Maria Kanellis
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Mary Louis Kanellis-Bennett (born February 25, 1982) is an American professional wrestler,
manager Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...
, promoter, singer and model. She is best known for her tenures in WWE, TNA,
All Elite Wrestling All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is an American professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. It is owned and operated by Shahid Khan, Shahid and Tony Khan, with the latter serving as President (corporate title), president an ...
, and
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 ...
. Outside of wrestling, she is known for her 2008 ''
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 $ ...
'' magazine pictorial and 2010 appearances on the '' Celebrity Apprentice'' television series. Kanellis' career began as a contestant on the reality show '' Outback Jack'' in 2004. In the same year, she placed fifth in the Diva Search, and was later hired by WWE as a backstage interviewer. Kanellis began competing in the ring as a professional wrestler in 2005 and received the Slammy Award for Diva of the Year in 2009. She released her debut album '' Sevin Sins'' in 2010 and departed WWE later that year. After departing WWE, she worked for
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 ...
(ROH) and
Impact Wrestling Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (abbreviated as TNA Wrestling or TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a Canadian media company owned by busine ...
- then Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) - often appearing with her husband Mike Bennett. In TNA, she is a former TNA Knockouts Champion. Along with Bennett, she returned to WWE from 2017 to 2020 and held the WWE 24/7 Championship once.


Early life

Kanellis was born in
Ottawa, Illinois Ottawa is a city in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the confluence of the navigable Fox River (Illinois River tributary), Fox River and Illinois River, the latter being a conduit for river barges and ...
. She has Greek origins. She has two younger siblings; a brother and sister named Bill and Janny, respectively. Kanellis grew up with an interest in playing sports, particularly
volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...
,
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
, and
softball Softball is a Variations of baseball, variation of baseball, the difference being that it is played with a larger ball, on a smaller field, and with only underhand pitches (where the ball is released while the hand is primarily below the ball) ...
. She graduated from Ottawa Township High School in 2000, and then went on to study at Northern Illinois University. Before her career in wrestling began, Kanellis regularly competed in beauty pageants.


Professional wrestling career


World Wrestling Entertainment (2004–2010)


''Diva Search'' and beginnings (2004–2005)

Maria competed in the '' Diva Search'' in 2004, deciding to enter the contest after seeing an advertisement while watching '' Raw''. Even though she only placed fifth in the contest, she was hired by the company. She stood out in the contest by giving fellow contestant Carmella DeCesare
the finger "The finger", or the middle finger (as in giving someone the (middle) finger, flipping the bird or flipping someone off) is an obscene hand gesture. The gesture communicates moderate to extreme contempt, and is roughly equivalent in meaning t ...
after being eliminated from the contest. Maria began making appearances in
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), WWE's then- developmental territory. She contributed
booking Booking may refer to: * Making an appointment for a meeting or gathering, as part of event planning/ scheduling * The intake or admission process into a prison or psychiatric facility. * ''Booking'' (manhwa), a Korean comics anthology magazine ...
ideas, and her work at OVW earned her a spot on the Raw brand roster. Maria was brought on to ''Raw'' as a ditzy backstage interviewer and the host of WWE KissCam in November 2004. Her gimmick involved her asking wrong questions, irritating and amusing the roster. In 2005, Maria began wrestling and was defeated in her first official match on the January 10, 2005, episode of ''Raw'' by
Christy Hemme Christina Lee Hemme ( ; born October 28, 1980) is an American wrestling executive and retired professional wrestler, ring announcer, backstage interviewer, singer and model (person), model. She was previously signed to Total Nonstop Action Wre ...
in a Lingerie Pillow Fight. On the March 14 episode of ''Raw'', one of Maria's fillings legitimately fell out after she was slapped by Trish Stratus. She also competed in a Fulfill Your Fantasy Diva
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 ...
at Taboo Tuesday for the WWE Women's Championship, but was the first to be eliminated. On November 14, Maria competed in a non-title Diva Battle Royal at the
Eddie Guerrero Eduardo Gory Guerrero Llanes (October 9, 1967 – November 13, 2005) was an American professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He was best known for his tenures in WWE, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and World Championship Wrestling ...
tribute ''Raw'' show, where she was one of the last three women left but was eliminated by Melina and Trish Stratus. On the November 28 episode of ''Raw'', Maria interviewed then-Raw General Manager
Eric Bischoff Eric Aaron Bischoff (born May 27, 1955) is an American television producer, Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Booker, professional wrestling booker, promoter, and performer. He is best known for serving as Executive Producer and later Sen ...
, and asked him whether or not he thought he was going to be fired. He then booked her in a match with
Kurt Angle Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler and amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler. He first earned recognition for winning a Wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 100 kg, gold me ...
out of spite, where Maria was laid out with the Angle Slam and nearly put in an Ankle Lock while unconscious before being saved by
John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American actor and professional wrestler. As a wrestler, he has been signed to WWE , where he is the current WWE Championship, Undisputed WWE Champion in his record 14th reign, which is ...
. As a result, one week later, Maria testified in the trial against Bischoff, who was being fired because of his controversial actions as general manager.


