Sable

"Sable has become self-absorbed, egotistical ... she doesn't care about anyone else. That's so unlike the way I am in real life, but it's a fun character to play. It's nice to play a villain. As a bad person, I can say or do whatever I want."

Trivia

 * Sable has a weakness for doughnuts, one that was exploited by the National Enquirer and turned into a cover story.
 * When Sable has downtime, she likes to relax by watching The Young and the Restless (her favorite soap), listening to Jewel or Shania Twain, taking a bubble bath or doing her favorite athletic activities (kickboxing and rollerblading).
 * Mero used to have a website, renamero.com, where she sold the Ab-Pad stomach-exercise machine. For reasons unbeknownst to Mero, renamero.com was unavailable after Mero's 2003 return to the WWE and is still down today.
 * Back in 2001, Mero had an exclusive advice column, Ask Reno Mero, on CompuServe's celebrity page where she answered questions about love and relationships and fitness.
 * The protagonist of the comic book series 10th Muse is modeled on Rena Mero.
 * In 1999, on a plug on Sci-fi channel, Sable was a 50 foot giantess rampaging through a town.

Quotes
"The new generation of WWE divas can barely wrestle at all. Sure there are a few exceptions. Divas like Beth Phoenix, Victoria and Mickie James walked into the company with good wrestling skills, but for the most part the company hires these models with no wrestling experience, just to serve as little more than pieces of meat."

"Divas should not be chosen based solely on their looks, and I don't believe that a volleyball match or a hula-hoop contest determines any real talent... Former Diva Search winner Ashley has managed to rise above it, but the most recent winner, Layla, is still devoid of any real wrestling skills or even acting skills. Her character is merely an extension of Kelly Kelly."

"The ratings tell you that not only are we putting on a great show, the fans love it... Is it appropriate for everyone? Are we pushing the envelope? Put it this way, a lot of the video games or cartoons the kids are watching are no less violent or sexually-oriented."

"I think that not only men but women are enjoying the fact that women are being presented in a much more -- I don't want to say domineering role -- but definitely a brighter light, stronger role."

"When I was young, I was painfully shy... I started out modelling to break the barrier of pain of appearing in the public eye."

On her popularity: "You don't realize the power that television has... They see someone on television, and they just fall in love with that person."

On her decision to pose for Playboy: "I'm very proud of who I am. I wanted to do this for myself, not so much to show my body off to the world. I had total creative control. I wanted something in sharp contrast to the Sable that's normally portrayed. I wanted something that would be a very soft portrait."

On her decision to get her breasts done: "People are going to say what they want about you to make you look bad. But anything that makes you feel better about yourself should be acceptable."

On how she met her husband: "I was having dinner at a restaurant with friends... And he sent a note over to my table that said, 'do you like me, yes or no, check one.' I sent it back with a maybe. I thought (his note) showed a great sense of humour. We became best friends ... then we married (five years ago)."

1996–1998
Mero made her World Wrestling Federation debut as Sable at WrestleMania XII in March 1996, escorting Hunter Hearst Helmsley to the ring as he took on the returning The Ultimate Warrior. Mero's first major angle as Sable involved her then real-life husband, who debuted at WrestleMania XII as "Wildman" Marc Mero. The storyline started when Marc Mero witnessed Sable being mistreated by Helmsley backstage, so Marc Mero attacked Helmsley and took Sable as his manager. She remained Mero's manager until his injury in 1997. Between 1997 and the time he returned from his injury in 1998, Sable became popular on her own. In her next storyline, a returning Marc Mero (now known as "Marvelous" Marc Mero) became jealous, refused to let Sable get any of the spotlight, and mistreated her. The duo entered into a feud with Luna Vachon and The Artist Formerly Known as Goldust, which climaxed in a match at WrestleMania XIV. Sable delivered a superkick to Goldust and executed a "Sable Bomb", a version of the powerbomb, on Luna. She also delivered a TKO and pinned Luna to finish the match, with the crowd chanting Sable's name in the background. At the following pay-per-view event, Unforgiven, Sable lost to Luna in an Evening Gown match after being distracted by Marc Mero.

After Marc's interference at Unforgiven, Sable came to the ring and challenged Marc to a match. Sable then kicked him in the groin and delivered a Sable Bomb to get revenge. Sable eventually broke away from "Marvelous" Marc Mero, who debuted Jacqueline as his new manager, resulting in a storyline feud between the two women. The two met in a bikini contest in July at Fully Loaded. Sable, only wearing impressions of hands painted on her exposed breasts, won the contest. The next night on Raw however, Vince McMahon disqualified Sable from the previous night's contest since she did not actually wear a bikini, and the match was then awarded to Jacqueline. In response, Sable gave McMahon the double finger. At SummerSlam, Sable and her mystery partner, federation newcomer Edge, defeated Marc Mero and Jacqueline in a mixed tag team match.

Sable and Jacqueline faced off for the newly reinstated WWF Women's Title on the September 21, 1998 edition of Raw. Jacqueline claimed the title after Marc Mero interfered. On November 15, 1998 at Survivor Series, she dropped the title to Sable, who won after powerbombing both Marc and Jacqueline during the match. During this time, Rena had a guest appearance on an episode of the USA Network show Pacific Blue. Sable then briefly entered a storyline where she was forced to play a subservient role to Vince and Shane McMahon, but the storyline was cut short.

