Melina Nava Perez[7] (born March 9, 1979) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE wrestling on its Raw brand under the ring name Melina.
Perez joined the independent professional wrestling circuit in 2004 and WWE later that year. Initially, she was a manager for the tag team MNM. She managed them to three reigns as WWE Tag Team Champions,[8] as well as Johnny Nitro to two reigns as WWE Intercontinental Champion.[9][10] Perez made her WWE singles debut in 2005 and is a three-time WWE Women's Champion, winning the belt twice in 2007 and once in 2009.[11] She also captured the WWE Divas Championship on two occasions in 2009 and 2010, making her a five-time champion overall. As a WWE Diva, Melina is known for her unique ring entrance, which involves jumping up and landing into a splits position on the ring's apron before sliding into the ring underneath the bottom rope.[12]
Professional wrestling career
Early career
Perez began her career as a model; she won a Miss California beauty contest and also modeled athletic wear for Nike.[10] She decided to become a professional wrestler after talking to Empire Wrestling Federation (EWF) wrestler Mike Henderson in 2000.[4][13] She started training at Jesse Hernandez's School of Hard Knocks in San Bernardino, California and made her professional debut in April 2002.[6] Many EWF officials stated that she had the most natural ability of any woman who came through their school.[14] In late 2002, Perez auditioned for World Wrestling Entertainment's reality show Tough Enough III, making it through to the final twenty-one before being eliminated from the competition in the final cut of the first episode.[1][14][15][16] After she was eliminated from the contest, trainer Al Snow pulled her aside and encouraged her to keep trying to pursue her dream as a wrestler.[17]
World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE (2004–present)
Ohio Valley Wrestling and Raw Debut (2004)
Perez debuted in WWE's developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) in March 2004, being placed in a storyline as John Hennigan's ex-girlfriend. The storyline had Matt Cappotelli introduce her to the ring as a way to taunt Hennigan.[2] Melina, however, turned on Cappotelli and aligned herself with Hennigan, who later changed his ring name to Johnny Nitro.[2] Soon after, the duo began teaming with Joey Matthews, later known as Joey Mercury.[2] The trio became known as MNM and on November 10, Melina managed Mercury and Nitro to win the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship.[18] During her time in OVW, Melina, Nitro, and Steven Adkins came up with Melina's trademark split ring entrance.[19]
Melina made her first Raw appearance on November 29, 2004, when Randy Orton was the guest General Manager and hosted a Diva lingerie fashion show.[20] She made another Raw appearance in December, participating in a limbo contest when Chris Jericho was General Manager for the night.[21]
Debut and MNM (2005–2006)
Main article: MNM
MNM made their debut in WWE as a villainous tag team on the April 14, 2005, edition of SmackDown!.[22] The team interrupted the first ever Carlito's Cabana interview segment, where one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions, Rey Mysterio, was a guest.[22] Melina insulted Mysterio and had Mercury and Nitro attack him, leading to MNM's in-ring debut the next week on SmackDown! in a title match. The team won the match against Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero, starting their first WWE Tag Team Title reign.[23]
Melina (center) managing MNM in 2006
While managing the Tag Team Champions, Melina's character was developed to be more egotistical as she declared herself "the most-dominant Diva in WWE."[1] She made her official WWE in-ring debut on June 30 against Michelle McCool and had her first pay-per-view match (a Bra and Panties match) at The Great American Bash against Torrie Wilson, winning both matches.[24][25] Also at The Great American Bash, MNM dropped their championship to the Legion of Doom, prompting a new storyline where Melina hired Jillian Hall, a "fixer", to assist them.[25][26] MNM regained the title on October 28 in a Fatal Four-Way tag team match.[27] On the Eddie Guerrero Tribute Show Melina won an interpromotional Divas battle royal by eliminating Women's Champion Trish Stratus.[28] The next week, as a part of the new storyline, MNM kidnapped Stratus, and Melina challenged her to a match for the Women's Championship.[29] The two fought at Survivor Series, with Melina losing to Stratus.[30]
Melina as the WWE Women's Champion.
