Melissa Anderson Melissa Marie Anderson ( August 17 , 1982 ) is an American professional wrestler , better known by her ring name Cheerleader Melissa . She is best known for her work in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where she worked as Alissa Flash and Raisha Saeed . Early life . Anderson ' s father Doug wrestled professionally in the early 1980s . Growing up she became a fan of her father ' s work and also showed her own flair for sports , particularly soccer , as well as joining Palmdale High School ' s athletics and amateur wrestling team as one of only four girls . While only 15 , she had already become involved in the wrestling business , traveling to San Bernardino frequently to train in and work for the wrestling school of Billy Anderson , her father ' s former tag team partner , as well as involving herself in the running of things and before long she made her debut front of stage . Despite touring so young , Anderson still studied and gained her high school diploma largely through the help of e - mailing teachers ; she also credits the internet for helping her become famous while only wrestling in front of small crowds . Professional wrestling career . Training . While training at Billy Anderson ' s school , she met the Ballard Brothers ( Shannon and Shane ) who were using the gimmick of hockey players , similar to the Hanson Brothers from the film " Slap Shot " . They were looking for a valet and due to their sporting gimmick , Anderson took on the role of a heel and the gimmick of a cheerleader , despite them not playing a part in ice hockey . They toured the West Coast , mostly appearing with All Pro Wrestling ( APW ) where she would interfere in matches , often using high - flying moves . As Cheerleader Melissa she also received training from Christopher Daniels for a short period of time before moving on to APW where she trained under the tutelage of Robert Thompson and " American Dragon " Bryan Danielson . After gaining experience from ring side , Cheerleader Melissa eventually had her first proper match on her 17th birthday against Lexie Fyfe in a losing effort at an outdoor carnival event . In 2001 she entered into Ultimate Pro Wrestling and lost a tag team match alongside Looney Lane which led to a feud between the two . The first lost in the tag team match would be her only one with the company as she went on to win a grudge match between the two followed by a succession of mixed tag matches , first with Shannon Ballard and then alongside both Ballard Brothers , beating Lane and Frankie Kazarian in the | mixed tag team match as well as Nova in the final six - person intergender tag match . The following year , in the summer of 2002 , Anderson was personally invited to wrestle and train for three months in Japan for the promotion ARSION . She was selected alongside Taylor Matheny who had recently received exposure in World Wrestling Entertainment ' s " Tough Enough " program , and thus Anderson received much internet attention by association . Among the rigorous training schedule she wrestled what she claims to be some of her favorite matches , particularly a 15 - minute draw against Rie Tamada and her loss to Mariko Yoshida . Also as a present for her 20th birthday , she was allowed to tag team with veteran female wrestler Lioness Asuka . ChickFight . Tournaments ( 2004 – 2007 ) . After Anderson returned from Japan , she became a full - time wrestler . Moving on from her pre - Japan feud with Nikki , she continued to wrestle for APW winning its Above The Law Championship from Robert Thompson in July 2004 . Under her reign it was renamed the Future Legends Championship , the title under which she lost it to Daizee Haze the following year before winning it back and retiring the belt . In October , APW associated itself with the newly formed , all - female tournament - cum - promotion ChickFight ( CF ) . In the first event , staged under the APW banner for their Halloween Hell weekend , Anderson made it through two rounds only to be defeated in a steel cage match for the final round by luchadora Princess Sugey . She would become a staple of ChickFight , appearing at the first ten of their major events , missing the eleventh event due to injury sustained less than a week before the show . She made the final in the first two tournaments but exited the third in the first round after a double disqualification during a match with former rival Nikki , now under her better known name Sara Del Rey . Melissa won ChickFight V tournament , beating Jazz in the final , and she also went on to win ChickFight VII : The UK vs The USA tournament when it moved from the United States over to the United Kingdom pinning " The Jezebel " Eden Black in the last match . However , the focus of ChickFight VII was on the controversial ending to her first match that saw Sweet Saraya ' s head hung in the ropes , Anderson continued to assault her despite being