Candice Michelle

Candice Michelle Beckman-Ehrlich (September 30, 1978), better known as Candice Michelle or just Candice, is an American model, actress and former professional wrestler.
After spending years modelling and acting, Candice Michelle was hired by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2004, after she participated in the WWE Diva Search. Outside of wrestling, Candice portrayed the Go Daddy Girl, performing in the company's annual Super Bowl commercials. She posed for a cover and nude pictorial in the April 2006 issue of Playboy. On June 24, 2007, she defeated Melina to win her first Women's Championship and become the first former WWE Diva Search contestant to win a WWE title. After five years with WWE, Candice was released from the company in June 2009.
==Career==
===World Wrestling Entertainment===
====Debut and Vince's Devils (2004–2006)====
In July 2004, Candice auditioned to be a contestant for World Wrestling Entertainment's Raw Diva Search. Despite not being chosen to be in the final ten, she was hired by the company under the gimmick of a makeup artist. She competed on Raw in several Diva contests, including lingerie fashion shows and limbo contests, until the end of the year.
On June 30, 2005, Candice was moved to SmackDown! where she became involved in a storyline between Torrie Wilson and Melina. On July 24, Candice made her pay-per-view debut at The Great American Bash where she served as the Special Guest Referee for the Bra and Panties match between Wilson and Melina. Melina would win the match and attack Candice. Torrie & Candice would gain revenge by stripping Melina to her bra & panties. Candice would then strip to her bra and panties for the pleasure of the fans. She was then moved back to Raw in a trade along with Wilson. In her next storyline, Candice and Torrie became heels by taunting 2005 Diva Search winner Ashley Massaro, and they joined forces with fellow Raw Diva Victoria to form an alliance known as Ladies in Pink (later Vince's Devils). They continued feuding with Massaro until Trish Stratus returned from a legitimate injury to help Massaro "retaliate" against Vince's Devils. In November, Candice signed on to pose for the April 2006 issue of Playboy. She had her first shot at the WWE Women's Championship in a Fulfill Your Fantasy Battle Royal at Taboo Tuesday but was eliminated from the match by Massaro.
In January, Candice appeared at New Year's Revolution in the first ever Bra and Panties Gauntlet match, where she was eliminated by Maria. After winning a #1 Contender's Diva battle royal on Raw, Candice got her first singles WWE Women's Championship match, but lost to then-champion Trish Stratus on February 27. After the match, Candice slapped Wilson, blaming her, in storyline, for the loss. Vince's Devils later broke up when Wilson became a fan favorite after Candice and Victoria turned on her during Candice's Playboy cover unveiling. The feud led to a match at WrestleMania 22 in which both Playboy cover girls competed in a Playboy Pillow Fight. At the event, Candice was defeated by Wilson, but the feud continued sporadically in backstage segments where Candice was depicted in a romantic relationship with Vince McMahon. On the July 11 episode of ECW, Candice appeared as Kelly Kelly's dance partner on Kelly's Exposé, and maintained her heel persona by attempting to seduce Kelly in a backstage segment before their performance.
====Singles Competition and Women's Champion (2006-2007)====
On the July 17 edition of Raw, Candice was the Special Guest Referee during a tag team match of Stratus and Wilson against Victoria and Mickie James. James entered the match without being tagged in, so Candice threw her out of the ring. Afterwards, Victoria tried to clothesline Candice, but she ducked out of the way, allowing Stratus to perform a Stratusfaction for the victory. As a result of her participation in the match, Candice became a face. On the Raw following Unforgiven, Candice won a match against Lita. The next week, in her second match against Lita, Candice was pinned after she was speared by guest referee Edge, in the first round of the WWE Women's Championship tournament, which was made after Stratus had retired when she became champion. On the November 27 edition of Raw, during the Diva battle royal, Candice suffered a legitimate broken nose when Victoria kicked her in the face. She had surgery on November 30 to repair her deviated septum.
Candice returned at New Year's Revolution on January 7, when she went to the ring with Maria to fight off Melina as she tried to interfere in the Women's Championship match between then-champion Mickie James and Victoria. Candice made her in-ring return on January 22 when she and Mickie James defeated Victoria and Melina in a tag team match with Candice scoring the pinfall. Candice then resumed her feud with Melina, who claimed in her blogs that no Playboy cover model was capable of defeating her in the ring. Candice took offense to this, which led to a Bra and Panties match between the two, which she lost. During this time, Candice began training on her off-days to improve her in-ring abilities. Weeks later, Candice was beginning to receive more air-time and higher profile matches, and she won tag matches that pitted her with Mickie James against Victoria and Melina. She also picked up several wins against the latter two in singles matches, which culminated at One Night Stand, where Candice defeated Melina in the first ever match held in a swimming pool full of pudding. Candice defeated Melina to capture her first WWE Women's Championship at Vengeance, becoming the first ever WWE Diva Search contestant to win the Women's Title. Candice retained her title against Melina in a rematch at The Great American Bash as well as debuting a new finisher called the Candywrapper.
Beth Phoenix became the #1 Contender for the Women's Championship after winning a Divas battle royal at SummerSlam. At the Unforgiven pay-per-view, however, Candice successfully retained her title in their match by countering one of Phoenix's moves with a crucifix pin. Their feud continued when Phoenix pinned Candice during a non-title mixed tag team match on Raw on September 24. At No Mercy on October 7, Candice dropped the title to Phoenix, ending her reign as Women's Champion. On October 22, Candice legitimately cracked her clavicle during her rematch for the Women's Championship against Phoenix in a two out of three falls match; Phoenix pushed herself into the ropes, causing Candice to fall off of the turnbuckle onto her groin necessitating a rushed finish and putting out her of action for 14 weeks.
