Dawn Marie Psaltis
Dawn Marie Psaltis | |
---|---|
Birth name | Dawn Marie Psaltis |
Born | [1] Rahway, New Jersey, U.S.[1] | November 3, 1970
Alma mater | New York University Stern School of Business |
Spouse(s) |
Matthew DaMatta (m. 2005) |
Children | 2 |
Woodbridge, New Jersey[2] | |
Trained by | Simon Diamond[1][3] Mikey Whipwreck[1] Buddy Landel[4] Devon Storm[4] |
Debut | 1995[1] |
Retired | 2012 |
Dawn Marie Psaltis[3] (born November 3, 1970) is an American nurse and retired professional wrestler, professional wrestling valet, and actress. She is perhaps best known for her appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and the SmackDown! brand of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) under her wrestling ring name Dawn Marie.
Before she entered the
Psaltis then joined WWE, where her most notable feud involved her marrying Al Wilson, the real-life father of her rival
Early life
Psaltis was raised by her father, a zoologist, and together, they spent their time camping and hunting.[4] In her youth, she was a fan of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), admiring wrestlers such as Bob Backlund, Jimmy Snuka, and Roddy Piper.[4] Psaltis graduated from the New York University Stern School of Business at the age of 22.[4] She then went on to work for a real estate consultancy firm in Manhattan, New York, reaching the position of Director of International Real Estate.[4][5][7]
After meeting an ex-boyfriend who had aspired to play football professionally and finding out that he had been signed by the
Professional wrestling career
Early career (1995–1998)
While signing modeling posters for Jonathan Gold, a talent agent and professional wrestling promoter, Psaltis jokingly told Gold that she would be interested in pursuing a career in wrestling.
Extreme Championship Wrestling (1998–2001)
In 1998, Psaltis was informed that Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) employee
Storm and Psaltis feuded with Candido and Sytch for several months, during which time Psaltis was renamed "Tammy Lynn Bytch" to spite Candido and his manager.
Storm then departed ECW, and Psaltis became a
Independent circuit (2001–2002)
Following the bankruptcy of ECW, Psaltis returned to the independent circuit, managing Diamond.
World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (2002–2005)
In April 2002, Psaltis began negotiating with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), eventually agreeing to a deal. She made her World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) television debut on the May 30 episode of SmackDown! as
Psaltis would begin a controversial feud with Torrie Wilson in 2002.[18] On the October 17 episode of Smackdown!, Marie picked up her first victory when she teamed up with Matt Hardy to defeat Rikishi and Torrie Wilson.[18] In the angle, Psaltis developed a relationship with Wilson's real-life father Al Wilson.[9][19][20][21] On the edition of November 7 of Smackdown!, Psaltis became engaged to Al.[9][22] In December, Psaltis would attempt to bribe Wilson by inviting her to a hotel one night; if she arrived, she would break off the engagement. Footage of the event would later be shown at the Armageddon pay-per-view. Despite this, as part of the angle, the couple remained engaged, and the two got married on the January 2, 2003 episode of Smackdown!.[6] Al then, in storyline, died from a heart attack after having rigorous sex numerous times in succession on their honeymoon.[6][22][23][24] In response, Wilson defeated Psaltis at No Mercy in October.[25] She defeated Psaltis again at the Royal Rumble in 2003 in what was billed as a Stepmother vs. Stepdaughter match.[22][24] On Smackdown on March 13, 2003, Dawn Marie flashed the crowd, unbuttoning her outfit and opening it completely. Numerous YouTube videos were made of this episode. In May 2004, Psaltis renewed her feud with Wilson. As part of the feud, the two had a match with Wilson's career on the line when the SmackDown! General Manager at the time, Kurt Angle, made the stipulation for the match at Judgment Day, which Wilson won.[26]
After being on hiatus from SmackDown! programming, Psaltis returned in September 2004 and began a new storyline with Miss Jackie, involving whether she and Jackie's fiancée, Charlie Haas, had an affair.[27] This angle led up to a match between the two at Armageddon, with Haas as the guest referee.[27] Psaltis won the match, but afterward, Haas confirmed their affair and broke off both relationships.[27]
At the
Independent circuit (2005–2012)
On November 5, 2005, a visibly pregnant Psaltis appeared at the ECW reunion event
