Jump to content

Rhonda Sing

This is a good article. Click here for more information.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected fromRhonda Singh)

Rhonda Sing
Birth nameRhonda Ann Sing
Born(1961-02-21)February 21, 1961[1][2]
Calgary,Alberta,Canada[1][3]
DiedJuly 27, 2001(2001-07-27)(aged 40)[3]
Calgary,Alberta,Canada
Cause of deathMyocardial infarction
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Bertha Faye[1]
Monster Ripper[1]
Rhonda Singh[1]
Billed height5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[1][3]
Billed weight260 lb (120 kg; 19 st)[1][3]
Billed fromWalls, Mississippi(as Bertha Faye)[4]
Trained byMildred Burke[1]
Debut1979[1]
Retired2000[2]

Rhonda Ann Sing[5](February 21, 1961 – July 27, 2001) was a Canadianprofessional wrestler.[1]After training withMildred Burke,she wrestled inJapanunder the nameMonster Ripper.In 1987, she returned to Canada and began working withStampede Wrestling,where she was their firstStampede Women's Champion.In 1995, she worked in theWorld Wrestling Federationas the comedic characterBertha Faye,winning theWWF Women's Championship.She also wrestled inWorld Championship Wrestlingto help generate interest in their women's division.

Professional wrestling career

[edit]

Training

[edit]

While growing up inCalgary,Sing attended numerousStampede Wrestlingevents with her mother.[3]She knew she wanted to be a wrestler from a young age and frequently beat up the neighborhood children, along with those in her kindergarten class.[2]As a teenager, Singh approached members of theHart wrestling familyand asked to be trained, but she was rejected as they did not train women wrestlers at the time.[3]Bret Hart,however, claims it had more to do with scheduling conflicts.[5]During a trip toHawaiiin 1978, she saw Japanese women's wrestling on television and decided she wanted to pursue the sport.[5]She later wrote toMildred Burkeafter a friend gave her a magazine with Burke's contact information,[2]and sent her a biography and photo.[5]Shortly thereafter, she joined Burke's training facility inEncino, California.[3]

Japan, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico (1979–1995)

[edit]

After a few weeks of training with Burke, Sing was scouted byAll Japan Women(AJW), despite her inexperience.[3][5]Sing's debut match in Japan was atag teammatch with partner Mami Kumano, defeating the Beauty Pair (Jackie Satoand Maki Ueda) in January 1979.[3][2]In Japan, she began wrestling under the name Monster Ripper.[3]Although she found adjusting to the Japanese culture difficult, Sing held AJW's premier title, theWWWA World Single Championship,on two occasions and was the first Calgary born wrestler to gain success in Japan.[3][5]During her time in the company, the Japanese female wrestlers gave her a hard time because they did not like losing to foreigners.[2][5]Sing also had difficulty because of her youth and inexperience in the ring.[3]Sing, however, was comforted byNew Japan Pro-Wrestling'sDynamite Kid,who had trained in Calgary.[2][5]Sing won the WWWA World Single Championship from Jackie Sato on July 31, 1979.[2]Despite losing the title to Sato six weeks later, she regained it on March 15, 1980.[2]The title was vacated in August 1980.[2]

After another stint in Japan, Sing returned to Stampede Wrestling in late 1987 and was renamed Rhonda Singh byBruce Hart,the owner of the company.[3]There were plans to pair her withGama Singh,but they never came to fruition.[3]During 1987, she was named their firstWomen's Championbecause she had defeatedWendi Richterprior to returning to Stampede.[2][5]She held the title until September 22, 1988, when she lost toChigusa Nagayo.[2]

Over the next few years, Sing once again traveled throughout the world and wrestled for a number of companies, holding several titles. Between 1987 and 1990, Sing worked inPuerto Ricofor theWorld Wrestling Council(WWC), where she held theWWC Women's Championshipon five separate occasions by defeating Wendi Richter,Candi Devine,and Sasha in matches for the title. As Monster Ripper on the WWC 18th Anniversary Show on July 6, 1991, she faced and beat El Profe in anintergender match.[6]

In 1992 she worked as La Monstra forAsistencia Asesoría y Administraciónin Mexico, where she won the WWA World Women's Title.

World Wrestling Federation (1995)

[edit]
Sing during her time in theWWFas Bertha Faye in 1995

In 1995, Sing was contacted by theWorld Wrestling Federationto help their ailing women's division.[2]She, however, was repackaged as Bertha Faye, a comedic character who lived in a trailer park and datedHarvey Wippleman.[7][3][2](in an OWW radio interview Wippleman revealed that the two never got along well)[8]WWF management originally wanted her to have an on-screenfeudwithBull Nakano,but there was a change of plans after Nakano was charged withcocainepossession.[2]

Faye in the ring

Sing made her WWF debut on the April 3, 1995 episode ofMonday Night Rawparticipating in a sneak attack onAlundra Blayze,making it appear as if Blayze's nose had been broken.[2]AtSummerSlam,Faye defeated Blayze for theWWF Women's Championshipand held the title until the October 23, 1995 airing ofMonday Night Raw,where Blayze regained the title, ending Faye's reign at only 57 days.[9][10]

Fan interest in women's wrestling sunk again as the year closed, and Sing became tired of working there.[3]Moreover, she was frustrated with her Faye gimmick, once recalling that she felt like a prostitute due to the sexualized and comical way that she was often portrayed.[5]WWF management asked her not to perform the same power moves as the male wrestlers, so instead, Faye was forced to act as comic relief.[2][5]After a year with the company, Sing asked for a release from her contract.[2]She briefly returned to Japan but did not like the new system, which did not guarantee payouts.[2]

Return to Mexico and Canada (1995–1999)

[edit]

After leaving WWF, Sing returned to AAA in Mexico in 1996. During this period, she also worked in theindependent circuitin Alberta, Canada.

