Sensational Sherri

## Professional wrestling stats

### Known as

"Sensational" Sherri Martel, Sister Sherri, Queen Sherri, Scary Sherri, Sensuous Sherri, Sherri Martine, Peggy Sue

### Trained by

Butch MooreDonna Christanello, The Fabulous Moolah

**Sherry Schrull** (née **Russell**; born February 8, 1958 – June 15, 2007) was an American professional wrestler and manager, better known by her ring names, **Sherri Martel** and **Sensational Sherri**.

Martel began her professional wrestling career in the Mid South after training in Columbia, South Carolina. She joined the American Wrestling Association (AWA) in the mid-1980s and held its AWA World Women's Championship three times. In the late 1980s, she joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), where she held the WWF Women's Championship.

Also in the WWF, Martel continued to act as a manager to wrestlers such as Randy Savage, Ted DiBiase, and Shawn Michaels. She appeared in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in the 1990s. In the latter, Martel acted as the manager for the tag team Harlem Heat. After leaving WCW, she made few wrestling related appearances until her death in 2007.

## Professional wrestling career

After training under The Fabulous Moolah, **Sherri Martel** debuted in 1980. She eventually joined the AWA, and on September 28, 1985 at *SuperClash* she defeated Candi Devine for the AWA Women's Championship. Later that year, the title was taken from Martel and awarded to Devine, but Martel regained the title on October 17, 1985.

On April 20, 1986 Martel won a battle royal at *WrestleRock '86*. On May 10, 1986 she helped Buddy Rose and Doug Somers win the AWA World Tag Team Championship. Having previously vacated the AWA Women's Championship, Martel defeated Devine on June 28, 1986 to begin her third reign as champion.

In the spring of 1987, Martel began managing Kevin Kelly. Her most memorable moment as his manager came when she interfered in an arm wrestling match between Kelly and Tommy Rich on ESPN's *AWA Championship Wrestling*. Rich got immediate revenge by cornering the escaping Martel and ripping her dress off to reveal a strapless pink teddy and black stockings. In the following weeks, Rich would come to ringside during Kelly's matches and taunt Martel with her stolen dress. On May 2, 1987 Martel defeated Madusa Miceli at *SuperClash 2*.

On July 24, 1987 Sherri Martel debuted in the WWF and defeated The Fabulous Moolah for the WWF Women's Title.

At this time she was still the AWA's Women's champion, however, losing this title 3 days later. Renaming herself **Sensational Sherri**, she reigned as WWF Women's Champion for fifteen months, taking on opponents like Debbie Combs, Velvet McIntyre and Desiree Peterson.

At the *1987 Survivor Series*, Martel's team consisting of Martel, The Glamour Girls (Leilani Kai and Judy Martin), Dawn Marie, and Donna Christanello lost to The Fabulous Moolah's team consisting of Moolah, Velvet McIntyre, Rockin' Robin, and the Jumping Bomb Angels (Noriyo Tateno and Itsuki Yamazaki).

It was on October 8, 1988 that she was finally defeated for the title by the young fan favorite Rockin' Robin. In the early months of 1988, she portrayed **Peggy Sue**, the valet of The Honky Tonk Man, while appearing as Sherri in the same period (Peggy wore sunglasses and a blonde wig, so she was not recognizable). She was often jealous of Miss Elizabeth and even attacked her during one match.

Throughout the remainder of 1989, Martel and Savage feuded with Hogan and Elizabeth. At the *1989 SummerSlam*, Hogan and Brutus Beefcake defeated Savage and Zeus. After the match, Elizabeth knocked out Martel with her purse, and she, Hogan, and Beefcake cut Martel's hair (a long ponytail hair extension). Shortly after, she became known as **Sensational Queen Sherri**.

