Linda Miles
 |
| Linda Miles | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 28, 1978 Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Linda Miles Shaniqua |
| Billed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Billed weight | 155 lb (70 kg) |
| Trained by | Al Snow Chavo Guerrero, Jr. Hardcore Holly Ivory Jacqueline |
| Debut | 2002 |
Linda M. Miles (born August 28, 1978) is an American former professional wrestler and manager. She worked under the ring name Shaniqua for World Wrestling Entertainment's SmackDown! brand between 2002 and 2004. Miles was one of two female winners from WWE Tough Enough season two.
Basketball
Miles was a member of the Rutgers University women's basketball team. She graduated from Rutgers in 2001. In May 2001, she tried out for a roster spot with the Seattle Storm of the WNBA, but was released during the team's training camp. Miles and her Rutgers teammates were featured in a 2004 documentary film of the team's 2000–2001 season entitled This Is A Game, Ladies.
World Wrestling Entertainment (2002–2004)
In 2002, Miles entered and won the second series of WWE Tough Enough. She and co-winner Jackie Gayda were awarded developmental contracts with the professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment. Miles appeared on the June 8, 2002 episode of WWE Velocity and faced her trainer, Ivory, with Gayda in her corner. Miles lost to Ivory after Gayda quickly established herself as a villain by pushing her off the top turnbuckle, costing her the match.[1] On the June 12 episode of SmackDown!, Miles teamed with WWE Women's Champion Trish Stratus to defeat Gayda and Ivory.[1] The two divas were then placed on the Raw brand. On the June 24 edition of Raw, Miles teamed with Trish Stratus to defeat Gayda and Molly Holly. Due to Gayda's highly botched mixed tag match on the July 8 edition of Raw, Miles and Gayda were sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling for further training and development.[citation needed]
Miles began a relationship with Shelton Benjamin and began to manage him. It did not last long, however, as Benjamin formed Team Angle with Kurt Angle and Charlie Haas. Miles then disappeared from WWE television.
Miles returned to WWE television under the name Shaniqua in June 2003 as the dominatrix manager of the Basham Brothers. She often interfered in matches, including a match where she surprisingly had to interfere to insure the Bashams' victory over two jobbers. In the late summer of 2003, Shaniqua began to establish her dominance over the weaker divas. Shaniqua interfered in several bikini contests, attacking all of the divas except for Sable. She briefly feuded with fellow SmackDown! divas Torrie Wilson, Dawn Marie (even though she remained a heel), and Nidia. Dawn Marie challenged Shaniqua to a singles match in which Shaniqua won by disqualification after interferences from Wilson and Nidia. The following week, Shaniqua defeated Wilson and Nidia in a handicap match.
In early 2004, Shaniqua and The Basham Brothers sparked a feud with the then WWE Tag Team Champions Scotty 2 Hotty and Rikishi. Shaniqua joined her team in a handicap WWE Tag Team championship match against Rikishi and Scotty Too Hotty at No Way Out. Shaniqua's team lost when she was pinned following a Banzai Drop from Rikishi. After that she was released from her WWE contract.
Post-wrestling
Linda now resides in Cincinnati and is a substitute teacher for Cincinnati public schools.
In wrestling
- Finishing and signature moves
- Managers
- Wrestlers managed
Championships and accomplishments
- WWE Tough Enough (co-winner with Jackie Gayda)
References
External links
- Articles lacking sources from April 2007
- 1978 births
- African American professional wrestlers
- American basketball players
- American professional wrestlers
- Female professional wrestlers
- Living people
- People from Cincinnati, Ohio
- Professional wrestling managers and valets
- Rutgers Scarlet Knights women's basketball players
- Tough Enough winners