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Before entering the professional wrestling industry, a few female WWE Superstars were beauty queens.
Many beautiful ladies have worked in WWE over the past few decades. Some of them were fitness models before turning into professional wrestlers. For example, NXT Women's Champion Mandy Rose won the 2014 World Beauty Fitness & Fashion Bikini Championship. Alexa Bliss also competed in some fitness competitions earlier in her career.
Meanwhile, other former and current female superstars participated in beauty contests and were crowned beauty queens before joining the ranks of Vince McMahon's roster. One of them even competed in the Mrs. America pageant several years ago.
Here are five WWE women you may not have known were beauty queens.
#5. WWE Superstar Bianca Carelli
Bianca Carelli recently joined WWE after passing a tryout two months ago. However, before becoming a superstar, the daughter of former Intercontinental Champion Santino Marella tried her hand at beauty pageants.
In an interview with Slam Wrestling, Carelli disclosed that she decided to participate in beauty pageants when she was a high school senior.
"I was sitting on my couch one day watching Toddlers and Tiaras and I thought to myself, 'This seems like something I could do!' I put in my time, I had to raise the money on my own for the pageant, which is a lot for someone in their last year of high school," she said.
In 2013, Carelli participated in the Miss Teen Canada competition and won the Miss Teen Ontario pageant. In the same interview with Slam Wrestling, the 28-year-old revealed that she did not expect to win the pageant.
"I was totally shocked when I won Miss Teen Ontario and it was a really cool experience," she added.
Over the past few years, Carelli has participated in a few other beauty competitions. Last year, she was crowned Miss Galaxy Peel 2021.
Carelli has competed in a few wrestling promotions over the past few years. In addition to being a beauty queen and a professional wrestler, she is also a personal trainer and certified sports nutritionist.
#4. Former WWE 24/7 Champion Maria Kanellis
Although Maria Kanellis was a tomboy growing up, she participated in and won several beauty pageants and bikini competitions before joining WWE in 2004.
In an interview with The Providence Journal, Kanellis disclosed that her mother helped her participate in these competitions. She also stated that taking part in these pageants gave her confidence.
"She was a very good mother. She knew I had a dream and she had the strength to help me follow it. If I wouldn’t have done those competitions, I wouldn’t have the confidence to do what I do today," she said.
The former 24/7 Champion also revealed that although she made no money from participating in these bikini competitions, she gained experience.
"I would spend seven hours on the road driving to Knoxville, Tenn., or Louisville, Ky., so I could do bikini competitions. Usually, you made no money doing it, but it was a lot of fun and gave me experience in front of a crowd," she told WWE.com.
The former beauty queen spent nearly six years in World Wrestling Entertainment before leaving in 2010. She later returned to WWE in 2017 and spent another three years before the company released her from her contract in April 2020 due to budget cuts. She is currently active in IMPACT Wrestling.
#3. Former WWE Women's Champion Debra
Debra kicked off her wrestling career in the mid-1990s. A few years earlier, she won the 1987 Mrs. Illinois America pageant.
In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, the former Women's Champion revealed that her ex-husband Steve McMichael was the one who urged her to participate in beauty pageants.
"I never did anything like that before. I always figured when you do something like enter a pageant, people think you're stuck on yourself. (...) a pageant's something different. 'It's something you dream about as a girl, something you all dream about when you're younger, but it's something I was never comfortable with for me. But being a Mrs. instead of a Miss is different, because it means you aren't traveling around as much, it isn't as hectic," she said.
Later in 1987, Debra competed in the Mrs. America pageant. Five years later, she won the Mrs. Texas beauty contest to compete in the Mrs. America national event for the second time.
The former beauty queen joined Vince McMahon's company in 1998 after spending a few years in WCW. She competed for nearly four years in WWE, during which she won the Women's Championship once, before leaving in 2002.
#2. Former WWE Divas Champion Maryse
Maryse participated in a few beauty pageants before officially joining Vince McMahon's company. Four years before becoming a professional wrestler, the Canadian won the 2003 Miss Hawaiian Tropic Canada competition. A year later, she finished as the runner-up in the International Finals of Miss Hawaiian Tropic.
In an interview with WWE.com, Maryse revealed what she learned from participating in beauty pageants.
"When I started in this business, I was 15 years old, and no matter the places I went, there were always really negative people around. There's a lot of competition and jealousy. I learned that you have to just believe in what you're doing," she said.
Maryse signed with Vince McMahon's company in 2007 after participating in the 2006 Diva Search Competition. She spent nearly four years in the company, during which she won the Divas Championship twice before leaving in 2011. The 39-year-old then returned to WWE in 2016.
Maryse has only competed in four matches over the past six years. She recently teamed up with her husband, The Miz, to face Edge and Beth Phoenix at the Royal Rumble premium live event. However, they lost the bout.
#1. Former WWE Superstar Ashely Massaro
Ashley Massaro competed in beauty pageants for several years before entering the professional wrestling industry. She was crowned Miss Hawaiian Tropic USA in 2002. Three years later, she won the Miss Hawaiian Tropic Canada competition.
Later in 2005, Massaro competed in and won the WWE Diva Search. In an interview with IGN, she revealed that WWE chose her to participate in the competition after a casting director saw her at a beauty pageant.
"I was in a pageant in Vegas and there was a casting director there. When I found out she was from WWE, I just flipped. She took a 30 second clip and told me to do whatever I wanted, so I just went wild trying to impress her. I wanted to do anything I could so she would take me with her, and she did. She took me to L.A. and that was it, I was chosen to be one of the eight girls to compete on the show. Even to get picked to be in the eight girls I was freaking out," she said.
Massaro spent nearly three years in Vince McMahon's company. The company then released her from her contract in July 2008.
In her final bout, Massaro competed in a 12-woman tag team match. She teamed up with Cherry, Kelly Kelly, Maria Kanellis, Michelle McCool, and Mickie James to defeat Beth Phoenix, Jillian Hall, Layla, Melina, Natalya, and Victoria.
In May 16, 2019, the 2005 Diva Search winner tragically passed away.
Who, in your opinion, is the most beautiful woman in WWE history? Share your answers and thoughts in the comments section below.