On March 8, 2008, Marie made her debut for
In July 2009, Psaltis signed with Dragon Gate USA as the "Live Event Hostess", a role similar to that of the ring announcer.[30] Marie made appearance for UWE at their pay-per-view Meltdown', on July 21, 2012, managing Kevin Murphy and Richie Nightmare against "The Thrill Seeker" Sage Strong[31] and The Mercenary whom was managed by Tommy Dreamer.[32]
On the March 6, 2010 episode of Women Superstars Uncensored, Marie was inducted into the "Women Superstars Uncensored" Hall of Fame by Alicia.[18]
Marie took part in the World Wrestling Fan Xperience showcase in 2012.[33]
Other media
Psaltis starred in The Vampire Carmilla, a 1999 independent film. In 2008, she appeared in the second installment of Paul Heyman's The Heyman Hustle video blog, which featured her and Heyman on the streets of New York City during the winter season, with Psaltis wearing only a bikini under a fur coat. Psaltis appears as a playable character in the games ECW Hardcore Revolution,[34] ECW Anarchy Rulz[35] and WWE WrestleMania XIX.[36]
Personal life
While wrestling in ECW, Psaltis took one college class a semester because of her love of learning and reading.
Psaltis began dating
Later, Psaltis met Matthew DaMatta, whom she married in 2005 in Las Vegas.[37] In 2005, Psaltis gave birth to her first child.[1][37] In January 2006, she filed a complaint against WWE with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, claiming that her contract had been wrongfully terminated as a result of her pregnancy and that she had suffered mental duress as a result of the release.[1] The case was reportedly settled in late 2007.[10] Psaltis gave birth to her second child in 2009.[38]
Championships and accomplishments
- Women Superstars Uncensored
- WSU Hall of Fame(2010)
- WrestleCrap
- Gooker Award (2003) – "Al Wilson" feud with Torrie Wilson
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Dawn Marie's profile". Online World of Wrestling. Archived from the original on August 27, 2012. Retrieved January 7, 2008.
- ^ a b "Dawn Marie's WWE Alumni Bio". WWE.com. WWE. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved April 3, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Jason Scales (August 2001). "Dawn of a New Era". Wrestling Digest. Archived from the original on December 17, 2007. Retrieved January 8, 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Mike Mooneyham (August 2000). "Dawn Marie – Q&A". The Wrestling Gospel. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved January 10, 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Mike Aldren (November 2000). "Interview with Dawn Marie". Smash Wrestling. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved January 9, 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Jim Varsallone (April 2003). "Diva Dawn: it's the dawn of a new era in WWE, as Marie makes an immediate impact in the federation". Wrestling Digest. Archived from the original on October 18, 2015. Retrieved January 9, 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Bob Kapur (April 10, 2002). "Dawn Marie lives and learns". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on January 1, 2013. Retrieved January 9, 2008.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b c John Powell (December 4, 2000). "Tag team bout steals Massacre show". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012. Retrieved January 22, 2008.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b c Matt Berkowitz (June 2003). "The wiles of Wilson". Wrestling Digest. Archived from the original on October 18, 2007. Retrieved November 8, 2007.
- ^ a b c Bob Kapur (November 16, 2007). "Dawn Marie & Francine heading down different paths". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on January 1, 2013. Retrieved January 10, 2008.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b Balogun, Oyin (October 12, 2020). "Trish Stratus, Eva Marie and More — Meet Former WWE Stars That Look Hardly Recognizable". AmoMama. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
- ^ "ECW Tag Team Championship history". WWE. Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved January 22, 2008.
- ^ "Dawn Marie's profile". Gerweck. Archived from the original on January 14, 2008. Retrieved January 24, 2008.
- ^ Steve Gerweck (January 2002). "Interview with Dawn Marie". Gerweck.net. Archived from the original on December 12, 2007. Retrieved February 26, 2008.
- ^ "SmackDown Results: May 30, 2002". Online World of Wrestling. Archived from the original on August 26, 2012. Retrieved January 8, 2008.
