Source: SLAM! Sports
“Sensational” Sherri Martel died this morning at the age of 49.
Details are still unclear at this point what she died from, though the Wrestling Observer is reporting that police were at her Jacksonville, Fla. home.
Born Sherri Russell in Louisiana, Martel debuted in 1980 after training with The Fabulous Moolah. As a wrestler, her first manager was memorable — it was Jim Cornette in the old Tennessee territory. Within a few days, she was injured in a battle royal and went on the wrestling disabled list. “In two weeks, I managed to set her career back 15 years,” Cornette recounted.
Her forays into the American Wrestling Association were more successful — she won the women’s world title three times in the 1980s and served a stint as manager of the championship tag team of Doug Somers and Playboy Buddy Rose. In 1987, Martel moved to the WWF and quickly captured the women’s world championship from Moolah. Martel and Moolah extended their rivalry as captains for the first-ever women Survivor Series teams in 1989. Sherri held the title for 15 months before Rockin’ Robin defeated her in Paris.
As a manager, the wild-eyed Martel took charge of Randy Savage, and played a key role in the feud between Savage and Hulk Hogan. She even got her hair cut at SummerSlam 1989 when Miss Elizabeth knocked her out with a purse following a main event tag match. Martel also became recognized in the WWF as manager of Shawn Michaels, who, in a previous wrestling life, was the leading challenger to the AWA’s Somers and Rose. That role ended when Michaels accidentally smashed her with a mirror during a set-to with Marty Jannetty.
At various times, she was known as Queen Sherri (with the “Macho King” Randy Savage), Sensational Sherri, and Sensuous Sherri.
In WCW, Martel managed Harlem Heat as Sister Sherri, a white woman with two African-American wrestlers in a role that announcer Gary Michael Cappetta said created “easy heat.” But Martel didn’t care about that. “We didn’t see color and I don’t think anyone in the wrestling business sees color because we’re brothers and sisters and family,” she said.
In 2006, she was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Martel stole the show. Her speech upon her induction was regarded as one of the most heartfelt, animated and even brassy acceptance speeches in recent years. Even as she professed her love of the sport and its people, Martel snapped into character to shout down a heckler: “That’s it, the nice girl stops here — I worked 26 years for this, so sit down and be quiet!” Now that’s Sherri Martel.
