Melina Perez Melina Nava Perez ( March 9 , 1979 ) , better known simply as Melina , is an American professional wrestler best known working for World Wrestling Entertainment ( WWE ) under the ring name Melina . Melina joined the independent professional wrestling circuit before joining WWE in 2004 . Initially , she was a manager for the tag team of MNM . She managed them to three reigns as WWE Tag Team Champions , as well as former boyfriend and MNM member Johnny Nitro to two reigns as WWE Intercontinental Champion . Melina made her WWE singles debut in 2005 , and is a three - time WWE Women ' s Champion , winning the belt twice in 2007 and once in 2009 . She also captured the WWE Divas Championship on two occasions in 2009 and 2010 , making her a five - time champion overall . On August 5 , 2011 , Melina was released from her contract with WWE . Professional wrestling career . Early career . Perez began her career as a model . She won a Miss California beauty contest and also modeled athletic wear for Nike . She decided to become a professional wrestler after talking to Empire Wrestling Federation ( EWF ) superstar Mike Henderson in 2000 . Perez started training at Jesse Hernandez ' s School of Hard Knocks in San Bernardino , California and made her professional debut in April 2002 . She joined a number of California - based promotions such as the EWF , where she wrestled under the ring name Kyra , and CRUSH , as Melanie Little Deer . Many EWF officials stated that she had the most natural ability of any woman who came through their school . In late 2002 Perez auditioned for World Wrestling Entertainment ' s reality show Tough Enough III , making it through to the final 21 before being eliminated from the competition in the final cut of the first episode . After she was eliminated from the contest , trainer Al Snow pulled Perez aside and encouraged her to keep trying to pursue her dream as a wrestler . World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE . Ohio Valley Wrestling ( 2004 ) . Perez debuted in WWE ' s developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling ( OVW ) in March 2004 , being placed in an angle as John Hennigan ' s ex - girlfriend . The storyline had Matt Cappotelli introduce her to the ring as a way to taunt Hennigan . Melina , however , turned on Cappotelli and aligned herself with Hennigan , who later changed his ring name to Johnny Nitro . Soon after , Melina and Nitro began teaming with Joey Matthews , later known as Joey Mercury . The trio became known as MNM and on November 10 , Melina managed Mercury and Nitro to win the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship . During her time in OVW , Melina , Nitro , and Steven Adkins came up with Melina ' s trademark split ring entrance . While in OVW , Melina made occasional appearances on WWE television . On a Thanksgiving episode of SmackDown ! in 2003 , she dressed up as a Native American and was shown serving food and drinks . Melina made her first Raw appearance on November 29 , 2004 when Randy Orton was the guest General Manager and hosted a diva lingerie fashion show . She made another Raw appearance in December , participating in a limbo contest when Chris Jericho was General Manager for the night . MNM ( 2005 – 2006 ) . Melina debuted as the villainous manager of MNM on the April 14 , 2005 edition of SmackDown ! . The team interrupted the first ever Carlito ' s Cabana interview segment , where one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions , Rey Mysterio , was a guest . Melina insulted Mysterio and had Mercury and Nitro attack him , leading to MNM ' s in - ring debut the next week on SmackDown ! in a title match . The team was booked to win the match against Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero , starting their first WWE Tag Team Title reign . While managing the Tag Team Champions , Melina ' s character was developed to be more egotistical as she declared herself " the most - dominant Diva in WWE " . She made her official WWE in - ring debut on June 30 against Michelle McCool and had her first pay - per - view match — a Bra and Panties match — at The Great American Bash against Torrie Wilson , winning both matches . Also at The Great American Bash , MNM dropped their championship to the Legion of Doom , prompting a new storyline where Melina hired Jillian Hall , a " fixer " , to assist them . MNM regained the title on October 28 in a Fatal Four - Way tag team match . On the Eddie Guerrero Tribute Show Melina won an interpromotional Divas battle royal by eliminating Women ' s Champion Trish Stratus . The next week , MNM kayfabe kidnapped Stratus and Melina challenged her to a match for the Women ' s Championship . The two fought at Survivor Series , with Melina losing to Stratus after interference from Mickie James . During this time , MNM was booked to defend their title against Rey Mysterio and the World Heavyweight Champion Batista . Melina was placed in an angle with her trying to make Batista call off the match by visiting him in his locker room and attempting to seduce him . The storyline had the two engage in sexual acts , after which he simply thanked her for the " warm - up " before leaving to take part in the match , where he and Mysterio defeated MNM for the title . The storyline played over to the next episode of SmackDown ! when , before MNM evoked their rematch clause , Melina held a press conference in the ring where she claimed that Batista had sexually harassed her . During the tag team match , Mark Henry aided MNM in winning back the WWE Tag Team Championship . The angle with Henry continued into the next year . On the first SmackDown ! of 2006 , Melina announced that Henry was her personal protection against Batista . He accompanied her and aided the other members of MNM in matches against Batista and Mysterio . At Judgment Day on May 21 , 2006 , MNM were booked to lose their Tag Team Championship to Paul London and Brian Kendrick . After the match , Melina and Nitro , as part of the storyline , attacked Mercury , blaming him for the loss . Later that night , Melina lost a singles match against Jillian Hall and after slapping General Manager Theodore Long in anger , she and Nitro were kayfabe fired from the SmackDown ! brand . Off - screen , Nitro and Mercury did not get along , and WWE management decided to split the tag team and send Nitro and Melina to the Raw brand . Melina and Nitro made their way to Raw on May 29 , with Nitro losing to WWE Champion John Cena . The following week , Melina faked a sprained ankle , allowing Nitro to roll - up Charlie Haas for his first Raw victory . Melina continued to manage Nitro during his successful hunt for the WWE Intercontinental Championship , while being involved in another storyline with Trish Stratus . The angle turned into a tag team feud when Carlito joined forces with Stratus to take on Melina and Nitro . At Saturday Night ' s Main Event on July 15 , Melina and Nitro lost to Carlito and Stratus in a mixed tag team match . Singles competition and Women ' s Champion ( 2006 – 2007 ) . After Melina ' s arrival on Raw , Mick Foley began to mention her in promos , playing on their real friendship mentioned in his WWE . com columns , and they soon formed an on - screen friendship . At SummerSlam , Melina was involved in Foley ' s " I Quit " match against Ric Flair when Flair threatened to hit her with a barbed wire baseball bat , causing Foley to quit the match to save her . The next night on Raw , the storyline had Vince McMahon order Foley to join the Kiss My Ass club . Foley did not care about saving his own career , but joined after Vince threatened Melina ' s . After begging Foley not to go through with it , Foley " joined the club " to save Melina ' s job , only to have her suddenly turn on him by delivering a low blow and kayfabe firing him at the behest of McMahon . This storyline was concocted by Foley to refresh the idea of the Kiss My Ass club . It was also around this time that Melina added another characteristic to her gimmick : screaming loudly at ringside while managing or in tag team action , which became known as the " primal scream " . On January 29 , 2007 , Melina became the # 1 Contender for the WWE Women ' s Championship , and introduced her finisher from the independent circuit , the Kyrapractor , to WWE under the new name California Dream . On February 5 , Melina lost a title match against Mickie James . The following week on Raw , Melina pinned James in a mixed tag team match and then challenged James again for the title . On February 19 , as part of her first major singles push , Melina successfully pinned James , making her the only former Tough Enough contestant to have won the WWE Women ' s Championship . She then retained the title in a rematch during the first ever Women ' s Falls Count Anywhere match in WWE history . In March , Melina was placed in an angle where she became jealous of SmackDown ! Diva Ashley Massaro , who was receiving attention because of her appearance in Playboy . The angle had Melina claim in her blogs that no Playboy cover models were capable of fighting her . This resulted in scheduled matches against former Playboy cover girls Torrie Wilson and Candice Michelle , with both women losing to Melina . The storyline came to a close at WrestleMania 23 , where Melina pinned Ashley in a Lumberjill match to retain her Women ' s Championship . After WrestleMania , Melina organized a photo op with the Women ' s Title belt in the ring but was interrupted by Mickie James , resulting in another storyline feud between the two Divas . On April 24 at a house show in Paris , France , Melina lost the