trapped until the referee ended the match and Saraya was stretchered from ringside . As Anderson celebrated her tournament victory Saraya reappeared and threatened her . The feud was cut short during a pre - match brawl for Real Quality Wrestling ( RQW ) in June that saw the two brawl both in and outside of the building and ended with Anderson winning shortly after Saraya was thrown on an already utilized aluminum can , tearing through her ligament and leaving her hospitalized . She was forced to forfeit her ChickFight IX : Our Final Chance match the following day and would not wrestle again for six months . Feud with Wesna ( 2007 – 2009 ) . Melissa using the Kudo Driver on Wesna during their 45 - minute draw . Meanwhile , Anderson had begun a new feud . She did not participate in the tournament at ChickFight VIII but instead had a rematch against Eden Black for the newly created Transatlantic Women ' s Championship , which she won . Later in the show she successfully defended the title against Croatian wrestler Wesna Busic . The two had met years previously when her internet celebrity saw her invited to German Stampede Wrestling to face Wesna in a losing effort at International Impact I . After defending her Transatlantic Championship at ChickFight VII , their next CF meeting saw Wesna defend her RQW Women ' s Championship fought under ChickFight Rules ( no disqualification and falls count anywhere ) which saw the two go to a forty - five minute time limit draw . This left the two at 1 – 1 and so a decisive match was to be held at ChickFight X but this ended in controversy when Wesna claimed that her tap out was merely an attempt to grab the rope for a rope break ; their rematch later that night saw Wesna pick up the victory leaving them drawn again at 2 – 2 . CF XI was originally slated to be a two out of three falls match to find a decisive victory until Anderson pulled out due to injury . Their feud was picked up the following year for Shimmer Women Athletes at Volume 23 in May 2009 . The company preluded the match with a video package showing their matches in Europe and announced that the winner would go on to face the Shimmer Champion at a later event . Towards the end of the bout , Annie Social came to the ring to distract Anderson allowing Wesna to use her CB4 Driver to pick up the victory . Wesna lost her championship match at Volume 25 and , owing to the controversy of their previous match , Anderson wrestled Wesna again in Volume 26 in a Knockout / Submission match where Anderson picked up the victory , making them level once more . SHIMMER Women Athletes . Feuding and Teaming with MsChif ( 2005 - 2010 ) . After the success of ChickFight , Dave Prazak and Allison Danger set up Shimmer Women Athletes , a promotion with ties to Prazak ' s Ring of Honor intending to raise the credibility of women ' s wrestling on an international scale . Her first match with the promotion was on November 6 , 2005 , for Volume 1 in a losing effort to MsChif , starting a wild feud between the two . The loss saw Anderson demand a special attraction rematch — the match would be Shimmer ' s first hardcore match , fought under Falls Count Anywhere rules and helped Anderson gain the victory after nearly thirty minutes of wrestling on February 12 , 2006 , at Volume 4 . MsChif took her revenge at Volume 5 by distracting Anderson during a match with Allison Danger , causing her to lose the match . Naturally the rivalry was not abated and their next match , main eventing Volume 6 on May 21 , was declared a Last Woman Standing match with MsChif eventually coming out on top . Further interferences took an interesting turn at Volume 7 when Anderson came out during MsChif ' s match against Rain . However , before she could interfere , Rain ' s partner Lacey pushed her to the ground while trying to distract the referee in order to allow Rain to use an illegal weapon ; an incensed Anderson fought back against Lacey in time for the referee to see the foreign object in the ring and declare MsChif the winner via disqualification . After Anderson had won her main event match , Lacey and Rain ( The Minnesota Home Wrecking Crew ) , ambushed her with a beat down until MsChif ran out , saving her nemesis before leaving her to celebrate the victory . The Minnesota Home Wrecking Crew had threatened Anderson for involving herself in their plans against MsChif and similarly threatened MsChif for being in the way of ambushing Melissa and , after declaring themselves the best tag team in the world , demanded a match with the two for Volume 8 which became the penultimate bout of the evening . The Home Wrecking Crew ' s experience won out over MsChif and Anderson when a double team maneuver led to MsChif being pinned ; after the match Anderson and MsChif shook hands as a sign of respect . The two soon showed they could work as a team though when they beat veterans The Experience ( Lexie Fyfe and Malia Hosaka ) , with