During this time, MNM defended their title against Rey Mysterio and the World Heavyweight Champion Batista. Melina was placed in a storyline where she tried to make Batista call off the match by visiting him in his locker room and attempting to seduce him. The storyline had the two engage in sexual acts, after which he simply thanked her for the "warm-up" before leaving to take part in the match, where he and Mysterio defeated MNM for the title.[31] The storyline played over to the next episode of SmackDown! when, before MNM invoked their rematch clause, Melina held a press conference in the ring where she claimed that Batista had sexually harassed her. During the tag team match, Mark Henry aided MNM in winning back the WWE Tag Team Championship.[32] The storyline with Henry continued into the next year. On the first SmackDown! of 2006, Melina announced that Henry was her personal protection against Batista. He accompanied her and aided the other members of MNM in matches against Batista and Mysterio.[33]
At Judgment Day on May 21, 2006, MNM lost their Tag Team Championship to Paul London and Brian Kendrick.[34] After the match, Melina and Nitro, as part of the storyline, attacked Mercury, blaming him for the loss.[34] Later that night, Melina lost a singles match against Jillian Hall and after slapping General Manager Theodore Long in anger, she and Nitro were fired from the SmackDown! brand.[35] The team was broken up because off-screen, Nitro and Mercury did not get along, and WWE management decided to send Nitro and Melina to the Raw brand.[36] Melina and Nitro made their way to Raw on May 29, with Nitro losing to WWE Champion John Cena.[37] Melina continued to manage Nitro during his successful hunt for the WWE Intercontinental Championship, while being romantically involved with Mike Knox, and in another storyline with Trish Stratus.[38][39] The storyline turned into a tag team feud when Carlito joined forces with Stratus after carlito saved her from the attacks of melina and nitro.[40] At Saturday Night's Main Event on July 15, Melina and Nitro lost to Carlito and Stratus in a mixed tag team match.[41]
Singles competition and Women's Champion (2006–2007)
After Melina's arrival on Raw, Mick Foley began to mention her in promos and on his WWE.com columns, playing on their real-life friendship, and they soon formed an on-screen friendship, as well.[42][43] At SummerSlam, Melina was involved in Foley's "I Quit" match against Ric Flair when Flair threatened to hit her with a barbed wire baseball bat, causing Foley to quit the match to save her.[44] The next night on Raw, the storyline had Vince McMahon order Foley to join the Kiss My Ass club. Foley did not care about saving his own career, but joined after McMahon threatened Melina's job.[45] After begging Foley not to go through with it, Foley "joined the club" to save Melina's job, only to have her suddenly turn on him by delivering a low blow and firing him at the behest of McMahon.[45] This storyline was concocted by Foley to refresh the idea of the Kiss My Ass club.[45][46] It was also around this time that Melina added another characteristic to her gimmick: screaming loudly at ringside while managing or in tag team action, which became known as the "primal scream.".[47]
On January 29, 2007, Melina became the number one contender for the WWE Women's Championship,after the match melina attacked mickie james in the locker room. on February 5, melina faced james for the title but she lost the match against Mickie James.[48] The following week on Raw, Melina pinned James in a mixed tag team match and then challenged James again for the title.[49] On February 19, as part of her first major singles push, Melina successfully pinned James to win the WWE Women's Championship. She then retained the title in a rematch during the first ever Women's Falls Count Anywhere match in WWE history.[50][51]
In March, Melina was placed in an angle where she became jealous of SmackDown! Diva Ashley Massaro, who was receiving attention because of her appearance in Playboy.[52] The angle had Melina claim in her blogs that no Playboy cover models were capable of fighting her.[53] This resulted in scheduled matches against former Playboy cover girls Torrie Wilson and Candice Michelle, with both women losing to Melina.[54][55] The storyline came to a close at WrestleMania 23, where Melina pinned Ashley in a Lumberjill match to retain her Women's Championship.[56] After WrestleMania, Melina organized a photo op with the Women's Title belt in the ring but was interrupted by Mickie James, resulting in another storyline feud between the two Divas.[57] On April 24, at a house show in Paris, France, Melina lost the Women's Championship in a Triple Threat match to James when James pinned Victoria, but on the orders of Jonathan Coachman she was entitled to a rematch on the same night, where she pinned James by putting her hands on the ropes to regain the title and become a two-time WWE Women's Champion.[58]
On May 7, Melina was defeated in a tag team match when she was pinned by Candice Michelle.[59] Melina continued to lose to Candice in various tag team matches, as well as in non-title bouts over the next few weeks.[60][61][62] At Vengeance, Melina dropped the Women's Championship to Candice and failed to recapture the title at The Great American Bash.[63][64]
Melina's splits entrance.