Various relationships (2006–2008)

On the January 2, 2006, episode of ''Raw'', Maria was attacked and stripped of her clothes by Vince's Devils ( Victoria,
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 ...
, and Candice Michelle), but she was saved by Ashley Massaro. During a commercial break that night,
Vince McMahon Vincent Kennedy McMahon ( ; born August 24, 1945) is an American businessman and former professional wrestling promoter. McMahon, along with his later-estranged wife Linda McMahon, Linda, is a co-founder of the modern WWE, the world's largest ...
announced a Gauntlet Bra & Panties Match for New Year's Revolution between all five girls. At the event, Maria was the first to enter the Gauntlet match and eliminated Michelle and Wilson before being eliminated by Victoria. The match was ultimately won by Massaro. On the February 6, episode of ''Raw'',
Jonathan Coachman Jonathan William Coachman (born August 12, 1973), also known as "The Coach", is an American sports analyst and former professional wrestling personality. Early life Before embarking on an announcing career in professional wrestling, Coachman w ...
announced that Edge and Lita would have fought the mixed team of
John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American actor and professional wrestler. As a wrestler, he has been signed to WWE , where he is the current WWE Championship, Undisputed WWE Champion in his record 14th reign, which is ...
and Maria in the main event, and before the match John Cena kissed Maria, who came into his locker room to express her nervousness for the competition (despite the kiss, any on-screen romance between the pair was born). Maria scored the victory after a
spear A spear is a polearm consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with Fire hardening, fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable materia ...
meant for Cena hit Lita. The following month, Lita defeated Maria in a one-sided singles match. On the April 10 episode of ''Raw'', Maria received title match for
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 ...
' WWE Women's Championship, but lost. On October 16, Maria won a Fatal Four-Way Bra and Panties match against Victoria, Candice, and Wilson to advance to the semi-finals in a Women's Championship Tournament. Maria, however, lost in the semi-finals to Lita. On the November 6 episode of ''Raw'', Maria was forced to compete in a match against Umaga by Eric Bischoff or be fired. Maria was completely destroyed and rag-dolled by Umaga before the match could begin, suffering a Samoan drop and running hip attack before John Cena ran out to stop the assault. On the January 1, 2007, episode of ''Raw'', Maria attempted to interview Kevin Federline, but was instead slapped by Melina. This led to a match between the two later that night, which Melina won. At New Year's Revolution, Maria and Candice ran to the ring during the Women's Championship match between Victoria and Mickie James to stop Melina from interfering, helping James retain the title. In the following weeks she faced Melina in two tag team matches, where she won one. Maria began an on-screen romance with Santino Marella in June. On the November 5 episode of ''Raw'', Marella was confronted by the returning
Stone Cold Steve Austin Steve Austin (born Steven James Anderson and later Steven James Williams; December 18, 1964), better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American media personality, actor, producer and retired Professional wrestling, profes ...
for criticizing his movie, '' The Condemned''. As a part of the storyline, the argument ended as Marella received a Stone Cold Stunner from Austin. After former ''Playboy'' cover-girl Ashley Massaro's return in early 2008, Kanellis engaged in backstage segments where Massaro suggested Maria should be on the cover of ''Playboy''. As a part of the storyline, Maria defeated Beth Phoenix on February 18, to "earn the right" to be on the cover of the magazine. During her ''Playboy'' cover unveiling, Maria's cover was plastered over with images of Marella. After Marella offered an ultimatum of posing for the magazine or staying with him as a couple, she then broke up with him. Maria, along with Ashley were defeated by Phoenix and Melina 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 ...
in a ''Playboy BunnyMania'' Lumberjill match. After the match, Maria passionately kissed the Master of Ceremonies,
Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...
. The next night on Raw, Maria wrestled Marella, but the match ended with Maria as the winner. This ended their feud.


