Molly Holly

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Molly Holly
Holly in 2018
Birth nameNora Kristina Greenwald[1][2]
Born (1977-09-07) September 7, 1977 (age 46)[2]
Forest Lake, Minnesota, U.S.
Spouse(s)
Geno Benshoof
​
(m. 2010)​
Dave Finlay
DebutAugust 2, 1997
Signature

Nora Kristina Benshoof

née Greenwald; born on September 7, 1977[1][2]) is an American professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE as a producer and part-time wrestler, under the ring name Molly Holly. She is also known for her tenure in World Championship Wrestling
(WCW) as Miss Madness and Mona from 1999 to 2000.

Holly began her professional wrestling career in WCW, where she also worked as a trainer. In 2000, Greenwald debuted in the then-WWF as part of

stable, an alliance of storyline cousins. She was later aligned with The Hurricane. During her time with the WWF/WWE, Holly held the WWF Hardcore Championship once and the WWE Women's Championship twice
.

Holly continues to make sporadic appearances in WWE, including competing at

2022 Women's Royal Rumble. Molly Holly was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in the 2021 class.[7] She now serves as a backstage producer on WWE programming.[8]

Early life

Greenwald was born in 1977 to Rick and Bonnie Greenwald. She has two brothers.[9] Greenwald was interested in appearing on American Gladiators[6] and trained to be a powerlifter from age 14 to age 18. At age 14, she broke the Minnesota state powerlifting record (75 pounds) for her age group by lifting 100 pounds.[1][6] She also trained as a gymnast.[9][10]

After she graduated from Forest Lake Area High School in 1996, Nora left home with $200 and a '65 Oldsmobile, which she drove from Minnesota to Florida,[9][11] worked at a Subway restaurant and as a telemarketer,[6][11] and out of curiosity tried out for wrestling.[11]

Professional wrestling career

Early career (1997–1999)

Greenwald began training as a wrestler under

championships. On August 21, 1998, she defeated Malia Hosaka to win the New Dimension Wrestling Women's Title, but lost it one day later back to Hosaka.[12]

She appeared with both

World Wrestling Federation as Starla Saxon, unsuccessfully challenging Jacqueline for the WWF Women's Championship on an October 1998 episode of Sunday Night Heat and on an episode of the U.K. version of Shotgun.[1] In late 1999, she briefly feuded with Brandi Alexander while wrestling in the Florida independent circuit.[1]

World Championship Wrestling (1999–2000)

Main article: Team Madness

Greenwald debuted in WCW as the evil Miss Madness, one of

WCW Worldwide
.

World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment/WWE (2000-present)

Lady Ophelia (2000)

Upon signing a contract with the

dark matches and valeting for William Regal.[2]

The Holly Cousins (2000–2001)

Main article:
The Holly Cousins

Greenwald, however, had her first major run in the company as Molly Holly, where she joined her on-screen cousins

Spike Dudley, in the midst of their storyline rivalry between her cousins and Spike's brothers (The Dudley Boyz).[4][13] In interviews in subsequent years, Greenwald recalled the "relationship" with Spike Dudley as the "best time of her career."[11][14]
A subsequent fallout between her and Crash even led to an intergender singles match, with Molly pinning Crash.

Mighty Molly (2001–2002)

In September 2001, Molly dumped Spike to become Mighty Molly, the superhero sidekick of The Hurricane.[2][4] Molly, however, eventually left The Hurricane to become a full-time solo wrestler, taking his Hardcore Championship after whacking him with a frying pan at WrestleMania X8 on March 17, 2002, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She promptly lost it to Christian an hour later after getting a door slammed in her face.[18]

Women's Champion (2002–2003)

After splitting up with The Hurricane in April 2002, she returned to her previous ring name, Molly Holly. Upon her return to the newly renamed World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), she drastically changed her look by shortening her trademark

WWE Divas
continually using their "assets" and degrading themselves. During this gimmick, she would often refer to herself as being "pure and wholesome."

