Melissa Coates
Encyclopedia
Training and debut
After training at both Killer KowalskiKiller Kowalski
Władek "Killer" Kowalski was a Canadian professional wrestler. Kowalski wrestled for numerous promotions during his career, including the NWA and WWF, and was a known heel wrestler...
's training school and Ultimate Pro Wrestling's Ultimate University, Coates moved down to Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
to begin training in World Wrestling Entertainment's developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. OVW is run by owner Danny Davis and was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance from 1997 until 2000...
. Coates then made an appearance at WWE's Backlash
Backlash (2005)
Backlash was the seventh annual Backlash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on May 1, 2005 at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire. The show's six matches showcased prominent WWE wrestlers, who acted out...
, taking part in Chris Masters
Chris Masters
Christopher Todd Mordetzky is an American professional wrestler best known by his ring name Chris Masters. He is best known for his tenure with WWE.-Early career:...
' "Masterlock Challenge" segment, where he offered $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
1000 to anyone who could break his Master Lock, which she failed to do. She was then placed in OVW as an official trainee and became the "head of security" for Kenny Bolin
Kenny Bolin
Kenny Bolin is a professional wrestling manager, best known as the lead villainous manager in Ohio Valley Wrestling as the manager of Bolin Services. Hit podcast Radio show called "The Bolin Alley" he does with his son Chris...
's stable "Bolin's Services". Soon after, however, Coates left both OVW and WWE and went to work for World Xtreme Wrestling
World Xtreme Wrestling
World Xtreme Wrestling is a Northeastern-based independent professional wrestling promotion which has held events across the United States and have toured in Japan, the Middle East and South Pacific region including American Samoa and Guam....
.
After defeating Krissy Vaine
Kristin Eubanks
Kristin Eubanks is an American professional wrestler and valet better known by her ring names Krissy Vaine and Kristin Astara.-Professional wrestling career:...
in WXW, where she also competed in the prestigious Elite 8 tournament and had a cage match against Mercedes Martinez, Coates returned to OVW, albeit not under a WWE developmental contract, and soon began facing off with several of the OVW Divas
WWE Diva
Diva is a term used by World Wrestling Entertainment , an American professional wrestling promotion, to refer to its female talent. The term is applied to women who appear as wrestlers, managers or valets, backstage interviewers, or ring announcers....
, including Beth Phoenix
Beth Phoenix
Elizabeth Kocianski is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE where she wrestles on the Raw brand under the ring name Beth Phoenix, where she is the reigning WWE Divas Champion....
, Mickie James
Mickie James
Mickie Laree James , better known simply as Mickie James, is an American professional wrestler and singer of mixed Native American-Caucasian descent, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where she is a former two-time TNA Women's Knockout Champion.James began her professional...
, Melina Perez
Melina Perez
Melina Nava Perez is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Women Superstars Uncensored. She is best known for her time with World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring mononym Melina....
, and Jillian Hall
Jillian Hall
Jillian Faye Fletcher is an American professional wrestler who is currently signed to Women Superstars Uncensored. She is also known for her tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Jillian Hall or simply Jillian...
before becoming the bodyguard of Jillian Hall. Then, along with Hall, she acted as a valet
Manager (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
for the Toland Brothers (Chad
Chad Wicks
Charles "Chad" Wicks is an American professional wrestler best known for his time with the World Wrestling Entertainment...
and Tank Toland
John Toland (wrestler)
John Michael Toland is an American professional wrestler best known for his work in independent promotion Ring of Honor, under the name Tank Toland...
). After training in OVW, Coates then moved over to Deep South Wrestling and debuted for the territory as The Bag Lady, a homeless
Homelessness
Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
woman who became the love interest and eventually the valet of The Freakin' Deacon
Drew Hankinson
Andrew "Drew" Hankinson is an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment , where he appeared under the ring names Festus and Luke Gallows...
. On February 22, 2007, the Bag Lady debuted a new Diva-esque look and defeated Angel Williams in their subsequent match. The Bag Lady then began feuding with both Williams and Krissy Vaine before leaving DSW to wrestle on the independent circuit
Independent circuit
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...
.
2007–2008
In her first appearances on the indy circuit after leaving DSW, Coates made her debut for GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
's Great Championship Wrestling on May 29, and won the NWA/GCW Women's Championship from Daffney. Coates continued to remain champion until the title was seemingly forgotten and then deactivated in late 2007. Coates also made several appearances for other Georgia-based wrestling promotions in both a wrestling and managerial
Manager (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
role. On July 7, she made her debut for NWA Anarchy
NWA Anarchy
NWA Anarchy Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Cornelia, Georgia and promoting events throughout North Georgia...
as a heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
, challenging and defeating several male wrestlers in intergender matches
Intergender wrestling
Intergender wrestling, also known as mixed wrestling is a type of professional wrestling match between a man and a woman, and may also refer to tag team matches with both men and women on each team....
