Michelle McCool

Michelle McCool
McCool in 2008.
Ring name(s)	Michelle McCool
Billed height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[1][2]
Billed weight	135 lb (61 kg)
Born	January 25, 1980 (1980-01-25) (age 31)[2] Palatka, Florida[1][2]
Resides	Austin, Texas
Billed from	Palatka, Florida[1]
Trained by	Deep South Wrestling[2] Ohio Valley Wrestling[2]
Debut	November 18, 2004[3]

Michelle Leigh McCool^[4] (born January 25, 1980) is an American professional wrestler currently working for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) on the SmackDown brand.

McCool originally worked as a middle school teacher in Palatka, Florida. She, however, joined WWE in 2004 after participating in the 2004 WWE Diva Search. In her initial on-screen role, she acted primarily as a personal trainer and occasional wrestler. She also acted as the manager to the team of K. C. James and Idol Stevens, collectively known as The Teacher's Pets, in 2006 after changing her on-screen character to that of a teacher. At The Great American Bash in 2008, she became the inaugural WWE Divas Champion, holding the title for approximately five months. She then won the WWE Women's Championship at The Bash in 2009, becoming the first person to have held both titles.

World Wrestling Entertainment

Diva Search and training (2004–2006)

McCool first came to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as a competitor in the 2004 WWE Diva Search, losing to Christy Hemme.^[2] Although she was eliminated, WWE signed her to a three year deal in November.^[2] Despite not winning the contest, she later debuted on SmackDown! as a fan favorite with a "Personal Trainer" gimmick.^[2] She wrestled in her first SmackDown! match, teaming with The Big Show to defeat Dawn Marie and René Duprée on March 3, 2005.^[5] A few months later, McCool became a part of the feud between MNM and Heidenreich when she defended Heidenreich against MNM's manager Melina's verbal attacks.^[2] In a match on June 30, Melina defeated McCool by pinning her with the illegal aid of the ring ropes as leverage.^[2] After the match, MNM performed their finisher, the Snapshot, on McCool.^[2]

McCool was then sent to WWE's developmental facility, Deep South Wrestling (DSW), where she wrestled, performed interviews, hosted segments, and provided color commentary.^[2] While in DSW, she was hospitalized after having an allergic reaction to a prescribed medication and was temporarily sidelined to recover.^[2] Eventually, she started to train in WWE's other developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW). While in OVW, she began managing the duo of Amish Roadkill and K.C. James.^[2]

The Teacher's Pets (2006–2007)

She returned to SmackDown! on June 2, 2006, this time working as a villainous character with a "sexy teacher" gimmick, pulling on her real life experiences.^[2] Upon her arrival, she aligned with Kristal Marshall to feud with Jillian Hall and Ashley Massaro.^[2] This feud led to a Fatal Four-Way Bra and Panties match at The Great American Bash, which Massaro won.^[6] She won her first singles match on the July 28 edition of SmackDown!, defeating Hall by illegally using the ropes as leverage.^[7] Soon after, she began acting as valet for the team of K. C. James and Idol Stevens, who, because of her association with them, were nicknamed The Teacher's Pets.^[2][8] The trio began feuding with Paul London and Brian Kendrick, and their valet Massaro, for the WWE Tag Team Championship, but never won the title.^[2] The feud ended when London and Kendrick won a match against them at No Mercy in October.^[9] On November 28, McCool was hospitalized with an enlarged kidney, a broken sternum, and an electrolyte imbalance.^1[10] She was released from the hospital on December 2.^[11]

All–American Diva; Divas Champion (2007–2008)

McCool returned on the March 30, 2007 edition of SmackDown!, where she participated in a 10-Diva tag team match.^[12] On the April 13 edition of SmackDown!, McCool became fan favorite once again when she came to the aid of Ashley Massaro after she was attacked by Jillian Hall backstage.^[13] On the May 28 edition of Raw, McCool won the Memorial Day Bikini Beach Splash Battle Royal by eliminating Melina.^[14] Subsequently, a series of matches took place between Victoria and McCool,^[15] including a Mixed Tag Team match where Victoria and Kenny Dykstra defeated McCool and Chuck Palumbo.^[16]

McCool after becoming the first Divas Champion at The Great American Bash

McCool then became caught in the middle of a feud between the villainous Jamie Noble and her on-screen friend Chuck Palumbo.^[2] After a series of matches between the men, Noble won a date with McCool by defeating Palumbo in a match.^[2] In the storyline, Palumbo accidentally elbowed McCool during a match,^[2] causing her to suffer a concussion.^[17] The partnership was dissolved when McCool refused to accept his apology.^[2] She then went on to compete in a series of contests with Victoria, Eve Torres, Maryse and Cherry to determine SmackDown!'s top Diva, subsequently winning the title.^[1] At The Great American Bash on July 20, 2008, McCool defeated Natalya Neidhart to become the inaugural WWE Divas Champion.^[18]

Heel turn; WWE Women's Champion; Team Lay-Cool (2008–present)