Face Turn and Feud with Beth Phoenix (2008)
Melina, along with then-ally Beth Phoenix, defeated Maria and Ashley at WrestleMania XXIV.[65] After Phoenix lost the Women's Championship to Mickie James, she began a feud with Melina who had accidentally hit her with her boot in a lumberjill match against James.[66] The following week on Raw, Phoenix walked out on Melina during a tag match against James and Maria when Melina accidentally bumped Phoenix off the apron. Melina was then attacked by Phoenix during a backstage segment following the match, leading to her turning into a fan favorite for the first time in her WWE career.[67] At One Night Stand, Melina competed in a losing effort against Phoenix in the first ever Women's "I Quit" match.[68] On June 23, 2008, Perez injured her heel after falling from the turnbuckles during a tag team match with Mickie James against Natalya and Victoria.[69]
Perez returned to WWE television on the November 24 edition of Raw, teaming with former rivals Mickie James and Candice Michelle to defeat Phoenix, Jillian Hall, and Katie Lea Burchill, when Pérez pinned Burchill after pinning her with sunset split.[70] She then made her in-ring singles return by defeating Hall the following week with a new finishing move called "last call". After the match however, Melina had stated her intentions to take the WWE Women's Championship away from Beth Phoenix.[71] On December 29, 2008, Melina won a six-woman battle royal, to become the number one contender to the Women's Championship. After the match, Melina and Phoenix engaged in a confrontation over a fan of Phoenix's named Rosa Mendes, who had pushed Melina.[72] On January 25, 2009, Melina won her third WWE Women's Championship at the Royal Rumble by defeating Phoenix by countring beth's "glam slam"into a roll up pin.[73]
Brand switches and Divas Champion (2009–2010)
On April 13, 2009 episode of Raw, Melina was drafted back to SmackDown as a part of the 2009 WWE Draft, thus making the WWE Women's Championship exclusive to the brand.[74] She began a feud with Michelle McCool, who was named as the No. 1 contender to the title.[75] McCool attacked Melina after her victory over Alicia Fox on the June 19 episode of SmackDown.[76] Melina lost her Women's Championship to McCool at The Bash after interference from alicia fox and failed to regain it at Night of Champions.[77][78] She then pinned michelle in singles and tag team matches thus earning a shot at the Women's Championship against McCool, but lost after Beth Phoenix interfered.
Melina as WWE Divas Champion.
On October 12, Melina was traded back to the Raw brand in a tri-branded trade that was announced by the night's guest host Nancy O'Dell of Access Hollywood and went on to win the WWE Divas Championship from the new Divas Champion Jillian Hall, who had won the belt from Mickie James only a few minutes earlier.[79] After defending the Championship in Hall's contractual rematch, Melina went on to feud with new number one contender Alicia Fox, again successfully retaining her title.[80] On December 29, at a WWE live event at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire, Melina tore her ACL during a six-woman tag team match; she relinquished the Divas Championship on January 4 due to her injury.
