Melina Perez

Melina Perez (born March 9, 1979) better known simply as Melina, is a Spanish-American wrestler and manager, currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment working and wrestling on its Raw brand. She is a 3 time WWE Women's Champion and a 1 time Divas Champion making her the third diva to hold both the WWE Divas Championship and WWE Women's Championship.

Trivia

 * To stay in shape, Melina does aerial silk training, which resembles the moves of the members of Cirque de Soleil.
 * One of Melina's favorite female wrestlers is Sensational Sherry, a WWE wrestler and manager who died from a drug overdose in 2006.
 * Melina's most insane encounter with a fan occurred when someone came up to her saying he was a big fan and did a split in front of her.

Quote
"I consider myself to be the truest of the divas because I’m strong, independent and I don’t care what people think. I’m not going to hold myself back and change who I am to please anyone else. I’m proud of who I am. '''"

"I think I can be the whole package. I can do the photo shoots, wrestle, speak on the mike and be a manager. I enjoy being able to do everything and I don't think people want to see someone who's just good at one thing."

"I’m sensual but I’m not going to do things that are blatant sex. I’ll never say never, but at this point I wouldn’t pose nude. I want people to see me for my abilities and talents. When I do have a man, that will be the only person that I want to see me nude. That’s my gift to him."

"I am so excited about the future. We have so much potential and talent, as well as lots of different styles and looks. I love to see that variety – we can’t have all cookie cutter cutesy little girls."

"I want to be known as someone who can do more than just walk a runway. I want to be someone who contributes in any way I can"

"I got into wrestling for wrestling. I didn't know anything about being a manager. The male managers, I could see their purpose, but the female managers, I thought they were just there for their looks. I can see now what a manager can contribute and I can do so much as a manager."

"When I first got hired, it was with a bunch of models, so they automatically labelled me as one of the ‘Playboy girls’ and I was never taken seriously. I got to experience what that feels like so I never want to be treated like that or treat other people like that. I’m not going to blame anyone for entering a Diva Search contest to get into the WWE – I would have done it!"

"I busted my butt to be where I am today. You wonder why I'm such a bitch? I have dumb broads bitching about me using a finisher, because they can't come up with anything else. I have to cater to people who have never struggled a day the way I have — to be where I am right now."

"I was always told I was too short, too fat, too small, too ugly or not good enough. People would tell me every negative comment under the moon, and that I would never make it. I kept going. I knew in my heart that I could make it, and that I was meant for this. My love for wrestling and my determination got me through all the crap I had to endure."

On what it's like to see herself as a video game character: "It’s funny. Even my action figures are crazy to see because I still see myself as a normal person, a fan of wrestling, and to see all these things is just so weird but so cool. When I hear little kids say that they play as my character, it’s so weird. When I see me doing moves in the video games, I think 'That’s sweet! I look sweet!'"

On the wedgie inducing WWE outfits: "Sometimes you’ll get a match with someone who keeps pulling at it, and you’re like “Dude! Just stop! Leave it alone!” You don’t have a choice, you just have to work with it. I’m not going to stop in the middle of hitting somebody and be like 'Oh, I have to be comfortable.' I get hit in the face all the time, I’m always uncomfortable."

On what people would be surprised to learn about WWE wrestlers: "That we’re not always angry! We’re not always like that. We are normal people. So, many of us are friends outside of the ring."

Early career
Perez began her career as a model. She won a Miss California beauty contest and also modeled athletic wear for Nike. She decided to become a professional wrestler after talking to Empire Wrestling Federation (EWF) superstar Mike Henderson in 2000. Perez started training at Jesse Hernandez's School of Hard Knocks in San Bernardino, California and made her professional debut in April 2002. She joined a number of California-based promotions such as the EWF, where she wrestled under the ring name Kyra, and CRUSH, as Melanie Little Deer. Many EWF officials stated that she had the most natural ability of any woman who came through their school. In late 2002 Perez auditioned for World Wrestling Entertainment's reality show Tough Enough III, making it through to the final 21 before being eliminated from the competition in the final cut of the first episode. After she was eliminated from the contest, trainer Al Snow pulled Perez aside and encouraged her to keep trying to pursue her dream as a wrestler.

