Elizabeth Copeland ( Kociański; born November 24, 1980), better known as Beth Phoenix, is an American retired
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...
. She is best known for her tenure in
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
, where she is a former
WWE Divas Champion and a three-time
WWE Women's Champion.
Kociański had a successful amateur wrestling career in high school, winning several tournaments before being trained for professional wrestling by the All-Knighters. After her debut in May 2001, she wrestled for numerous
independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States
* Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...
promotions. She also appeared at the inaugural
Shimmer Women Athletes
Shimmer Women Athletes (often referred to and stylized as SHIMMER) was an American, Chicago-based independent women's professional wrestling promotion which held its first event on November 6, 2005. Established by Dave Prazak and run by both ...
shows. In 2004, she began working for
Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) is an American professional wrestling promotion, professional wrestling promotion and former developmental territory based in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is currently run by Al Snow, Matt Jones (radio host), Ma ...
(OVW) and signed a developmental contract with WWE in October 2005. She debuted on WWE's
Raw brand in May 2006 but suffered a
legitimate broken jaw the following month. As a result, she had numerous surgeries and returned to OVW for further training. While there, she won the
OVW Women's Championship
The OVW Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling world championship championship in Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW). The first holder of the title was ODB, who declared herself champion in August 2006. The belt was defended as any oth ...
twice, although her second reign is not officially recognized by OVW.
She returned to the Raw brand in July 2007, and was heavily
pushed, dominating the other
WWE Diva
Throughout its history, women have served in various onscreen roles in the American professional wrestling promotion WWE. In the 1990s, WWE (then known as the World Wrestling Federation) introduced the term Diva to refer to its female performers ...
s and gaining the nickname, "The Glamazon". She won her first WWE Women's Championship at the
No Mercy pay-per-view
Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast.
Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program ...
in October, and held it for six months. She then developed an
on-screen relationship with
Santino Marella, dubbed "Glamarella", and won the Women's Championship for a second time in August 2008, holding it until January 2009. In January 2010, at the
Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
, she became the second woman in the history of the event to enter the men's
Royal Rumble match
The Royal Rumble match is a professional wrestling match based on the classic battle royal match in which a number of wrestlers (traditionally 30) aim at eliminating their competitors by tossing them over the top rope, with both feet touching the ...
, and went on to win the Women's Championship for the third time in April, holding it for a month. In October 2011, Phoenix won the
WWE Divas Championship
The WWE Divas Championship was a women's professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#World championships, world championship in WWE. The championship was created by WWE in 2008, and was introduced as part of the WWE brand extensio ...
for the first time and lost it in April 2012. Phoenix retired and left WWE in October 2012 due to creative frustrations with the treatment of women in WWE, and to focus on her family life with boyfriend and later husband Adam Copeland, famous in WWE as
Edge
Edge or EDGE may refer to:
Technology Computing
* Edge computing, a network load-balancing system
* Edge device, an entry point to a computer network
* Adobe Edge, a graphical development application
* Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed by ...
, with whom she subsequently had two daughters.
In 2017, Phoenix returned to WWE upon being inducted into the
WWE Hall of Fame
The WWE Hall of Fame is a List of halls and walks of fame, hall of fame which honors professional wrestlers and professional wrestling personalities maintained by WWE. Originally known as the "WWF Hall of Fame", it was created in 1993 when An ...
as part of the
2017 class; her induction made her the fastest woman to be inducted after her retirement and the youngest inductee in history at age 36.
After receiving the
Frank Gotch Award for her philanthropic work in 2015, she became she also became the first woman to be inducted in the
George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, a
hall of fame
A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...
dedicated to professional wrestlers with an amateur background, in 2019.
Phoenix had wrestled on a part-time basis from 2018 to 2023, most notably at
WrestleMania 35
WrestleMania 35 was a 2019 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming supercards, event produced by WWE. It was the 35th annual WrestleMania and took place on April 7, 2019, at MetLife ...
; she also took part in the first-ever women's Royal Rumble match in 2018, making her the first wrestler to have participated in both the men's and women's matches. From May 2019 to December 2021, she was a full-time commentator on
NXT.
Early life
Elizabeth Kociański was born in
Elmira, New York
Elmira () is a Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in and the county seat of Chemung County, New York, United States. It is the principal city of the Elmira, New York, metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses Chemung County. ...
, and raised by Polish parents.
When she was eleven years old, she won a coloring contest with a prize of tickets to a television taping for the
World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
.
Kociański credits this as when she fell in love with
professional wrestling
Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to Real life, real- ...
.
She cites
Bret Hart
Bret Sergeant Hart (born July 2, 1957) is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. A member of the Hart wrestling family and a second-generation wrestler, he has an amateur wrestling background at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal U ...
,
Sgt. Slaughter,
Owen Hart
Owen James Hart (May 7, 1965 – May 23, 1999) was a Canadian-American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler who worked for several promotions including Stampede Wrestling, New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), World Championship Wrestling (W ...
, and
Ted DiBiase
Theodore Marvin DiBiase Sr. (; born January 18, 1954) is an American retired professional wrestler, manager, and color commentator. He is signed to WWE as of 2024, where he works in their Legends program. DiBiase achieved championship succ ...
as her favorite wrestlers.
Kociański attended
Notre Dame High School in Elmira, where she played
tennis
Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...
and ran
track.
She was voted
prom queen in her senior year.
Kociański is a graduate from
Canisius College
Canisius University is a private Jesuit university in Buffalo, New York. It was founded in 1870 by Jesuits from Germany and is named after St. Peter Canisius. Canisius offers more than 100 undergraduate majors and minors, and around 34 ma ...
in
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...
, with a bachelor's degree in
criminal justice
Criminal justice is the delivery of justice to those who have been accused of committing crimes. The criminal justice system is a series of government agencies and institutions. Goals include the rehabilitation of offenders, preventing other ...
and
public relations
Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. Pu ...
.
While wrestling in OVW, Kociański also worked as a waitress at a local restaurant known to Elmira natives as Lights Bakery and Coffee Shop.
