Sherri Martel
A fierce and charismatic villain in the ring, she shaped the spectacle of wrestling as a manager who could steal any show.
1958–2007 (age 49)·American professional wrestler and manager·Birthday: February 8·Baby Boomers
Biography
Sherri Martel didn't just enter the world of professional wrestling; she seized it by the throat. Born Sherry Schrull in 1958, she trained under the Fabulous Moolah and quickly proved she was more than a valet. As 'Sensational Sherri,' her in-ring prowess was formidable, but her true genius emerged as a manager. With a voice that could shatter glass and a presence that commanded every camera, she became the perfect foil for legends like Randy Savage and Shawn Michaels, elevating their stories with her unmatched intensity. Her career arc, from AWA Women's Champion to the Queen of WWF and WCW managerial royalty, demonstrated a rare versatility. Martel's legacy is that of a performer who understood the theater of wrestling as well as its athleticism, leaving an indelible mark on the industry's attitude era before her death in 2007.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Sherri was born in 1958, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Sherri Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Sherri's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2007Died at 49
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
Key Achievements
- Won the AWA World Women's Championship in 1985, holding it for over a year.
- Served as the manager for WWF Champion Randy 'Macho Man' Savage during a major storyline in the late 1980s.
- Inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2006.
- Managed multiple WWF and WCW champions, including Shawn Michaels and Harlem Heat.
Did You Know?
She was the first woman to be featured on the cover of Pro Wrestling Illustrated magazine.
She provided the singing voice for Shawn Michaels's 'Sexy Boy' entrance theme during his early use of the song.
She began her wrestling career after answering a newspaper ad placed by the Fabulous Moolah.
“I'm not just a pretty face; I'm the best woman in this business.”