World Wrestling Entertainment
Perez debuted in WWE's developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) in March 2004, being placed in an angle as John Hennigan's ex-girlfriend. The storyline had Matt Cappotelli introduce her to the ring as a way to taunt Hennigan. Melina, however, turned on Cappotelli and aligned herself with Hennigan, who later changed his ring name to Johnny Nitro. Soon after, Melina and Nitro began teaming with Joey Matthews, later known as Joey Mercury. The trio became known as MNM and on November 10, Melina managed Mercury and Nitro to win the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship. During her time in OVW, Melina, Nitro, and Steven Adkins came up with Melina's trademark split ring entrance.

While in OVW, Melina made occasional appearances on WWE television. On a Thanksgiving episode of SmackDown! in 2003, she dressed up as a Native American and was shown serving food and drinks. 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. She made another Raw appearance in December, participating in a limbo contest when Chris Jericho was General Manager for the night.

2005-2006
MNM made their debut in WWE as a heel tag team on the April 14, 2005 edition of SmackDown!. 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. 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 was booked to win the match against Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero, starting their first WWE Tag Team Title reign.

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". 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. 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. MNM regained the title on October 28 in a Fatal Four-Way tag team match. On the Eddie Guerrero Tribute Show Melina won an interpromotional Divas battle royal by eliminating Women's Champion Trish Stratus. The next week, MNM kayfabe kidnapped Stratus and Melina challenged her to a match for the Women's Championship. The two fought at Survivor Series, with Melina losing to Stratus after interference from Mickie James.

During this time, MNM was booked to defend their title against Rey Mysterio and the World Heavyweight Champion Batista. Melina was placed in an angle with her trying 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. The storyline played over to the next episode of SmackDown! when, before MNM evoked 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. The angle 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.

At Judgment Day on May 21, 2006, MNM were booked to lose their Tag Team Championship to Paul London and Brian Kendrick. After the match, Melina and Nitro, as part of the storyline, attacked Mercury, blaming him for the loss. Later that night, Melina lost a singles match against Jillian Hall and after slapping General Manager Theodore Long in anger, she and Nitro were kayfabe fired from the SmackDown! brand. Off-screen, Nitro and Mercury did not get along, and WWE management decided to split the tag team and send Nitro and Melina to the Raw brand. Melina and Nitro made their way to Raw on May 29, with Nitro losing to WWE Champion John Cena. The following week, Melina faked a sprained ankle, allowing Nitro to roll-up Charlie Haas for his first Raw victory. Melina continued to manage Nitro during his successful hunt for the WWE Intercontinental Championship, while being involved in another storyline with Trish Stratus. The angle turned into a tag team feud when Carlito joined forces with Stratus to take on Melina and Nitro. At Saturday Night's Main Event on July 15, Melina and Nitro lost to Carlito and Stratus in a mixed tag team match.

After Melina's arrival on Raw, Mick Foley began to mention her in promos, playing on their real friendship mentioned in his WWE.com columns, and they soon formed an on-screen friendship. 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. 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 Vince threatened Melina's. 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 kayfabe firing him at the behest of McMahon. This storyline was concocted by Foley to refresh the idea of the Kiss My Ass club. 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".

2007-2008
On January 29, 2007, Melina became the number 1 contender for the WWE Women's Championship, and introduced her finisher from the independent circuit, the Kyrapractor, to WWE under the new name California Dream. On February 5, Melina lost a title match against Mickie James. The following week on Raw, Melina pinned James in a mixed tag team match and then challenged James again for the title. On February 19, as part of her first major singles push, Melina successfully pinned James, making her the only former Tough Enough contestant to have won 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.

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. The angle had Melina claim in her blogs that no Playboy cover models were capable of fighting her. This resulted in scheduled matches against former Playboy cover girls Torrie Wilson and Candice Michelle, with both women losing to Melina. The storyline came to a close at WrestleMania 23, where Melina pinned Ashley in a Lumberjill match to retain her Women's Championship. 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. 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.

On May 7, Melina was defeated in a tag team match when she was pinned by Candice Michelle. Melina was scripted to lose to Candice in various tag team matches, as well as in non-title bouts over the next few weeks. At Vengeance, Melina dropped the Women's Championship to Candice, and failed to recapture the title at The Great American Bash.