Championship pursuits and various alliances (2008–2009)

As part of the 2008 WWE supplemental draft, Maria was drafted to the SmackDown brand. She made her debut on the August 1 episode of ''SmackDown'' by defeating Victoria. On the October 17 episode of ''SmackDown!'', Maria won a "
Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
Dice on a Pole" match to become the number one contender for the WWE Divas Championship, but lost for the title against then-champion Michelle McCool. Maria participated in the Raw vs. Smackdown Divas 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 ( ...
, where she eliminated Jillian Hall before her team lost the match. On the December 5 episode of ''SmackDown!'', Maria pinned Divas Champion Michelle McCool, but she was defeated by Maryse in a number one contender's match for the title two weeks later. At the Armageddon on December 14, Maria was part of the winning team of a Santa's Little Helper tag team match. On the December 26 episode of ''SmackDown!'', she served as a special guest referee in the Divas Championship match between Maryse and McCool, where Maryse became the new champion. After the match, McCool turned heel and attacked Maria. On the January 23, 2009, episode of ''SmackDown'', Maria returned and attacked McCool during a match. On the February 13 episode of ''SmackDown'', she defeated McCool following interference from Eve Torres. Over the next several weeks, Maria competed in various tag-team matches against McCool, with Maria winning three out of four matches. She also competed at WrestleMania XXV for the "Miss WrestleMania" crown, but was eliminated by Victoria. Throughout June, Maria served as the special guest referee in Diva matches. Maria made her in-ring return on the July 3 episode of ''SmackDown'', teaming with Melina to defeat LayCool (Michelle McCool and Layla). Soon after, she entered into an on-screen relationship with Dolph Ziggler, despite her being a fan favorite and him being a villainous character. At Night of Champions, Maria accompanied Ziggler to his match with Rey Mysterio for Intercontinental Championship. In the following weeks, Melina implied that Ziggler was cheating on Maria, which Maria did not believe. Maria and Ziggler later broke up on the October 6 episode of ''SmackDown'' in a backstage segment, after she cost him his match with John Morrison. Maria then took a brief hiatus from the ring to film the ''Celebrity Apprentice'', but returned on the December 4 episode of ''SmackDown'' by helping
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 ...
fend off an attack by LayCool. She made her in-ring return the following week, teaming up with James to defeat LayCool. On December 14, Maria won the Slammy Award for Diva of the Year, which was voted for by WWE fans. Final appearance and departure (2010) After Mickie James defeated Michelle McCool to become WWE Women's Champion, Maria appeared post-match 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 ...
with other Divas, to cake LayCool for revenge. Her last appearance would be in a six-person mixed tag team match on Superstars, in which she, Matt Hardy and The Great Khali were defeated by The Hart Dynasty. Then, Maria was released from her WWE contract on February 26.


Ring of Honor (2011–2015)

