Vanessa Kraven
Encyclopedia
Vanessa Kraven is a Canadian professional wrestler
who competes in North American independent promotions including Blood Sweat and Ears
, Elite Wrestling Revolution, IWA Mid-South, the International Wrestling Syndicate
and Northern Championship Wrestling
. She has also made several trips to Japan and has competed in the Japanese joshi promotions Kyoko Inoue
's NEO Japan Ladies, JWP Project, Pro Wrestling WAVE, JDStar/Kakutobi
and Emi Sakura's Ice Ribbon.
, a residential district in Montreal
, Kraven became interested in professional wrestling at an early age and later as a teenager during the so-called "Attitude Era". After graduating from hairdressing school in 2002, she began training at Sully's Gym under Ron Hutchinson
in Toronto
and later under Zaquary Springate III in the United States
before eventually making her professional debut in April 2004.
Prior to her debut, she also trained at the NCW wrestling school on the advice of wrestling radio personality Brian The Guppie and independent wrestler Franky The Mobster
. She soon became a mainstay in NCW. At the end of the year at ChallengeMania, she was introduced as "Vanessa Kraven" with a goth in-ring persona and appeared with her kayfabe
half-brother James Kraven as an ally and bodyguard. She continue to appear as a valet with Kraven, most notably, at the Night of the Blizzard supercard where James Kraven and Stalker faced brothers Adib and Sidi Mansour on the undercard.
She worked for various independent promotions during her early career, mainly throughout Quebec and Ontario, and was the last Northern Championship Wrestling Women's Champion which she held from early-2005 until August 2006 when NCW's women's division was disbanded for lack of female competition. She was also the only Women's Champion of the internet-based promotion, Battle Angels, to be undefeated in competition. Soon after leaving NCW, Kraven made her Japan debut for the NEO Japan Ladies promotion in August 2006. Appearing for the Wrestle Expo in Tokyo
, she was unsuccessful in gaining a victory against NEO Japan Ladies champion Yoshiko Tamura during NEO's World Women's Wrestling Classic (WWWC) World Cup Tournament.
Between 2005 and 2006, she was seen working for Ontario's Blood Sweat and Ears
promotion and, in Montreal, for the International Wrestling Syndicate
and the Association de Lutte Feminine, an all women's wrestling promotion. In January 2005, she was scheduled to appear at the inaugural show for the Montreal Wrestling Organization at the Gauntlet Centre in the St. Vicent-Marie church. Due to illness however, she was unable to attend and comic Dollar Bill volunteered to take her place against Moonlight, another female wrestler. Despite outside interference from T-Unit and French Fly, Moonlight pinned him for the victory. At that same show, Gino Brito
was honored for his contributions to Canadian professional wrestling and awarded a special plaque by Don Paysan. At the May 28 IWS supercard, Scarred For Life, Kraven defeated El Generico
and Beef Wellington in a mixed tag team match with Kid Kamikaze.
In early-2006, she had a brief stint in IWA Mid-South and, on April 1, she and Daizee Haze
lost to Mickie Knuckles
and MsChif
in a Four-Women Elimination Tag Team Match for the NWA Midwest Women's Championship
when Mickie Knuckles pinned Kraven. The show was held at the Park District Recreational Center in Midlothian, Illinois
. At the inaugural Queen of the Death Match tournament in November 2006, Kraven was eliminated by Rachel Putski in a thumbtack death match during the quarterfinals. She and LuFisto attacked Mickie Knuckles moments after defeating Mayumi Ozaki
in the tournament finals.
On September 22, 2007, Kraven took part in a 3-way mixed tag team match teaming with Twiggy against Justin White and Tommasino and SLI 2007 (Fred la Merveille & Kenny the Bastard) at a Montreal BSE show. That same year, she teamed with SeXXXy Eddy in a mixed tag team match against Kacey Diamond and Exess at the ALF's first annual Sherri Martel Memorial Cup tournament
.
On January 26, 2008, she and Twiggy lost in a mixed tag team match against 2.0
(Jagged and Shane Matthews) when she was pinned by both opponents at the IWS supercard Praise the Violence held at Le Medley in Montreal. She had been enlisted by Twiggy in his feud against Jagged and Shane Matthews when they cost him a match against IWS Heavyweight Champion PCP Crazy F’N Manny. On July 11, she faced Jamie D
at the ALF supercard Declaration D'Independance in Montreal.
In May, 2010, she completed another tour of Japan as Vanessa the Mountain, working 3 shows for NEO and 1 show for JWP.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
who competes in North American independent promotions including Blood Sweat and Ears
Blood Sweat and Ears
BSE Pro is a former Canadian independent professional wrestling organization, founded in 2005. It held 10-12 events a year in the Greater Toronto Area, as well as quarterly tours to Northern Ontario cities such as Timmins, Sudbury, Iroquois Falls, Kirkland Lake and North Bay...
