Melina Nava Perez: Born on March 9, 1979, Melina Nava Perez is an American professional wrestler and model. She gained prominence during her tenure with WWE under the ring name Melina. Beyond WWE, Perez also wrestled for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).
Her journey in professional wrestling began in 2000 when she commenced training at Jesse Hernandez’s School of Hard Knocks. By 2001, she had made her debut. Although her audition for WWE’s reality show Tough Enough III in late 2002 didn’t lead to victory, Al Snow’s encouragement fueled her determination. In March 2004, Perez inked a contract with WWE and joined Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), WWE’s developmental territory. There, she managed the tag team MNM (Johnny Nitro and Joey Mercury), guiding them to three WWE Tag Team Championship reigns. Nitro also secured two WWE Intercontinental Championship reigns under her guidance.
Perez boasts an impressive record: three-time WWE Women’s Champion and two-time WWE Divas Champion. Her second Divas Championship win made her the first woman in WWE history to hold both the Women’s and Divas titles multiple times.
Renowned for her flexibility, showcased during her entrance and in-ring maneuvers, Perez earned accolades. Bret Hart hailed her as “one of the best wrestlers in the world,” and WWE recognized her arsenal of offensive moves as unparalleled in Diva history