Women ' s Championship in a Triple Threat match to James when James pinned Victoria , but on the orders of Jonathan Coachman she was entitled to a rematch on the same night , where she pinned James by putting her hands on the ropes to regain the title and become a two - time WWE Women ' s Champion . On May 7 , Melina was defeated in a tag team match when she was pinned by Candice Michelle . Melina was scripted to lose to Candice in various tag team matches , as well as in non - title bouts over the next few weeks . At Vengeance , Melina dropped the Women ' s Championship to Candice , and failed to recapture the title at The Great American Bash . Teaming and Feuding with Beth Phoenix ( 2008 ) . Melina , along with then - ally Beth Phoenix , defeated Maria and Ashley at WrestleMania XXIV . On the May 5 edition of " Raw " , Melina accidentally hit Phoenix with her boot in a Women ' s Championship lumberjill match against James . The following week on " Raw " , Phoenix walked out on Melina during a tag match against James and Maria when Melina accidentally bumped Phoenix off the apron . Melina was then attacked by Phoenix during a backstage segment following the match , leading to her turning face for the first time in her WWE career . At One Night Stand , Melina competed in a losing effort against Phoenix in the first ever Women ' s " I Quit " match . On June 23 , 2008 , Melina injured her ankle after falling from the turnbuckles during a tag team match with Mickie James against Natalya and Victoria . Perez returned to WWE television on the November 24 edition of " Raw " , with a lovely outfit , teaming with former rivals Mickie James and Candice Michelle to defeat Phoenix , Jillian Hall , and Katie Lea Burchill , when Pérez pinned Burchill after pinning her with sunset split . She then made her in - ring singles return by defeating Hall the following week with a new finishing move called " Last Call " . After the match , however , Melina had stated her intentions to take the WWE Women ' s Championship away from Beth Phoenix . On December 29 , 2008 , Melina won a six - woman battle royal , to become the number one contender to the Women ' s Championship . After the match , Melina and Phoenix engaged in a confrontation over a fan of Phoenix ' s named Rosa Mendes , who had pushed Melina . On January 25 , 2009 , Melina won her third WWE Women ' s Championship at the Royal Rumble by defeating Phoenix by countering Beth ' s Glam Slam into a roll up pin . Brand switches and Divas Champion ( 2009 – 2010 ) . On April 13 , 2009 episode of " Raw " , Melina was drafted back to SmackDown as a part of the 2009 WWE Draft , thus making the WWE Women ' s Championship exclusive to the brand . She began a feud with Michelle McCool , who was named as the No . 1 contender to the title . McCool attacked Melina after her victory over Alicia Fox on the June 19 episode of " SmackDown " . Melina lost her Women ' s Championship to McCool at The Bash after interference from Alicia Fox and failed to regain it at Night of Champions . She then pinned Michelle in singles and tag team matches thus earning a shot at the Women ' s Championship against McCool , but lost after Beth Phoenix interfered . On October 12 , Melina was traded back to the Raw brand in a tri - branded trade that was announced by the night ' s guest host Nancy O ' Dell of " Access Hollywood " and went on to win the WWE Divas Championship from the new Divas Champion Jillian Hall , who had won the belt from Mickie James only a few minutes earlier . After defending the Championship in Hall ' s contractual rematch , Melina went on to feud with new number one contender Alicia Fox , again successfully retaining her title . On December 29 , at a WWE live event at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester , New Hampshire , Melina tore her ACL during a six - woman tag team match ; she relinquished the Divas Championship on January 4 due to her injury . Melina made her return on the August 2 edition of " Raw " , attacking WWE Divas Champion Alicia Fox after a six - woman tag team match in which she , Jillian Hall , and Tamina defeated Eve Torres , Gail Kim , and Natalya . At SummerSlam , Melina defeated Fox to capture the WWE Divas Championship for the second time in her career . After the match , she was attacked by Michelle McCool and WWE Women ' s Champion Layla . At the 900th episode of " Raw " , after winning a match , she was challenged by either Layla or McCool to a match at Night of Champions , to unify the WWE Women ' s and WWE Divas Championships . At Night of Champions , Melina lost the Divas Championship to McCool after she was attacked by Layla during the match . Heel Turn and Release ( 2010 – 2011 ) . On the December 6 episode of " Raw " , Melina displayed a heel persona after losing a non - title match to Divas Champion