Christie Ricci (born November 11, 1982) is the

ring name A ring name is a type of stage name used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or projecting ...

of an American

professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...

, also known as Glory. After being trained by

Leilani Kai Patty Seymour (born January 23, 1960) is a semi-retired professional wrestler, better known by her ring name Leilani Kai. She began training with The Fabulous Moolah right after finishing high school. In the 1980s, as part of the World Wrestling F ...

, Ricci made her debut in June 2002, and began competing on the

independent circuit In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indie circuit is the collective noun, collective name of independent professional wrestling promotions which are smaller than major televised promotions. It is roughly analogous to a minor lea ...

. She won both the LLF Championship and the XWF Women's Championship, before being sidelined with a knee injury in 2004. After her return, Ricci continued to wrestle on the independent circuit, competing in

All Pro Wrestling All Pro Wrestling is an American professional wrestling promotion and training school, based in Hayward, California. The company was founded by Roland Alexander and managed by him until his death on November 5, 2013. It is located 45 miles so ...

's first

ChickFight ChickFight was a women's professional wrestling promotion based in San Francisco, California. History ChickFight originally began as an eight-woman tournament with the first one taking place on October 29, 2004, in Hayward, California as part of ...

tournament, and on October 8, 2005, she won the

NWA World Women's Championship The NWA World Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). The title was first won by Mildred Burke in 1937 def ...

, which she held until January 2007. She also appeared at Shimmer's first shows in November 2005. She later appeared for the

Wrestlicious Wrestlicious was an American women's professional wrestling promotion based in Tampa, Florida. The company was founded by Jonathan Vargas, who won a Powerball jackpot of $35.3 million in 2008. It was known for its sketch comedy and has been ofte ...

promotion as Glory and was the inaugural Wrestlicious Champion.

Professional wrestling career

After completing two years of college, Christie decided to transfer to

Georgia Institute of Technology The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...

, so that she could attend a

wrestling school Professional wrestling has accrued a considerable amount of jargon throughout its existence. Much of it stems from the industry's origins in the days of carnivals and circuses. In the past, professional wrestlers used such terms in the presence o ...

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

. Weeks before she was to move to Atlanta, however, she met

, and instead decided to stay in Nashville to train with Kai. After being trained by Kai, she debuted as a wrestler in June 2002 using the

Christie Ricci. That year, she was named Rookie of the Year by the

Professional Girl Wrestling Association The Professional Girl Wrestling Association (PGWA) is an America women's professional wrestling promotion. The aim of the PGWA is to preserve and promote "Old School" Women's professional wrestling. Based in North Carolina, the organization freque ...

. For the next two years, Ricci competed for numerous

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

promotions, and won both the Mexican's promotion Lucha Libre Femenil (LLF)'s LLF Championship, by defeating

Miss Janeth Janet Fragoso Alonso (born January 14, 1973) is a Mexican professional wrestler, known by her ringname Miss Janeth, who is a longtime '' ruda'' for Asistencia Asesoría y Administración. She has also competed in the Universal Wrestling Associati ...

, and the

Xcitement Wrestling Federation The X Wrestling Federation (XWF) (later referred to as the Xcitement Wrestling Federation) was an American professional wrestling promotion that operated from 2001 to 2002. The previous number two and three American promotions, World Champio ...

Women's Championship The Women's Championship (formerly The FA Women's Championship) is the second-highest division of women's football in England. The division was established in 2014 as the FA Women's Super League 2 (WSL 2). WSL 2 replaced the previous level 2 d ...

. In February 2004, Ricci reaggravated a previous knee injury in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

, and underwent surgery. She was briefly sidelined while recuperating. She returned to Mexico in July and August 2004. In October 2004, Ricci competed in at

(APW)'s ''Halloween Hell Night 1'' show, in which she participated in the "

Tournament". She defeated Tiffany in the first round, but lost to

Cheerleader Melissa Melissa Anderson (born August 17, 1982) is an American professional wrestler, better known by her ring name Cheerleader Melissa. She is best known for her work in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where she worked as Alissa Flash and Raisha Saeed ...

in Round Two. She competed for APW at ''Halloween Hell Night 2'' the following night as well, defeating

Hailey Hatred Angel Katherine Reece (born November 4, 1983) is a retired American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Hailey Hatred. Originally debuting in July 2002, Hatred worked for several years for various promotions in both the United S ...