MsChif pinning Hosaka . The two would meet again three months later in England for RQW ' s 2007 No Pain , No Gain event challenging Eden Black for the RQW Women ' s Championship but both came up short . The match served to build up interest for the aforementioned ChickFight VII : The UK vs The USA where Melissa would secure a victory against Black . She also beat MsChif in the semi - final . At RQW ' s Taking On The World the three met again with MsChif and Black teaming up in a losing effort against Anderson and Black ' s nemesis Jetta . In May 2008 MsChif put her NWA World Women ' s Championship on the line during Pro Wrestling Revolution ' s debut show but Anderson did not win the belt . These series of bouts against each other did not stop them teaming together when they main evented Volume 17 on April 26 , 2008 , taking on an erstwhile enemy of Anderson again in the form of Sara Del Rey , alongside her Dangerous Angels partner Allison Danger . This time it was Melissa making the pinfall after an Air Raid Crash . Despite these string of successes , the tag team did not compete during the Volume 21 tag team gauntlet for the Shimmer Tag Team Championship , but they reunited when MsChif was threatened by both Kong and Del Rey for her Shimmer Championship . With both Kong and Del Rey wanting title shots , the two tag teams were actually booked for a contendership match for the Tag Team Championship during Volume 24 on May 2 , 2009 , which Anderson and MsChif lost . After this loss , Anderson went on a four match winning streak , including avenging a loss to Wesna Busic ( see above ) . On April 10 , 2010 , at the tapings of Volume 29 , Anderson and MsChif received a shot at the Shimmer Tag Team Championship , but were defeated by the defending champions Nicole Matthews and Portia Perez . The team ' s two back - to - back tag team losses led to Melissa dissolving her team with MsChif in order for her to focus on her singles career . SHIMMER Champion ( 2010 – 2013 ) . On Volume 30 , Anderson was defeated by Madison Eagles in a match , where the winner would receive a shot at MsChif ' s Shimmer Championship . The following day , Anderson defeated Misaki Ohata on Volume 31 and Ayako Hamada in the main event of Volume 32 , before demanding a title match from the new Shimmer Champion Eagles . She received her title match on September 11 , 2010 , on Volume 33 , but was defeated by Eagles . The following day on Volume 36 , Melissa pinned Eagles to win an eight - woman elimination tag team match , where she , Ayako Hamada , Ayumi Kurihara and Serena Deeb defeated Eagles , Daizee Haze , Sara Del Rey and Tomoka Nakagawa . On October 2 , 2011 , at Volume 43 , Melissa defeated Kana to become the number one contender to the Shimmer Championship . Later that same day on Volume 44 , Melissa defeated Madison Eagles to become the fourth Shimmer Champion . During her title celebration , she was attacked from behind by Nicole Matthews . Melissa made her first two title defenses on March 17 , 2012 , defeating Nicole Matthews on Volume 45 and Portia Perez on Volume 46 . The following day , after successfully defending the Shimmer Championship against Jessie McKay on Volume 47 , Melissa lost the title to Saraya Knight on Volume 48 . After pinning Knight to win a ten - woman elimination tag team match on October 28 at the tapings of Volume 50 , Melissa was granted a rematch for the Shimmer Championship the following day on Volume 52 , but was defeated after being hit with the title belt . On April 6 , 2013 , at the Volume 53 internet pay - per - view in Secaucus , New Jersey , Melissa defeated Knight in a steel cage match to win the Shimmer Championship for the second time . Heel Turn ( 2013 - present ) . Melissa made her first successful title defense a week later on April 13 at Volume 54 , where she defeated Mercedes Martinez . Later that same day on Volume 55 , Melissa began displaying a heel persona during another successful title defense against Courtney Rush , as well as on the following day on Volume 56 , where Melissa made her third and final title defense of the weekend by defeating Kalamity . Later that same day on Volume 57 , Melissa took part in Allison Danger ' s retirement match , where she and Ayako Hamada faced Danger and Leva Bates . Melissa initially submitted Danger for the win , but the decision was reversed when Melissa refused to let go of the hold . Post - match , the evil Melissa attacked Hamada , turning villainous in the process . At SHIMMER 58 on October 19 , Melissa accepted her award for ranking # 1 on the PWI Top 50 , and then cut a heel promo blasting Allison Danger . She was later challenged by Danger ' s former partner , Leva Bates , who she defeated to retain her title , Post - match , Melissa attacked both Bates and the retired Allison Danger , before being chased away by LuFisto . Later that same day on Volume 59 , Melissa successfully defended her title