I knew Lillian for 46 years. She was like my adopted mother, and I can tell you that she was a very, very nice lady. She always treated everybody nice. She loved people and she loved kids. She was so loving and caring. -- Katie Glass

Katie Glass is better known to sports-entertainment fans as Diamond Lil, a popular female wrestler who got her start in the early 1960s, thanks to Fabulous Moolah.

Glass was just a teenager when she first met Moolah. While at a wrestling event in 1961 in Richmond, Va., Glass was mesmerized by Moolah's in-ring prowess. After the event, Glass had the opportunity to speak with Moolah about becoming a professional wrestler. So impressed with what she learned in just one conversation, Glass bought a bus ticket the next day and headed down to the Carolinas to train with the future WWE Hall of Famer. She has been down there ever since.

According to Glass, Moolah was like a mother to her. But before accepting her as a daughter, Moolah forced Glass to make some changes.

"When Lillian picked me up from the bus station, I asked her if I could call her Ma," recalls Glass. "She said ‘no' right away. She said no daughter of hers would ever smoke, while pointing to my cigarette. I rolled down the window and threw the whole pack of cigarettes out. The rest is history."

After some intense training, Glass went on to debut as Diamond Lil, a name that was given to her by Moolah. With her wrestling career now behind her, Glass credits much of who she is today to the woman that helped launch her career -- Fabulous Moolah.

Fabulous Moolah photos