Amateur wrestling career
Elizabeth Kociański began wrestling on the
Notre Dame High School scholastic wrestling
Scholastic wrestling, sometimes referred to as folkstyle wrestling and commonly known as simply wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling at the Secondary school, high school and middle school levels in the United States. It has often been label ...
team. She was the first female
varsity wrestler in the school's history.
She became the North-East
freestyle women's champion in 1999, and also won at the
New York State Fair
The New York State Fair, also known as the Great New York State Fair, is a 13-day showcase of agriculture, entertainment, education, and technology. With Midway (fair), midway rides, concessionaires, exhibits, and concerts, it has become New Yo ...
Tournament the same year.
At the time, she was also a member of
USA Wrestling
USA Wrestling (formerly known as the United States Wrestling Federation and as the United States Wrestling Association) is the organization that currently governs freestyle wrestling and Greco-Roman wrestling in the United States. USA Wrestling ...
, a freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling association.
Her life goal was, according to her, to become a professional wrestler, and she believed that having a solid amateur background would help her reach it.
Professional wrestling career
Early career (2001–2005)
After graduating from high school in 1998, she enrolled in both a
professional wrestling school and
Canisius College
Canisius University is a private Jesuit university in Buffalo, New York. It was founded in 1870 by Jesuits from Germany and is named after St. Peter Canisius. Canisius offers more than 100 undergraduate majors and minors, and around 34 ma ...
in
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...
. Her first choice for wrestling school was
Stu Hart
Stewart Edward Hart (May 3, 1915 – October 16, 2003) was a Canadian sport wrestling, amateur and professional wrestling, professional wrestler, wrestling Booker (professional wrestling), booker, professional wrestling promotion, promoter, and ...
's
Dungeon
A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably derives more from the Renaissance period. An oubliette (fr ...
, but because of the location, she decided on a more local school. At the school, she was trained by the All Knighters (Joey Knight and Robin Knightwing), who themselves had trained in the Hart Dungeon.
She later stated that
Nora Greenwald
Nora Kristina Greenwald (born September 7, 1977) is an American retired professional wrestling, professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE, under the ring name Molly Holly, as a producer. She is also known for her tenure in World Championship Wr ...
, who was known in the
World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
(WWF) as Molly Holly, had paid for her to attend wrestling school after Carolan had given her a demo tape of her work. Her professional wrestling debut match was against
Alexis Laree.
She then worked for various
independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States
* Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...
promotions, including Cleveland All Pro Wrestling and Apocalypse Wrestling, against both
male and female wrestlers, using the name "Phoenix".
In 2002, she was one of the first wrestlers in GLORY, an independent organization for women, and was the inaugural GLORY Champion.
She then joined Far North Wrestling (FNW), and was the only female wrestler in the promotion.
She defeated Joey Knight and Kevin Grace in 2003 to become the FNW Cruiserweight Champion.
Later in 2003 she took part in World Xtreme Wrestling's annual Women's Elite 8 tournament where she made it to the final, before losing to
April Hunter
April Hunter (born September 24, 1976) is an American retired professional wrestler, professional wrestling valet, boxer, actress, writer, fitness model and glamour model. She has appeared in publications including ''MuscleMag International ...
. She returned two years later and defeated
Nikki Roxx, but was bested in the second round by eventual winner Alicia.
The following month, Phoenix appeared at the inaugural taping for the
Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011; the promotion was subs ...
sister promotion
Shimmer Women Athletes
Shimmer Women Athletes (often referred to and stylized as SHIMMER) was an American, Chicago-based independent women's professional wrestling promotion which held its first event on November 6, 2005. Established by Dave Prazak and run by both ...
; during ''Volume 1'' she was pinned by Shimmer founder
Allison Danger
Cathy Allison Corino (born March 31, 1977) is a Canadians, Canadian retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and Manager (professional wrestling), professional wrestling manager, better known by her stage name, ring name, Allison Dang ...
but scored an upset victory in a non-title match against
NWA Midwest Women's Champion MsChif
Rachel Frobel (née Collins born June 11, 1976) is an American professional wrestler who is better known by her ring name MsChif. She has been wrestling since 2001 and in that time has worked for several independent promotions across the United ...
.
World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
Ohio Valley Wrestling (2004–2006)

Kociański was invited to a tryout with
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
(WWE) in May 2004, and then relocated to
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...
, to work for their then-
developmental territory
Development of the human body is the process of growth to maturity. The process begins with fertilization, where an egg released from the ovary of a female is penetrated by a sperm cell from a male. The resulting zygote develops through mitos ...
,
Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) is an American professional wrestling promotion, professional wrestling promotion and former developmental territory based in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is currently run by Al Snow, Matt Jones (radio host), Ma ...
(OVW).
She debuted on OVW television in July 2004, having changed her ring name to "Beth Phoenix", and became the
on-screen girlfriend and
valet
A valet or varlet is a male servant who serves as personal attendant to his employer. In the Middle Ages and Ancien Régime, ''valet de chambre'' was a role for junior courtiers and specialists such as artists in a royal court, but the term "va ...
of
Chris Masters.
The storyline was short-lived, and the following month Phoenix was
repackaged as the manager of
Aaron "The Idol" Stevens.
She signed a developmental contract with WWE on October 20, 2005, the same month that she broke her hand.
The duo was then joined by
Shelly Martinez, who Phoenix soon feuded within early 2006.
Trish Stratus' ally (2006)
Phoenix debuted on WWE's main roster on the May 8, 2006, episode of ''
Raw'' as a
face
The face is the front of the head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may affect th ...
by attacking
Mickie James
Mickie Laree James (born August 31, 1979) Additional January 6, 2017. is an American Country music, country singer and Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE. She is also signed to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) as Cre ...
while James was assaulting
Trish Stratus.