against Hiroyo Matsumoto , and then attacked her after the match before LuFisto chased her away again . The title match between Melissa and LuFisto took place on the following day ' s Volume 60 and saw Melissa retain the title . Following the match , Melissa was taken to a local hospital , where she received ten stitches above her left eye . As a result , Volume 61 became the first Volume in Shimmer history , which did not feature a Cheerleader Melissa match . On April 5 , 2014 , Melissa defeated LuFisto in a 2 Out Of 3 Falls Match at Volume 62 in New Orleans to retain the title . At Volume 68 on October 18 , 2014 , Melissa lost the SHIMMER Championship to Nicole Matthews in a four - way elimination match that also included Madison Eagles and Athena . Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ( 2008 - 2013 ) . Raisha Saeed ( 2008 – 2009 ) . On the January 10 edition of TNA Impact ! , Anderson made her Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ( TNA ) debut as a villain ; portraying an unknown woman wearing a niqāb , later named Raisha Saeed and billed from Syria . She was in Awesome Kong ' s corner when Kong defeated Gail Kim to win the Knockouts Championship . Her first pay - per - view appearance with the company was again in Kong ' s corner at Against All Odds , distracting Kong ' s opponent ODB to help her retain the Knockouts Championship . The situation with Kim and ODB intensified , leading to Anderson ' s first match as a competitor with the promotion . At TNA ' s all - steel cage event Lockdown , she and Kong took on Kim and ODB in a tag team match , where Saeed was pinned by ODB . On the July 3 , 2008 edition of Impact ! , Saeed lost a match against newcomer Taylor Wilde which saw Wilde become number one contender for the Knockouts Championship despite outside interference from Kong . In September her costume became a focal point for angles as Saeed became a more regular in - ring performer . On September 4 ' s Impact ! ODB pinned her and then chased her backstage , coming out later with the burqa . Kong hit ODB in the back of the head while Saeed ran to reclaim her attire , her face masked by her hair at the time . Later that month . Roxxi used a burqa to disguise herself as Saeed while Kong was facing newcomer Mercedes Steele . After the match Roxxi removed her disguise and attacked Kong with a steel chair , while Saeed appeared at the top of the entrance ramp bound in ropes ( implying that she had been abducted by Roxxi prior to the match ) . Kong took revenge , pinning Roxxi in a tag effort also involving Saeed and Wilde , respectively , but Roxxi would make a return pin on Saeed in a singles match weeks later . Kong and Saeed would later align themselves with Rhaka Khan . On the November 6 edition of Impact ! , Khan voluntarily substituted for Roxxi as Wilde ' s tag team partner against Kong and Saeed in a match . During the match , the evil Rhaka Khan turned on Wilde during the match to help Kong make the pinfall , but her good luck was short lived as Kong and Saeed , with Khan in their corner , lost to Wilde and Roxxi in a tag team match at Turning Point . Saeed lost to Christy Hemme on the November 27 edition of Impact ! , allowing her to challenge for Kong ' s belt at Final Resolution but Saeed caused a disqualification , giving Hemme the win but retaining the belt for Kong . Through December , Khan and Saeed were joined in their support for Kong by newcomer Sojourner Bolt ; the group dubbed themselves the Kongtourage and took on ODB , Roxxi and Hemme in a losing effort during a Street Fight on January 15 . Hemme was scheduled for a rematch at Genesis , however , she suffered a legitimate injury prior to the match and the Kongtourage impromptu number one contender match was made at the pay - per - view with ODB picking up the victory , teaming to gain a future title shot . The Kongtourage finally picked up a victory over ODB in a four - on - one handicap match on January 29 ' s Impact ! . The Kongtourage rapidly fell into disarray , though , when Bolt won a number one contender battle royal in early February , and a fortnight later Khan expressed her dissatisfaction with the group leading to a tag match that Khan and Bolt , who were being portrayed as fan favorites now , won . Saeed ' s attempts to interfere in the Knockouts Championship match at Destination X were unsuccessful but Kong still managed to retain her title . Kong eventually dropped the title to Angelina Love at Lockdown 2009 . After this loss , and with Kong unable to regain the championship , the team of Saeed and Kong were entered into the tournament to decide the inaugural Knockouts Tag Team Champions . In the first round , the team beat The Main Event Mafia ' s team of Sharmell and Traci Brooks . Saeed scored the pin over Brooks , tagging herself in after Kong had done much of the work causing Kong to stare angrily at Saeed . They were less successful in the following