WWE Legend Melina wasted little to no time in becoming one of the breakout superstars when she debuted as the manager to MNM in 2005. She always found herself surrounded by Paparazzi, with her unique skill set in the ring, and a presence that appealed to the entire WWE Universe.
As cunning, dangerous, talented, and beautiful as Melina, she quickly reached the pinnacle of the WWE Divas Divison and reigned on the top mainly as a villain the WWE Universe heavily hated. She got her well-deserved spotlight for the first time in her career when she got into a heated feud with WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus at the end of 2005.
Let us learn more about the former WWE Women’s Champion, who blazed the trail in an era where their voices were not getting heard like today for the women.
Early Life & Real Name
Born in Los Angeles, California, US, on March 9, 1979, Melina was raised in the High Desert. She is of Mexican descent and is fluent in English and Spanish. Her real name is Melina Nava Perez.
Originally, she began her career as a Model, but then the wrestling bug hit her hard in 2000. She began training at the School of Hard Knocks in San Bernardino, California, after which she pursued honing her craft at different places and eventually joined WWE in 2003.
WWE Debut & MNM
Melina would go on to debut on Friday Night SmackDown as a manager of MNM with Johnny Nitro and Joey Mercury in April 2005. She simultaneously went on to create an impact in the Divas Division when she actively started competing in the in-ring action.
Melina would further gain fame when she got into a heated rivalry with WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus. The WWE Universe and analysts widely appreciated her match with Stratus at Survivor Series. Moreover, she is conversing with one of the best female managers ever, as Joey Mercury and Johnny Nitro became multi-time WWE Tag Team Champions under her supervision.
Singles Run & Title victories
After Melina’s arrival on Monday Night RAW, she got into a heated rivalry with then Women’s Champion Mickie James. After a few unsuccessful attempts, Melina defeated Mickie James to become the WWE Women’s Champion and then retained her title in the first-ever Women’s Falls Count Anywhere Match in WWE history.
Melina is part of some of the most entertaining rivalries in the Divas Division. Her rivalry with Mickie James is still talked about as one of the best divas rivalries of all time, and her rivalries with the likes of Beth Phoenix and Michelle McCool are also appreciated by the fans. In her time with the WWE, Melina went on to become a three-time WWE Women’s Champion and two-time Divas Champion, making her a five-time World Champion in WWE.
WWE Release & Future Appearances
Melina dominated the Divas Division for most of her WWE tenure. However, during the final few months of her tenure with the company in 2011, she was seen being overpowered by other superstars by taking several losses, and in August 2011, WWE would go on to release Perez.
After her release from the company, Melina started competing on the independent circuit until 2012. After taking a break from wrestling, Perez returned to Lucha Underground in 2015. Later, Melina would go on to compete in several different promotions, such as NWA and TNA. For the first time since her WWE release, Perez returned to the company in July 2019 at the RAW Reunion Special episode, and her last WWE appearance came when she competed in the Women’s Royal Rumble match in 2022.
What do you think of Melina’s professional wrestling career? Share your thoughts in the comments!
