Melina Perez
| Melina Perez | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | March 9, 1979 (Age 28) Los Angeles, California |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Melina Kyra Melanie Little Deer |
| Billed height | 5 ft 4 in (163 cm) |
| Billed weight | 122 lb (55kg) |
| Trained by | Jesse Hernandez Lance Storm Dave Finlay Ultimate Pro Wrestling OVW |
| Debut | 2000 |
Melina Perez (born March 9, 1979) better known simply as Melina, is a Mexican-American professional wrestler and manager, currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment working and wrestling on its RAW brand, where she is the reigning WWE Women's Champion.
Melina is also 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. On RAW, she added another variation to this entrance where she stands on the apron before performing the splits and sliding under the bottom rope.
Career
Prior to her professional wrestling career, Perez was a model. In 2000, after talking to Mike Henderson, she decided to become a professional wrestler and enrolled in Jesse Hernandez's School of Hard Knocks to train.[1] 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), where she wrestled for four years under the name Kyra, where she was well known for her high flying, and submission wrestling styles. Many EWF officials stated that Melina had the most natural ability of any woman who came through their school.[2] Melina Perez tried out for the WWE's reality show Tough Enough III, she made the final 25, but was eliminated from competition in the final cut of the first episode.
World Wrestling Entertainment
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. During this time, she had her first ever pro-wrestling match versus now ECW Vixen Ariel.
While in OVW, Melina made occasional appearances on WWE television. On a Thanksgiving episode of SmackDown! in 2003, Melina dressed up as a Native American and was shown serving food and drinks.
Melina made her first RAW appearance on November 24, 2004 when Randy Orton was the guest General Manager and hosted a diva lingerie fashion show. Melina made more RAW appearances in late 2004, including a limbo contest in December 2004, but she ultimately returned to Ohio Valley Wrestling and MNM.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Charging spinning facebuster
- Reverse DDT
- California Dream / KyraPractor (Muta lock) [1]
- Extreme Makeover (Spinning springboard facebuster)
- Frog splash - Independent circuit
- Signature moves
- Divastator (Kicking combination)
- Kyranium Buster (Flying neckbreaker)
- Hair-pull curb stomp
- Back mounted crossfaces
- Bite of the Dragon
- Camel clutch
- Corner foot choke
- Flying double axe handle
- Pendulum backbreaker submission
- Modified bow and arrow submission
- Standing victory roll into a pin to a kneeling opponent
- Modified surfboard submission
- Standing headscissor takedown into a Twisting neck scissors submission
- Reverse DDT
- Double team signature moves
- Double hair-pull mat slam - with Victoria
- Tree of woe (Victoria) into a running senton (Melina)
- Bite of the Dragon (Melina) into a Savate kick (Victoria)
- Wrestlers Managed
Championships and accomplishments
Personal life
She has one sibling, a brother named PJ.[citation needed] She is a graduate of Hesperia High School in Hesperia, California.[citation needed] Perez speaks four languages including English and Spanish.[citation needed]
Melina has had her teeth knocked out by female wrestlers, and dislocated her kneecap.[5]
She is currently dating Johnny Nitro.[6]
Notes
- ^ a b Melina (WWE) (February 24, 2007). "Internet Confessions of a True Diva, No. 2".
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ Steven Bryant (January 7, 2004). "WWE signs Melina Perez (Kyra) to a developmental contract".
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{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ Zerr, Scott (2005-05-29). "Melina wants to do it all". SLAM! Sports. Retrieved January 1.
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