Maria confirmed on her
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account that she would be appearing at
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 ...
(ROH)'s Final Battle pay-per-view on December 23, 2011. She accompanied her real-life boyfriend, Mike Bennett, as a villainess, in a three-way elimination match for the ROH World Television Championship, where he won. On January 7, 2012, tapings of '' Ring of Honor Wrestling'', she was dubbed the "First Lady of ROH". At the June 21 tapings of ''Ring of Honor Wrestling'', Kanellis accompanied Bennett and Brutal Bob Evans to the ring, where they lost to Eddie Edwards and
Adam Cole Austin Kirk Jenkins (born July 5, 1989), known by the ring name Adam Cole, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of The Paragon (professional wrestling), ...
. After the match, Kanellis, Bennett and Bob attacked Cole and Edwards, but were stopped by Sara Del Rey, who Edwards had brought in to neutralize Kanellis. At the
Boiling Point The boiling point of a substance is the temperature at which the vapor pressure of a liquid equals the pressure surrounding the liquid and the liquid changes into a vapor. The boiling point of a liquid varies depending upon the surrounding envi ...
on August 11, Maria and Bennett lost to Del Rey and Edwards in a mixed tag team match. In September 2012, Kanellis and Bennett became involved in a storyline with Mike Mondo after he kissed Kanellis during one of Bennett's matches. On Glory by Honor in October, Bennett defeated Mondo to end the feud. On December 16 at Final Battle 2012: Doomsday, Kanellis along with Bob accompanied Bennett to the ring where he defeated Jerry Lynn in his final ROH match before retirement. On September 19, 2013, Maria and Bennett defeated The Brutal Burgers (Brutal Bob Evans and
Cheeseburger A cheeseburger is a hamburger with one or more slices of melted cheese on top of the meat patty, added near the end of the cooking time. Cheeseburgers can include variations in structure, ingredients and composition. As with other hamburgers, ...
) in an Intergender tag team match. On October 26, during Bennett's match with Kevin Steen at the Glory by Honor XII, Kanellis tried to interfere but was attacked by Lisa Marie Varon. Kanellis and Bennett returned to ROH at the January 4, 2014, tapings of ''Ring of Honor Wrestling'' which aired on February 1, with Kanellis helping Bennett defeat
Cedric Alexander Cedric Alexander Johnson (born August 16, 1989) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is performing on the independent circuit. He is best known for his tenures in WWE and Ring of Honor (ROH). Alexander worked for ROH ...
. Throughout the summer, Maria and Bennett would get involved in
Matt Hardy Matthew Moore Hardy (born September 23, 1974) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he a former List of TNA World Tag Team Champions, three time TNA Wor ...
's feud with The Briscoes. During the feud, The Kingdom stole Jay Briscoe's title; Matt Hardy customized it as the Iconic Championship. At All Stars Extravaganza 6, Bennett and Maria customized the title as the Championship of Love. They were interrupted by Jay Briscoe's brother, Mark. Bennett and Kanellis left ROH after the December 19, 2015, '' Ring of Honor Wrestling'' taping, after failing to come to terms on a new contract with the promotion.


Other promotions (2012–2015)

On February 25, 2012, Maria won a tournament to determine the inaugural Family Wrestling Entertainment (FWE) Women's Champion. The victory also marked Kanellis' first championship in professional wrestling. She held the championship until March 24, when she lost it to
Winter Winter is the coldest and darkest season of the year in temperate and polar climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Dif ...
in a three-way match also involving Rosita. In July, Kanellis regained the championship from Winter. Kanellis successfully defended her title against Angelina Love at ''FWE: No Limits''. In September 2012, Kanellis made her debut for Chikara, managing Mike Bennett and The Young Bucks to the finals of the 2012 King of Trios tournament. Alongside Gavin Loudspeaker, Kanellis hosted the 2014 National Pro Wrestling Day. On October 4, 2014, Maria lost the FWE Women's Championship against Ivelisse Vélez


New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2015)

On April 6, 2015, Kanellis managed Bennett and Matt Taven to capture
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) is a Puroresu, Japanese professional-wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, and based in Nakano, Tokyo. It is currently majority owned by card-game company Bushiroad, with TV As ...
(NJPW)'s IWGP Tag Team Championship at Invasion Attack 2015. The following day, NJPW announced that, due to Mike Bennet's politics backstage, the promotion had booked its first match involving female wrestlers since October 2002, which would see Kanellis team up with Bennett and Taven to take on Amber Gallows,
Doc Gallows Andrew William Hankinson (born December 22, 1983) is an American professional wrestler. He is performing for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) under the ring name Doc Gallows. He is best known for his three tenures in WWE, where he performed under ...
and
Karl Anderson Chad Allegra (born January 20, 1980) known by the ring name Karl Anderson , is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is primarily performing for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He is also known for his time in WWE. Ander ...
at Wrestling Dontaku 2015 on May 3. Kanellis pinned Amber to win the match. On July 5 at Dominion 7.5 in Osaka-jo Hall, Kanellis accompanied Bennett and Taven to their first IWGP Tag Team Championship defense against Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson. The Kingdom lost the match and the championship, after Doc Gallows superkicked Kanellis, which distracted Bennett, leaving Taven alone to lose the match.


Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2016–2017)

On January 5, 2016, during ''
Impact Wrestling Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (abbreviated as TNA Wrestling or TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a Canadian media company owned by busine ...
s premiere on '' Pop TV'', Maria made her debut as a heel introducing her husband as "The Miracle" Mike Bennett. In February, Maria began a
feud A feud , also known in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, private war, or mob war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially family, families or clans. Feuds begin ...
with Gail Kim after Kim refused Maria's help to make her go "mainstream". On the April 19 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Maria won 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 ...
to become the new Impact Knockouts Division Commissioner. During the feud between Maria and Gail Kim, where a singles match was set up for Slammiversary. On June 10, Maria then revealed on her
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account that she suffered a broken hand, and therefore she was not medically cleared to compete at Slammiversary and her match with Kim was called off. Kim was therefore added to the Knockouts Championship match, making it a triple threat match. On the September 1, episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Maria berated and forcibly pinned her apprentice Allie to win the TNA Women's Knockout Championship for the first time in her career. On October 2 at the Bound for Glory pay-per-view, Kim defeated Maria for the title, ending her reign at 50 days and Gail Kim also defeated Maria to step down as the new TNA Knockouts Commissioner. After being convinced by Kevin Owens, the couple didn't re-sign with TNA and, on March 1, they left the promotion.


Return to WWE (2017–2020)

Return and managing Mike Kanellis (2017–2019) On June 18, 2017, Kanellis returned to WWE alongside her husband Mike Kanellis in his WWE debut at Money in the Bank, establishing the Kanellis couple as heels for the first time in Maria's WWE career. On the July 18 episode of '' SmackDown'', Maria helped Mike defeat Sami Zayn in his WWE debut match. In September, Kanellis went on a leave of absence from WWE, following her pregnancy announcement. On January 22, 2018, at the '' 25th Anniversary of Raw'', a visibly pregnant Maria was honored as part of a segment involving women considered legends that contributed to the company's success, including The Bella Twins ( Brie and Nikki), Maryse,
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 ...
, Lilian Garcia,
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 ...
, Michelle McCool, Terri Runnels, and
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 ...
rs Jacqueline and Trish Stratus. Nine months later, on the October 10 episode of '' 205 Live'', Maria officially made her television return as she interrupted a match between Lince Dorado and Lio Rush, allowing her husband, who attack Dorado. Three weeks later, on October 28, in her first match back in WWE since December 2009, Kanellis took part of the first ever all women's pay–per–view,
Evolution Evolution is the change in the heritable Phenotypic trait, characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. It occurs when evolutionary processes such as natural selection and genetic drift act on genetic variation, re ...
, where she competed in a battle royal for a future women's championship match but she was eliminated by the eventual winner Nia Jax. Throughout the rest of the year, Kanellis would continue her managerial role as she would accompany her husband Mike to his matches on ''205 Live'' where both would appear regularly. On January 16, Pro Wrestling Sheet's Ryan Satin reported that Maria and Mike recently asked WWE to release them from their contracts. Maria would go on to deny that she asked for her release. Mike Johnson of
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 ...
reported that they were not backstage at the following episode of ''205 Live''. On January 27, 2019, 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 ...
, Kanellis returned for the first time since Evolution in the previous year and competed in her first women's Royal Rumble match, entering at number 15 and lasting 08:12 minutes before she was eliminated by Alicia Fox. She would not appear on television until the January 29, 2019 ''205 Live'', where she accompanied Mike in a match against Kalisto, in which the latter won. 24/7 Champion and departure (2019–2020) On the July 1, 2019, episode of ''Raw'', Mike and Maria lost a mixed tag team match against
Seth Rollins Colby Daniel Lopez (born May 28, 1986), better known by the ring name Seth Rollins, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand and ...
and Becky Lynch. During the match, Maria revealed she was pregnant with her and Bennett's second child. On the July 29 episode of ''Raw'', after Mike had won the WWE 24/7 Championship from
R-Truth Ronnie Aaron Killings (born January 19, 1972) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs under his real name, stylized as Ron Killings and R-Truth. Killings worked for World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) ...
, he hid from a crowd of male wrestlers in his and Maria's locker room where Maria instructed Mike to lay down so she could pin him and win the title to become the 24/7 Champion, her first title in WWE. The following week, she lost the title back to Mike when he hugged her on the examination table during Maria's OB-GYN appointment. She then became the focal point of a story on TV, where she would say that Mike was not the father of her child, resulting in her husband losing matches in a humiliating manner. However, the storyline was dropped. According to her, the storyline would end with Mike being the father. Kanellis hasn't appeared in WWE since 2019 and on April 15, 2020, Kanellis, her husband and many other employees were released from their WWE contracts due to budget cuts amidst the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
.