Natalya when she left the ring while Natalya was being attacked by LayCool . On the December 20 episode of " Raw " , Melina defeated Eve Torres and Alicia Fox in a # 1 Contender ' s Triple Threat Match , and subsequently slapped Natalya , who had attempted to congratulate her following her victory , turning Melina villainous . When the two fought for the Divas Championship on the January 24 , 2011 edition of " Raw " , Melina was defeated . Following her failure to capture the championship , Melina mainly appeared on " WWE Superstars " . Melina made her return to " Raw " on May 23 , 2011 , where she teamed up with Brie and Nikki Bella , and Maryse against Kelly Kelly , Beth Phoenix , Gail Kim and Eve Torres in an eight - Diva tag team match . However , the match ended in no - contest following an interruption from Kharma . On the June 2 edition of WWE Superstars , Melina was defeated by Gail Kim in a singles match , while claiming that Kim wasn ' t a good friend . On June 9 edition of WWE Superstars , she teamed up with Maryse to defeat Gail Kim and Eve Torres . On the June 13 All - Star edition of " Raw " , Melina lost a 7 on 7 divas tag team match teaming with The Bella Twins , Rosa Mendes , Alicia Fox , Maryse and Tamina in a losing effort to Kelly Kelly , Beth Phoenix , Gail Kim , Eve Torres , Natalya , AJ and Kaitlyn . On the June 23 edition of WWE Superstars , Melina lost again against Gail Kim in a singles match . On the August 1 edition of RAW , Perez participated in a # 1 Contender ' s Battle Royal , however she was the first participant eliminated . On August 5 , 2011 , WWE announced that Perez had been released from her WWE contract . Independent circuit and international tour ( 2011 – 2012 ) . On November 19 , 2011 , Melina wrestled her first match outside of the WWE by defeating Lexxus ( replacing Serena Deeb ) at Women Superstars Uncensored ' s Breaking Barriers II event . Perez appeared on the World Wrestling Fan Xperience ( WWFX ) Champions Showcase Tour in Manila , Philippines on February 4 , 2012 , where she wrestled under her real name . On February 5 , 2012 episode of WWFX , Melina defeated former WWE Diva Jillian Hall . Melina appeared at the Family Wrestling Entertainment event , signing autographs and serving as Eric Young ' s valet as he became the new FWE Heavyweight Champion . At the Empire City Showdown , on August 20 , Melina made her debut for Family Wrestling Entertainment in a segment with Charlie and Jackie Haas . On April 28 edition of FWE Television , Melina was defeated by Winter with Lita as the special guest referee to retain the FWE Women ' s Championship . Melina debuted for Northeast Wrestling as a heel on March 23 , 2012 , defeating Velvet Sky in singles action . On the following day , Melina was defeated by Sky in a rematch . From June 30 to July 2 , 2012 , Melina took part in World Wrestling Council ' s ( WWC ) Anniversario weekend in Puerto Rico . On the first two nights , Melina defeated Velvet Sky in singles matches , but on the final night , she and Davey Richards were defeated in a mixed tag team match by Sky and Xix Savant . Lucha Underground ( 2015 ) . Melina debuted for Lucha Underground at the Ultima Lucha season finale on August 5 , 2015 and attacked Alberto El Patron to allow Johnny Mundo to win their match , establishing herself as a heel . Return to the Independent Circuit ( 2015 - present ) . On June 19 , 2015 , Melina appeared at Maryland Championship Wrestling ' s " Ladies Night " event ; returning to the independent circuit for the first time in three years . Melina appeared as the Outside Enforcer in the MCW Women ' s Championship main event match between champion Amber Rodriguez and challenger Mickie James , which was officiated by Lisa Marie Varon . Melina turned heel and attacked James , but was on the receiving end of Varon ' s Widow ' s Peak . On October 16 , 2015 , Melina made her debut for Japanese promotion World Wonder Ring Stardom , during their first American tour in Covina , California . In her first match in three years , Melina teamed with Santana Garrett in a victorious effort against Hudson Envy and Thunder Rosa . Personal life . Perez is of Mexican heritage , and was the first woman of said ethnicity to win the WWE Women ' s Championship and WWE Divas Championship . She can speak English and Spanish . She was in a long term relationship with John Hennigan , previously known as Johnny Nitro and now as John Morrison , whom she managed on - screen . After their break up , Perez was in a short - term relationship with wrestler Dave Batista , who claims that the duo began their relationship after his divorce from his wife . Perez and Hennigan later began dating again . On April 13 , 2008 , she appeared in an episode of " Celebrity Fit Club Boot Camp " along with Mickie James , Layla , and Kelly Kelly .