World Championship Wrestling (1999–2000)

[edit]

In late 1999, she worked withWorld Championship Wrestling(WCW) briefly, appearing on several telecasts to help generate interest in a women's division.[2]She was also a contender for both theWCW Cruiserweight ChampionshipandWCW Hardcore Championship.In addition to competing in matches using her Singh and Monster Ripper gimmicks, she also appeared with theNitro Girlsdance troupe providing comic relief.[11][12]

Personal life

[edit]

Backstage, Sing was friends with the male, rather than the female, wrestlers.[5]During her time in the WWF, she developed a close friendship withOwen Hart.[5]

After leaving WCW, Sing took a break from wrestling.[2]In 2001, she worked as a caregiver to the disabled.[3]According to her brother Tom, she had a "big heart" and "liked to look after people". On July 27, 2001, Sing died as a result of aheart attackat the age of 40.[13][14]Sing's family attributed her death to a result of medical problems.Bruno Lauerdisputed her cause of death in an interview with Online World of Wrestling Radio, where he stated that "she took herself out."[8]She never married or had children.

Championships and accomplishments

[edit]

1^The WWC briefly recognized Sing, then wrestling as Monster Ripper, as the AWA World Women's Champion following her victory over Candi Devine on July 7, 1990. However, theAmerican Wrestling Associationdid not recognize Sing's title win.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^abcdefghijklmno"Rhonda Singh profile".Online World of Wrestling.Archivedfrom the original on September 26, 2009.RetrievedSeptember 11,2009.
  2. ^abcdefghijklmnopqrstuLaroche, Stephen (January 9, 2001)."SLAM! Wrestling Canadian Hall of Fame: Rhonda Sing / Monster Ripper".SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on June 30, 2012.RetrievedAugust 23,2008.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. ^abcdefghijklmnopqrWood, Michael (August 9, 2001)."Mourners salute Sing".SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012.RetrievedNovember 5,2009.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. ^Shields, Brian; Sullivan, Kevin (2009).WWE Encyclopedia.Dorling Kindersley.p.26.ISBN978-0-7566-4190-0.
  5. ^abcdefghijklmnHart, Bret(August 4, 2001)."Singh earned much respect within wrestling circles".SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013.RetrievedAugust 22,2008.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  6. ^"Bertha Faye".Archivedfrom the original on April 12, 2010.RetrievedNovember 4,2010.
  7. ^Laprade, Pat; Murphy, Dan (April 11, 2017).Sisterhood of the Squared Circle: The History and Rise of Women's Wrestling.ECW Press.ISBN978-1-77305-014-0.Archivedfrom the original on November 7, 2021.RetrievedJuly 27,2021.
  8. ^ab"OWW Radio Ep. 6 - Harvey Whippleman Part 5/6 - YouTube".YouTube.Archivedfrom the original on April 23, 2021.RetrievedJanuary 18,2017.
  9. ^ab"Bertha Faye's reign".World Wrestling Entertainment.Archivedfrom the original on June 5, 2011.RetrievedAugust 22,2008.
  10. ^McAvennie, Mike (February 15, 2007)."List This #9: Harvey's whipped".World Wrestling Entertainment.Archivedfrom the original on March 3, 2016.RetrievedSeptember 23,2008.
  11. ^Wade (December 13, 1999)."WCW Monday Nitro".DDT Digest.Archivedfrom the original on December 16, 2008.RetrievedAugust 18,2008.
  12. ^Big Mike (July 10, 2000)."WCW Monday Nitro".DDT Digest.Archivedfrom the original on February 7, 2009.RetrievedAugust 18,2008.
  13. ^Muchnick, Irvin (2007).Wrestling Babylon: Piledriving Tales of Drugs, Sex, Death, and Scandal.ECW Press. p. 148.ISBN978-1-55022-761-1.
  14. ^Gallipoli, Thomas M. (February 22, 2008)."List of Deceased Wrestlers for 2001: Johnny Valentine, Terry Gordy, Chris Adams, Bertha Faye, Helen Hart".PWTorch.Archivedfrom the original on July 5, 2009.RetrievedAugust 23,2008.
  15. ^"IWA Women's World Title (Japan)".Archivedfrom the original on September 17, 2017.RetrievedJanuary 8,2013.
  16. ^"All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling Hall of Fame".Puroresu Dojo. 2003.RetrievedOctober 9,2007.
  17. ^Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "MEXICO: WWA Tag Team Title".Wrestling Title Histories.Archeus Communications. p. 401.ISBN0-9698161-5-4.
  18. ^"WWC: Monster Ripper vs. Candi Devine (1990) - YouTube".YouTube.Archivedfrom the original on April 6, 2017.RetrievedMarch 1,2017.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related toRhonda Ann Sing.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rhonda_Sing&oldid=1234297108"