Return to ROH (2020–2021)

On December 20, 2020, ROH announced the return of Maria through their social media platforms, as Maria introduced "The Experience", where fans can discuss and influence about ROH online. On October 27, 2021, she was released by ROH among other wrestlers due to the company closing down.


Return to Impact Wrestling (2022)

At Hard To Kill, on January 8, 2022, Maria made her return to TNA, now known as
Impact Wrestling Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (abbreviated as TNA Wrestling or TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a Canadian media company owned by busine ...
, along with Mike Bennett, Matt Taven, PCO, and
Vincent Vincent (Latin: ''Vincentius'') is a masculine given name originating from the Roman name ''Vincentius'', which itself comes from the Latin verb ''vincere'', meaning "to conquer." People with the given name Artists *Vincent Apap (1909–2003) ...
, where they attacked Eddie Edwards,
Rich Swann Richard Anthony Swann (born February 15, 1991) is an American professional wrestler. he is best known for his tenure in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). He is a former Impact World Champion, TNA World Heavyweight Championship (2020–2021), ...
, Willie Mack, Heath and Rhino. On October 8, 2022, it was announced that Bennett, Kanellis, Taven and Vincent had left ''
Impact Wrestling Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (abbreviated as TNA Wrestling or TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a Canadian media company owned by busine ...
''.


Women's Wrestling Army (2022-present)

On April 14, 2022 Maria founded Women's Wrestling Army (WWA) in Chicago. Kanellis is the owner of the company alongside Bobby Cruise, a Ring of Honor (ROH) ring announcer.


All Elite Wrestling / Ring of Honor (2022–2025)

Maria made her
All Elite Wrestling All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is an American professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. It is owned and operated by Shahid Khan, Shahid and Tony Khan, with the latter serving as President (corporate title), president an ...
(AEW) debut on the October 14, 2022, episode of '' Rampage'', alongside Mike Bennett and Matt Taven, interrupting FTR and Shawn Spears' victory celebration. In 2023, Maria quietly left The Kingdom and began managing the team of Cole Karter and Griff Garrison in ROH, now the sister promotion of AEW. On January 31, 2025, Maria announced her departure from AEW.