After turning heel, Holly began her first

Bubba who competed along with her,[27][28][29][30] Trish received a rematch for Molly's Championship on September 22 at Unforgiven, where she dropped the title back to Stratus.[31] The following night on Raw, Holly tried to regain her title during a triple–threat match against Victoria and Stratus in an unsuccessful attempt, to end their feud.[32] During this feud, Jerry Lawler also began to poke fun at Greenwald's bottom-heavy figure, which Greenwald later revealed genuinely hurt her feelings in real-life,[10][14] Greenwald, however, initially did not mind the storyline when Stephanie McMahon approached her with the idea.[11]

After ending her feud with Stratus, Holly started competing in various singles and tag team matches until the end of 2002 and early 2003 including a second triple–threat match for the Women's Championship on October 28, episode of Raw, ending on both winning and losing sides.[33][34][35][36][37][38]

Alliance with Gail Kim (2003–2005)

Molly earned her second

Lita made her return, helping Trish fend off her attackers. Holly and Kim then lost a tag team match to Lita and Trish at Unforgiven, sparking a feud with Lita.[40] This feud led to a match against Lita at Survivor Series for the Women's title, which Holly retained.[41]

Holly (right) along with Trish Stratus during a WWE house show in October 2004

Molly lost her championship to Victoria in a Four-Way Elimination match on February 23, 2004.

Hair versus Title match at WrestleMania XX in March 2004, which Molly lost, resulting in her having her head shaved.[4][9][43] Greenwald maintains that it was her idea to have her head shaved, suggesting the idea to Vince McMahon months before the match occurred because she wanted to do something shocking at WrestleMania.[9][14] Over the next few months, in storyline, she desperately tried to disguise her bald head using loose-fitting wigs. Eventually on the April 19 episode of RAW, Molly's bald head was revealed during a match against Victoria, causing her to snap and choke Victoria unconscious. Later in 2004, Molly feuded with Stacy Keibler, overpowering Stacy on the mat and pinning her in three consecutive occasions, the last one occurring in a number one contender's match.[4]

Molly Holly's final WWE

nurse outfits. In contrast to the other girls who wore sexy schoolgirl uniforms, Molly wore a demure 1980s-style schoolgirl uniform with large pink panties underneath. Molly failed to win the match when Stratus eliminated her by tossing her through the ropes for the win.[44] Molly's efforts in subsequent attempts to regain the title failed. Due to several wrestlers from the company's women's division being released in late 2004 and the introduction of the Raw Diva Search program, Molly was mostly left off television, only occasionally appearing on Sunday Night Heat and Raw in losing efforts to the likes of Lita, Victoria, Trish Stratus, and Christy Hemme
.

Greenwald left WWE and a full-time wrestling career in April 2005.[4] Reportedly, she was beginning to become disenchanted with WWE, who began to focus on looks rather than wrestling ability.[6] She also hated that her character had become a villain, but that was not the direct cause of her leaving the company.[11] Greenwald stated that all of the aforementioned reasons were incorrect, but she would like to keep the real reason she left WWE private.[45] She decided to take a break from WWE and spend some time with her family and enjoy life.[45]

Sporadic appearances and Hall of Fame (2007–present)

Molly Holly in April 2018 during her introductory speech to present the female Hall of Famer of the 2018 WWE Hall of Fame Ivory

In December 2007, at the

William Regal, Mickie James, and Hornswoggle.[46]

On April 5, 2009, at

WrestleMania XXV, Holly returned to compete on the 25-Diva Royal to crown Miss WrestleMania, which was won by Santina Marella.[47]

On January 27, 2016, she appeared on WWE Network's program Table for 3, along with Alundra Blayze and Ivory.[48] She appeared once again on the program this time along with Candice Michelle and Michelle McCool, which aired on May 18.[49]

On January 28, 2018, at the Royal Rumble, Holly made a surprise entrance at number 12 during the first women's Royal Rumble match, in which she eliminated Sarah Logan before being eliminated by Michelle McCool.[50] On April 6, she inducted Ivory into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the 2018 class.[51] Molly also competed in the 20-women battle royal at the first ever all women's pay-per-view, WWE Evolution. She returned reprising her "Mighty Molly" gimmick at the Royal Rumble on January 26, 2020, entering at number 3 before being eliminated by Bianca Belair. She also made an appearance on the Raw Legends Night special on January 4, 2021.

