Melina Perez
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| Melina Perez | |
|---|---|
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| Statistics | |
| Ring name(s) | Melina Kyra Melanie Little Deer |
| Billed height | 5 ft 5 in |
| Billed weight | 125 lb |
| Born | March 9, 1979 Los Angeles, California |
| Trained by | Jesse Hernandez Lance Storm Dave Finlay |
| Debut | 2001 |
Melina Perez (born March 9, 1979 in Los Angeles, California) better known simply as Melina, is an American professional wrestler and manager, currently working for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) on its RAW brand.
Melina is known for her ring entrance, which is a display of her flexibility. Standing beside the ring, she lifts her right leg onto the apron, then lifts her left leg, performing the splits, and then bends her upper body under the bottom rope. Michael Cole and Tazz were quick to label this "the greatest ring entrance in the history of sports entertainment." Melina would go on to add a high-pitched scream during matches when cheering on her team, which has been labeled the "primal scream."
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[edit] Career
Prior to her professional wrestling career, Perez was a fashion model. In 2001, after talking to Mike Henderson, She decided to become a professional wrestler and enrolled in Jesse Hernandez's School of Hard Knocks to train. Perez's pro-wrestling debut came in 2002 on a tour of the independent wrestling scene. She joined a number of California-based promotions, such as the Empire Wrestling Federation (EWF) and WWE's reality program Tough Enough 3.
Perez debuted in the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) "farm territory" Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) in March 2004 when Matt Cappotelli (kayfabe) brought her in as a way to taunt her ex-boyfriend Johnny Nitro. Melina, however, turned on Cappotelli and aligned herself with Nitro. Soon after, Nitro began teaming with Joey Matthews, later known as Joey Mercury. On November 10 the trio, now known as MNM, won the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship.
[edit] RAW Diva
Melina appeareared on RAW for the first time after Randy Orton "hired" her as a new diva during his night as general manager after Survivor Series. She competed in a lingerie fashion show with other divas that same night. She disappeared after that night only to return on Smackdown!.
[edit] SmackDown! Diva
MNM debuted on Friday Night SmackDown! on the April 14, 2005 edition of the show. The team debuted by interrupting the first ever "Carlito's Cabana" interview segment, on which 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 being a title match on the next weeks SmackDown!. Melina lead the team to victory over Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero, beginning MNM's first title reign.
While managing the tag-team champions, Melina feuded with and attacked many of her fellow Divas, proclaiming herself to be "the most dominant diva in WWE". Her WWE in ring debut was a victory against Michelle McCool on an episode of SmackDown!, and her first pay-per-view match, also a victory, was a Bra and Panties match against Torrie Wilson at the Great American Bash. Also at the Bash, MNM lost their championship, prompting Melina to bring in Jillian Hall, a "fixer" to assist Melina in feuds with the other WWE Divas. Around October 2005, Melina went on to feud with Christy Hemme. MNM were defeated by LOD & Christy Hemme after Christy nailed Melina with the Doomsday Device.
MNM regained the WWE Tag Team Championship on the October 28, 2005 edition of SmackDown!. On the Eddie Guerrero Tribute edition of RAW, Melina won an interpromotional Divas battle royal, last eliminating RAW's Women's Champion Trish Stratus. This match lead to an interpromotional feud with SmackDown!'s Melina getting a shot at the Women's Championship at Survivor Series in a match that would be proclaimed the "The Divas Match of the Year" by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Although Melina was very physical in this match, blocking two Stratusfaction attempts, and a Chick Kick before hitting her own spinning kneel-out facebuster, Melina's first WWE Women's Title match ended in her first singles WWE loss, due to a timely interference from Mickie James.
During this time MNM was set to defend their Tag Titles at Armageddon in a match against The Mexicools, but before the event would first have to defend the titles against the team of Rey Mysterio and the World Heavyweight Champion Batista. In an attempt to get Batista to call off the match Melina visited Batista in his locker room and seductively suggested that it would be "worth his while" to skip the match and allow MNM time to prepare for their match at Armageddon. Batista, who seemed very receptive to the idea, allowed Melina to (kayfabe) engage in sexual acts only to simply thank Melina for the "warmup" before leaving to take part in the match, where he and Mysterio won the tag titles.
After 'Armageddon; on the last SmackDown! of 2005, MNM envoked their rematch clause for a match against Batista and Rey Mysterio. However, before the match took place, Melina, accompanied by a lawyer, held a press conference in the ring where she claimed that Batista had sexually harassed her. During the tag team match, Mark Henry (making his WWE return) aided MNM in winning back their WWE Tag Team Champions.
