Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Jamie Szantyr / Velvet Sky / Talia Madison

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Jamie Szantyr (born June 2, 1981) is an American professional wrestler and valet currently working for TNA Wrestling under the ring name Velvet Sky. She also works outside of TNA Wrestling as Talia Madison.

Szantyr was trained to wrestle at Jason Knight's "House of Pain Pro Wrestling Dojo". After completing her training, she began working as a valet and wrestler on the independent circuit using the ring names Miss Talia, Talia Doll, and Talia Madison. On the independent circuit she formed a tag team known as T&A with April Hunter. She was booked to her first wrestling championship during her time in World Xtreme Wrestling, getting the WXW Women's Championship after winning a battle royal on May 29, 2004.

Szantyr made a few appearances for the WWE in 2005 and 2006. On the February 24, 2005 edition of WWE SmackDown!, she appeared as an extra during the JBL "Celebration of Excellence" party. She was then defeated by Victoria on July 11 in a match taped for WWE HEAT. On January 2, 2006, she and Trinity were planted in the front row of the audience to be selected to dance with The Heart Throbs after their match in another HEAT segment. She also auditioned for the 2007 WWE Diva Search, but did not make the final eight. Szantyr later admitted that WWE wanted her to physically enhance her body, to which she chose to go to TNA as they took her as she is.

As Talia Madison she held Defiant Pro Wrestling Women's title, which she got on April 8, 2006 after defeating Alere Little Feather and Nikki Roxx in a three-way match.

She also wrestled in Women's Extreme Wrestling as Talia Doll, where she and April Hunter held the WEW Tag Team titles. The duo, known as T&A, defeated Amber O'Neal and Lollipop to get the titles on WEW's April 6, 2006 pay-per-view. She also held the WEW World Women's title (as Talia Madison), defeating Angel Orsini on May 5, 2007.

When TNA announced the creation of their women's division in 2007, Szantyr, using her Talia Madison ring name, was announced as one of the ten wrestlers in a 10-woman Gauntlet match to crown the first TNA Women's World Champion at Bound for Glory pay-per-view. Before the show she made non-wrestling appearances on the October 5 episode of TNA Today and the October 11 Impact!, standing at ringside for the debut match of Awesome Kong along with the other gauntlet match participants. In the weeks following the gauntlet match, her ring name was changed to Velvet Sky.

At the December Turning Point pay-per-view, Sky and Angelina Love were paired together and dubbed "Velvet Love Entertainment", later renamed to "The Beautiful People". After defeating O.D.B. and Roxxi Laveaux early in the show, Love and Sky assisted Gail Kim in her match against Awesome Kong. They assisted Kim again after another match against Kong on the December 6 edition of Impact! and at Final Resolution pay-per-view, helping to stop a brawl post match.

On the March 13 edition of Impact!, Sky and Love attacked Roxxi Laveaux and later that night Gail Kim, thus turning heel for the first time in TNA. At Lockdown Sky participated in the first ever "Queen of the Cage" match, which was won by Roxxi. Sky participated in the Make Over Battle Royal-Ladder Match at Sacrifice which was won by Gail Kim. The team later became the biggest heels of the Knockouts division, next to Awesome Kong. Their segments often being the highest rating of the show. The two later added another factor to their gimmicks, placing brown paper bags over opponents heads. They usually harass Lauren Brooke on backstage interviews.

Friday, May 23, 2008

TNA Knockout: Salinas / Shelly Martinez


Shelly Lenore Martinez was born February 9, 1980. She is an American model, professional wrestler and valet currently working for TNA Wrestling under the ring name Salinas as valet to the Latin American Xchange (LAX). She is also known for her work with the WWE on its ECW brand under the ring name Ariel.

At Bound for Glory, Shelly participated in a Knockout Gauntlet battle royal to crown the first TNA Women's Champion. She was ultimately eliminated by Awesome Kong. Shortly there after, Martinez began to appear as a masked member of the LAX, interfering in their matches to help them gain victories leading to an issue with The Rock 'n Rave Infection valet Christy Hemme, who believed she was a man attacking women, an infraction in TNA. However, at TNA Final Resolution, Martinez unveiled herself after attacking Hemme again, clearing up a possible man-on-woman violence issue. On the following edition of iMPACT, Martinez was given the name Salinas.

Salinas participated at Lockdown in the first ever "Queen of the Cage" match, which was won by Roxxi Laveaux. She then participated at Sacrifice in the first ever Knockouts "Makeover Battle Royal", which was won by Gail Kim.

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Cheerleader Melissa / Raisha Saeed


Melissa Marie Anderson (born August 17, 1982), better known by her ring name Cheerleader Melissa, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. She is also the manager of Awesome Kong, under the name Raisha Saeed.

On the January 10 edition of TNA Impact! Melissa made her debut as an unknown woman (later named Raisha Saeed) wearing a burqa and billed from Syria. She was in Awesome Kong's corner when Kong defeated Gail Kim to win the TNA Women's Championship. She was also at Kong's corner at Against All Odds when she defeated O.D.B. She also distracted O.D.B, at Destination X, to help Awesome Kong retain her title in the 3-Way match, which involved Gail Kim, helping Kong retain her title for the 3rd major title match in a row. On April 13, 2008, at TNA's all-cage event Lockdown, she and Awesome Kong were defeated by Gail Kim and O.D.B. in a tag-team match.

On the May 1, 2008, edition of iMPACT!, Anderson debuted her Cheerleader Melissa gimmick in TNA, defeating Daisy Haze, yet still came out alongside Kong as Raisha Saeed the same night.

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