Candice LeRae

**Candice Gargano** (née **Dawson**) (September 29, 1985) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Humiliating Pro Wrestling (HPW) under the ring name **Candice LeRae**. Before HPW, she had wrestled in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, National Wrestling Alliance, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, Ring Of Honor, DDT Pro-Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment.

## **Character Description**

Candice LeRae will most definitely go down as one of the toughest women to ever step foot into the squared circle. Besides battling with various top women in the sport, Candice has also regularly competed against male superstars, and challenging ones at that. LeRae's debut into the sport dates all the way back to 2002 where she officially started her career. She's travelled all over the world and wrestled for much more than a handful of both independent promotions and major companies alike. Although more known for her work in ROH and WWE (NXT), her career sky rocketed when she competed in multiple one on two matchups in PWG.

In between the ropes, LeRae looks to wear each of her opponents down from the beginning before using precise dodging and her speed to overwhelm the opposition. While she is very much a mixed wrestler, drawing inspiration from grounded holds, grappling, striking and high flying, she does prefer to have the say on how things go while in an upright position, but still very proficient at her grounded grappling. If either of those don't work, LeRae takes to the skies and takes her opponent head on with a stylish drop from the turnbuckles.

Candice has been through a lot in her career, weather that be fighting off against foes who're twice her body weight or getting stabbed in the back countless of times, she's always remained true to who she is. While wrestling she's very calm, yet cut throat at the same time so some opponents have trouble with keeping up with her, thought she always takes her time to acknowledge the crowd and give them a warming smile. Whether it's preforming in amazing matches and having fun or settling a feud for good with using all her heart and soul, she's truly become one of HPW's top stars.

## **HPW Career**

### **2020**

Debuting against Liv Morgan it wasn't long till Candice had become a fan favorite in HPW, as she had brought herself down to the ring smiling and having the kindest attitude of anyone on the roster. Having the HPW Universe behind her, LeRae went back to doing what she does best. All was going well, Candice was racking up a lot of wins under her belt and with the tournament to crown a number one contender approaching, Candice was challenged by none other than the returning Scarlett Bordeaux, at that point of time both superstar had challenged and failed to defeat the then HPW World Champion Jordynne Grace and once the bell had settled, Scarlett was unable to defeat Candice, yet still showing the sportsmanship she always does, LeRae shook hands with the woman, before they seemed to become somewhat friends. That quickly fell apart though when Candice challenged Paige on Scarlett's behalf. With Paige being on a winning streak like no other, she was able to dispose of Bordeaux without too much trouble. After the match Candice had slid into the ring to check up on her friend, only to be stabbed in the back, getting beaten down and written on by Scarlett's marker.

As the tournament had officially began the match was made. Candice LeRae versus Scarlett Bordeaux II, the winner would advance in the tournament and look to capture another opportunity at challenging for the HPW World Championship. Ultimately Candice was able to come out on top once more in that match even after Scarlett had tried to cheat her way to the victory. As the tournament was paused for some unknown circumstances, Candice's and Scarlett's friendship had healed, they once again trusted each other and that only solidified when Scarlett came out at the end of the Semi-Finals match between Candice LeRae and Alexa Bliss where Candice would once again have her hand raised in victory, the two sharing a hug in the middle of the ring to solidify their friendship once more.

Next came the finals of the Number One Contender Tournament where the Pixie would be going one on one with Maria Kanellis (w/ Mike Kanellis). Everything pointed to Candice picking up a victory and getting another shot to challenge for the HPW World Championship, but in the closing moments. A video began to play on the titantron of LeRae's husband watching her match in the backstage area. That soon devolved as Scarlett had been playing her the entire time. Distracting Candice while she was in the ring, Scarlett had forcefully put herself against Gargano and sensually place her lips onto his. With that, Maria would capitalize and hit her finish on LeRae, pinning her in the middle of the ring and catapulting herself to the World Title picture. It was at that point that the HPW Audience would begin seeing a different side of LeRae, even if it was just subtle things. Though things had really changed when Candice and Scarlett went into their final match against each other. The match was breathtaking to some viewers from the high risk high reward maneuvers being displayed by both competitors. In the closing moments, LeRae had hit an Avalanche Spanish Fly, but at the same time inadvertently hit the official knocking him down. Scarlett had gotten up to her knees while Candice was already standing, and it was at that moment that Candice's forgiving nature would be taken advantage of again when Bordeaux had pleaded with her to stop, only to hit the Pixie right between the legs with her signature marker. One Smokeshow later and Scarlett had defeated Candice, humiliating her afterwards with the help of Alexa Bliss and Powerbombing her through the announcers table.

### **2021**

LeRae only continued to decline after that, but after losing a match against her friend Tay Conti she had bigger troubles than just her loss to Bordeaux as The Prophecy had now targeted her and claimed her as "The Sycophant". Paige made her intentions very clear as she delivered a devastating blow using a pair of handcuffs to drill into Candice's jaw, knocking her clean out on the spot. That didn't end there as when Candice had returned back she had taken it to the microphone to finally find out why Paige had attacked her. It was later found out that Paige had manipulated a superstar into thinking that Candice was speaking badly against them, following up by a match where LeRae was able to pick up the victory. After the match however, Paige had made her way out of the backstage area to say some last words before their impending matchup. That night we saw how far it takes to push Candice for her to snap. When Paige had insinuated that LeRae had only gotten to where she is because of her husband, Candice launched herself from the ring with a Tope Suicida right on top of The Prophecy, beating her down with the crowd behind her. Paige was able to escape due to some dirty tactics. Just a few nights away from Candice LeRae versus Paige, we saw LeRae talking to her long time friend Kairi Sane where she was comforted of her doubts going into the match.