After this incident, James berated Phoenix for "ruining everything" and questioned why she showed up in the first place. A week later, Phoenix was formally introduced by Stratus and then attacked a distracted James on Stratus's behalf. When James finally escaped, Phoenix claimed that James had "ruined her life", and would not let her get away with it, before calling her a "psycho". On the following episode of ''Raw'', Phoenix attacked James after her match with
Torrie Wilson
Torrie Anne Wilson (born July 24, 1975) is an American model (person), model, former fitness competitor and retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE and WCW.
As a fitness competitor, Wilson won the Miss Galaxy compet ...
. Then, on the May 29 episode of ''Raw'', Phoenix and Wilson, with Stratus in their corner, teamed together to defeat
Candice Michelle and
Victoria, who had James in their corner. During the June 5 episode of ''Raw'', Phoenix suffered a
legitimately fractured
mandible
In jawed vertebrates, the mandible (from the Latin ''mandibula'', 'for chewing'), lower jaw, or jawbone is a bone that makes up the lowerand typically more mobilecomponent of the mouth (the upper jaw being known as the maxilla).
The jawbone i ...
during a match with Victoria, but was able to continue the match, and emerged victorious despite the injury.
Phoenix's jaw was entirely severed and subsequent surgeries left a portion of her face permanently numb. She spent a year having surgeries and recovering, including getting a titanium plate and nine screws placed in her jaw, but she was only out of action for two months, as she returned to action in OVW instead of on the main roster.
Return to Ohio Valley Wrestling (2006–2007)
After sustaining her injury on the main roster, Phoenix returned to action in OVW on August 16, 2006, defeating
Serena. Phoenix began regularly competing for the
OVW Women's Championship
The OVW Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling world championship championship in Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW). The first holder of the title was ODB, who declared herself champion in August 2006. The belt was defended as any oth ...
, unsuccessfully challenging the champion
ODB ODB may refer to:
People
* Ol' Dirty Bastard (1968–2004), American rapper and founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan
* ODB (wrestler) (born 1978), Stage name of American professional wrestler Jessica Kresa
* Original David Baker (born 1972), a monik ...
in a
battle royal
Battle royal (, also battle royale) traditionally refers to a fight involving many combatants, usually conducted under either boxing or wrestling rules, where the winner is the one who registers the most wins. In recent times, the term has been ...
and a
four-way match, which was won by Serena. At the October 4 OVW television tapings, however, Phoenix defeated Serena to win the championship.
She lost the championship to
Victoria Crawford in a
gauntlet match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick m ...
on October 20, and won it back the next day; however, Crawford's title reign is not officially recognized, and as a result, neither is Phoenix's second reign.
Phoenix officially
dropped the championship in a gauntlet match at the November 1 television taping, after she was eliminated by
Katie Lea
Katarina Leigh Waters (born 10 November 1980) is a German-born English American retired professional wrestler and actress. She is best known for her time with Impact Wrestling under the ring names Katarina or Winter and for her time in WWE under ...
, who eventually won the match.
On the November 6 episode of OVW, Phoenix came out with her championship and claimed to still be the women's champion.
As a result, a
ladder match
A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling, most commonly one in which an item (usually a title belt) is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item. The ladder itself become ...
was set up, where the winner would become the undisputed OVW Women's Champion. Lea won the match and was presented with the title belt on the first show of 2007.
Throughout 2007, Phoenix continued to wrestle in numerous women's matches in OVW.
Phoenix made her last appearance in OVW at their August 15 television tapings where she lost to Lea in a number one contenders match.
The Glamazon (2007–2008)

On the July 9, 2007, episode of ''Raw'', Phoenix returned as a
villain
A villain (also known as a " black hat", "bad guy" or "baddy"; The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.126 "baddy (also baddie) noun (pl. -ies) ''informal'' a villain or criminal in a book, film, etc.". the feminine form is villai ...
, when
Melina claimed to be injured. Phoenix replaced Melina in a tag team match as
Jillian Hall
Jillian Hall (born September 6, 1980) is a retired American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE.
After debuting in 1998, Hall worked on the independent circuit under the name Macaela Mercedes. ...
's friend, and the two lost to
Candice Michelle and
Mickie James
Mickie Laree James (born August 31, 1979) Additional January 6, 2017. is an American Country music, country singer and Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE. She is also signed to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) as Cre ...
. At the
SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...
pay-per-view
Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast.
Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program ...
, Phoenix won the
Interpromotional Divas
battle royal
Battle royal (, also battle royale) traditionally refers to a fight involving many combatants, usually conducted under either boxing or wrestling rules, where the winner is the one who registers the most wins. In recent times, the term has been ...
to become the number one contender for Michelle's
WWE Women's Championship
The WWE Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#World championships, world championship created and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, defe ...
. Phoenix was then
pushed as a dominating Diva, dubbing herself "The Glamazon" and vergroting James, Hall, and Michelle on the September 10 episode of ''Raw''. At
Unforgiven
''Unforgiven'' is a 1992 American revisionist Western film produced and directed by Clint Eastwood from a screenplay by David Webb Peoples. It stars Eastwood as William Munny, an aging outlaw and killer who takes on one more job years after ...
, however, she failed to capture the Women's Championship from Michelle.
Their storyline
rivalry
A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...
continued when Phoenix pinned Michelle during a non-title
mixed tag team match
Much like the singles match, tag team professional wrestling matches can and have taken many forms. Just about any singles or melee match type can be adapted to tag teams; for example, hardcore tag team matches are commonplace. Tag team ladder ...
on ''Raw'' on September 24.
At
No Mercy in October, Phoenix defeated Michelle to win her first WWE Women's Championship.
She retained the title on the October 22 episode of ''Raw'' in a
two out of three falls match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick m ...
, in which Candice Michelle was injured by Phoenix shaking the rope, causing her to fall off the top turnbuckle and legitimately break her
clavicle
The clavicle, collarbone, or keybone is a slender, S-shaped long bone approximately long that serves as a strut between the scapula, shoulder blade and the sternum (breastbone). There are two clavicles, one on each side of the body. The clavic ...
