Shantelle Malawski

Shantelle Larissa Malawski^[1][4] (born January 26, 1986)^[1] is a retired Canadian professional wrestler best known for working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Taylor Wilde. Malawski was under a World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) contract from 2006 to 2007, but never made it past the developmental system. In May 2008, Malawski joined TNA and would go on to become a one-time TNA Women's Knockout Champion and a two-time TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champion with her partners Sarita and Hamada, while also becoming the first TNA Knockout to have held both titles. After departing from TNA in December 2010, Malawski announced her retirement from professional wrestling and wrestled her final match on February 5, 2011.

Professional wrestling career

Early years (2003–2006)

Malawski made her professional debut in June 2003 at the age of 17 under the name Shantelle Taylor. In 2004, she was featured in the two-part wrestling documentary, Slam Bam, which aired on the Discovery Channel.^[7] In 2005, she won her first women's championship while competing in New Vision Pro Wrestling. She spent the summer of that year in Monterrey, Mexico working on her lucha libre style. In December she participated in a three-show tour of South Africa wrestling on a card that featured former World Wrestling Entertainment stars Kevin Nash, Andrew Martin and Scott Steiner.^[4][8] Also in December, she was invited to a tryout in Buffalo, New York for World Wrestling Entertainment. Malawski also worked for several independent wrestling promotions including Shimmer Women Athletes, Ring Divas' Battle Angels, Twin Wrestling Entertainment, and Blood Sweat and Ears. On April 16, 2006, Malawski defeated Traci Brooks to become the inaugural Battle Angels Women's Champion. Malawski also spent time working the Pure Women's Action shows for the Pure Wrestling Association in Southern Ontario.

World Wrestling Entertainment (2006–2007)

In May 2006, Malawski signed a deal with World Wrestling Entertainment and was assigned to their developmental territory Deep South Wrestling. She made her Deep South in-ring debut at the June 27, 2006 TV tapings as simply Shantelle, where she lost against Krissy Vaine when Vaine grabbed her tights. On September 9, 2006, Malawski defeated Vaine at Deep South Wrestling Grand Park Slam event in Six Flags Over Georgia. During her time in Deep South, she feuded with other divas such as Tracy Taylor and Angel Williams. In January 2007, Malawski appeared on the SmackDown!/ECW house shows as San-Eye, a masked Japanese wrestler, where she wrestled Jamie Noble.^[8] In June 2007, Malawski wrestled in dark matches prior to the SmackDown! television tapings while wearing a mask. On August 13, 2007 Malawski was released from her developmental contract.^[9] Following the release, she did not return to the independent circuit and was actually done with professional wrestling until TNA contacted her, as she had concentrated on pursuing a college degree instead.^[8][10]

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2008–2010)

Debut; Knockouts Champion (2008)

Malawski's tryout match for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) was against Raisha Saeed.^[3] In May 2008, Malawski signed a contract with TNA, making her an official member of the TNA roster.^[11] She then appeared on television as a "plant" on the May 29 episode of Impact!. She responded to the $25,000 challenge from Awesome Kong to any females age 18 or older in the audience, but was not selected to wrestle her. She reappeared in the audience on the June 5 episode of Impact! to challenge Kong, but once again was not selected to wrestle her. On June 19, she challenged Kong in the $25,000 challenge.^[12] She was announced under the name Taylor, and despite losing, she was the closest out of any of the contestants to defeating Kong.^[12] On the July 3 episode of Impact!, Taylor defeated Raisha Saeed and earned the right to face Kong again the following week in the $25,000 challenge, this time with the TNA Women's Knockout Championship also on the line.^[13] The following week, now using the name "Taylor Wilde", she defeated Kong in the $25,000 challenge and won the championship.^[14][15] Wilde then retained the title in a rematch at Victory Road against Kong.^[16]

