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Ethel Johnson’s family respond to WWE Hall of Fame flub

Greg Oliver

The 2016 WWE Hall of Fame added a “Legacy Wing” to add so many names that had been overlooked: wrestlers, managers and promoters from the past who were no longer around.

The inductions are done all at once, with a video segment. There was rarely any notice given about who was being inducted.

There were two induction classes at the April 6, 2021 ceremony. The 2020 Legacy inductees were Ray “The Crippler” Stevens, Brickhouse Brown, Steve “Dr. Death” Williams, Baron Michele Leone and manager/booker Gary Hart, and the 2021 entrants were Dick the Bruiser, Pistol Pez Whatley, Buzz Sawyer, Ethel Johnson, and wrestler/promoter Paul Boesch.

WWE has not gone out of its way to tell family members that their loved ones were going into the Legacy wing of its virtual Hall of Fame.

That may change after an embarrassing gaffe on, when pioneering African-American woman wrestler Johnson was inducted, noting her trailblazing ways in the 1950s.

Except the video showed Sandy Parker, an African-Canadian woman wrestler who wrestled in the 1970s.

Sandy Parker

Johnson’s family took to social media to chastise WWE.

@missezrenee wrote: “Y’all need to fix this because if you’re going to use my aunt Ethel in the hall of fame at least reach out to the family! And the video you guys used isn’t her!”
@KimLilSista wrote: “Why did you not contact Ethel Johnson’s family? You all used a clip that was not HER!! Also she was the 1st Blk Champion so tell Ms Blast to reach out we will support but you all need to have the Facts! It’s Blk History you can’t change the narrative!”

Filmmaker Chris Bournea put together the documentary Lady Wrestler: The Amazing, Untold Story of African-American Women in the Ring in 2018, and it’s now widely available through Amazon Prime. The movie celebrates the likes of Babs Wingo, Johnson, Marva Scott (who were all sisters), Ramona Isbell and many others served as catalysts for a huge change in the business.

Knowing the family from the documentary, Bournea reached out and created a video where the mistake was addressed.

A campaign is underway to get WWE to correct its error.

TOP PHOTO: Ethel Johnson.

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