Heel turn (1999)
In 1999, as part of a new storyline, Sable was attacked by a masked woman named Spider Lady, who turned out to be Luna. Sable defeated Luna in a Strap match at the Royal Rumble after an assist from a planted female Sable fan, WWF newcomer Tori. Tori's debut signified a change in Sable's persona. After the Rumble, Rena (under her Sable ring name) was featured as the cover girl for the April 1999 issue of Playboy. The issue was one of the highest selling issues of Playboy ever. Surrounding the release of the issue, the Sable character turned heel by "going Hollywood" and having an inflated ego. Rarely defending her title, Sable continually berated her fan Tori, and she feuded with both Tori and Luna Vachon (who had turned face). She debuted a new catch phrase: "This is for all the women who want to be me and all the men who come to see me" and a dance move called "the grind." The feud with Tori led to a match at WrestleMania XV.During the contest, Nicole Bass debuted as Sable's bodyguard and helped Sable win the match.

Sable went on with Bass making Bass do all of her dirty work. Sable continued to hold the championship for almost 6 months, but on May 10, 1999, Debra "won" the Women's Championship from Sable in an Evening Gown match. Normally in an Evening Gown match, the winner is the woman who forcibly removes her opponent's dress, which Sable did. As part of the storyline, WWF Commissioner Shawn Michaels, however, ruled that the woman who had lost her dress was the winner, making Debra the new Women's Champion. Off-screen, Sable was in a dispute with the WWF, which is why she was stripped of the title on-screen.

Post-WWF career (1999–2001)
In June 1999, Rena Mero quit the WWF and filed a $110 million lawsuit against the company, citing allegations of sexual harassment and unsafe working conditions. She claims to have filed the lawsuit after refusing to go topless.[2] During the course of the lawsuit, Vince McMahon counter-sued Rena over control of the stagename "Sable".[16 Mero reduced the amount she was seeking in damages, and they eventually settled out of court in August 1999. Mero used her real name for her appearance in the September 1999 issue of Playboy. She was the first woman in history to be given two Playboy covers in the same year. After her WWF exit, she made an on-camera appearance as an audience member on World Championship Wrestling's Nitro.

During this time, Mero made appearances on The Howard Stern Show and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. She also made appearances on television shows such as Relic Hunter and First Wave and in the films Corky Romano as a female bouncer and Ariana's Quest. She released her autobiography, entitled Undefeated in August 2000. She also released a comic book entitled The 10th Muse starring herself as a superhero. In May 2001, Mero was given an advice column on CompuServe. On November 13 and November 14, 2001, she appeared as the on-camera "CEO" of the newly formed X Wrestling Federation (XWF), but these were her only appearances with the company.

Return to WWE (2003–2004)
Mero returned to the World Wrestling Federation (now known as World Wrestling Entertainment) on the April 3, 2003 episode of SmackDown!, reprising her role as Sable. Sable continued as a heel and spent several months in a storyline with new Playboy covergirl Torrie Wilson]. Sable followed Wilson down to her matches, talked with her backstage, and on one occasion, she left Wilson in a tag match alone to fend for herself. Sable eventually challenged Wilson to a showdown bikini contest at Judgment Day. After Sable got the bigger applause, Wilson removed another layer of clothing, and Special Guest Referee Tazz declared Wilson the winner. After the match, Wilson went up to Sable and kissed her before exiting the ring. Sable then had an altercation with the guest judge Tazz, dumping water on him on the following edition of SmackDown!, as a means of gaining revenge for declaring Wilson the winner.

Sable then feuded with Stephanie McMahon in a storyline where she was Vince McMahon's mistress. Vince appointed Sable as Stephanie's personal assistant against Stephanie's will, sparking the feud between the duo. During the feud, they competed in several catfights, a food fight, a parking lot brawl, and a match where Sable bashed a clipboard over Stephanie's head. At Vengeance, Sable defeated Stephanie after interference by her new ally, A-Train. At SummerSlam, Sable accompanied A-Train in his match against The Undertaker, which he lost. After the match, The Undertaker held Sable so that Stephanie could use a Spear attack on her. After SummerSlam, Vince and Sable focused on getting rid of Stephanie for good, so Vince made an "I Quit" match at No Mercy. In the match, Sable slapped Stephanie and was involved in a scuffle withLinda McMahon. She also handed Vince the lead pipe that he used to choke Stephanie out for the win.

Sable briefly became a face again when she appeared on the cover of Playboy magazine for the third time in her career. On the cover, she appeared with fellow diva Torrie Wilson, making them the first WWE Divas to pose in Playboy together. Surrounding the release of the cover, the duo feuded with Raw divas Stacy Keibler and Miss Jackie, even though all four women were faces at the time. The two teams squared off at WrestleMania XX in an Interpromotional Tag Team Evening Gown match, but the divas started the match in their underwear, making it more of a lingerie match. Sable and Wilson were victorious. The change was rumored to have occurred because Sable had suffered damage to her breast.

Following WrestleMania XX, Sable quickly turned heel again and engaged in another short feud with Torrie Wilson. The feud culminated in a match at The Great American Bash, which Sable won. Sable's final appearance in WWE was on SmackDown! when she, Dawn Marie, and Wilson accompanied Eddie Guerrero to the ring in his lowrider. On August 10, 2004, WWE's official website announced that Mero and WWE had parted ways. Mero claimed that she left the company to spend more time with her family.

Wrestling facts

 * Finishing and signature moves
 * Sable Bomb

Championships and accomplishments

 * World Wrestling Federation
 * WWF World Women's Champion (1 time)

External links and references

 * Rena Mero Lesnar profile at CAGEMATCH.net