The match however didn't go as LeRae had wished as she gave it her all, but it just wasn't enough. As she was starting to give Paige some trouble, The Prophecy resorted to using the steel handcuffs again to give Candice a definitive blow right to the previously injured jaw, before getting locked into the PTO, forcing LeRae to submit. As she was defeated, she was ambushed after the match by the returning Becky Lynch, but was thankfully saved by Bayley before any serious damage could be done. In the coming weeks we found out that Candice before the match with Paige specifically told Bayley to stay out of it. And with Bayley interjecting herself at the ending of that match, LeRae now feels like she's lost the name "Candice Wrestling" and has vowed to earn it back. The first time we saw LeRae back after her match with Paige, she was seen arguing with Bayley backstage about what had happened, leading the two to get into a match against each other. In that match, Candice showed a different side to herself, much more relentless and even cut throat. The match however wasn't able to finish with a definitive end as after Bayley had delivered her finisher on Candice on the outside, the lights would go dark and when they came back on, the official had already gotten to a count of ten, signaling for the end of the match and calling it a draw.

### **HPW Requiem: The Beginning Of The End**

Following her draw against Bayley, LeRae was now visually behaving differently than before the ending of the match against Maria Kanellis, but we got to hear from her not long after the match as she had come down to the ring to fight against Maki Itoh. Itoh knows how to make it personal, and it certainly got so. At the ending stages of the match, we would see LeRae curb stomp Itoh into the mat to pick up the three, yet not happy with what she had done. The next time we saw her, she would be standing in the middle of the ring with a microphone, speaking about her recent troubles she was faced with. From her experience though she said she had gained motivation. The motivation to earn her name back and the motivation to call out her former friend Dakota Kai to a match to settle the long drawn out rivalry. Unfortunately for LeRae, Kai didn't answer her in the initial promo, it was only when LeRae pushed Dakota away from trying to end Liv Morgan's career that Kai responded to her.

Cutting a promo of her own, Kai would say that she does not need to fight her former friend, but LeRae wouldn't take no for an answer, so a quick meeting with the Executive Enforcer Sonya Deville and the match was made for the first ever HPW Pay Per View, HPW Requiem: The Beginning Of The End. After Dakota had indefinitely injured another superstar, the only thing between them and the Pay Per View was one last stand off where the two would say their final words. LeRae's match was the opening match of Requiem and lasted for longer than 40 minutes of pure wrestling. At the end, Candice was able to put Kai down for good with One Final Beat. That however wasn't the end as Candice would look to get her friend back by extending a hand to Kai, which Dakota would take but strike Candice down with a Bicycle Knee Strike, busting her open, she was mere seconds from punting LeRae's skull off, but out came Tegan Nox, making her debut in the company on the grandest stage of them all and saving Candice from impending doom.

## **In Wrestling**

### Finishing Move

* One Final Beat (Slingshot DDT from the apron.)
* Mrs. LeRae's Wild Ride (Swinging Neckbreaker from the middle rope.)
* Mrs. Garga-No-Escape

### Signature Move

* Quebrada
* Poisoned Frankensteiner (Also used after a Springboard)
* Killswitch
* Slingshot Spear
* Ballsplex (German Suplex with opponent's hands in between their legs.)

### Notable Moves

* Suicide Tornado DDT
* Missile Dropkick
* Single Knee Facebuster
* Lawndart
* Tope Suicida
* Superkick
* Schoolgirl Rolling Kick
* Step-Up Senton
* Avalanche Spanish Fly
* Arm Restrained Curb Stomp

### **Entrance**

Theme Song : Never Back Down by CFO$

At the first riff of LeRae's entrance theme, the arena always comes alive to see one of their favorites out in the arena once more. And once Candice shows her face the HPW Universe gives her a standing ovation. Skipping to the center of the ramp she would go to either side of the ramp to greet her fans, before going forwards in skipping down to the ring side area, she would take a right and leap onto the apron where the hard camera is facing, before launching herself between the middle and top rope and entering the ring. Playing to the crowd she would rush forwards to the opposite set of ropes and leap onto them, bouncing for a few seconds before disengaging.

### **Championships/Accolades**

* Finals of the Number One Contendership Tournament (Against Maria)

* 2021 HPW Anniversary Awards:
	+ Face of the Year (Winner)
	+ Underdog of the Year (Nominated)
	+ Feud of the Year (Winner with Scarlett Bordeaux)

## **Personal Life**

Besides being a wrestler, Candice has a culinary degree and still loves to bake to this day. She is currently married to fellow Professional Wrestler Johnny Gargano and they have a dog named Pawdme' Amandalorian Amidala Wrestling Gargano.