On March 10, 2021, Holly was announced as the first inductee into the 2021 WWE Hall of Fame.[52] She has since begun to work as a producer for the company.[53]

On January 29, 2022, Mighty Molly was a surprise entrant at the Royal Rumble match but was quickly eliminated by Nikki A.S.H following a sneak attack during her entrance.[54]

Independent circuit (2005–2007, 2018)

On November 20, 2005, Greenwald made her first public appearance since her WWE departure at Northern IMPACT Wrestling's first ever card at the

Rain and Ann-Thraxx (Ann Brookstone), Greenwald counted the pin for the main event match between Team Revolution and Team Invasion.[1] She went on to referee an Impact Zone Wrestling match on February 14, 2006, in Tempe, Arizona, and an XJAM Wrestling match on February 16, 2006, in Minot, North Dakota, where she challenged Ann-Thraxx to wrestle her, with Ann-Thraxx refusing.[1] On April 8, 2006, Greenwald appeared at the German Stampede Wrestling event International Impact III in Olsberg, Germany, commentating on a match along with former Pro Wrestling Illustrated senior editor Bill Apter and refereeing a women's match.[1] In subsequent months, she made (non-wrestling) appearances at several independent wrestling events.[10]

On October 7, 2006, Greenwald returned to in-ring action for the first time since April 2005 by defeating

Jonny Fairplay after a quick low blow and pinfall in a WCWA event.[1][55]

Nora returned to several events as guest referee or for autograph signings. She first refereed an intergender match between Kassy Summers and Seito Hayashi for BAW Championship Wrestling on July 13, 2007, in McMinnville, Oregon, then was guest referee in a match between Ann-Thraxx and TNA's Christy Hemme for Heavy on Wrestling in Superior, Wisconsin, on July 21. Greenwald is one of the stars of the wrestling documentary, Bloodstained Memoirs.

On August 31, 2018, Nora reprised her "Mighty Molly" gimmick and took part in Chikara's King of Trios event.[56]

Legacy

Holly was honored in a sign of respect by wrestler Beth Phoenix on March 31, 2017, during the latter's Hall of Fame induction, in which Phoenix noted that Holly put her in touch with Nick Dinsmore and Nightmare Danny Davis., who helped to train her. Phoenix also mentioned that Holly had quietly paid her tuition so that she could chase her dreams. Phoenix then posited that strong women are the ones who build each other up instead of tearing each other down, and that Holly was such a woman.[57]

Other media

Holly has appeared in eight

WWE WrestleMania X8, WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth, WWE Raw 2, WWE Day of Reckoning, WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw, WWE 2K20 and as unlockable from MyRise mode in WWE 2K23, as well as the WWE Champions and WWE SuperCard
mobile games.

Personal life

In 2002, Greenwald competed on a special edition of Fear Factor, where she was eliminated in the second round. She won $10,000 for Prison Fellowship Ministries. In August 2005, she released an autobiographical DVD entitled "Nora Greenwald: Shootin' the Shi Crap" that detailed the reasons behind her departure.[11] A portion of the profits from the sale of the DVD went to the education fund of the daughter of Mike Lockwood, her onetime on-screen cousin, after his death.[11][14]

After leaving the wrestling business, Greenwald has made sporadic wrestling appearances, acts as a

Teen Challenge.[58]

In July 2010, she announced her engagement to Geno Benshoof, whom she met while working as a teen counselor.[59] The couple were married in the backyard of Benshoof's parents house in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, on July 22, 2010.[60]

Greenwald was formerly the female lead coach at The Academy: School of Professional Wrestling, a training facility led by fellow WWE alumni Ken Anderson, current AEW wrestler Ariya Daivari, current WWE producer Shawn Daivari, and independent professional wrestler Arik Cannon.[61]

Championships and accomplishments

Luchas de Apuestas record

See also: Luchas de Apuestas
Winner (wager) Loser (wager) Location Event Date Notes
Victoria (championship) Molly Holly (hair) New York City, New York WrestleMania XX March 14, 2004 [4]

References

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  5. ^ a b Balinsky, Derrick (March 28, 2011). "38th annual sports night Q&A". The Evening Tribune. Archived from the original on August 17, 2011. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
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  8. ^ Thompson, Andrew (January 11, 2023). "Molly Holly details her approach to being a producer at WWE, views it as being the 'eyes of the casual fan'". POST Wrestling | WWE AEW NXT NJPW Podcasts, News, Reviews. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
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External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nora Greenwald.
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