeers. During her career, she held both the Texas Women's Championship and Central States Women's Championship. Throughout her years wrestling, Noble was known for her toughness and strength. She was also a high-flying wrestler.
In the 1960s, she worked primarily in Minneapolis, Minnesota. During this time, she wrestled a series of mixed tag team matches with her husband Doug Gilbert against Roy Collins and Barbara Baker. She also wrestled a series of matches against and teaming with Betty Niccoli. She also wrestled as the partner of Jack Cain in mixed tag team matches against Jean Antone and Terry Funk. Funk was also her partner on occasion. Her other well-known opponents included Penny Banner, The Fabulous Moolah, and Gladys Gillem. In 1963, she won the vacant AWA World Women's Championship by defeating Kathy Starr in Minnesota, and she held the title for approximately eight years, losing it to Vivian Vachon in November 1971 in Canada.
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