- ^ Michael McAvennie (2003). "WWE The Yearbook: 2003 Edition". Pocket Books. p. 183.
- ^ Michael McAvennie (2003). "WWE The Yearbook: 2003 Edition". Pocket Books. p. 200.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Dawn Marie – Online World of Wrestling". OWOW. Archived from the original on August 27, 2012. Retrieved August 10, 2007.
- ^ Gary Schultz (May 14, 2004). "Miss Torrie Wilson". Film Monthly. Archived from the original on February 24, 2020. Retrieved November 7, 2007.
- ^ Jon Robinson (August 16, 2006). "Torrie Wilson Interview: Divas, posing nude, and slaps to the face". IGN Sports. Archived from the original on May 29, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2007.
- ^ Michael McAvennie (2003). "WWE The Yearbook: 2003 Edition". Pocket Books. p. 329.
- ^ a b c John M. Milner (May 29, 2005). "Torrie Wilson Bio". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on July 14, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2007.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ISBN 1-56025-718-0.
- ^ a b Ian Hamilton. Wrestling's Sinking Ship: What Happens to an Industry Without Competition (p.62)
- ^ Michael McAvennie (2003). WWE The Yearbook: 2003 Edition. Pocket Books. p. 278.
- ^ Bob Kapur (May 17, 2004). "J-Day for Guerrero". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on November 25, 2005. Retrieved January 20, 2008.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b c Dale Plummer and Nick Tywalk (December 13, 2004). "WWE survives its own Armageddon". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on June 30, 2012. Retrieved January 22, 2008.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "WWE releases several Superstars". World Wrestling Entertainment. July 8, 2005. Archived from the original on April 20, 2009. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
- ^ a b Bob Kapur (November 6, 2005). "Storm interrupts November Reign – November Reign results". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on January 1, 2013. Retrieved January 8, 2008.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Dgusa.Tv". Dgusa.Tv. Archived from the original on July 16, 2009. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
- ^ ""The Thrill Seeker" Sage Strong | the Ultimate Wrestling Experience – Harrisburg, PA". Archived from the original on November 1, 2013. Retrieved July 5, 2013.
- ^ "Dawn Marie – Official Website". DawnMarieWeb. Archived from the original on April 14, 2012. Retrieved May 12, 2012.
- ^ "Dawn Marie – WWFX". World Wrestling Fan Experience. Archived from the original on August 27, 2012. Retrieved June 1, 2012.
- ^ "ECW's Dawn Marie and Danny Doring Exposed". IGN. January 15, 2000. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
- ^ "ECW Anarchy Rulz Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on March 3, 2018. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
- ^ "Official roster for Wrestlemania XIX released". GameSpot. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
- ^ a b c d Dawn Marie Psaltis (September 27, 2007). "Dear Fans..." MySpace. Archived from the original on November 6, 2012. Retrieved February 26, 2008.
- ^ Gerweck, Steve (May 20, 2009). "News on Kurt Angle and Dawn Marie". Gerweck. Archived from the original on May 23, 2009.
Further reading
- Jason Scales (August 2001). "Dawn of a New Era". Wrestling Digest.
- Mike Aldren (November 2000). "Interview with Dawn Marie". Smash Wrestling. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007.
- Bob Kapur (April 10, 2002). "Dawn Marie lives and learns". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on January 1, 2013.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - Jim Varsallone (April 2003). "Diva Dawn: it's the dawn of a new era in WWE, as Marie makes an immediate impact in the federation". Wrestling Digest.
- Bob Kapur (November 16, 2007). "Dawn Marie & Francine heading down different paths". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on January 1, 2013.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - Mike Mooneyham (August 2000). "Dawn Marie – Q&A". The Wrestling Gospel. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007.
- Steve Gerweck (January 2002). "Interview with Dawn Marie". Gerweck.net. Archived from the original on December 12, 2007.
External links
- Dawn Marie Psaltis on WWE.com
- Dawn Marie Psaltis at IMDb
- Dawn Marie Psaltis's profile at Cagematch.net, Wrestlingdata.com, Internet Wrestling Database