. At NWA Anarchy's Fright Night event, Coates teamed up with fellow DSW alumnus Tony Santarelli
Tony Salantri
Anthony "Tony" Salantri is an American Film and television actor and a former American professional wrestler, better known by his ring names Tony Santarelli or Tony Stradlin, who competed in North American independent promotions including Combat Zone Wrestling, the National Wrestling Alliance and...
to defeat Todd Sexton and referee Wes Grissom, the latter of whom Coates was feuding with.
On December 15, Coates began an angle with Don Williams after Coates attacked Williams and his tag team partner Brodie Chase. All three were then entered into an Anarchy Battle Royal to determine the number one contender for the Television Championship
NWA Anarchy Television Championship
The NWA Anarchy Television Championship is a professional wrestling championship in NWA Anarchy. The title came with a stipulation that, except on occasion, it could only be defended on television.The title was created in 2005 after NWA Wildside folded...
, but both Coates and Williams were simultaneously eliminated and Williams began showing affection towards her. On December 29, Williams publicly declared his affection towards Melissa, going as far as to say "I'm smitten like a kitten" before Coates struck him in response. However, Williams continued his tirade by saying "That's what I love the most about you. It's the foreplay." The angle between the two continued until Williams' tag team partner Brodie Chase revealed that he and Coates were together, effectively turning Chase into a heel. On May 31, 2008, Chase, with Coates in his corner, defeated Williams.
In April 2008, Coates took on a managerial
Manager (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
role under the name Mile High Melissa, a flight attendant
Flight attendant
Flight attendants or cabin crew are members of an aircrew employed by airlines primarily to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers aboard commercial flights, on select business jet aircraft, and on some military aircraft.-History:The role of a flight attendant derives from that of similar...
gimmick. She was soon joined by "Captain" Mike Flyte and the pair became known as The Flight Crew and in July 2008, they were joined by "Captain" Jason Static. After a few months, Static left the group.
On August 23, 2008, Coates made her debut in Women Superstars Uncensored
Women Superstars Uncensored
Women Superstars Uncensored is an American, New Jersey based female independent professional wrestling promotion which held its first event in 1996. Shows combine wrestling interspersed with both serious and comedic storylines. The company tapes two DVDs worth of material during weekend shows...
and defeated Autumn Breeze in her debut match. Beginning in October, she formed a tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
called the Badass Beauties with Trixxie Lynn. The team made its debut on October 10 in a victory over Annie Social
Annie Social
Annie Social, is an American professional wrestler who regularly performs for Shimmer Women Athletes and Women Superstars Uncensored . She currently manages Melanie Cruise in Shimmer.-Beginning:...
and Rick Cataldo. The following day, the Badass Beauties lost to the Beatdown Betties (Roxxie Cotton and Annie Social) in the first round of the WSU Tag Team Championship tournament.
2008–2009
On December 31, Coates made her !Bang!!BANG!
!Bang! is a professional wrestling promotion owned by Dory Funk, Jr. It is run by the Funking Conservatory, a full-service professional wrestling school, and the stars of !BANG! play as members of the Funking Conservatory team...
debut at their Hell's Bells event in a losing effort to Claudia "The Claw" Reiff in a match for the promotion's Women's Championship. On May 3, 2009, she returned to the promotion for their Hard-Core Brawl event and lost an intergender tag team match with Blain Rage to Reiff and Johnny Romano. On September 5 at Fall Brawl, Coates and Reiff lost to The Wasilla Wrecking Crew (Charlotte Mahoy and Rachael Moore) in a match for the Women's Tag Team Championship. At Morbid Power on October 17, she and Reiff defeated The Wasilla Wrecking Crew for the Women's Tag Team Title.
Despite being partners, Coates and Reiff wrestled in a three-way match for Reiff's Women's Title that also involved Rachael Moore at Turkey Shoot on November 21, which Moore won. On December 31 at Hell's Bells, Coates competed in a gauntlet match for the Women's Championship, but was unable to win as Reiff reclaimed the title.
2010–present
After winning a number of singles matches in Women Superstars UncensoredWomen Superstars Uncensored
Women Superstars Uncensored is an American, New Jersey based female independent professional wrestling promotion which held its first event in 1996. Shows combine wrestling interspersed with both serious and comedic storylines. The company tapes two DVDs worth of material during weekend shows...
throughout 2009, Coates gained a title shot at the reigning WSU Champion Mercedes Martinez
Mercedes Martinez
Mercedes Martinez is a American professional wrestler, currently performing for Shimmer Women Athletes, as well as numerous independent promotions including World Xtreme Wrestling, Women Superstars Uncensored, and Full Impact Pro....