, Candace LeRae and

Nikki Roxx Nicole Raczynski (born April 19, 1979) is an American former professional wrestler. She is best known for her tenure in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring names Roxxi Laveaux, The Voodoo Queen, and Roxxi. She is also known for her time ...

in a

four-way elimination match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

. In early 2005, Ricci competed for New Breed Wrestling (NWS) and Top Rope Wrestling (TRW). On February 18, Ricci competed in a

gauntlet match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

in NBW; the match was won by

Daizee Haze Emily Sharp (born May 11, 1983) is an American former professional wrestler known under the ring name Daizee Haze. She is best known for her time on the independent circuit, where she performed for numerous promotions such as Chikara, Ring of Hon ...

, and also contained Josie,

ODB ODB may refer to: People * Ol' Dirty Bastard (1968–2004), American rapper and founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan * ODB (wrestler) (born 1978), Stage name of American professional wrestler Jessica Kresa * Original David Baker (born 1972), a monik ...

, and

Traci Brooks Tracy Brookshaw (born May 22, 1975) is a Canadian retired professional wrestler, professional wrestling valet and professional wrestling referee, better known by her ring name Traci Brooks. She is best known for her work in Total Nonstop Action Wr ...

. On May 24, Ricci was defeated by

Lollipop A lollipop is a type of sugar candy usually consisting of hard candy mounted on a stick and intended for sucking or licking. Different informal terms are used in different places, including lolly, sucker, sticky-pop, etc. Lollipops are availa ...

at a TRW show. From August 14 to 31, 2005, Ricci travelled to the US army bases in

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

, and

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

for Armed Forces Entertainment. On October 8, 2005, Ricci won the

by defeating the reigning champion,

Lexie Fyfe Mary Beth Bentley (born May 30, 1969), better known by her ring name Lexie Fyfe, is an American professional wrestler. She has wrestled in various independent wrestling promotions, most notably for Shimmer Women Athletes. She is a one-time NWA Wo ...

and

Tasha Simone Natasha (russian: Наташа) is a name of Slavic origin. The Slavic name is the diminutive form of Natalia. Notable people * Natasha, the subject of '' Natasha's Story'', a 1994 nonfiction book * Natasha Aguilar (1970–2016), Costa Rican s ...

in a

three-way match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

at the NWA 57th Anniversary Show. She appeared on the first two

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...

volumes of

Shimmer Women Athletes Shimmer Women Athletes (often referred to and stylized as SHIMMER) is an American, Chicago-based independent women's professional wrestling promotion which held its first event on November 6, 2005. Established by Dave Prazak and run by both him ...

. The first volume was taped on November 6, 2005, and she lost to Lexie Fyfe. The second volume was taped the same day, and Ricci defeated

Amber O'Neal Kimberly Dawn Davis (born June 22, 1974) is an American professional wrestler, better known by her ring name Amber O’Neal. She formerly wrestled in Ring of Honor (ROH) in their "Women of Honor" division as well as various promotions on the U. ...

. Throughout 2006 and 2007, Ricci continued to compete for independent promotions, including USA Championship Wrestling, CWA Championship Wrestling and

Memphis Wrestling Memphis Wrestling was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee. History Memphis Wrestling evolved from an earlier short-lived promotion called Memphis Championship Wrestling. In 2019, Dustin & Maria Starr with th ...

. After holding the NWA World Women's Championship for over a year, Ricci dropped it to

MsChif Rachel Frobel (née Collins) is an American professional wrestler who is better known by her ring name MsChif. She has been wrestling since 2001 and in that time has worked for several independent promotions across the United States, with guest m ...

on January 27, 2007. In mid-2007, Ricci began competing regularly for Women's Extreme Wrestling (WEW). Her first appearance for WEW was on May 5, when she competed in two matches, losing to

Talia Madison Jamie Lynn Szantyr (born June 2, 1981) is an American color commentator and retired professional wrestler, currently signed to NWA. She is best known for her time in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) under the ring name Velvet Sky. She is a ...

in the first and

Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

in the second. She also began competing for Southern All-Star Wrestling, defeating Lollipop in her first match for the promotion. She continued competing for both promotions throughout 2008, wrestling people including

Cindy Rogers Cindy may refer to: People *Cindy (given name), a list of people named Cindy, Cindi, Cyndi or Cyndy *Tugiyati Cindy (born 1985), Indonesian footballer Music * ''Cindy'' (musical), an off-Broadway production in 1964 and 1965 * "Cindy" (folk song ...

, Naomi Banks, and

Angel Orsini Angel Orsini (born August 26, 1969) is an American professional wrestler, bodybuilder and mixed martial artist. She has competed in North American independent promotions including Women's Extreme Wrestling, Ohio Valley Wrestling and Extreme Champio ...