McCool at a Puerto Rico house show with the WWE Women's Championship

On the December 26, 2008 episode of SmackDown!, McCool lost the Divas championship to Maryse.^[19] After the match McCool turned heel by attacking Maria, the special guest referee of the match, and blaming her for the loss.^[19] In the following weeks, McCool also attacked Eve Torres,^[20] resulting in Eve's debut match, which McCool won.^[21] McCool then defeated Gail Kim on the May 22 taping of SmackDown to become the number one contender for the WWE Women's Championship.^[2] A month later at The Bash, McCool defeated Melina to win her first Women's Championship.^[22] During a rematch on July 26 at Night of Champions, McCool once again defeated Melina to retain the championship.^[23]

McCool then formed an alliance with Layla, and entered into a feud with Mickie James, which resulted in a five-on-five Elimination match at Survivor Series, which her team lost. James then became #1 Contender for McCool's championship at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, where McCool successfully retained her title. McCool lost the Women's Championship to James at the Royal Rumble. She regained the Women's Championship on the February 26 edition of SmackDown when special guest referee Vickie Guerrero interfered, costing James the Championship. The next week,she attacked with Layla,Beth Phoenix with a spray and table. She, however, lost the title to Beth Phoenix at Extreme Rules. On May 14, 2010, McCool faced Phoenix in a 2–on–1 Handicap match with Layla on her team, but Layla pinned Phoenix and won the Women's title. On the following SmackDown, McCool was announced as the 'Self-professed' Co-Women's Champion along with Layla, though WWE recognizes only Layla as the official champion.^[24]

On June 1, it was announced that Lay-Cool would be the mentors for Kaval in the second season of WWE NXT. On July 28, Michelle took the place of Layla in her WWE Womans Championship match against Tiffany where she defeated her and retained the title. On August 31, McCool's NXT rookie, Kaval, won NXT season 2.

Other media

During the week of November 5, 2007, she appeared on five episodes of Family Feud with several other WWE wrestlers and Divas.^[25] She also appeared on the February 6, 2008 episode of Project Runway with Maria Kanellis, Candice Michelle, Torrie Wilson, Kristal Marshall, and Layla El.^[26] On June 3, 2008, she appeared on the Best Damn Sports Show Period with John Cena.^[27] In addition, McCool appeared in the January 2009 edition of Muscle & Fitness, along with Eve Torres and Maryse.^[28]

Personal life

Before and during high school, McCool played softball.^[29] She also played first base at Pasco-Hernando Community College.^[30] McCool later received her Master's degree in Educational leadership from Florida State University.^[30] Before becoming involved in professional wrestling, she taught seventh grade science for four years in Palatka, Florida.^[2][30] She also competed in National Physique Committee fitness contests.^[2] Both of her parents also work in education; her mother is a teacher and her father is a superintendent.^[30] She has an older brother who played football at the University of Cincinnati.^[29]

McCool was married to Jeremy Louis Alexander, whom she began dating in high school.^[2][4][31] The couple divorced in 2006.^[2] McCool married fellow wrestler Mark Calaway (The Undertaker) on June 26, 2010 in Houston, Texas.^[32][33]

McCool is a Christian.^[34] Her wrestling outfits incorporate Christian crosses.^[35] She has had several wrestling-related injuries; in November 2007, she fractured her nose during an overseas WWE tour after Victoria's clothesline hit her in the face.^[36] She has been hospitalized twice, had two broken ribs, a broken sternum, and a broken xiphoid process.^[37]

In wrestling

• Finishing moves
  • Faith Breaker (Belly to back inverted mat slam)^[38]
  • MADT – Make a Diva Tap (Leglock#Heel hook)^[39]
  • Wings of Love (Lifting double underhook sitout facebuster)^[40] – 2008

• Signature moves
  • Baseball slide^[23]
  • Belly to belly suplex^[23]
  • Big boot^[23]
  • European uppercut^[41]
  • Running corkscrew neckbreaker^[23]
  • Roundhouse kick^[23]
  • Russian legsweep floated over into a pin^[42]
  • Handstand neckscissors transissioned into a handstand calf kick^[43]

• Managers
  • Kristal Marshall
  • Chuck Palumbo
  • Alicia Fox
  • Layla

• Wrestlers managed
  • Amish Roadkill
  • Jon Heidenreich
  • K.C. James and Idol Stevens
  • Chuck Palumbo
  • Jamie Noble
  • Cherry
  • Kristal Marshall
  • Alicia Fox
  • Layla
  • Kaval

• Entrance themes
  • "Move It Up" by Billy Lincoln^[44]
  • "Not Enough For Me" by Jim Johnston^[45]

Championships and accomplishments

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked her #8 of the best 50 female singles wrestlers in the PWI Female 50 in 2009^[46]

• World Wrestling Entertainment
  • WWE Divas Championship (1 time)
  • WWE Women's Championship (2 times)

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards
  • Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic (2009) Exploiting Mickie James' weight issues

Footnotes

¹ McCool originally injured her back during a WWE European tour. Because of pain in her back, she was unaware of the sternum injury until she went to the hospital for treatment. Tests also revealed that she had an enlarged kidney.^[47]

References

External links

• WWE Profile
• Michelle McCool on WWE Universe
• Michelle McCool at the Internet Movie Database
• Michelle McCool on Myspace
• Michelle McCool on Twitter