On the July 24 episode of Impact!, Wilde defeated Velvet Sky in five seconds to retain the championship, and when immediately challenged to a rematch, defeated her in 20 seconds.^[17] Afterward, Wilde was attacked by the duo of Sky and Angelina Love (known as The Beautiful People) and was given the 'Brown Paper Bag Treatment', before ODB and Gail Kim could make the save.^[17] On the September 11 episode of Impact, Wilde beat Love in the first ever "Beautiful People Beauty Pageant", but was attacked by the Beautiful People, causing Rhino to make the save for a second time.^[18] At No Surrender she was accompanied by Rhino when she successfully defeated Love.^[19] Wilde won a Triple Threat match at Bound for Glory against Awesome Kong and Roxxi to keep the title.^[20] On the October 23 episode of Impact!, Wilde lost the championship back to Kong after interference from Saeed.^[21]

Various feuds (2008–2009)

At Turning Point she teamed with Roxxi to defeat Raisha Saeed and Awesome Kong.^[22] Continuing her feud with The Beautiful People, Wilde teamed with ODB and Roxxi to defeat them and Sharmell at Final Resolution.^[23] At Genesis she teamed once again with Roxxi and ODB to defeat Rhaka Khan, Raisha Saeed and Sojourner Bolt.^[24] The next week on Impact! Wilde, Roxxi and ODB defeated the Kongtourage once more.^[25]

Wilde and Roxxi began feuding with the Beautiful People when Wilde and Roxxi humiliated the Beautiful People by covering them with "muck." Soon after Wilde and Roxxi would continue to have series of tag team matches against The Beautiful People. On February 12 she competed in a 9 Knockout Gauntlet match which was won by Sojourner Bolt.^[26] At Destination X she teamed with Roxxi and The Governor to defeat The Beautiful People and Madison Rayne in a six woman tag team match. At Lockdown she competed in a 3 way cage match for the TNA Knockouts Championship against Angelina Love and Awesome Kong, but the match was eventually won by Love. On April 23 she lost a number one contenders ladder match to Sojournor Bolt.

Wilde was interviewed on the May 7 edition of Impact, where she told interviewer Lauren that she had received notice of having a secret admirer. The following week, Lauren and Taylor were shown sitting at a table, waiting for the admirer to arrive. Soon, Daffney arrived, attacking and choking Taylor, blaming her for The Beautiful People cutting her hair off, and in the process, challenging her to the first ever Knockout's Monster's Ball match at Sacrifice, which Wilde won. From the feud with Daffney, it was shown that Wilde is on-screen best friends with backstage interviewer, Lauren. Wilde and her tag team partner Abyss defeated Daffney and Raven in a Monster's Ball match at Slammiversary, thus ending her feud with Daffney.

Alliance with Sarita (2009–2010)

In August she formed an alliance with fellow Knockout Sarita after TNA announced that they were going to crown new Knockouts Tag Team Champions. On the September 10 edition of Impact! she and Sarita advanced the semifinals of the Tag Team Championship tournament by defeating Alissa Flash and Daffney.^[27] The following week on Impact! they advanced to the finals of the tournament by defeating Awesome Kong and Raisha Saeed.^[28] At No Surrender Wilde and Sarita defeated Madison Rayne and Velvet Sky to become the inaugural Knockouts Tag Team Champions. This win makes Taylor Wilde the first Knockout in TNA history to win the singles and tag team Knockout titles.^[29] Wilde and Sarita successfully defended their titles against The Beautiful People at Bound for Glory^[30] and at Turning Point teamed with Knockout Champion ODB to successfully defeat The Beautiful People and retain both sets of titles.^[31] On the January 4, 2010, live, three-hour, Monday night edition of Impact! Wilde and Sarita lost the Knockouts Tag Team Championship to Hamada and Awesome Kong.^[32] Wilde and Sarita made their return in the March 8 edition of Impact!, unsuccessfully challenging for the vacant Knockouts Tag Team titles.^[33] On the June 25 edition of Xplosion Wilde defeated Daffney after an interference from Sarita, ending the team's long losing streak.^[34] The following week Wilde confronted her tag team partner and explained that she didn't want to win by cheating, which led to Sarita claiming that she is a winner and, unlike Wilde, doesn't need her tag team partner's help in her match against Daffney. After Sarita was defeated by Daffney in a singles match, Wilde ran out to the ring and stopped her tag team partner from attacking her opponent.^[35] After being defeated by Women's Knockout Champion Madison Rayne on the July 1 edition of Impact!, Wilde's alliance with Sarita came to an end, when Sarita turned heel and attacked her, proclaiming she was sick of losing matches.^[36][37]

