page_title: Maryse Ouellet
section_title: Divas Champion (2008–2010)
hierarchical_section_title: Maryse Ouellet / Professional wrestling career / World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE / Divas Champion (2008–2010)
caption_attribution_description: WWE Divas Champion Maryse Ouellet after defending the championship successfully at a WWE show on February 28, 2009
context_page_description: Maryse Mizanin is a Canadian-American professional wrestler, professional wrestling manager, actress, businesswoman, reality star and glamour model best known for her time in WWE under the ring name Maryse.
  After spending years modeling, including winning Miss Hawaiian Tropic Canada in 2003, Ouellet was hired by the professional wrestling promotion WWE in August 2006, after she participated in the WWE Diva Search competition. She spent time in Ohio Valley Wrestling and Florida Championship Wrestling, WWE's developmental territories, before being assigned to the SmackDown brand in 2008. In December 2008, Maryse won her first WWE Divas Championship and held it for seven months, making her the third longest reigning WWE Divas Champion in WWE history. In April 2009, she was drafted to the Raw brand, and won the WWE Divas Championship for the second time in February 2010, making her the first wrestler to have held the championship on more than one occasion and the only woman in history to win the title via tournament. In mid-2010, she became the co-host of NXT and the manager of Ted DiBiase, prior to her release from the company in October 2011.
context_section_description: Maryse began a rivalry with Michelle McCool in September 2008, challenging her for the WWE Divas Championship at Unforgiven, and in a rematch the following week on SmackDown, but failed to win on both occasions. On the September 23 episode of ECW, Maryse defeated McCool in a non-title match. After a month-long absence, Maryse returned at Survivor Series pay-per-view event in November, participating in a five-on-five Divas elimination tag team match, eliminating Kelly Kelly, Mickie James and Candice Michelle; Maryse was the sole survivor of her team, but was ultimately eliminated by Beth Phoenix. At the Armageddon pay-per-view on December 14, Maryse teamed up with Jillian Hall, Victoria and Natalya in a losing effort to McCool, Maria, Kelly Kelly and Mickie James in an Eight-Diva Santa's Little Helper tag team match. On December 19, Maryse pinned Maria to become the number one contender for Michelle McCool's Divas Championship. The following week on SmackDown, Maryse defeated McCool, with Maria as the special guest referee, to win her first Divas Championship. On December 28, at a house show in Raleigh, North Carolina, Maryse dislocated her knee in a tag team match against The Bella Twins (Nikki and Brie). It was later announced that the injury was not major, and therefore only missed a few weeks action. On the January 23, 2009 episode of SmackDown, Maryse returned and sat at ringside commentating during a Divas' tag team match. She returned to in-ring action on February 20, teaming with Michelle McCool in a win against Maria and Eve Torres, where she pinned Torres.
  Maryse made her first appearance on Raw on March 2, as a commentator for a match involving the WWE Women's Champion Melina, with Maryse attacking her after the match. The following week, Maryse made her in-ring debut on Raw in a champion vs champion lumberjill match, which she defeated Melina. The rivalry extended to a tag team match on SmackDown on March 13, where Melina and Maria defeated McCool and Maryse. On March 27 episode of SmackDown, Maryse made her first championship defense, losing by disqualification after the returning Gail Kim attacked Maryse and McCool, and thus retained the championship. On April 5, Maryse competed in a 25-Diva Miss WrestleMania battle royal at WrestleMania XXV, but she was eliminated by Beth Phoenix and the match was won by Santina Marella (Santino Marella dressed in drag). Maryse made her last appearance on SmackDown on April 24, retaining her championship against Gail Kim.
  As part of the 2009 WWE Draft on April 13, Maryse was drafted to the Raw brand, and in the process, the Divas Championship became exclusive to Raw. She made her first appearance as part of the brand on April 27, teaming with Beth Phoenix, Rosa Mendes, and Jillian Hall in a loss to Santina Marella, Mickie James, Brie Bella and Kelly Kelly. Maryse then began feuding with Mickie James after she cost James a number one contender's battle royal, which was eventually won by Kelly Kelly, by spraying hairspray in her eyes. The following week, Maryse lost a championship match against Kelly by disqualification, meaning the championship did not change hands, and won a subsequent rematch by pinfall two weeks later on June 8. At Night of Champions on July 26, Maryse lost the Divas Championship to James. Despite being only the second Divas champion, her reign of 216 days remained the longest in the title's history for nearly five years, until AJ Lee surpassed her reign in January 2014.
  After losing the championship, Maryse underwent to a legitimate knee surgery. She returned on the November 23 episode of Raw, disguised as The Gobbledy Gooker, as the guest timekeeper for a Thanksgiving-themed 6-Divas tag team match. After the match, she revealed herself by attacking the Divas Champion Melina. The following week, Maryse made her in-ring return teamed with Jillian Hall in a tag team match against Melina and Gail Kim, where Maryse pinned Melina. On the December 7 episode of Raw, Maryse defeated Gail Kim by dirty tactics, and following the match, Maryse proceed to attack Kel
caption: Maryse as Divas Champion in 2009
exif: {}