April 3, 2010, but was defeated by Martinez. On November 6, Coates wrestled in a six-person gauntlet match for the WSU's unsanctioned All Guts, No Glory Championship, but was unsuccessful as Angel Orsini
Angel Orsini
Angel Orsini is an American professional wrestler, bodybuilder and former mixed martial arts fighter, best known by her ring name Riptide...
, the title's creator and holder, retained the championship.
Personal life
Coates' mother was a nurse and amateur actress while her father is a doctor. She is the youngest of four children, having a sister and two brothers. She also earned her Bachelor of ScienceBachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
from Lakehead University
Lakehead University
Lakehead University is a public research university in Thunder Bay, and Orillia, Ontario, Canada.Lakehead University, shortened to 'Lakehead U', or 'LU', is non-denominational and provincially supported. It has undergraduate and graduate programs and a medical school.The school has more than 45,000...
, due to originally wanting to become a veterinarian.
Filmography
- Pray Another Day (2003)
- Ultimate Death Match 2 (2010) as herself
- A Story About Ian (2011) as "Female Bodybuilder"
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- As Melissa Coates
- Coates Rack (Backbreaker rack)
- Facelift / Slave Maker (Sitout inverted suplex slam)
- As Mile High Melissa
- Crash Landing (Sitout inverted suplex slam)
- As Melissa Coates
- Signature moves
- Botox Lock (Lotus lock)
- Military press drop
- Nose Job (Inverted Death Valley driver)
- ManagersManager (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
- Al Getz
- Wrestlers managed
- Jillian HallJillian HallJillian Faye Fletcher is an American professional wrestler who is currently signed to Women Superstars Uncensored. She is also known for her tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Jillian Hall or simply Jillian...
- The Toland Brothers (ChadChad WicksCharles "Chad" Wicks is an American professional wrestler best known for his time with the World Wrestling Entertainment...
and Tank TolandJohn Toland (wrestler)John Michael Toland is an American professional wrestler best known for his work in independent promotion Ring of Honor, under the name Tank Toland...
) - The Freakin' DeaconDrew HankinsonAndrew "Drew" Hankinson is an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment , where he appeared under the ring names Festus and Luke Gallows...
- Brodie Chase
- The Flight Crew ("Captain" Mike Flyte and "Captain" Jason Static)
- Mike Flyte
- Jillian Hall
- NicknameNicknameA nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
s- "Coates Rack"
Bodybuilding
- 1991 Windsor Physique – 1st (LWLightweightLight-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing....
) - 1992 Eastern Ontario – 1st (MWMiddleweightMiddleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s. In the bare-knuckle era, the first middleweight championship fight was between Tom Chandler and Dooney Harris in 1897...
) - 1993 Ontario – 1st (MW)
- 1994 Canadian Championships – 1st (MW)
- 1996 Jan Tana ClassicJan Tana ClassicThe Jan Tana Classic was a female bodybuilding contest organized by the International Federation of BodyBuilders. The contest was named for its promoter, a marketer of tanning products. The Jan Tana Classic was generally considered to be the third most prestigious contest for female bodybuilders,...
– 1st (Overall) - 1996 IFBBInternational Federation of BodyBuildersThe International Federation of BodyBuilders is a competitive bodybuilding organization founded in 1946 by brothers Ben and Joe Weider and is the highest level of competitive bodybuilding in the world. Currently, the IFBB consists of seven different sub-divisions for different competitors ,...
Ms. OlympiaMs. OlympiaMs. Olympia is the title given to the winner of the women's bodybuilding portion of Joe Weider's Olympia Weekend - an international bodybuilding competition that is held annually by the International Federation of BodyBuilders . It was first held in 1980, and since 2000 it has been held at the same...
– 9th - 1997 IFBB Ms. InternationalMs. InternationalMs. International is a contest of professional female bodybuilding, organized by the International Federation of BodyBuilders . "The Ms. International" is generally considered to be the second-most prestigious competition for female bodybuilders . It was first held in 1986, and has been held...
– 6th - 1997 IFBB Ms. Olympia – 11th
- 1999 IFBB Ms. International – 13th
Professional wrestling
- !Bang!!BANG!!Bang! is a professional wrestling promotion owned by Dory Funk, Jr. It is run by the Funking Conservatory, a full-service professional wrestling school, and the stars of !BANG! play as members of the Funking Conservatory team...
/ Funking Conservatory- !Bang! Women's Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Claudia Reiff
- Great Championship Wrestling
- NWA/GCW Women's Championship (1 time)
- Indiana Universal Wrestling Association
- IUWA Diva's Championship (1 time)
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI ranked her #41 of the best 50 female singles wrestlers in the PWI Female 50 in 2010
- Other titles
- DRAGON'CON Women's Championship (1 time)