.
During a 10-Diva tag team match at
Survivor Series
Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...
, Phoenix's team lost after Melina was pinned by Mickie James. On the November 26 episode of ''Raw'', James defeated Melina in a number one contenders match for Phoenix's Women's Championship, setting up a title match between the two at
Armageddon
Armageddon ( ; ; ; from ) is the prophesied gathering of armies for a battle during the end times, according to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. Armageddon is variously interpreted as either a literal or a ...
, a match in which Phoenix successfully defended her Women's title. On New Year's Eve 2008, Phoenix successfully defended her title in a Triple Threat match against Melina and James, after pinning Melina.
Phoenix, along with then-ally Melina, took part in the ''
Playboy
''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...
''
BunnyMania Lumberjack match at
WrestleMania XXIV
WrestleMania XXIV was a 2008 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) List of WWE pay-per-view events, event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was the 24th annual WrestleMania and took place on March 30, 2008, at the Camping Wo ...
, where she defeated the team of
Ashley and
Maria.
On April 14, 2008, Phoenix faced Mickie James with her Women's Championship on the line and lost, ending her reign as champion.
Phoenix received a rematch on the May 5 episode of ''Raw'' in a
lumberjill match, but lost after Melina unintentionally hit her in the face with her boot.
On the May 12 episode of ''Raw'', Melina and Phoenix partnered to face Maria and James. During the match, Melina unintentionally knocked Phoenix off of the ring apron, resulting in Phoenix abandoning Melina, which allowed James and Maria to pick up the win. Later that night, Melina and Phoenix brawled in a backstage segment, ending their alliance. At
Judgment Day
The Last Judgment is a concept found across the Abrahamic religions and the '' Frashokereti'' of Zoroastrianism.
Christianity considers the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to entail the final judgment by God of all people who have ever lived, res ...
, She failed to regain the Women's Championship in a Triple Threat match after James pinned Melina to retain the title.
At
One Night Stand, Phoenix defeated Melina in the first women's
"I Quit" match in WWE history.
The next night on ''Raw'', She teamed with
Katie Lea Burchill to defeat Melina and James in a tag team match. She was pinned by James one week later in a non-title match, and was once again destroyed by Melina post-match.
Glamarella (2008–2009)
After a month absence from television, Phoenix returned on the July 14 episode of ''Raw'', where she defeated
Santino Marella after he issued an open challenge to any WWE wrestler backstage. The storyline continued the following week after Marella lost to the returning
D-Lo Brown. Phoenix confronted Marella after the match, and they briefly grappled with each other before unexpectedly sharing a kiss, to which both expressed considerable confusion.
The two then became an
on-screen power couple, and the pairing of Phoenix and Marella later became known by the
portmanteau
In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together. Glamarella.
Within the team, she acted as the
straight-woman, berating Marella or reacting in disbelief to his over-the-top, embarrassing antics. At
SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...
, they defeated
Kofi Kingston
Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah (born August 14, 1981) is a Ghanaian-born American professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand under the ring name Kofi ...
and
Mickie James
Mickie Laree James (born August 31, 1979) Additional January 6, 2017. is an American Country music, country singer and Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE. She is also signed to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) as Cre ...
in an
intergender tag team match. Phoenix pinned James, winning the
Women's Championship
The Women's Super League 2, also known as Barclays Women's Super League 2 for sponsorship reasons, is a professional football league in England, operated by WSL Football. It is the second-highest division of women's football in England. The div ...
, while Marella won Kingston's
Intercontinental Championship.
She successfully defended the Women's Championship against
Candice Michelle at
No Mercy. At
Survivor Series
Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...
in November, Phoenix was team captain of the victorious Raw Diva team which defeated the
SmackDown Divas in a five-on-five elimination match; she eliminated
Maryse and became the sole survivor of the team.
On December 8, 2008, Phoenix received the "
Slammy Award
The Slammy Awards, also known as the Slammys, is a concept used by WWE, where awards, similar to the Academy and Grammy Awards, are given to professional wrestlers and other individuals within WWE, such as commentators and managers. Introduced i ...
" for Diva of the Year.
Phoenix then began feuding with
Melina, who had returned from injury in November. This storyline included the debut of
Rosa Mendes, who was introduced as Phoenix's "superfan". At the
Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
in January 2009, Phoenix lost the Women's Championship to Melina.
At
WrestleMania XXV, Phoenix competed in the 25-Diva "Miss WrestleMania" battle royal; despite scoring 12 eliminations, more than any other participant, she lost when Marella, who competed in
drag, claiming to be his twin sister "Santina", last eliminated her. After WrestleMania, Glamarella separated, as Phoenix was unhappy with Santino pretending to be "Santina". Phoenix had a brief scripted rivalry with both "Santina" and Marella, and challenged "Santina" for the "Miss WrestleMania" title at
Backlash
Backlash may refer to:
Literature
* '' Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women'', a 1991 book by Susan Faludi
* ''Backlash'' (Star Wars novel), a 2010 novel by Aaron Allston
* Backlash (Marc Slayton), a comic book character from ...
, but was unsuccessful.
Feud with LayCool (2009–2011)
After a brief hiatus, Phoenix returned on the July 27 episode of ''Raw'', teaming with
Alicia Fox and
Rosa Mendes in a losing effort to
Mickie James
Mickie Laree James (born August 31, 1979) Additional January 6, 2017. is an American Country music, country singer and Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE. She is also signed to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) as Cre ...
,
Gail Kim, and
Kelly Kelly
Barbara Jean Blank Coba (née Blank; January 15, 1987), known professionally as Barbie Blank and by her ring name Kelly Kelly, is an American model and former professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE under a legends contract.
Blank has a ...
. Phoenix had her first opportunity for the
WWE Divas Championship
The WWE Divas Championship was a women's professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#World championships, world championship in WWE. The championship was created by WWE in 2008, and was introduced as part of the WWE brand extensio ...