At the *1990 Royal Rumble*, Martel appeared on the "*Brother Love Show*" with Sapphire. After insulting the "common woman", Martel was slapped by Sapphire. At *WrestleMania VI*, Martel and Savage lost a mixed tag-team match against Sapphire and Dusty Rhodes after Elizabeth, who was in the corner of Sapphire and Rhodes, interfered and shoved Martel.

At the *1990 SummerSlam*, Martel defeated Sapphire by forfeit when Sapphire failed to appear for the match (It was later revealed that she had betrayed Rhodes and was now working for Ted DiBiase).

Martel and Savage also appeared on *Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous* with Robin Leach. At *WrestleMania VII*, Savage lost a career match against The Ultimate Warrior. Martel attacked Savage but was thrown from the ring by Elizabeth, who was watching from the audience. When she and Savage parted ways following the career match, Martel became the right hand woman of the "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase.

She managed Ted DiBiase until early 1992 and then parted ways with him after she announced that she was in love with Shawn Michaels. She would go on to manage Michaels during his feuds with Bret Hart and Rick Martel.

During this time, Michaels had a brief feud with Savage, and Sherri attacked both Elizabeth and Mike McGuirk at ringside during the matches. One night in late 1992, Marty Jannetty, Michaels' former tag team partner, entered the ring before one of Michaels' matches.

He grabbed Martel's mirror; and when he swung the mirror at Michaels, Michaels pulled Martel in front of him, and she was smashed with the mirror.

Martel disappeared but returned to the WWF at the *1993 Royal Rumble*. She was in a neutral corner for the match between Michaels and Jannetty.

Near the end of the match, Martel confronted Michaels outside the ring and slapped him. At the end of the match, she entered the ring to smash him with her shoe, but he ducked, and she hit Jannetty instead. Michaels finished the match and won, while Martel fled the ring in tears. Backstage, Michaels confronted her, and Jannetty came to her rescue.

The following week, Martel thanked Jannetty, and she later appeared in his corner for a match against a jobber.

There were rumors that the WWF was planning to hire Madusa and promote a Martel/Jannetty vs. Michaels/Madusa feud, but Jannetty left the WWF before this ever happened. Martel was soon left without anyone to manage and found herself accompanying Crush and Randy Savage to the ring for their matches against Michaels at house shows. Most matches ended when Martel would be invited into the ring, and she would slap Michaels.

At *WrestleMania IX*, Martel accompanied Tatanka for his match against Michaels, who brought Luna Vachon with him. After the match, Luna attacked Martel, and they began feuding. On the April 12, 1993 edition of *RAW*, Martel attacked Luna in the first women's segment on *RAW*.

They erupted into a catfight that spilled into the audience, and both women ripped each other's clothes off. Throughout April and May 1993, Martel also appeared in United States Wrestling Association (USWA). She wrestled Miss Texas (Jacqueline) and helped Randy Savage in his feud against Jerry Lawler (who ripped off Martel's dress after she interfered in a steel cage match).

On May 31, 1993 Martel appeared in the returning Jannetty's corner for his match against Bam Bam Bigelow on *RAW*. After the match, Martel called Luna into the ring for a fight. Bigelow interfered, and Tatanka ran to her rescue. During this time, Martel and Luna began having matches at WWF house shows. A couple of weeks later, Martel interrupted an interview with Bigelow, and Tatanka again came to her rescue.

When Martel was scheduled to face Luna on TV one week, Luna came to the ring with her arm in a cast (she had broken it in an earlier match against Martel). Bigelow and Luna attacked Martel, and Tatanka yet again saved her. This was going to lead to a mixed tag team match pitting Martel/Tatanka against Luna/Bigelow at the *1993 SummerSlam*, but Martel left the WWF.

Martel re-emerged in Smoky Mountain Wrestling later that year and feuded with Tammy Sytch. She also appeared in the independent NWA promotion. On October 22, 1993 at the *NWA Weekend of Champions*, Martel accompanied Terry Funk against Kevin Sullivan (with Woman). After the match, Martel attacked Woman and put her in a head-scissors. She then appeared at the *NWA Bensalem Bash* on October 30, 1993. Martel, with Kathy Fitzpatrick in her corner, defeated Jim Cornette (with Tammy Sytch in his corner) in a "loser gets spanked" match.

