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Ruth Bell was born in Chester in 1948. Whilst still at school she saw her older brother developing an interest in wrestling. The big brother was wrestler Bob Bell and he began to teach his sister how she too could become a success in the wrestling ring.
That success came at an early age. She was just fourteen years old when she made her debut and was threatening to do diabolical things to Mitzi Mueller. Within a few years a black cape and leotard with a dangerously plunging neckline no doubt added to her appeal amongst a section of the audience.
One fan, we are assured only of her wrestling ability, was Bill Smith, who takes up the story. “Often billed as ‘The Sex Symbol’ Vivacious Viv was possibly the biggest attraction in women’s wrestling in the 1970’s. Viv featured in an article in Penthouse Magazine ….. No she didn’t take her clothes off. Appearing all over the British Isles for various promoters, including Orig Williams, Brian Dixon,and Graham Brook, Viv was normally the villain. Her opponents included Mitzi Mueller, Lena Blair, Blackfoot Sioux etc, and in 1977 she took on and beat Dave Stafford in an inter-gender Match in Belfast.
Viv Martell died on 4th January 2020.
Page added 16/04/2023
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