June Byers: Women's World Champion Wrestler

June Byers was a fine all around female athlete who may have been the best women's wrestler ever. She rose in her profession gradually, winning tag team titles and accumulating victories in regional tournaments. Mildred Burke, the reigning champion, dodged aspirants for her world crown until Byers met her on August 20, 1954 in Atlanta, Georgia. In a disputed outcome June was awarded the title despite having felled Mildred only once in the match. I have profiled June Byers from her roots in Houston, Texas, where she was the daughter of a farmer/house painter. I have also described the era of wrestling she was a part of. It was a time when there were few women who wrestled with the frequency and aggressiveness that June Byers did.