, Elite Wrestling Revolution, IWA Mid-South, the International Wrestling Syndicate
International Wrestling Syndicate
International Wrestling Syndicate was a professional wrestling promotion based out of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.It was formerly known as the Internet Wrestling Syndicate and before that as World Wrestling Syndicate. It was also home base to many independent wrestlers, such as Kevin Steen, El...
and Northern Championship Wrestling
Northern Championship Wrestling
Northern Championship Wrestling is an independent professional wrestling promotion based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.It was founded in 1986 by François Poirier and Phil Bélanger in Joliette, Quebec...
. She has also made several trips to Japan and has competed in the Japanese joshi promotions Kyoko Inoue
Kyoko Inoue
is a Japanese female professional wrestler. She has held the WWWA World Heavyweight Championship three times, and is the first woman to win a men's title in Japan. She is also the founder of the joshi promotion NEO Japan...
's NEO Japan Ladies, JWP Project, Pro Wrestling WAVE, JDStar/Kakutobi
JDStar
JDStar , was a women's professional wrestling promotion based in Tokyo, Japan. In the wake of the joshi puroresu boom of the early 1990s, several different groups opened with distinct approaches...
and Emi Sakura's Ice Ribbon.
Career
A native of Notre-Dame-de-GrâceNotre-Dame-de-Grâce
Notre-Dame-de-Grâce , also nicknamed NDG, is a residential neighbourhood of Montreal located in the city's west-end. It is one of five districts of the borough of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce...
, a residential district in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Kraven became interested in professional wrestling at an early age and later as a teenager during the so-called "Attitude Era". After graduating from hairdressing school in 2002, she began training at Sully's Gym under Ron Hutchinson
Ron Hutchinson
Ron Hutchinson is a retired Canadian professional wrestler, trainer and promoter who competed for Canadian independent promotions such as Grand Prix Wrestling and Maple Leaf Wrestling as well as a brief stint in the World Wrestling Federation during the mid-1980s...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and later under Zaquary Springate III in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
before eventually making her professional debut in April 2004.
Prior to her debut, she also trained at the NCW wrestling school on the advice of wrestling radio personality Brian The Guppie and independent wrestler Franky The Mobster
Franky The Mobster
Marc-Andre Boulanger is a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Franky The Mobster .He currently wrestles for Montreal's Northern Championship Wrestling , the Ontario-based Blood Sweat and Ears promotion, as well as on the US independent circuit. He also has made occasional...
. She soon became a mainstay in NCW. At the end of the year at ChallengeMania, she was introduced as "Vanessa Kraven" with a goth in-ring persona and appeared with her kayfabe
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
half-brother James Kraven as an ally and bodyguard. She continue to appear as a valet with Kraven, most notably, at the Night of the Blizzard supercard where James Kraven and Stalker faced brothers Adib and Sidi Mansour on the undercard.
She worked for various independent promotions during her early career, mainly throughout Quebec and Ontario, and was the last Northern Championship Wrestling Women's Champion which she held from early-2005 until August 2006 when NCW's women's division was disbanded for lack of female competition. She was also the only Women's Champion of the internet-based promotion, Battle Angels, to be undefeated in competition. Soon after leaving NCW, Kraven made her Japan debut for the NEO Japan Ladies promotion in August 2006. Appearing for the Wrestle Expo in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, she was unsuccessful in gaining a victory against NEO Japan Ladies champion Yoshiko Tamura during NEO's World Women's Wrestling Classic (WWWC) World Cup Tournament.
Between 2005 and 2006, she was seen working for Ontario's Blood Sweat and Ears
Blood Sweat and Ears
BSE Pro is a former Canadian independent professional wrestling organization, founded in 2005. It held 10-12 events a year in the Greater Toronto Area, as well as quarterly tours to Northern Ontario cities such as Timmins, Sudbury, Iroquois Falls, Kirkland Lake and North Bay...
promotion and, in Montreal, for the International Wrestling Syndicate
International Wrestling Syndicate
International Wrestling Syndicate was a professional wrestling promotion based out of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.It was formerly known as the Internet Wrestling Syndicate and before that as World Wrestling Syndicate. It was also home base to many independent wrestlers, such as Kevin Steen, El...
and the Association de Lutte Feminine, an all women's wrestling promotion. In January 2005, she was scheduled to appear at the inaugural show for the Montreal Wrestling Organization at the Gauntlet Centre in the St. Vicent-Marie church. Due to illness however, she was unable to attend and comic Dollar Bill volunteered to take her place against Moonlight, another female wrestler. Despite outside interference from T-Unit and French Fly, Moonlight pinned him for the victory. At that same show, Gino Brito
Gino Brito
Louis Gino Acocella , better known by his ring name Gino Brito is a Canadian professional wrestler. He was a popular wrestler in Montreal, and was one of the promoters in the city in the 1980s...
was honored for his contributions to Canadian professional wrestling and awarded a special plaque by Don Paysan. At the May 28 IWS supercard, Scarred For Life, Kraven defeated El Generico
El Generico
Rami Sebei is a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name El Generico. Sebei uses the gimmick of a luchador from Mexico...
and Beef Wellington in a mixed tag team match with Kid Kamikaze.
