"[5][6] Johnson started her training after her sister Babs Wingo, the first African-American woman to desegregate professional wrestling, in the 1950s, signing with the promoter Billy Wolfe.

[4] By 1954, Johnson and Wingo received top billing alongside Gorgeous George, after drawing 9,000 fans at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri.

[4] While touring Latin America, Johnson worked under the name Rita Valdez.

Johnson was known for her athleticism, being one of the first female wrestlers to perform a standing dropkick in her matches, as well as including a variation of the flying headscissors[1][2] During her time in wrestling, Johnson faced popular wrestlers at the time such as June Byers and Penny Banner, and even challenging Mildred Burke for her NWA World Women's Championship.

[6] Johnson died of heart disease on September 14, 2018, in Columbus, Ohio.