On the first SmackDown! of 2006, Melina announced that Mark Henry was there for her personal protection against Batista. Henry accompanied Melina and aided the other members of MNM in matches involving Batista and his tag team partner, Mysterio. MNM and Henry feuded with Kurt Angle and were soon joined by Daivari, whom Melina later gave Henry's contract to.
On the April 28, 2006 edition of SmackDown!, Melina began a feud with Jillian Hall after getting into a catfight backstage. This led to a match between the two at Judgment Day. At Judgment Day MNM lost their WWE Tag Team Championship to Paul London and Brian Kendrick and the trio imploded, with Melina and Nitro attacking Mercury, blaming him for the loss. Later that night, Melina lost her match with Hall by a controversial decision and, after slapping General Manager Theodore Long in anger, she and Johnny Nitro were (kayfabe) fired from SmackDown!.
[edit] Return to RAW
Melina and Johnny Nitro made their way to the RAW brand from their, debuting together on May 29, 2006, with a Nitro loss to WWE Champion John Cena. The following week, Melina faked a sprained ankle, allowing Nitro to roll up Charlie Haas for his first RAW win. Melina continued to manage Nitro during his successful hunt for the WWE Intercontinental Championship, while rekindling her feud with Trish Stratus — including a pinfall win over her in a singles bout on RAW. During this feud, Melina was billed as having a more aggressive mat style. [1]
With her arrival on RAW, came Mick Foley making mentions of her in promos (playing on the (real) friendship they'd forged and he'd talked about in his WWE.com columns) and they soon formed an on-screen friendship. At Summerslam, Melina caused Foley to lose an "I Quit" match when Flair was going to hit Melina with a barbed wired bat and Foley "quit" to prevent Flair's striking her. On the August 21, 2006 edition of RAW, her career was (kayfabe) endangered when Foley was offered the chance to either join Vince McMahon's 'Kiss My Ass club" or have Melina fired. 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, delivering a low blow and, "firing" him at the behest of McMahon.
Melina then became involved in the developing feud between Jeff Hardy and Johnny Nitro over Nitro's Intercontinental title. At the same time she entered a tournament to crown a new Women's Champion, defeating Torrie Wilson in the opening round in a lumberjack match on the October 9, 2006 edition of RAW before losing to Mickie James in the Semi-Finals two weeks later.
Melina, along with fellow heel diva Victoria, interfered in Mickie James and Lita's Match on Cyber Sunday, giving Lita the chance to perform the Lita-DDT on James and pick up the win.
On the November 27, 2006 edition of RAW, Melina participated in a #1 Contender's Battle Royal, along with Victoria, Torrie Wilson, Candice Michelle, and Maria for Mickie James' championship. Melina showed great spunk as she took the upper hand against Maria and Torrie Wilson. However, she was blind-sided by Victoria, who clotheslined and eliminated Melina as she was about to clothesline Torrie as was Victoria's request.
[edit] Personal life
Melina is currently dating WWE Superstar Johnny Nitro.
She also has one sibling, a brother named PJ.
Perez speaks both English and Spanish fluently. She is of Hispanic and Filipino Descent. [citation needed]
[edit] In wrestling
- Finishing and signature moves
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- As Melina
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- Spinning kneel-out facebuster
- Modified outward swinging neckbreaker
- Back mounted crossfaces
- Flying double axe handle
- Mat slam
- Modified bow and arrow submission
- Modified camel clutch
- Neck scissors on the apron (as interference when managing)
- Backbreaker
- Rear naked choke
- Surfboard submission
- Single leg Boston crab
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- As Kyra
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- KyraPractor (Sickle hold)
- Frog splash
- Divastator (kicking combination)
- Kyranium Buster (Flying neckbreaker)
- Wrestlers Managed
[edit] Accomplishments/Trivia
- Melina was the second Diva to crack WWE.com's Power 25 (in a solo spot) at number 24, for the week starting November 26, 2005.
- Melina is the winner of the first ever female-versus-female lumberjack match on RAW.
- Melina has been mentioned in J.R.'s Superstar of the Week for her in-ring talent.
- Melina was featured in the WWE's World Greatest Managers DVD.
- Melina was only the second woman to be Frog Splashed by Eddie Guerrero. She was also the last person to be Frog Splashed by him before his death.
