Viper

Viper in March 2019

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Ayrshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

**Kimberly Benson** (born 6 May 1991) is a Scottish professional wrestler. Benson began her career on the independent circuit and competed in Japan in the World Wonder Ring Stardom (Stardom) under the name **Viper**. She is a former two-time ICW Women's Champion, one-time Artist of Stardom Champion, and one-time SWA World Champion.

## Early life

Kimberly Benson was born on 6 May 1991, in Ayrshire, Scotland. Before turning into a wrestler, she kept her love for professional wrestling as a secret due to being worried that her female friends thought she was "weird" as they believed that was only a sport for men. It wasn't until she was 15, and when her oldest nephew began to watch wrestling, that Benson's passion was rekindled and she was open about enjoying wrestling. She was introduced to this sport at a training school near her Ayrshire home and, according to her, she debuted at age 16 one year after beginning her training; making accounts with her age, this was in 2007. About her training, she said: "I got beat up, totally beat up. I remember lying in bed the next day, being so sore and in absolute agony, but I just loved it, I had to go back."

## Professional wrestling career

### World Wonder Ring Stardom (2017-2019)

Also in 2017, she worked in Japan as Viper for the company World Wonder Ring Stardom. On 7 January of that year at the event Stardom New Years Stars 2017, she was part of the team "Oedo Tai" with Kagetsu and Kyoko Kimura as a replacement for Hana Kimura who was injured, where she tried to help the team to retain the Artist of Stardom Championship against "Queen's Quest" a team integrated by HZK, Io Shirai and Momo Watanabe, in which they were defeated and they lost the title. On 13 August, she joined Queen's Quest along with Shirai and HZK to face the team "Team Jungle" integrated by Hiroyo Matsumoto, Jungle Kyona and Kaori Yoneyama in a match for the Artist of Stardom Championship at the event Midsummer Champions 2017, in which they achieved to win the title and Viper crown herself champion. On 16 September, Viper participated at the event 5★Star Grand Prix 2017 of Stardom, where she draw with Mayu Iwatani both with 10 points. Along with Queen's Quest, managed to defend and retain the Artistic Championship three times before they left it vacant on 15 April 2018 after a draft executed by Stardom, ending their reign with 245 days. One month before that same year, on 28 March, she faced Toni Storm at the Stardom Dream Slam in Tokyo event in a match for her SWA World Championship, in which the ICW Women's Championship of Viper was also in the line, where she defeated Storm to capture the title, emerging victorious with both championships. Defended and retained the championship twice before losing it in a match against Utami Hayashishita at the Stardom 8th Anniversary event held on 14 January 2019, in which she also put her EVE International Championship at stake, where she was defeated and lost both titles, ending her reign with the SWA Championship in 292 days and with the EVE Championship in 92 days.

## Other media

Benson is the subject of the episode *Fight Like a Girl* of the documentary series *Our Lives* by BBC, in which she talks about her life as a professional wrestler.

## Personal life

On September 23, 2019, Celebrate Bisexuality Day, Benson came out as bisexual. On December 13 of the same year, she shared that she has Bell's palsy. On September 11, 2021, Benson revealed that she got married.

## In wrestling

* **Finishing moves**
	+ *Viper Driver* (Sitout scoop slam piledriver)
* **Signature moves**
	+ Big splash
	+ Cannonball
	+ Running crossbody, sometimes to a seated opponent
	+ *Snake Bite* (Electric chair facebuster)
	+ *Viper Bomb* (Corner slingshot splash)
* **Nicknames**
	+ "Megaton Barbie"

## Championships and accomplishments

* **Association Biterroise de Catch**
	+ ABC Women's Championship (1 time)
* **Insane Championship Wrestling**
	+ ICW Women's Championship (2 times)
* **Pro-Wrestling: EVE**
	+ Pro-Wrestling: EVE Championship (1 time)
	+ Pro-Wrestling: EVE International Championship (1 time)
* ***Pro Wrestling Illustrated***
	+ Ranked No. 37 of the top 50 female wrestlers in the *PWI Female 50* in 2017
* **World Wonder Ring Stardom**
	+ Artist of Stardom Championship (1 time) – with HZK and Io Shirai
	+ SWA World Championship (1 time)
	+ Trios Tag Team Tournament (2019) – with Utami Hayashishita and Bea Priestley