Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) was one of the most influential independent wrestling promotions of the 1990s, playing a key role in shaping the wrestling industry under Paul Heyman’s leadership and launching the careers of stars like Raven, Tommy Dreamer, and Rob Van Dam. Among the notable figures from ECW’s prime was Beulah McGillicutty (real name Trisa Hayes Laughlin), who debuted in 1995 as Barrett. Initially, she accompanied Raven to the ring and became an important part of his rivalry with Dreamer, even taking some of Dreamer’s attacks to emphasize ECW’s reputation for being more extreme than other wrestling promotions.
A few months after her debut, McGillicutty transitioned from a valet role to an active wrestler, though she often only participated sporadically. She gained respect within the wrestling community, notably continuing to perform despite breaking her wrist during a mixed-gender match with Bill Alfonso. By early 1996, she had turned on Raven and joined forces with Dreamer, marking a significant storyline in her wrestling career.
In 1998, at the age of 30, McGillicutty decided to retire from wrestling, returned to school, and later started a family with Tommy Dreamer, to whom she got married in 2002, giving birth to twins. Although she stepped away from full-time wrestling, she made a few appearances alongside Dreamer when WWE revived the ECW brand in the mid-2000s. Since then, she has mostly stayed out of the wrestling scene. In 2012, Laughlin published a children’s book titled “Gertrude The Great,” which tells the story of the bond between two sisters.
Fan Take: Beulah McGillicutty’s journey highlights the human side of wrestling legends and shows how they evolve beyond the ring. For WWE fans, her story is a reminder of ECW’s lasting impact on the industry and how its stars continue to influence wrestling culture even after retirement.