, being narrowly defeated by the defending champion, Mickie James, on the August 31 episode of ''Raw'', after winning a number one contender's battle royal that same night.
On the October 12 episode of ''Raw'', it was announced that Phoenix had been traded to the
SmackDown brand. Phoenix made her in-ring debut for the brand on the October 30 episode of ''SmackDown'', defeating
Jenny Brooks, an "
enhancement talent". In January 2010, at the
Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
, she entered the
Royal Rumble match
The Royal Rumble match is a professional wrestling match based on the classic battle royal match in which a number of wrestlers (traditionally 30) aim at eliminating their competitors by tossing them over the top rope, with both feet touching the ...
and eliminated
The Great Khali
Dalip Singh Rana (born 27 August 1972), better known by his ring name The Great Khali, is an Indian-born American former Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, promoter, and actor. He is best known for his tenure with WWE, where he be ...
, before she was eliminated by
CM Punk
Phillip Jack Brooks (born October 26, 1978), better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw brand. Regarded as ...
. With her entry, she became the second woman in history to enter the Royal Rumble match, the first being
Chyna
Chyna (born Joan Marie Laurer; December 27, 1969 – April 17, 2016), also known as Joanie Laurer, was an American professional wrestler, fitness model, bodybuilder, actress, adult actress, and television personality.
Chyna first rose to pr ...
.
After being told by
Vickie Guerrero
Vickie Lynn Benson (formerly Guerrero, née Lara;Guerrero, Eddie. ''Cheating Death, Stealing Life: The Eddie Guerrero Story'', p. 53. born April 16, 1968), better known as Vickie Guerrero, is an American former professional wrestling personality ...
, the SmackDown consultant, that she would not be receiving a Women's Championship opportunity, Phoenix turned
face
The face is the front of the head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may affect th ...
after she saved
Tiffany from an attack by Guerrero and
LayCool (
Michelle McCool and
Layla) on the March 12 episode of ''SmackDown''. She then went on to defeat McCool and Layla in a tag team match involving Tiffany. The feud with McCool continued at
WrestleMania XXVI
WrestleMania XXVI was a 2010 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) List of WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming supercards, event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was the 26th annual WrestleMania and took place on March 28, ...
, where they were on opposing teams in a 10-Diva tag team match, which Phoenix's team lost, although they won a rematch the following night on ''Raw''. On the April 23 episode of Smackdown, Phoenix teamed with Mickie James to face McCool and Layla. After the match, LayCool beat down and humiliated Phoenix by smearing make-up on her face and body while she was unconscious. This resulted in Phoenix receiving a match for the Women's Championship against McCool at
Extreme Rules, where she defeated McCool in an "
Extreme Makeover
''Extreme Makeover'' is an American reality television series that premiered on ABC on December 11, 2002. Created by Howard Schultz, the show depicts ordinary men and women undergoing "extreme makeovers" involving plastic surgery, exercise r ...
" match to win her third Women's Championship.
On the May 6 episode of ''
Superstars'', Phoenix
tore her ACL in a match against Rosa Mendes, and as a result, one week later on ''SmackDown'', McCool invoked her rematch clause to face Phoenix in a
two-on-one handicap match along with Layla, where Layla pinned Phoenix to become the new Women's Champion.
Phoenix returned from her injury at November's
Survivor Series
Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...
pay-per-view, and attacked the former co-champions
Michelle McCool and
Layla, after they lost the
WWE Divas Championship
The WWE Divas Championship was a women's professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#World championships, world championship in WWE. The championship was created by WWE in 2008, and was introduced as part of the WWE brand extensio ...
to
Natalya. Phoenix and Natalya then formed an alliance, and at
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs in December, Phoenix and Natalya defeated
LayCool in the first Divas Tag Team
Tables match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a storyline. ...
in WWE history.
Divas Champion and departure (2011–2012)

As part of the
2011 Supplemental Draft on April 26, 2011, Phoenix returned to the Raw brand. On the August 1 episode of ''Raw'', Phoenix won a battle royal to become the number one contender to the WWE Divas Championship, and afterward attacked champion
Kelly Kelly
Barbara Jean Blank Coba (née Blank; January 15, 1987), known professionally as Barbie Blank and by her ring name Kelly Kelly, is an American model and former professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE under a legends contract.
Blank has a ...
to provoke a feud and turning heel in the process. Phoenix later declared that she was tired of the "perky bimbos" that comprised the rest of the Divas division, and was on a mission to make a mockery of the other Divas, and was joined by Natalya to form the
Divas of Doom. Phoenix went on to unsuccessfully challenge Kelly for the championship at
SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...
.
Throughout September, The Divas of Doom feuded with Kelly and
Eve Torres on ''Raw'' and The Chickbusters (
AJ and
Kaitlyn) on ''SmackDown''. Phoenix challenged Kelly for the Divas Championship again at
Night of Champions, but was unsuccessful. At
Hell in a Cell
Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a four-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link f ...
in October, Phoenix defeated Kelly to win the Divas Championship for the first time, with help from Natalya.
In a rematch on the October 14 episode of ''SmackDown'', Phoenix successfully retained the championship. At
Vengeance
Vengeance may refer to:
*Vengeance (concept) or revenge, a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance
Film
* ''Vengeance'' (1930 film), action adventure film directed by Archie Mayo
* ''Vengeance'' (1937 film) or ''W ...
, Phoenix successfully defended the championship against Eve Torres, with both Natalya and Kelly banned from ringside. Phoenix successfully retained her championship against Torres again at
Survivor Series
Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...
on November 20 in a
Lumberjill match, and against Kelly at
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 18.

Further successful defenses followed against Torres on the January 30, 2012, episode of ''Raw'' and
Tamina Snuka at
Elimination Chamber
The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was created by Triple H, and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel structure which ...
on February 19.
