Michelle McCool
Michelle McCool | |
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Born | [1] Palatka, Florida[2] | January 25, 1980
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | Michelle McCool |
Billed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2] |
Billed weight | 127 lb (58 kg; 9.1 st)[1] |
Billed from | Palatka, Florida[2] |
Trained by | Deep South Wrestling[1] Dave Finlay[1] |
Debut | November 18, 2004[1] |
Michelle Leigh McCool[1] (born January 25, 1980)[3] is an American professional wrestler currently working for World Wrestling Entertainment on the SmackDown brand, where she is the reigning WWE Divas Champion and recognized as the title's first champion.
World Wrestling Entertainment
Diva Search and training (2004–2006)
Michelle McCool first came to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as a competitor in the 2004 WWE Diva Search, from which she was the fourth woman eliminated.[4] Despite not winning the contest, she was still signed to a three-year contract in November 2004. She debuted on SmackDown! as a fan favorite with a personal trainer gimmick, a reference to her old career.[5] After participating in a number of "Best body" contests, she wrestled in her first SmackDown! match, teaming with The Big Show to defeat Dawn Marie and René Duprée on March 3, 2005.[6] McCool and Dawn Marie feuded for the next few weeks, with Dawn Marie coming out on top.[7][8] 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.[9] Melina and McCool then began a feud, which included a victory for Melina in her SmackDown! debut match. After the match, MNM gave McCool their finisher, The Snapshot.[10] This was the last time she appeared on WWE television for almost a year.
McCool was then sent to WWE's developmental facility, Deep South Wrestling (DSW), where she wrestled, performed interviews, hosted segments, and provided color commentary with Nigel Sherrod. Her first feud in DSW was against Angel Williams. While in DSW, she was hospitalized after taking prescribed medication and sidelined for several weeks to recover. Eventually, she started to train in Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW). While in OVW, she began managing the duo of Amish Roadkill and K.C. James.
Teacher's Pets (2006–2007)
She returned to SmackDown! on June 2, 2006, this time working as a heel with a "hot teacher" gimmick, again pulling on her real life experiences.[11] Upon her arrival, she aligned with Kristal Marshall to feud with Jillian Hall and Ashley Massaro.[12] This led to a Fatal Four-Way Bra and Panties match at The Great American Bash, which Ashley won.[13] She won her first singles match on the July 28 edition of SmackDown!, defeating Hall by illegally using the ropes as leverage.[14]
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.[15] The trio began feuding with Paul London and Brian Kendrick, and their valet Ashley, for the WWE Tag Team Championship, but never won the title. The feud ended when London and Kendrick won a match against them at No Mercy in October.[16] On November 28, McCool was hospitalized with an enlarged kidney, a broken sternum, and an electrolyte imbalance.[17] During her absence, both James and Stevens were sent back to Ohio Valley Wrestling. She was released from the hospital on December 2.[18]
All American Diva (2007–2008)
McCool returned on the March 30, 2007 edition of SmackDown!, where she participated in a 10-Diva tag team match.[19] On the April 13 edition of SmackDown!, McCool became a fan favorite once again when she came to the aid of Ashley after she was attacked by a heel, Jillian Hall backstage;[20] this led to a short feud between herself and Hall, where McCool came out on top. On the May 28 edition of Raw, McCool won the Memorial Day Bikini Beach Splash Battle Royal by eliminating Melina.[21] After Victoria had her last match with Torrie Wilson, she immediately began another feud with McCool. A series of matches took place,[22] including a Mixed Tag Team match with Chuck Palumbo as her partner and Kenny Dykstra as Victoria's partner, with McCool coming out on top.[23]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/42/Michelle-McCool-GAB.jpg/220px-Michelle-McCool-GAB.jpg)
McCool then became caught in the middle of a feud between the villainous Jamie Noble and her 'friend' Chuck Palumbo. Noble made advances towards McCool and defeated Palumbo in two straight matches. McCool agreed to go on a date with him if he won a third match against Palumbo; McCool tried to distract Noble during the match by removing her top, but this only served to help him get the pin. On the January 25 edition of SmackDown! McCool was involved in a tag-team match, teaming up with Palumbo and Noble, against The Miz, John Morrison, and Layla. During the match, Palumbo pushed Noble into McCool, and she was knocked out of the ring onto the floor. Noble was then attacked by Palumbo, and when McCool tried to stop him, Palumbo knocked her aside. She suffered a concussion and refused to accept Palumbo's apology.[24] The following week, Palumbo apologized to McCool, but she rejected it. Due to all of this, Noble was now the fan favorite and Palumbo was now the heel.