She made her return on the August 2 edition of Raw, attacking WWE Divas Champion Alicia Fox after a six-woman tag team match in which she, Jillian Hall, and Tamina defeated Eve Torres, Gail Kim, and Natalya.[81] At SummerSlam, Melina defeated Fox to capture the WWE Divas Championship for the second time in her career. After the match she was attacked by Michelle McCool and WWE Women's Champion Layla.[82] At the 900th episode of Raw, after winning a match, she was challenged by either Layla or McCool to a match at Night of Champions, to unify the WWE Women's and WWE Divas Championships. At Night of Champions, Melina lost the Divas Championship to McCool after she was attacked by Layla during the match.
Heel turn; Feud with Gail Kim (2010–present)
On the December 20th editon of Raw, Melina became the number one contender for the WWE Divas Championship and turned heel in the process when she slapped Natalya who had attempted to congratulate her following her victory.[83] When the two fought for the WWE Divas Championship on January 24 on Raw, Melina was defeated.[84] Following her failure to capture the championship, she mainly appeared on WWE Superstars. Melina made her return to RAW on May 23, 2011 where she teamed up with Brie and Nikki Bella, and Maryse against Kelly Kelly,Beth Phoenix, Gail Kim and Eve Torres, however, the match ended in no-contest following an interruption from Kharma.[85] On June 9 edition of WWE Superstars, she teamed up with Maryse to defeat Gail Kim and Eve Torres.[86] On the June 13 All-Star edition of Raw, Melina lost a 7 on 7 divas tag team match teaming with The Bella Twins, Rosa Mendes, Alicia Fox, Maryse and Tamina in a losing effort to Kelly Kelly, Beth Phoenix, Gail Kim, Eve Torres, Natalya, A.J and Kaitlyn. On June 23, edition of WWE superstars, Melina lost against Gail Kim in a singles match whereshe was calling her a bad friend.[87]
Personal life
Perez is of Mexican heritage.[5] She can speak English and Spanish .[10][37]
She was in a long term relationship with John Hennigan, previously known as Johnny Nitro and now as John Morrison, whom she managed on-screen.[10][37] After their break up, Perez was in a short-term relationship with wrestler Dave Batista, who claims that the duo began their relationship after his divorce from his wife.[88][89] Perez and Hennigan later began dating again.[90]
On April 13, 2008, she appeared in an episode of Celebrity Fit Club Boot Camp along with Mickie James, Layla, and Kelly Kelly.[91]
On June 23, 2011, Melina appeared in an episode of Zack Ryder's Youtube series, Z!, True Long Island Story.
In wrestling
Melina in 2009
- Finishing moves
- California Dream[4] / Kyrapractor[3] (Inverted STF) - 2007–present
- Extreme Makeover[2] (Springboard, diving, or a charging 180º spinning facebuster)[2] - 2005–present, sometimes used as a signature move
- Primal Scream / Sunset Split [92][93][94] (Inverted leg drop bulldog into a split–legged pin, usually preceded by a scream)- 2007–present
- Last Call[95] (Leg trap sunset flip powerbomb)- 2008–present
- Signature moves
- Paparazzi Line (Snapmare driver)[82]
- Matrix evasion [96]
- Bow and arrow stretch[2]
- split–legged Arm drag
- Body scissors[2]
- Divastator[2][3] (Multiple kicking combinations)[4]
- Diving double knee drop to an opponent trapped horizontally in the turnbuckles[2]
- Kranium Buster (Flipping neckbreaker)[2][3][4]
- Holding calf kick
- Lariat[2]
- Split-legged big boot
- Wrestlers managed
- Johnny Nitro
- Joey Mercury
- Mark Henry
- Mick Foley
- Entrance themes
- "Paparazzi" by Jim Johnston (WWE;2005-Present)
Biography
Biography
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