After this, Phoenix competed only sporadically for a few months, including a tag team match at
WrestleMania XXVIII, where she and Eve Torres were defeated by Kelly Kelly and
Maria Menounos. On the April 6 episode of ''SmackDown'', Phoenix lost to
Nikki Bella in a non-title match, following Kelly's interference. On the April 23 episode of ''Raw'', Phoenix lost her Divas Championship to Nikki Bella in a Lumberjill match, after suffering a storyline ankle injury.
At
Extreme Rules, Phoenix was scheduled to face Nikki in a rematch for the Divas Championship, however she was not medically cleared to compete and was replaced by the returning
Layla, who ended up winning the title. Phoenix made two unsuccessful attempts at regaining the Divas Championship from Layla at
Over the Limit in May and at
No Way Out in June, respectively. Phoenix lost 19 times against Divas champion Layla in various live events.
In September, Kaitlyn was attacked by an unknown assailant before her championship match at
Night of Champions. Upon her return, she announced her assailant had blonde hair, and Assistant SmackDown general manager Eve Torres accused Phoenix before attacking her. On the September 28 episode of ''SmackDown'', after defeating Natalya, Phoenix was suspended by Torres, but the suspension was later reversed by SmackDown General manager
Booker T Booker T or Booker T. may refer to
* Booker T. Washington (1856–1915), African American political leader at the turn of the 20th century
** List of things named after Booker T. Washington, some nicknamed "Booker T."
* Booker T. Jones (born 194 ...
. On the October 1 episode of ''Raw'', Phoenix lost to Torres.
Phoenix turned heel again on the October 18 episode of ''Superstars'', when she berated Kaitlyn for thinking that Phoenix attacked her and demanded respect from Kaitlyn, before losing to her in a singles match. On the October 29 episode of ''Raw'', Phoenix was defeated by
AJ Lee
April Jeanette Mendez (born March 19, 1987) is an American author, screenwriter and retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE under the ring name AJ Lee.
Mendez began her professional wrestling career in 2007 in New ...
in a singles match, but the match was restarted by
Raw Managing Supervisor Vickie Guerrero
Vickie Lynn Benson (formerly Guerrero, née Lara;Guerrero, Eddie. ''Cheating Death, Stealing Life: The Eddie Guerrero Story'', p. 53. born April 16, 1968), better known as Vickie Guerrero, is an American former professional wrestling personality ...
, allowing Phoenix to win. After the match, in the storyline, Guerrero fired Phoenix for her poor performance. In reality, Phoenix had given her notice to WWE in September and had decided to leave the company; although she originally claimed that she had left to focus on her family, in September 2019, she revealed that she had been "really frustrated with where the women were at from a company standpoint, and the investment that was being made in us. I felt in my heart I had done my best, and I'd try hard to change things but, at some point, I just got frustrated."
Hall of Fame and part–time commentator (2017–2019)
On February 27, 2017, WWE announced that Phoenix would be inducted into the
WWE Hall of Fame
The WWE Hall of Fame is a List of halls and walks of fame, hall of fame which honors professional wrestlers and professional wrestling personalities maintained by WWE. Originally known as the "WWF Hall of Fame", it was created in 1993 when An ...
as part of the
2017 class.
Her induction made her the quickest female to be inducted after her retirement, as she had retired only five years prior, and made her and her husband
Edge
Edge or EDGE may refer to:
Technology Computing
* Edge computing, a network load-balancing system
* Edge device, an entry point to a computer network
* Adobe Edge, a graphical development application
* Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed by ...
the first real-life couple to both be inducted.
In 2018, Phoenix became a part-time
color commentator
A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main (play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The person may also be referred to as a summariser (outside North America) ...
for WWE, mainly for women-related events, starting from January 16 to April 3, 2018, for the
first season of the ''
WWE Mixed Match Challenge'', commenting the tournament each week alongside
Michael Cole and
Corey Graves
Matthew Polinsky (born February 24, 1984) is an American wrestling color commentator and retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs under the ring name Corey Graves as the color commentator on th ...
.
On January 28, 2018, at the
Royal Rumble event, she made a one-night wrestling return as a
face
The face is the front of the head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may affect th ...
for the first time since 2012 by entering the first-ever women's
Royal Rumble match
The Royal Rumble match is a professional wrestling match based on the classic battle royal match in which a number of wrestlers (traditionally 30) aim at eliminating their competitors by tossing them over the top rope, with both feet touching the ...
as a competitor, making her the first person to appear in both a men's and women's Royal Rumble. She entered at number 24 and lasted over two minutes before being eliminated by
Natalya.
Phoenix went on to continue to work as a guest commentator at various events and mainly women's matches such as the
WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal at
WrestleMania 34
WrestleMania 34 was a 2018 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was the 34th annual WrestleMania and took place on April 8, 2018, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, held for ...
, the
2018 Mae Young Classic, the women's Royal Rumble match at the
2019 Royal Rumble event, and the
Elimination Chamber
The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was created by Triple H, and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel structure which ...
match to determine the inaugural
WWE Women's Tag Team Champions at the
2019 Elimination Chamber event.

On March 10, 2019, at the
Fastlane pay-per-view, Phoenix acted as commentator on the
WWE Women's Tag Team Championship
The WWE Women's Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling Women's Tag Team Championship, women's tag team Professional wrestling, championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE. It is th ...
match between defending champions The Boss 'n' Hug Connection (
Bayley and Sasha Banks) and
Nia Jax and
Tamina. After their defeat, Jax and Tamina attacked Bayley and Banks; Phoenix came to their aid, soon joined by Natalya, but the four were still overpowered by Jax and Tamina. The following day on ''Raw'', Phoenix accompanied Natalya to her match against Jax, eventually causing a disqualification by attacking Jax.
On the March 18, 2019, episode of ''Raw'', Phoenix announced that she was coming out of retirement; she and Natalya reformed their 2011–2012 tag team
The Divas of Doom, and challenged The Boss 'n' Hug Connection for a WWE Women's Tag Team Championship match at
WrestleMania 35
WrestleMania 35 was a 2019 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming supercards, event produced by WWE. It was the 35th annual WrestleMania and took place on April 7, 2019, at MetLife ...