McCool 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.[2] The celebration did not last long, however, as she and first runner-up Cherry were immediately attacked by Victoria and the debuting Natalya Neidhart. On the July 4 edition of SmackDown!, Michelle won the second "Golden Dreams" match to earn the right to challenge the previous Dreams match winner Natalya for the WWE Divas Championship. At The Great American Bash on July 20, 2008, Michelle defeated Natalya to become the first Divas Champion.[25]
Heel Turn (2008–present)
At Survivor Series 2008, she was the captain of the Smackdown team against the Raw Divas, however she was eliminated by Mickie James after Maria elbowed her accidentally. On the November 28th edition of SmackDown!, when one of the Bella twins accidentally clotheslined her, when attempting to do it to Maryse, but she ducked, Michelle was hit, which led to Maryse pinning Michelle. Causing Her, and the Bella twins, to lose against Maryse, Natalya, and Victoria. Michelle then started yelling at the twins, and telling one of them to shut up, when Maria ran out to the ring and told her to calm down. Maria did have problems with Michelle, and causing the SmackDown! Diva's to lose at Survivor Series, Michelle shoved Maria down, thus causing Michelle McCool to turn heel.
Other media
On November 5, 2007, she appeared on an episode of Family Feud with Batista, Candice Michelle, Mr. Kennedy, King Booker, Queen Sharmell, Layla, Maria, Ric Flair, and Jonathan Coachman.[26] She also appeared on the February 6, 2008 episode of Project Runway with Maria Kanellis, Candice Michelle, Torrie Wilson, Kristal Marshall, and Layla.[27] On June 3, 2008, she appeared on the Best Damn Sports Show Period with John Cena.[28]
Michelle McCool appeared in the January 2009 edition of Muscle & Fitness, along with Eve Torres and Maryse.[29]
Personal life
Before and during high school, McCool played softball.[30] McCool received her Master's degree in Educational leadership from Florida State University.[31] Before becoming involved in professional wrestling, she was a seventh grade teacher in Palatka, Florida.[32] She has an older brother who played football at the University of Cincinnati.[30]
McCool is a Christian.[33] In late 2007, she began wearing the word "Faith" on her ring attire.[34]
In November 2007, she fractured her nose during an oversees WWE tour after Victoria's clothesline hit her in the face.[34] She has been hospitalized twice (seven days the first time, 15 days and near death the last), had two broken ribs, a broken sternum, and a broken xiphoid process.[35]
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Heel hook[36] - 2008-present
- Roundhouse kick - 2007
- Spinning backbreaker - 2006; Used as a regular move from 2007-present
- Wings of Love[37] (Lifting sitout double underhook facebuster) - 2008-present
- Signature moves
- Backflip counter into a springboard arm drag
- Belly to belly suplex
- European uppercut
- Hair pull backbreaker
- Running big boot
- Running corkscrew neckbreaker
- Russian legsweep followed into a floatover pin
- Slingshot dropkick
- Springboard moonsault
- Sunset flip reversal into a baseball slide to the face
- Wrestlers managed
- Nicknames
- "The All–American Diva"
- Entrance themes
- "Move It Up" – Production theme
- "Not Enough For Me" – Jim Johnston
Championships and accomplishments
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI ranked her # 9 of the best 50 female singles wrestlers in the PWI Female 50 in 2008.[38]
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f "Michelle McCool Profile". Online World Of Wrestling. Retrieved 2008-04-14.
- ^ a b c d "Michelle McCool's bio". WWE. Retrieved 2007-05-17.
- ^ "My Florida County - Marriage License". Retrieved 2008-05-19.
- ^ "RAW - August 16, 2004 Results". Online World of Wrestling.