In the autumn of 1993, Sherri joined ECW and soon managed Shane Douglas to the ECW World Heavyweight Championship. Martel appeared in World Championship Wrestling in 1994 under the name **Sensuous Sherri**. She appeared at Slamboree scouting potential new clients in May 1994. She announced that she would manage who she felt was WCW's top star.

At *Clash of the Champions XXVII*, just as the match between Ric Flair and Sting got underway, Martel approached the ring wearing face paint identical to Sting's.

Indeed, she was cheering for him to defeat Flair. Late in the match, Sting attempted to dive over the ropes onto Flair, but The Nature Boy yanked Martel into his path. Martel then entered the ring to embrace Flair. The new couple attacked Sting until Hulk Hogan ran them off. She helped Flair in feuds against both Sting and Hulk Hogan.

After Flair lost a retirement match to Hogan, there were rumors that Martel was going to be paired with Steve Austin, but Austin was soon injured and on his way out of WCW at the time (during this time, Martel was also scheduled to manage Austin and Shane Douglas in a tag team match in ECW, but Austin was replaced by Brian Pillman due to his injury). Behind the scenes, Kevin Sullivan wanted her to be the manager of Ron Simmons. However, this was during the time of the Nicole Brown and O.J. Simpson investigation, so they thought that might be pushing it a little. Instead, Martel began managing Harlem Heat (Booker T and Stevie Ray) using the name **Sister Sherri** (an irony that she discusses during her 2006 WWE Hall of Fame induction speech) .

It was planned for Martel to manage the tag team of Jean-Paul Levesque and Lord Steven Regal. The duo was slated to capture the tag team title with Martel as their manager and feud with Rick Steiner and Scott Steiner. The plotline was for Martel to turn on Harlem Heat during a title match but Levesque decided to go to the WWF despite offers from then-booker Eric Bischoff of working fewer days for more money .

At *Clash of the Champions XXXI*, Harlem Heat and Martel defeated Bunkhouse Buck, Dick Slater, and Col. Robert Parker (11:01) when Martel pinned Parker. Martel hit her head on the mat, and suddenly fell in love with Parker. At *Clash of the Champions XXXII* Martel and Paker were going to get married, but Madusa interrupted the wedding. She and Martel engaged in a catfight, and then wrestled in the first women's match on *WCW Monday Nitro* on January 29, 1996 (Martel pinned Madusa).

She once again managed Harlem Heat and even became involved in a catfight with Debra on an episode of Nitro. At the 1996 WCW World War 3 pay-per-view, Martel defeated Col. Robert Parker by count-out. Martel left WCW in the summer of 1997.

In 2005, she made a return to *WWE SmackDown!* as part of the Shawn Michaels/Kurt Angle feud leading up to *WrestleMania 21*. There she sang a parody of Michaels' theme song with Angle, but a video showing Shawn's history moved Sherri emotionally. Kurt then saw this and applied the Ankle Lock to her.

She was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by Ted Dibiase on April 1, 2006. She and the rest of the inductees (excluding Bret Hart) made an appearance at *WrestleMania 22* when they were each introduced to the crowd. She was accompanied by DiBiase during her appearance.

On September 4, 2006, she worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, taping a backstage vignette trying to offer her managerial services to "free agent" Bobby Roode that aired on the September 21, 2006 *TNA iMPACT!*.

## Death

On June 15, 2007, Martel died at her mother's residence in McCalla, Alabama, near Birmingham. She was 49 years old. On September 11, 2007, homicide investigators in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, released the toxicology report stating that she died of an overdose with multiple drugs in her system, including high amounts of oxycodone.