Earlier this month, Kathy Moreland, who wrested as Darling Dagmar died at 81.
Moreland performed as a “midget wrestler”, which was the term most used during the era but has since evolved in its description.
She was born Kathy Carlton on December 3, 1943, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and was trained under Lillian Ellison a.k.a. Fabulous Moolah and Buddy Lee prior to making her debut in Alabama in April 1960.
As a female midget wrestler, she was an attraction that toured across many territories for short stints often wrestling with Baby Cheryl and later, Diamond Lil, as a novelty on the card. Her career included matches in Jim Crockett Promotions, Hawaii, Southwest Sports, Houston Wrestling, Central States, Championship Wrestling from Florida, Big Time Wrestling in Alberta, Georgia Championship Wrestling, the AWA, and WWWF.
Moreland was often referred to as “The Marilyn Monroe” of the midget wrestlers.
Just months into her career, she wrestled Baby Cherly at Comiskey Park in Chicago in front of a listed attendance of 17,206 with Bearcat Wright & Sweet Daddy vs. Buddy Rogers & Eddie Graham in the main event.
Moreland first wrestled for Vince McMahon Sr. on April 11, 1966, on a card in Washington, D.C. teaming with Donna Christianello and losing a two-of-three falls match to Fabulous Moolah & Diamond Lil.
Moreland married Edsel Clyde Moreland on March 16, 1975, who was the co-founder of the Little People of America group out of South Carolina. In SLAM Wrestling’s story on Moreland, it stated that Moolah paid for most or all of the wedding.
The relationship between Moreland and Moolah changed through the former’s career as she shared with SLAM that she later broke off from Moolah and went her separate way.
Moreland’s career winded down in the late ‘70s and her final match is listed from December 26, 1983, teaming with Penny Mitchell against Donna Christianello & Diamond Lil at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis on a show featuring Jerry Lawler vs. Austin Idol and a Loser Leaves Town match between Bill Dundee and Steve Keirn.
Edsel died in April 2009 with his widow taking a more active role in the pro wrestling reunion shows with her peers including being honored at the Cauliflower Alley Club in 2011.
She had been placed in hospice care with the date of her passing not listed but a service was held on November 8.