- ^ "SmackDown - November 18, 2004 Results". Online World of Wrestling.
- ^ PWI Staff (2007). "Pro Wrestling Illustrated presents: 2007 Wrestling almanac & book of facts". "Wrestling's historical cards". Kappa Publishing. p. 117.
- ^ "SmackDown - March 17, 2005 Results". Online World of Wrestling.
- ^ "SmackDown - March 24, 2005 Results". Online World of Wrestling.
- ^ "SmackDown - June 16, 2005 Results". Online World of Wrestling.
- ^ "SmackDown - June 30, 2005 Results". Online World of Wrestling.
- ^ "SmackDown - June 2, 2006 Results". Online World of Wrestling.
- ^ "SmackDown - July 14, 2006 Results". Online World of Wrestling.
- ^ Elliott, Brian (July 24, 2006). "Booker reigns after the Bash". SLAM! Wrestling. Retrieved 2008-09-02.
- ^ "SmackDown - July 28, 2006 Results". Online World of Wrestling.
- ^ Brett Hoffman (August 11, 2006). "Dead Man Walking?". WWE. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
Michelle McCool's teacher's pets, K.C. James and Idol Stevens
- ^ PWI Staff (2007). "Pro Wrestling Illustrated presents: 2007 Wrestling almanac & book of facts". "Wrestling's historical cards". Kappa Publishing. p. 122.
- ^ Jen Hunt and Kara A. Medalis (February 23, 2007). "Diva Dish: Sexy time!". Retrieved 2007-05-17.
- ^ Zack Zeigler. "Michelle McCool update". WWE. Retrieved 2007-03-31.
- ^ Lennie DiFino. "Next stop: Detroit". WWE. Retrieved 2007-03-30.
- ^ "WWE SmackDown! results - April 13, 2007". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2007-09-02.
- ^ "WWE RAW Results - May 28, 2007". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2007-09-02.
- ^ Alissa Fuhrman (August 17, 2007). "Hand-slotted reprisal". WWE. Retrieved 2007-12-30.
- ^ Lennie DiFino (September 14, 2007). "Forgive and forget?". WWE. Retrieved 2007-12-30.
- ^ McCool, Michelle (February 5, 2008). "Lovin' Life, No. 9". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2008-09-02.
- ^ Hillhouse, Dave (July 24, 2008). "The Great American Soap Opera". SLAM! Wrestling. Retrieved 2008-09-02.
- ^ Medalis, Kara A. (October 30, 2007). "Tune in to WWE week on 'Family Feud'". WWE. Retrieved 2007-11-04.
- ^ Kara A. Medalis with Zack Zeigler (January 25, 2008). "Diva Dish: 'Runway' Divas". WWE. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
- ^ MSN.FoxSports.com (June 2, 2008). "WWE Superstars on "Best Damn Sports Show Period"". WWE. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
- ^ Torres, Eve (November 22, 2008). "Muscle Fitness mag". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2008-07-21.
- ^ a b McCool, Michelle (March 11, 2008). "Lovin' Life, No. 11". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2008-09-02.
- ^ Official Women Of Wrestling (OWOW) - Latest Women Of Wrestling News And Pictures
- ^ "Official Women of Wrestling". Retrieved 2007-05-17.
- ^ McCool, Michelle (October 8, 2007). "Lovin' Life, No. 2". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2008-09-02.
- ^ a b McCool, Michelle (December 14, 2007). "Lovin' Life, No. 5". Retrieved 2009-09-02.
{{cite web}}
: Text "publisherWorld Wrestling Entertainment" ignored (help) - ^ McCool, Michelle (February 20, 2008). "Lovin' Life, No. 10". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2008-09-02.
- ^ McCool, Michelle (June 6, 2008). "Faith, Heart & Soul, No. 16". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2008-09-02.
- ^ McCool, Michelle (March 21, 2008). "Faith, Heart & Soul, No. 12". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2008-07-21.
- ^ "The PWI Female 50 Rankings: Who Is The Top Women's Wrestler In The World?". PWPix.net. 2008-09-18. Retrieved 2008-09-19.