Other media

In 2004, she was a contestant on the reality show, '' Outback Jack''. She made it to the final three before being eliminated. During the week of November 5, 2007, she appeared on five episodes of '' Family Feud'' with several other WWE superstars. She also appeared on the February 6, 2008, episode of '' Project Runway'' with some of the other WWE Divas. On August 17, 2008, Maria, Candice Michelle, and Eve Torres were on an episode of '' Sunset Tan''. Kanellis later appeared on
VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...
's ''Top 20 Video Countdown'', along with
John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American actor and professional wrestler. As a wrestler, he has been signed to WWE , where he is the current WWE Championship, Undisputed WWE Champion in his record 14th reign, which is ...
. On December 17, 2009, she was a guest host on G4's '' Attack of the Show''. Kanellis began a new career as a
mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting combat sport, sport based on strike (attack), striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-s ...
announcer for
HDNet AXS TV () is an American specialty television, cable television channel majority-owned by Canadian broadcaster Anthem Sports & Entertainment. It is devoted primarily to Music television, music-related programming (such as concert films, Document ...
on March 26, 2010, at the
King of the Cage King of the Cage (KOTC) is a mixed martial arts promotion based in Southern California, United States. History KOTC was founded in 1998 by Terry Trebilcock Jr. KOTC features mostly amateur as well as up and coming MMA stars and former mainstre ...
event in Reno, Nevada. Kanellis was also a contestant on the '' Celebrity Apprentice'', which premiered in March 2010. She was eliminated on the May 16 episode. She placed fifth out of fourteen contestants. Kanellis was first asked to pose for ''
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 $ ...
'' when she was nineteen years old, but she turned down the offer in fear of embarrassing her sister. She eventually posed for the cover of the April 2008 issue, with an accompanying nude pictorial. For the pictorial, she chose her own wardrobe and made the black hooded jacket she wore in one of the photos. That same year, '' FHM'' named her 53rd of 100 on their "The Sexiest Women 2008" list. With WWE transitioning to PG content a few months after Kanellis's pictorial and WWE dropping its use of the term WWE Diva in 2016 in favor of referring to the female talent as WWE Superstars along with the men, Kanellis was ultimately the last active WWE Diva to pose nude for the magazine. Kanellis is also a singer and released her debut album ''Sevin Sins'' on April 13, 2010, with "Fantasy" as the first single. In early 2011, Kanellis appeared in the Funny or Die web series, ''Swallow'' and in March 2011 she launched her own perfume line called Signature. In September 2011, Kanellis launched her DVD line in conjunction with Code Red DVD called Maria's B Movie Mayhem. In January 2014, Kanellis and Bennett launched a weekly podcast called ''Mike & Maria in Wonderland''. Kanellis also owns and operates an event design company called Wonderland Event Productions. Kanellis has appeared in four WWE video games. She made her in-game debut in '' SmackDown vs. Raw 2009''. Maria also appears in '' SmackDown vs. Raw 2010'', '' WWE 2K19'' as DLC and '' WWE 2K20''.


Discography


EPs

* 2010: '' Sevin Sins''


Personal life

In a December 2011 interview, Kanellis confirmed she was dating Mike Bennett, and the couple were engaged in November 2012. On October 10, 2014, Kanellis and Bennett married. On September 25, 2017, Kanellis announced she and Bennett were expecting their first child. On April 3, 2018, the couple welcomed their daughter, Fredrica "Freddie" Moon Bennett. On the July 1, 2019, episode of Raw, during a mixed tag team match with Kanellis and Bennett against
Seth Rollins Colby Daniel Lopez (born May 28, 1986), better known by the ring name Seth Rollins, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand and ...
and Becky Lynch, Kanellis announced that she and Bennett are expecting their second child. Maria and Mike welcomed their son Carver Mars Bennett on February 3, 2020. In 2013, Kanellis was announced as one of the recipients of WWE's Talent Scholarship, which she utilized to obtain a degree in Sports, Entertainment, and Event Management from
Johnson & Wales University Johnson & Wales University (JWU) is a private university with its main campus in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded as a business school in 1914 by Gertrude I. Johnson and Mary T. Wales, JWU enrolled 7,357 students across its cam ...
, graduating in May 2017.


Filmography


Film


Television


Championships and accomplishments

* Family Wrestling Entertainment ** FWE Women's Championship (2 times, inaugural) * ''
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. 21 of the top 50 female wrestlers in the '' PWI Female 50'' in 2008 *
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (abbreviated as TNA Wrestling or TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a Canadian media company owned by busines ...
** TNA Knockouts Championship ( 1 time) * World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE ** WWE 24/7 Championship ( 1 time) ** Slammy Award (1 time) *** Diva of the Year (
2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
)


References


External links

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kanellis, Maria 1982 births 21st-century American professional wrestlers 21st-century American singers 21st-century American women singers 21st-century female professional wrestlers All Elite Wrestling personnel American beauty pageant contestants American female professional wrestlers American people of Greek descent Female models from Illinois Johnson & Wales University alumni Living people Northern Illinois University alumni Participants in American reality television series People from Ottawa, Illinois Professional wrestling managers and valets TNA/Impact Knockouts World Champions WWE 24/7 Champions WWE Diva Search contestants