Feud with Sarita and alliance with Hamada (2010)

Wilde and Sarita faced each other on the following edition of Xplosion, with Sarita picking up the pinfall victory by putting her feet on the ropes.^[38][39] On the July 15 edition of Impact! Sarita defeated Wilde again, this time in a Street Fight.^[40] On July 27, at the tapings of the August 5 edition of Impact!, Wilde teamed with new tag team partner Hamada to defeat The Beautiful People (Velvet Sky and Lacey Von Erich) to win the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship for the second time.^[41][42] Wilde and Sarita had their third one–on–one match at the November 9 tapings of Xplosion, with Sarita once again coming out victorious.^[43] On December 6 at the tapings of the December 9 edition of Impact!, Wilde and Hamada were stripped of the Knockouts Tag Team Championship, after Hamada had been released from TNA.^[44] Three days later it was reported that Malawski's contract with TNA had also expired.^[45] Malawski confirmed her departure from the promotion on December 29, 2010.^[46][47]

Retirement (2011)

On January 10, 2011, Malawski announced in an exclusive interview with The Sun that she was retiring from professional wrestling in order to concentrate on her psychology studies.^[48] She wrestled her retirement match on February 5, 2011, at a ChickFight and Pro Wrestling Revolution co–promoted event, where she was defeated by Alissa Flash.^[5][6]

Personal life

Malawski studies psychology at York University.^[3] She also has ambitions to study broadcast journalism at Seneca College.^[3] On October 25, 2010, Malawski announced that she was engaged to her boyfriend Oliver Mitchell.^[49]

In wrestling

• Finishing moves
  • Missile dropkick^[1]
  • Multiple pinning variations^[13][16][23]
  • Wilde Ride (Bridging German suplex)^[28][50]

• Signature moves
  • Arm drag,^[1] sometimes done repeatedly in succession or while springboarding off of the ropes^[7]
  • Bridging northern lights suplex^[17][19][22]
  • Cartwheel evasion^[51]
  • Double knee backbreaker^[52]
  • Fireman's carry takeover^[53]
  • Handspring back elbow smash^[7]
  • Kicking combination^[54]
  • Leg lariat^[7]
  • Monkey flip^[55]
  • Roundhouse kick^[27]
  • Tilt-a-whirl transitioned into either a backbreaker or a headscissors takedown^[7]

• With Hamada
  • Finishing moves
    • Samoan drop (Hamada) / Running corkscrew neckbreaker (Wilde) combination^[56]

• With Sarita
  • Finishing moves
    • Springboard dropkick (Sarita) / Wilde Ride (Wilde) combination^[29]
  • Signature moves
    • Assisted slingshot dropkick^[27]
    • Assisted standing moonsault^[27]

• Nicknames
  • "The Upset Queen"^[57]

• Entrance themes
  • "Stricken" by No Doubt (Shimmer)
  • "All American Girl" by Dale Oliver (TNA)^[58]
  • "Poison" by Dale Oliver (TNA)^[59]

Championships and accomplishments

• New Vision Pro Wrestling
  • NVPW Women's Championship (1 time)^[1]
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked her #10 of the best 50 female singles wrestlers in the PWI Female 50 in 2009^[60]
• RingDivas Women's Wrestling
  • RingDivas FightGirl World Championship (1 time)^[1]
• Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
  • TNA Women's Knockout Championship (1 time)^[14]
  • TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Sarita (1) and Hamada (1)^[1]
• Women Superstars Uncensored
  • WSU Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Amy Lee

Notes

External links

• TaylorWilde.org (Official Website)
• TNA Profile
• G.L.O.R.Y. Biography