Blood, Sweat & Gold: How Mildred Burke Paved the Way for Women in Wrestling

Blood, Sweat & Gold: How Mildred Burke Paved the Way for Women in Wrestling

Before women's wrestling was a global spectacle, before main-event matches and championship glory, there was Mildred Burke, a woman who refused to be pinned down, inside or outside the ring.

From the smoke-filled arenas of the 1930s to the brutal, behind-the-scenes power struggles that shaped professional wrestling, Blood, Sweat & Gold tells the untold story of a trailblazer who fought not just for titles, but for the very right to exist in a sport that tried to shut her out.

Mildred Burke wasn't just a champion, she was a revolution. Dominating the ring for nearly two decades, she took on men and women alike, proving time and again that skill and toughness mattered more than gender. But behind the bright lights and roaring crowds was a darker battle. Controlled by a ruthless promoter who doubled as her husband, Burke faced betrayal, backroom deals, and an industry that never wanted to give women a fair fight. When the business turned on her, she didn't just walk away, she kept fighting, shaping the future of women's wrestling long after her time in the ring ended.

With gripping storytelling and deep investigative research, Blood, Sweat & Gold brings Mildred Burke's legacy to life, showing how her sacrifices paved the way for generations of women wrestlers. From her bitter rivalries and legendary matches to the larger fight for respect in the wrestling world, this book uncovers the real history behind the drama, the deception, and the triumph of a forgotten champion.

For fans of true crime, sports history, and untold stories of resilience, Blood, Sweat & Gold is more than just a biography, it's a reckoning with the past and a tribute to the woman who built women's wrestling with her own two fists.