In early-2006, she had a brief stint in IWA Mid-South and, on April 1, she and Daizee Haze
Daizee Haze
Daizee Haze is an American professional wrestler. Whilst wrestling for many companies Daizee Haze is also the head trainer for the Shimmer Women Athletes promotion.-Training and Gateway Championship Wrestling:...
lost to Mickie Knuckles
Mickie Knuckles
Mickie Lee Knuckles is an American professional wrestler who has worked for a number of major independent promotions, including Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South, Chikara and Combat Zone Wrestling. She also worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the name Moose...
and MsChif
MsChif
Rachel Collins 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 States, with guest matches in England and Japan...
in a Four-Women Elimination Tag Team Match for the NWA Midwest Women's Championship
NWA Midwest Women's Championship
The NWA Midwest Women's Championship is the title for female wrestlers in the NWA Midwest professional wrestling promotion. The title began in 2004. For the first half of 2005, the title was merged with the IWA Mid-South Women's Championship and known as the NWA Midwest/IWA Mid-South Women's...
when Mickie Knuckles pinned Kraven. The show was held at the Park District Recreational Center in Midlothian, Illinois
Midlothian, Illinois
Midlothian is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 14,315 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Midlothian is located at ....
. At the inaugural Queen of the Death Match tournament in November 2006, Kraven was eliminated by Rachel Putski in a thumbtack death match during the quarterfinals. She and LuFisto attacked Mickie Knuckles moments after defeating Mayumi Ozaki
Mayumi Ozaki
is a Japanese female professional wrestler.-Career:Ozaki debuted in a tag match in August, 1986. In her career, she held the WWWA tag titles with Dynamite Kansai from April 11, 1993 to December 6, 1993 (born October 28, 1968) is a Japanese female professional wrestler.-Career:Ozaki debuted in a...
in the tournament finals.
On September 22, 2007, Kraven took part in a 3-way mixed tag team match teaming with Twiggy against Justin White and Tommasino and SLI 2007 (Fred la Merveille & Kenny the Bastard) at a Montreal BSE show. That same year, she teamed with SeXXXy Eddy in a mixed tag team match against Kacey Diamond and Exess at the ALF's first annual Sherri Martel Memorial Cup tournament
Sensational Sherri Memorial Cup Tournament
-Second Annual Sensational Sherri Memorial Cup Tournament:November 14, 2008 in Montreal, Quebec -Tournament brackets:This was a one-night tournament which took place on November 14, 2008. The tournament brackets were:...
.
On January 26, 2008, she and Twiggy lost in a mixed tag team match against 2.0
2.0 (professional wrestling)
2.0 is a Canadian professional wrestling tag team, consisting of Scott "Jagged" Parker and Shane Matthews . The team is best known for working for Chikara, where they are currently using the name 3.0, and International Wrestling Syndicate...
(Jagged and Shane Matthews) when she was pinned by both opponents at the IWS supercard Praise the Violence held at Le Medley in Montreal. She had been enlisted by Twiggy in his feud against Jagged and Shane Matthews when they cost him a match against IWS Heavyweight Champion PCP Crazy F’N Manny. On July 11, she faced Jamie D
Jaime Dauncey
Jaime Dauncey is a Canadian professional wrestler, best known for her appearances with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in 2006 under the ring name, Sirelda. She is currently employed by Border City Wrestling....
at the ALF supercard Declaration D'Independance in Montreal.
In May, 2010, she completed another tour of Japan as Vanessa the Mountain, working 3 shows for NEO and 1 show for JWP.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
-
- Spinning sit-down powerbomb
- Signature moves
-
- Chokebomb
- Running cannonball
- Chops
Championships and accomplishments
- Battle Angels
- Battle Angels Women's Championship (1 time)
- Northern Championship WrestlingNorthern Championship WrestlingNorthern Championship Wrestling is an independent professional wrestling promotion based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.It was founded in 1986 by François Poirier and Phil Bélanger in Joliette, Quebec...
- NCW Women's Championship (1 time)
Media
- Blood, Sweat & Beers 2007. Perf. Vanessa Kraven, Twiggy, Justin White, Tommasino and SLI 2007. 2007. DVD. Smart Mark Video/Fortune Video Editing.
- ALF: Amazones & Titans. Perf. Vanessa Kraven, Sexxxy Eddy, Kacey Diamond and Exess. 2007. DVD. Fortune Video Editing.
- Best of Deathmatch Wrestling, Vol. 4 "Queens". Perf. Vanessa Kraven and Rachel Putski. 2006. DVD. RF Video.
- EWR's Bad Obsession 2005. Dir. Éric Picard. Perf. Vanessa Kraven. 2005. DVD. Les Promotions EWR.
- EWR's Pride War 2k5. Dir. Éric Picard. Perf. Vanessa Kraven. 2005. DVD. Les Promotions EWR.
- EWR's Revolution 2.0. Dir. Éric Picard. Perf. Vanessa Kraven. 2005. DVD. Les Promotions EWR.