====Injuries and Release (2008–2009)====
Candice made her on-screen return on the February 18 edition of Raw, distracting Beth Phoenix during a match with Maria. She returned to in-ring action on March 17, teaming up with Maria to defeat Jillian Hall and Victoria. During the match, Candice injured her left shoulder by tearing the scar tissue over her previously broken left clavicle. Unlike her previous injury, Candice broke her clavicle in four separate places, in essence, shattering it. As a result, Candice was replaced by Ashley for her scheduled match at WrestleMania XXIV. On March 23, Candice underwent successful surgery on her re-broken clavicle.
On the September 1 edition of Raw, Candice made her in-ring return match teaming up with Kelly Kelly and Mickie James to defeat Jillian Hall, Katie Lea Burchill and Beth Phoenix, with Candice pinning Phoenix. Candice received a push upon her return as she was named the #1 Contender for the Women's Championship, but lost to Beth Phoenix at No Mercy. Over the next weeks, Candice worked as a heel in house shows but never made the complete turn. Later in 2009, she was released from her contract.
=== Independent circuit (2017) ===
In October 2017, it was announced that Candice would compete at House of Hardcore 36 on December 2, serving as her retirement match. At the event, Candice defeated former Vince's Devils ally Lisa Marie Varon, after Varon established herself as a heel by attacking Candice after feigning an injury.
=== Return to WWE (2019) ===
On July 22, 2019, Candice returned to WWE at the Raw Reunion special, doing so in a backstage segment with Kelly Kelly, Melina, and Naomi. Candice congratulated Kelly for winning the WWE 24-7 Championship, but after Melina revealed herself as a referee, Candice turned heel and attacked Kelly before defeating her to become the second female 24-7 Champion. Just seconds later, Candice lost the title to WWE Hall of Famer Alundra Blayze.
== Personal life ==
On May 7, 2005, she married Dr. Ken Gee Ehrlich, a West Los Angeles chiropractor. They met at the Key Club on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood on the same week she initially moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting and modeling career. Candice was home with her husband only one-to-four days a week due to her touring schedule with WWE.
In early and mid-2007, Candice Michelle had a real-life feud with fellow Diva Melina Perez in their WWE.com blogs. The feud began when Candice accused Perez of stealing one of her signature moves in the ring. Perez responded to Candice's accusation in her blog by posting a picture of herself performing that move during an independent wrestling show in 2003, proving that she has been using the same move long before she joined the WWE and before Candice began her professional wrestling career. She then wrote a blog in April of that year that WWE.com would not publish due to the feelings she expressed towards Perez. Candice took exception to Perez claiming that she had a "spare tire" during an episode of Raw, and in retaliation, Candice claimed Perez was just jealous. The off-screen fighting between the duo was eventually turned into an on-screen storyline.
She has a tattoo of the word "faith" on her inner wrist, which she considers a "personal affirmation". It is also a reminder, in her words, to "believe in myself and have 'faith'". She got the tattoo, which was documented on the reality show LA Ink, after breaking her collarbone in 2007. The tattoo is also related to her Christian beliefs. When Candice made her return, she had new tattoos on her back, her new tattoos are of five stars, which starts at the lower part of her back then finished at the middle of her back.
Candice, along with Batista, Shelton Benjamin, and Josh Mathews, represented WWE at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in an effort to persuade fans to register to vote in the 2008 Presidential election.
In November 2009, Beckman announced on her website that she was expecting her first child. She gave birth to a daughter named AkiAnne Rose on May 23, 2010. On February 14, 2011, Beckman announced that she was pregnant with her second child. On February 22, 2011 Beckman announced on her Twitter that she has suffered a miscarriage.
==Quotes==
On her Playboy photoshoot:
When asked if there's a golden rule men should live by:
==Wrestling facts==
*Finishing moves
:*Candy Wrapper
:*Sugar Rush
:*Sweet Tooth
*Signature moves
:*Northern Light Suplex
:*Hurricarana
:*Spear
:*Turnbuckle Evasion into Rear Mat Slam
:*Turnbuckle Evasion into a Heel Kick or Hangman's Choke
:*Diving Crossbody
:*Figure Four Neck Lock
:*Springboard Arm Drag
:*Flying Clothesline
:*Roundhouse Kick
:*Body Scissors executed into a Heel Kick on turnbuckle
:*Forward Russian Leg Sweep
:*Springboard Headlock takeover
:*Candy scissors
*Tag teams and stables
:*Vince's Devils with Victoria and Torrie Wilson
==Championships and accomplishments==
*Pro Wrestling Illustrated
:*PWI Woman of the Year (2007)
:*PWI ranked her #10 in the 2008 PWI Top 50 Females
*World Wrestling Entertainment
**WWE Women's Championship (1 time)
**WWE 24-7 Championship (1 time)
==Other media==
In mid-August 2007, Candice taped an episode of The Family Feud with Batista, John Cena, Mr. Kennedy, King Booker, Layla El, Maria, Michelle McCool, Montel Vontavious Porter, and Queen Sharmell. It aired in November 2007.
==External links==
*CandiceMichelle.com (Official Website)
* Profile
* Profile at WWE.com
* Profile
Category:American wrestlers
Category:Female wrestlers
Category:Managers and valets
Category:WWE Diva Search contestants
Category:World Wrestling Entertainment alumni
Category:1978 births
Category:2004 debuts
Category:WWE Women's Champions
Category:Playboy cover girls
Category:Wisconsin wrestlers
Category:Models
Category:Living people
Category:2017 retirements
Category:Actresses
Category:WWE 24-7 Champions
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