Donna Christanello (also billed as Donna Christenello and Donna Christianello) was a professional wrestler trained by The Fabulous Moolah.
She was active from the late 1960s through the 1980s. She frequently wrestled women such as Ann Casey, Vicki Williams, Evelyn Stevens and Leilani Kai throughout the 1970s. In 1969, she competed during an Australian tour wrestling with the likes of Toni Rose, Jessica Rodgers, Betty and Rita Boucher, Ramona Isbell, Marva Scott and Everlyn Stevens.
She was the frequent tag-team partner of Toni Rose. She and Rose won the World Women's Tag Team Wrestling Titles in 1970. In 1972, she competed at the Superbowl of Wrestling, where she and Rose defended the time World Women's Tag Team Wrestling Championships against Sandy Parker and Debbie Johnson. They eventually lost the titles in October 1974 to Joyce Grable and Vicki Williams in New York, NY.
There is also an unrecorded title change. Susan Green and Sandy Parker won the World Tag Team title from Christanello and Rose in November of 1971 in Hawaii, and lost them in February of 1972 to Christanello and Rose in Hong Kong.
They defended the titles in the NWA and AWA, and the titles were eventually integrated into the WWF.
During the mid-80's she competed in the WWF's women's division:
May 5, 1984, Philadelphia, PA - Spectrum - Susan Starr & Donna Christianello defeated Wendi Richter & Peggy Lee
June 5, 1984, Utica, NY - Peggy Lee & Donna Christianello defeated the Fabulous Moolah & Desiree Patterson
June 6, 1984, Buffalo, NY - War Memorial Auditorium - The Fabulous Moolah & Desiree Peterson defeated Donna Christianello & Judy Martin
June 9, 1984, Springfield, MA - Civic Center - The Fabulous Moolah & Desieree Peterson defeated Judy Martin & Donna Christianello
June 10, 1984, Englishtown, NJ - The Fabulous Moolah & Desiree Peterson defeated Donna Christanello & Judy Martin
August 19, 1984, Toronto, Ontario - Maple Leaf Gardens - Susan Green defeated Donna Christianello
August 20, 1984, Buffalo, NY - Memorial Auditorium - Susan Starr defeated Donna Christianello
August 21, 1984, Rochester, NY - War Memorial Auditorium - Susan Starr defeated Donna Christianello
August 1984, Erie, PA - Civic Center - Susan Starr defeated Donna Christianello
She wrestled as part of Sensational Sherri's team at the 1987 Survivor Series pay per view in the WWF. As a side note, Christanello (along with Moolah) was one of the people who helped train Sherri Martel how to wrestle.
She is retired from pro wrestling and currently resides in Columbia, South Carolina.
Donna Christianello is considered one of the greatest female wrestlers of her time, along with legends such as the Mildred Burke and The Fabulous Moolah.
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