Melina, along with then ally Beth Phoenix, defeated Maria and Ashley at WrestleMania XXIV. After Phoenix lost the Women's Championship to Mickie James, she began a feud with James after Perez accidentally hit Phoenix with her boot in a lumberjill match against James. 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 face for the first time in her WWE career. At One Night Stand, Melina competed in a losing effort against Phoenix in the first ever Women's "I Quit" match. On June 23, 2008, Perez injured her ankle after falling from the turnbuckles during a tag team match with Mickie James against Natalya and Victoria.

Perez made her in-ring return, ahead of schedule, at the November 13 Florida Championship Wrestling television taping, teaming with Gabe Tuft to defeat Jack Gabriel and Alicia Fox in a mixed tag team match. Perez returned to WWE television on the November 24 edition of Raw as a face, teaming with former rivals Mickie James and Candice Michelle to defeat Phoenix, Jillian, and Katie Lea Burchill, when Perez pinned Burchill. She then made her in-ring singles return against Jillian the following week, and defeated her with her new Last Call finisher. After the match however, Melina had stated her intentions to take the WWE Women's Championship away from Beth Phoenix.

On December 29, 2008, Melina won a six-woman battle royal, to become the #1 Contender to the WWE Women's Championship. Straight after the match, Melina and Beth Phoenix engaged in a confrontation where a fan named Rosa Mendes pushed Melina. The securities stopped Mendes and she was forced to leave.

2009
On the January 5 edition of Raw, Mendes appeared again and appeared unhappy that Melina won over Beth Phoenix. As a result, the two started fighting. Security had to separate them both and, once again, Mendes was forced to leave. Melina was not finished, though; she insisted on continuing the personal grudge, and security had to separate them once again. She won the Women's Title at Royal Rumble after defeating Beth Phoenix. At Wrestlemania XXV she competed in the Miss Wrestlemania Battle Royal to determine the first Miss Wrestlemania but was eliminated by Beth Phoenix and Santino's "Twin sister" Santina Marella who also eliminated Beth Phoenix, which Marella won. At the 2009 WWE Draft Melina was drafted to Smackdown and also took the Women's Title with her making the Women's Title Smackdown property. She would then feud with Michelle McCool, where she would lose her Women's Title to McCool at The Bash making McCool the first WWE Diva to hold the Diva's and Women's Title. She had her rematch clause at Night of Champions but again lost. She was then traded to Raw as a result of a Tri-Branded Diva Trade by Guest Host Nancy O'Dell, and right after was given a title match against then champion, Jillian Hall, and defeated her to become the new Divas Champion.

2010 (Injury)
Due to a torn left anterior cruciate ligament during a match on the airing of December 29, 2009, she will be out of action for six months and was forced to vacate her Diva's Championship on January 4, 2010. A tournament is being held to determine a new champion. The Divas Title would eventually be won by Maryse.

Wrestling facts

 * Finishing and signature moves
 * California Dream - Kyra Lock (Muta Lock) Wna8og5ve9t95gea.jpg
 * Extreme Makeover - Kyra Buster (Springboard, diving, or a charging 180º spinning facebuster)
 * Primal Scream (Inverted leg drop bulldog into a split–legged pin)
 * LA Sunset / Last Call (Leg trap sunset flip powerbomb)
 * Axe Kick Scissors {a head scissors into a axe kick}


 * Nicknames
 * The Red Carpet Diva 
 * The A-List Diva
 * The Paparazzi Princess

Tag teams and stables
 * MNM


 * Managers
 * Jillian Hall (WWE) (2005)


 * Wrestlers managed
 * Joey Mercury (OVW, WWE) (2004-2007)
 * Johnny Nitro (OVW, WWE) (2004-2007)
 * Mark Henry (WWE) (2005-2006)
 * Mick Foley (WWE RAW) (2004- 2005)

Championships and accomplishments

 * World Wrestling Entertainment
 * WWE Women's Champion (3 times)
 * WWE Divas Championship (1 time)

External lnkinks

 * Melina profile at WWE.com
 * Melina Perez profile at CAGEMATCH.net