round , losing to the eventual tournament winning team of Taylor Wilde and Sarita . After inadvertently costing Kong the Knockouts title at Bound for Glory , the two of them faced off on the October 22 edition of Impact ! with Saeed now being referred to as a former manager . Kong won the match and then Awesome Bombed her through the entrance stage . Alissa Flash ( 2009 , 2011 , 2013 ) . On the May 1 , 2008 edition of Impact ! , Anderson appeared as her signature Cheerleader Melissa gimmick and defeated Daisy Haze in a singles match that was billed as a " try - out " for both women . However , she reappeared as Saeed later that night . At the May 26 , 2009 Impact ! taping , Anderson wrestled as " Future Legend " Melissa Anderson in a dark match where she was defeated by Awesome Kong . Her television return occurred on the July 16 , 2009 edition of Impact ! as she wrestled under the revised name of " Future Legend " Alissa Flash , losing to the debuting Sarita and attacking her afterward , officially taking on another villainous role . Flash ' s losing streak continued in the first round of the Knockouts Tag Team Championship tournament where she and Daffney lost to Sarita and Taylor Wilde . As Flash , Anderson had a new outfit which included a streaks of make up around her eyes in tribute to Sherri Martel . She picked up her first victory on the September 17 edition of Impact ! by defeating Cody Deaner in an intergender Lumberjack match . The win , though , was largely due to interference from all the other Knockouts who were lumberjacks . Frustrated at her lack of meaningful victories , Flash interrupted an interview with newcomer Hamada by voicing her frustration at the lack of fanfare her arrival in the company received in comparison to foreign Knockouts Sarita and Hamada . Flash then began to brawl with Hamada , throwing her down the bleachers of the empty arena . The two met weeks later on the October 8 Impact ! in an eight - woman elimination tag team match ; when both were legal members in the ring they brawled out onto the floor until they were counted out and eliminated . The following week on Super Impact ! the two met in a Falls Count Anywhere match which Flash lost after taking a moonsault from Hamada through a table . She finally scored an unassisted singles win on November 12 against Traci Brooks . After not being used by the company thereafter , Anderson requested her release which was granted on January 21 , 2010 . On March 14 , 2011 , at the tapings of the March 17 edition of Impact ! , Anderson , as Alissa Flash , made a one night return to TNA , unsuccessfully challenging Madison Rayne for the Knockouts Championship as part of her open challenge series . On March 17 , 2013 , Anderson made another one night return to TNA to take part in the taping of the Knockouts Knockdown pay - per - view ( aired September 6 , 2013 ) , where she , as Alissa Flash , was defeated by Gail Kim . NCW Femmes Fatales ( 2010 - present ) . Anderson debuted for the Quebec - based NCW Femmes Fatales promotion on February 6 , 2010 , continuing to work under the name Cheerleader Melissa . Working as a babyface , Melissa teamed with LuFisto in a victorious outing against Cat Power and Kalamity in a No Disqualification tag - team match at Femmes Fatales II . Melissa entered a tournament to crown the first - ever NCW Femmes Fatales Champion and defeated Nicole Matthews in the first round at Femmes Fatales III , but lost to Matthews ' Canadian NINJAs partner , Portia Perez , at Femmes Fatales IV . Melissa would pick up victories in the next three shows , but her winning streak ended at Femmes Fatales VIII , when she competed to a time - limit draw against Hailey Hatred . At Part 1 of Femmes Fatales X on November 3 , 2012 , Melissa was defeated by Athena in a # 1 Contender ' s four - way match that also included Angie Skye and X - Cute Sweet . After the match , Melissa was attacked by Skye in the ring , leading to a grudge match at the second part of the show that Melissa won . At Femmes Fatales XI on March 30 , 2013 , Melissa defeated Allysin Kay , but would be attacked after the match by Kay and Sassy Stephie . At Femmes Fatales XII on July 6 , Melissa turned into a villainess during a # 1 Contender ' s Match against Courtney Rush by resorting to heel tactics and attempting to use a steel chair , which led to a brawl between the two and the match ending in a double disqualification . At Femmes Fatales XIII on October 26 , Melissa teamed with Mercedes Martinez in a losing effort to LuFisto and Sweet Cherrie in a No Disqualification tag team match . Melissa and Rush competed in a 30 Minute Iron Woman Match at Femmes Fatales XIV on April 19 , 2014 , but due to Martinez ' s interference , the match ended in a 1 - 1 draw . At Femmes Fatales XV , Melissa was defeated by Rush in a Four Way Elimination Match for the NCW Femmes Fatales Championship , which also included Martinez and LuFisto .