International wrestling star Sandy Parker's 2022 tragic passing just recently discovered
Pro wrestling has seen thousands of stars grace the squared circle over the years, but pioneers and trailblazers are an exclusive wrestler class of their own. Unfortunately, stars from the old days often fall out of touch or disappear from public life. Legendary grappler Sandy Parker left us a few years back, but his tragic passing was just recently discovered.
Casaundria Jolene Parker passed away in June 2022 at the age of 77. Known to the pro wrestling world as Sandy Parker, she died in Las Vegas, where she had lived since at least 2004. Parker wrestled from around 1968 to around 1986 and is widely viewed as a women's wrestling trailblazer for her time.
There are few details on Parker's passing as she didn't keep in touch with many in the industry. She was contacted about participating in a documentary released in 2022, but she declined the offer. Parker then had contact with a writer in early 2022, and they had set a date to talk on the phone as, at the time, she had to go to the hospital for a week of tests. The scheduled date came and went, and Parker's phone number was disconnected weeks later.
Parker did have a caretaker at home, and all that's known is she went into Las Vegas University Medical Center around June 21 and that she died that same month, but the exact date is unknown. Wrestling historian Craig Bergstrom recently discovered Parker's death and passed it on to SLAM Wrestling's Greg Oliver, who reported the news this week.
Parker's in-ring career wrapped up around 1986, and she later found work as a bartender and store manager. As of 2008, she was working as a Vegas security guard at 62 years old and, at that point, had been a citizen of the United States for 35 years.
WWE mistakenly included footage of Parker in a 2021 video package for the Legacy Wing of the Hall of Fame. The footage was to honor inductee Ethel Johnson, but Parker was inadvertently used. She commented in 2008 how today's wrestling was "cr*p," as she appreciated the in-ring work but did not like the "stupid storylines." She also believed Vince McMahon ruined the industry only for financial gain.
Parker decided on a wrestling career while watching matches, and after training in Detroit, she debuted at age 23 for The Sheik at Big Time Wrestling around 1968. She went on to wrestle for WWWF/WWE, UWF, AWA, Championship Wrestling From Florida, Jim Crockett Promotions, and various NWA territories, among many others. Parker later worked for and formed a bond with The Fabulous Moolah, but they had a falling out as the latter had strict rules about not wanting Parker to be seen at gay bars, but she went regardless.
Parker was once married to a man, but she lived openly as a lesbian, which allegedly caused problems in her career. Moolah and Parker would still work together later on. Parker then linked up with Mildred Burke, which led her to her best run in Japan.
Parker became the first black female World Champion on May 15, 1973, by defeating Miyoko Hoshino for the All Japan Women's WWWA World Championship. She also held the WWWA World Tag Team Championship eight times. She is a one-time NWA United States Women's Champion and had one unrecognized reign as NWA World Women's Tag Team Champion.
Parker starred in the second episode of season two of The Bionic Woman, which aired in September 1976. In the episode "In This Corner, Jaime Sommers," she portrayed a female wrestler named Battling Betty. Parker attended the Cauliflower Alley Club at times over the years and was honored in 2004.