Winona Littleheart obit

Former Moolah stable wrestler Winona Littleheart passes away

 

She was not on the list.

Winona Barkley, best known under the name Winona Littleheart, a pro wrestler who was part of the Fabulous Moolah’s stable from 1977 to 1985, passed away.

She was believed to have been 64 years old. No cause of death has been reported.

The Championship Wrestling from Florida Facebook page first reported her death today, as did the Cauliflower Alley Club.

She was mostly a babyface doing a Native American gimmick with the leather fringe vest and feathers in her hair. During her career she challenged Moolah for her World title and in 1985 on TBS challenged Leilani Kai for the WWF Women’s title.

She also was involved in training Wendi Richter.

Later in her career she played a demented heel as The Lock, as part of a tag team of The Lock & Luna (Vachon). She debuted in that role as a childhood friend of Barry Windham who was abducted by Kevin Sullivan doing a Symbionese Liberation Army type of Stockholm syndrome gimmick.

As The Lock, she wrestled through 1988, including working for David McLane’s POWW.

She was the daughter of “Dirty” Dick Barkley, who wrestled some in the Southeast in the late 50s and early 60s.

Childree, stepdaughter of wrestler/booker "Dirty" Dick Barkley, debuted on New Year's Day, 1976, participating in a ten-woman battle royal at the Omni Coliseum in Atlanta, Georgia. She began her wrestling career as "Winona Littleheart" with the standard "Native American" gimmick, including a fringe vest and feather in her hair. She became Girls' Wrestling Rookie of the Year for 1976. For the next several years, she would cut her teeth in various NWA territories such as Tampa, New York, Amarillo, Hawaii, Mid-South, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Houston, St. Louis, Nashville, Atlanta, Knoxville, Dallas, Kansas City, Calgary, and Memphis. As "Princess Little Heart", she was awarded the NWA United States Women's Championship in October 1980, before losing to the title to Judy Martin.

After leaving Moolah's group and the WWF in 1985, Childree returned to the NWA and its Tampa territory, this time under the name "Cindy Lou", a young woman who used to be friends with Barry Windham and Kendall Windham while growing up. She had been abducted by Kevin Sullivan, who renamed her "The Lock" (because he kept her under lock and key). As The Lock, she eventually wore a mohawk and wore bizarre clothing and face paint. She joined Sullivan's "Army of Darkness" stable and frequently fought with Sullivan's other valet, Fallen Angel. Eventually Luna Vachon joined the stable and she formed a tag team with The Lock known as "The Daughters of Darkness".