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A Real Pioneer

Yes, she did enter the ring with a dagger! She wouldn’t get away with that these days.

When we began our investigations we never imagined where it might lead. The Empress of the Black Dagger may have made little impact on the memories of 1960s wrestling fans but she was a real pioneer with a place in wrestling history on both sides of the Atlantic.

The billing as Algerian, or at least of Algerian descent, does seem to be accurate, born Fathia Djaileb on 27th February, 1939. Much of the rest of what was said at the time, about wrestling in the circus booths of France and Algeria, playing in a bongo band around Europe, and a professional wrestling champion, can most likely be put down to the usual wrestling hype.

Back in the real world Titi settled in Hove, Sussex, living on Tisbury Road in 1964. With an ambition to become a professional wrestler she enrolled at Eric Dudley’s judo and wrestling school at the Red Lion Public House in Wadhurst, Sussex.

Eric Dudley and the landlord of the pub decided to put on wrestling shows to raise money for the club. For their main event they billed together two of their female trainees, Ann Starr and The Emperor of the Black Dagger. It was their match in the village of Hawkhurst, Kent, in January 1964, that caused widespread press coverage and questions raised in the House of Commons. On 5th March the Conservative M.P. for Hartlepool, Commander J.S. Kerans, referred to the contest but was told that the Home Secretary, Henry Brooke, did not consider there was sufficient evidence to consider a ban.

For decades that seemed like the end of the story for us. But that was far from the truth.

Long before the likes of Billy Robinson, Adrian Street, Tony Charles and other Brits made the journey our Empress with the dagger packed her bags and was on her way to America.

We think we can safely say she was the first British based ladies wrestler to work in the United States.

Titi set up home in New York where she pursued her wrestling career. She used a variety of wrestling names that included Chi Chi, Chi Chi Paris, Fifi DeParee, Giti Djaileb, and Titi Paris. In March 1966 Ring Wrestling magazine listed Titi Djaileb in the World Top Twenty Lady Wrestlers.

The main challenge facing a female wrestler at the time was that the New York state banned female wrestlers, which meant travelling long distances. Having battled Britain’s local councils this was a renewed fight for Titi and she started a vigorous campaign for the New York State Athletic Commission to lift its ban on female wrestling. Her (now defunct) website documented lengthy correspondence between Titi and the authorities.

Success came when the ban was lifted in 1972. The first female match in New York, between Titi (as Princess Chi Chi) and Cora Coombs, took place on 8th March, though the ban was not officially lifted until June. Excerpts of the match were broadcast on WABC, WNBC, and WNEW.

Titi’s ambition of wrestling at Madison Square Garden seemed within her grasp. Sadly, it was not to be, and there are rumours that it was Fabulous Moolah that blocked her appearance.

In 1980 Titi (now actress Titi Paris) co-starred in the film “Below the Belt,” about a New York waitress who turned professional wrestler.

Titi and her husband moved to California and Las Vegas, where they lived until his death. She moved to Washington state where she died on 6th February, 2022.

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