Penny Banner Mary Ann Kostecki ( August 11 , 1934 – May 12 , 2008 ) , better know by her stage name Penny Banner , was an American professional wrestler . She was best known for her time spent in the American Wrestling Association . She was also the Commissioner of the Professional Girl Wrestling Association ( PGWA ) from 1992 until her death . Early life . Growing up , Mary Ann Kostecki ' s family did not have television . She idolized Hank Williams Sr . , a musician , when she was young . Later , Kostecki began working at a cocktail waitress in St . Louis , while also acting as a nanny to three children . During this time , Sam Muchnick , owner of the National Wrestling Alliance , came into the lounge where she worked , and her boss told him that Banner was capable of doing 200 sit - ups . Muchnick bet her she could not complete the task , and after she did , she began getting calls to be a female professional wrestler . Professional wrestling career . Kostecki began her career in wrestling as a way to learn how to defend herself outside of the ring . She came up with the name " Penny Banner " because she admired Charlton Heston , who used the surname Banner in a movie , and the first name Penny was also significant to her . She held many titles in her career , including the NWA Women ' s World Tag Team Championship three times between 1956 and 1960 and the AWA World Women ' s Champion in 1961 . In 1959 , a match with NWA Champion June Byers , which ended in a draw , although Byers had consistently beat her in matches for three years prior . She was then booked into a match with Byers in Indiana for the newly formed American Wrestling Alliance ( AWA ) in August 1961 , but Byers no - showed . Instead of their scheduled match , the AWA booked a battle royal , which Banner won to become the first AWA Women ' s Champion . She vacated the title when she moved to North Carolina with her husband and child . During her career , Banner had her nosed ripped up and her elbow dislocated . Banner claimed that she retired in 1977 after June Byers , who owned the NWA Women ' s Championship , retired because of a car accident , and that Moolah had corned much of the national women ' s wrestling scene with her trainees and herself , which left Banner with nobody to wrestle in the Carolinas . In her last twenty years of wrestling , Banner was only defeated twice : once by Moolah and once by Belle Start , both of whom used the ropes for leverage while pinning Banner . After retirement . After retiring from the ring , Banner worked as a real - estate agent , worked in a rodeo , was the president of a local 4H , and began showing horses . In 1990 , she was diagnosed with emphysema and began swimming competitively to quit her smoking . She competed in the Senior Olympics doing swimming plus the shot put and discus throws . She also served as the Commissioner of the Professional Girl Wrestling Association from 1992 until her death . She appeared at Slamboree 1994 with other wrestling Legends . Banner ' s autobiography , " Banner Days " was completed 2005 . The book took her three years to write . Also in 2005 , she was featured in the documentary film " Lipstick & Dynamite " . Her tag team partner Betty Jo Hawkins was Banner ' s best friend for 33 years until Hawkins died . Personal life . Banner went on five dates with Elvis Presley between 1956 and late 1958 . He also frequently saw her wrestle in Memphis . Their last date was one week before he left to join the army , and they never saw each other again . She was married to Johnny Weaver for 35 years before divorcing him in 1994 . She had one child , a daughter named Wendi , whom she was pregnant with in 1959 . In late 2005 , Banner was diagnosed with cancer . In February 2006 , the cancer had shrunk considerably after a doctor ' s check - up . In late 2007 , Banner suffered several health crises , including pneumonia , resulting in severe weight loss . She died in her sleep at the home of her daughter , Wendi , in Charlotte , North Carolina on May 12 , 2008 .