; however, Tamina ambushed Phoenix after a distraction from Jax during a one-on-one match between Natalya and Banks.
On the April 1 episode of ''Raw'', Phoenix wrestled her first match in nearly seven years, where she teamed with Natalya, Bayley and Banks, to face off against Jax, Tamina, and
The IIconics (
Billie Kay
Jessica McKay (born 23 June 1989) is an Australian professional wrestler. She is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) under the ring name Jessie McKay. She is known for her time in WWE, where she performed under the ring name Billie ...
and
Peyton Royce
Cassandra Arneill (née McIntosh) (born 10 November 1992) is an Australian professional wrestler. She is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) under the ring name Cassie Lee. She is known for her time with WWE, where she performed un ...
), where Phoenix's team emerged victorious after she pinned Royce following a ''Glam Slam''. At WrestleMania, Phoenix and Natalya lost to
The IIconics during a
fatal four-way tag team
Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establis ...
match for the Women's Tag Team Championship, when, after Phoenix performed a ''Glam Slam'' from the second rope on defending champion
Bayley without realizing that The IIconics'
Billie Kay
Jessica McKay (born 23 June 1989) is an Australian professional wrestler. She is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) under the ring name Jessie McKay. She is known for her time in WWE, where she performed under the ring name Billie ...
had tagged Phoenix out, was thrown outside the ring by Kay's partner
Peyton Royce
Cassandra Arneill (née McIntosh) (born 10 November 1992) is an Australian professional wrestler. She is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) under the ring name Cassie Lee. She is known for her time with WWE, where she performed un ...
, who allowed Kay to successfully pin Bayley.
Full-time ''NXT'' commentator (2019–2021)
On May 15, 2019, Phoenix joined the commentary team of ''
NXT'' alongside
Mauro Ranallo and
Nigel McGuinness
Steven Haworth (born 23 January 1972), better known by his ring name Nigel McGuinness, is an English professional wrestling, professional wrestler and commentator. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he serves as a color commentato ...
, replacing
Percy Watson
Nicholas Christopher McNeil (born August 19, 1981), better known by his ring name Percy Watson, is an American professional wrestler, commentator, and former professional football player. He is best known for his time with WWE as an in-ring ...
; this marked her first time as full-time commentator, and her first time commenting matches that did not involve women. Her first
NXT TakeOver
NXT TakeOver was a series of periodic professional wrestling events produced by the American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE for its NXT (WWE brand), NXT WWE brand extension, brand division. The first TakeOver was simply titled NX ...
as announcer was
NXT TakeOver: XXV on June 1, 2019. She was a member of the commenting team when ''NXT'' started airing live on September 18, 2019, and was extended from a 50-minutes runtime to 120 minutes.
Phoenix returned to the ring for the first time since the previous year's WrestleMania during the Women's Royal Rumble match at the
2020 Royal Rumble event as the nineteenth entrant, lasting over 23 minutes before being eliminated by
Shayna Baszler
Shayna Andrea Baszler ( ; born August 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and a former kickboxer and mixed martial artist. She is best known for her time in WWE, where she became a former List of NXT Women's Champions, two-time and lon ...
and finishing in third place.
She suffered a head injury early in the match when
Bianca Belair
Bianca Nicole Crawford (née Blair; born April 9, 1989) is an American professional wrestler and fitness and figure competitor. she is signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WWE brand extension, brand under t ...
slapped her chest and caused the back of Phoenix's neck to hit one of the ring posts around the ring, but was able to finish the match.
On the March 2 edition of ''Raw'', Phoenix would make an appearance to provide a medical update on her husband
Edge
Edge or EDGE may refer to:
Technology Computing
* Edge computing, a network load-balancing system
* Edge device, an entry point to a computer network
* Adobe Edge, a graphical development application
* Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed by ...
, who had been injured by
Randy Orton
Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He has been signed to WWE since 2000, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand. Orton is widely regarded as one of t ...
. However, Orton would interrupt and explain his actions, which caused Phoenix to slap and kick Orton, who retaliated by hitting her with an
RKO.
Sporadic appearances (2022–2024)
At
WWE Day 1, Phoenix returned to help her husband
Edge
Edge or EDGE may refer to:
Technology Computing
* Edge computing, a network load-balancing system
* Edge device, an entry point to a computer network
* Adobe Edge, a graphical development application
* Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed by ...
win a match against
The Miz
Michael Gregory Mizanin (born October 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and television personality. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name The Miz.
Mizanin first gained fame a ...
. The couple then started a feud with The Miz and Maryse which resulted in a
mixed tag team match
Much like the singles match, tag team professional wrestling matches can and have taken many forms. Just about any singles or melee match type can be adapted to tag teams; for example, hardcore tag team matches are commonplace. Tag team ladder ...
at the
Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
, Phoenix and Edge were victorious. On the August 22, 2022, episode of ''Raw'', Phoenix returned to watch Edge's match against
Damian Priest
Luis Martínez (born September 26, 1982) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Damian Priest and is a former one-time World Heavyweight Champion. He is also know ...
. After the match,
The Judgment Day (Priest,
Finn Bálor
Fergal Devitt (born 25 July 1981) is an Irish professional wrestler. As of May 2014, he is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Finn Bálor (). He is a member of The Judgment Day stable.
Devitt began his car ...
and
Rhea Ripley
Demi Bennett (born 11 October 1996) is an Australian professional wrestler. As of July 2017, she is signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand under the ring name Rhea Ripley. She is a List of Women ...
) attacked Edge, but Phoenix stepped in to stop the assault. She interfered in Edge's
"I Quit" match against Bálor at
Extreme Rules, but despite her efforts, Edge ultimately lost. When the match was over, Rhea Ripley attacked Phoenix with a violent Con-Chair-To, severely injuring her (
kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe (pronounced ) is the portrayal of staged events within the industry as "real" or "true", specifically competition, rivalries, and relationships between participants. The term has evolved to become a code word ...
).
