Juanita Wright Juanita Wright ( October 24 , 1935 – September 10 , 1996 ) was a professional wrestling valet and wrestler best known as " Sweet " Sapphire in the World Wrestling Federation where she managed Dusty Rhodes in 1989 and 1990 . She also wrestled on the independent circuit as Princess Dark Cloud . Early life . Juanita Wright was born on October 24 , 1935 in St . Louis , Missouri . She became a huge wrestling fan and began to drive wrestlers to arenas in the St . Louis area . Wright gained a wrestling referees license , the first woman in the Missouri to do so , before entering the ring as a wrestler . She appeared under the name Princess Dark Cloud and once wrestled a bear . Prior to signing a contract with the World Wrestling Federation , Wright worked as a saleswoman for a clothing company in St . Louis . World Wrestling Federation . Wright debuted in 1989 under the name " Sweet " Sapphire . Sapphire began to manage Dusty Rhodes , both adorned in black outfits with yellow polka dots . Sapphire later appeared in the ring , teaming with Dusty to take on Randy Savage and Sensational Sherri . Sapphire pinned Sherri , with some help from Miss Elizabeth , who had allied herself with Sapphire and Rhodes after a previous incident that precipitated the match . Sapphire , in the Spring and Summer of 1990 , began to receive gifts from a mysterious benefactor . At the 1990 SummerSlam pay per view , Sherri defeated Sapphire via forfeit after Sapphire failed to show . Seconds before Rhodes ' match against Randy Savage , Ted DiBiase revealed that he had bought Sapphire . A puzzled Rhodes lost to Savage because he did not have the heart to continue . Sapphire began appearing in segments where she would do favors for DiBiase , including ironing his money . Shortly afterward , Sapphire left the WWF . Although it was never explained why on WWF programming , Virgil revealed in an interview with WWF Magazine several months later that the ( kayfabe ) reason for Sapphire leaving was that DiBiase took all the gifts back . In a later shoot interview , Sherri Martel revealed that Wright ' s admiration for Rhodes was legitimate , and that she literally broke down crying when the office told her that they were severing Wright and Rhodes ' on - screen partnership . Martel believes that Wright lost complete interest in the company after this , which is why she left the company not long after SummerSlam . Rhodes revealed on his WWE DVD " The American Dream : The Dusty Rhodes Story " that he once went into Vince McMahon ' s office and said that he liked Sapphire , but having her around was pointless and that she should be released . McMahon told Rhodes that she " made " Rhodes ' character and that she should stay . After extensive thought , Rhodes agreed . Personal life . Juanita Wright had two children , named Wanda and Ricco . Little is known about Juanita from the time she left the WWF besides that she worked at Granpa Pigeons in University City , MO . , where she enjoyed telling old wrestling stories to her Co - workers children at the time she died in St . Louis , of a heart attack on September 11 , 1996 . In popular culture . A character called " Sweet Sapphire " has recently been adopted by Earl Douglas , a male African American radio producer for XM Radio ' s " Ron and Fez Show " due to his uncanny resemblance to Juanita , and his pairing with the new sensational show producer , The Midnight Rider . Dusty Rhodes , whom Sapphire had managed in the WWF , has wrestled under the name The Midnight Rider .