In 2023, Phoenix returned at
Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
,
spearing Ripley before walking off with Edge. She would appear on the following ''Raw'' to do the same when The Judgement Day attempted to interfere in Bálor's match against
Cody Rhodes
Cody Garrett Runnels Rhodes (born June 30, 1985) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. As of April 2022, he is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand. He is also known for co-fou ...
. On February 6, 2023, Phoenix and Edge challenged Rhea Ripley and Finn Bálor to a mixed tag team match at the
Elimination Chamber
The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was created by Triple H, and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel structure which ...
premium live event''.
'' At the event on February 18, Phoenix and Edge were victorious despite interference from
Dominik Mysterio
Dominik Óscar Gutiérrez (born April 5, 1997) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Dominik Mysterio, and he is a member of The Judgment Day stable. He is the current ...
.
On August 15, 2024, Phoenix announced that her WWE Contract has just expired and became free agent during her interview with
Chris Van Vliet, after it was originally reported by ''
PWInsider'' on July 26, 2024.
Other media
Phoenix, along with
Candice Michelle and
Layla El, appeared in the February 2009 issue of ''
FLEX Magazine''.
Phoenix has appeared in 12 WWE video games. She made her in-game debut in ''
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009'' and appears in ''
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010'', ''
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011'', ''
WWE '12'', ''
WWE '13
''WWE '13'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii. It was released on October 30, 2012, in North America and November 2, 2012, in United Kingdom. It is the fourteent ...
'', ''
WWE 2K18
''WWE 2K18'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K (company), 2K. It is the nineteenth instalment in the WWE 2K, WWE game series (fifth under the ''WWE 2K'' banner) and a follow-up to ''WWE 2K17''. It wa ...
'', ''
WWE 2K19
''WWE 2K19'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K. It was released worldwide on October 9, 2018, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It is the twentieth game in the ''WWE'' series, th ...
'', ''
WWE 2K20
''WWE 2K20'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K. It was released worldwide on October 22, 2019, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It is the twenty-first installment of the ...
'', ''
WWE 2K Battlegrounds'', ''
WWE 2K22
''WWE 2K22'' is a 2022 professional wrestling sports video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K. It is the twenty-second overall installment of the video game series based on WWE, the eighth game under the ''WWE 2K'' banner, a ...
'', ''
WWE 2K23'' and ''
WWE 2K24''.
On November 9, 2021, Copeland announced her debut EP, ''Stone Rose & Bone.'' It was released on all major streaming platforms on November 12, 2021, by
WWE Music Group
WWE Music Publishing, Inc., trade name WWE Music Group, is an American record label funded and operated by WWE, a division of TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It was manufactured and co-marketed by C ...
.
Personal life
In 2001, she was married to Joey Carolan, known by the ring name Joey Knight,
but they divorced in 2010.
In September 2011, she began a relationship with Adam Copeland, known in WWE as
Edge
Edge or EDGE may refer to:
Technology Computing
* Edge computing, a network load-balancing system
* Edge device, an entry point to a computer network
* Adobe Edge, a graphical development application
* Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed by ...
, and in December 2013, their first daughter was born.
Their second daughter was born in May 2016. The couple married on October 30, 2016.
Championships and accomplishments
Amateur wrestling
* North-East Wrestling
** Women's Champion (1999)
* New York State Fair
** Women's Champion (1999)
Professional wrestling
*
Cauliflower Alley Club
The Cauliflower Alley Club is a non-profit fraternal organization, which includes a newsletter and website, comprising both retired and active professional wrestlers and boxers in North America.
Established in 1965 by Mike Mazurki and Art Ab ...
** Women's Wrestling Award (2015)
* Far North Wrestling
** FNW Cruiserweight Championship (1 time)
*
George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
**
Frank Gotch Award (2015)
** Class of 2019
* Glory Wrestling
** Glory Championship (1 time)
*
Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) is an American professional wrestling promotion, professional wrestling promotion and former developmental territory based in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is currently run by Al Snow, Matt Jones (radio host), Ma ...
**
OVW Women's Championship
The OVW Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling world championship championship in Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW). The first holder of the title was ODB, who declared herself champion in August 2006. The belt was defended as any oth ...
(
1 time)
* ''
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...
''
** Ranked No. 2 of the top 50 female wrestlers in the ''
PWI Female 50'' in 2008 and 2012
*
World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
**
WWE Divas Championship
The WWE Divas Championship was a women's professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#World championships, world championship in WWE. The championship was created by WWE in 2008, and was introduced as part of the WWE brand extensio ...
(
1 time)
**
WWE Women's Championship
The WWE Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#World championships, world championship created and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, defe ...
(
3 times)
**
WWE Hall of Fame
The WWE Hall of Fame is a List of halls and walks of fame, hall of fame which honors professional wrestlers and professional wrestling personalities maintained by WWE. Originally known as the "WWF Hall of Fame", it was created in 1993 when An ...
(
Class of 2017)
**
Slammy Award
The Slammy Awards, also known as the Slammys, is a concept used by WWE, where awards, similar to the Academy and Grammy Awards, are given to professional wrestlers and other individuals within WWE, such as commentators and managers. Introduced i ...
(1 time)
*** Diva of the Year (
2008
2008 was designated as:
*International Year of Languages
*International Year of Planet Earth
*International Year of the Potato
*International Year of Sanitation
The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
)
Footnotes
During her reign, Phoenix lost the title to
Victoria Crawford, later winning it back; Crawford's reign is not officially recognized by OVW, and therefore Phoenix is considered to have had a single, uninterrupted reign.
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Phoenix, Beth
1980 births
American color commentators
American female professional wrestlers
American people of Polish descent
Canisius University alumni
Living people
Female professional wrestling announcers
Professional wrestlers from New York (state)
Sportspeople from Elmira, New York
WWE Hall of Fame inductees
WWF/WWE Women's Champions
21st-century American women
21st-century female professional wrestlers
21st-century American professional wrestlers
WWE Divas Champions
OVW Women's Champions