. In July 2008, she returned to the LLF in Mexico. In early 2009, Ricci debuted for

, a women's wrestling organization owned by Jay Vargas and

Jimmy Hart James Ray Hart (born January 1, 1944) is an American professional wrestling manager, executive, composer, and musician currently signed with WWE in a Legends deal. He is best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World ...

, under the name Glory. On the April 7, 2010, episode of '' Wrestlicious Takedown'', Glory alongside

Felony A felony is traditionally considered a crime of high seriousness, whereas a misdemeanor is regarded as less serious. The term "felony" originated from English common law (from the French medieval word "félonie") to describe an offense that resu ...

were the last two girls standing in a 20-girl "Hoedown Throwdown" Battle Royal to determine the top two contenders for the Wrestlicious Championship. On the May 24 episode of ''Wrestlicious Takedown'', Glory defeated Felony to win the Wrestlicious Championship, becoming the inaugural champion.

Personal life

Ricci grew up in

Clinton, Mississippi Clinton is a city in Hinds County, Mississippi, United States. Situated in the Jackson metropolitan area, it is the tenth largest city in Mississippi. The population was 28,100 at the 2020 United States census. History Founded in 1823, Clinto ...

, where she knew fellow professional wrestler,

Ted DiBiase Jr. Theodore Marvin DiBiase Jr. (born November 8, 1982) is an American former professional wrestler, best known for his time with WWE as an original member of the stable The Legacy, and for his repackaged gimmick of "The DiBiase Posse", where he th ...

, meeting him at a

Sunday school A Sunday school is an educational institution, usually (but not always) Christian in character. Other religions including Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism have also organised Sunday schools in their temples and mosques, particularly in the West. Su ...

class. It was through DiBiase Jr. that she became a fan of professional wrestling and his father, "The Million Dollar Man"

Ted DiBiase Theodore Marvin DiBiase Sr. (born January 18, 1954) is an American retired professional wrestler, manager, ordained minister and color commentator. He is currently signed to WWE working in their Legends program. DiBiase achieved championship ...

. Ricci cites DiBiase,

Dynamite Kid Thomas Billington (5 December 1958 – 5 December 2018), best known by the ring name the Dynamite Kid, was a British professional wrestler. Trained by former wrestler "Dr Death" Ted Betley, he competed in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), ...

Bret Hart Bret Hart (born July 2, 1957) is a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE under a legend's contract. A member of the Hart wrestling family and a second-generation wrestler, he has an amateur wrestling backgr ...

Eddie Guerrero Eduardo Gory Guerrero Llanes (October 9, 1967 – November 13, 2005) was an American professional wrestler. He was a prominent member of the Guerrero wrestling family, being the son of first-generation wrestler Gory Guerrero. Eddie Guerrero is ...

and

Chris Benoit Christopher Michael Benoit (; May 21, 1967 – June 24, 2007) was a Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He worked for various pro-wrestling promotions during his 22-year career including most notably the WWE, World Wrestlin ...

as her favorite wrestlers. She was also a fan of Eddie Gilbert. Ricci began

bodybuilding Bodybuilding is the use of progressive resistance exercise to control and develop one's muscles (muscle building) by muscle hypertrophy for aesthetic purposes. It is distinct from similar activities such as powerlifting because it focuses ...

when she was 17, and plans on competing in bodybuilding competitions, and doing fitness modelling. Ricci graduated from college with a

Bachelor of Business A Bachelor of Business (BBus, BBus (Major)) is a three to four year undergraduate degree in the field of business offered by traditional and newer universities from the post-Dawkins era in Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. It is similar in format ...

in 2004 and completed her

Master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

in Business in 2007.

Championships and accomplishments

* Lucha Libre Femenil ** LLF Championship (1 time) *

National Wrestling Alliance The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is an American professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion and former professional wrestling governing body operated by its parent company Lightning One, Inc. Founded in 1948, the NWA ...

( 1 time) *

** Rookie of the Year (2002) * ''

Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publish ...

'' ** Ranked No. 36 of the top 50 female singles wrestlers in the ''

PWI Female 50 ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publis ...

'' in 2008 *

** Wrestlicious Championship (1 time) *

** XWF Women's Championship (1 time)

References

External links

Online World of Wrestling profileCherry Bomb Wrestling Matches hosted at The Female Wrestling Channel involving Christie Ricci
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ricci, Christie 1982 births 21st-century American women 21st-century professional wrestlers American female professional wrestlers Living people Professional wrestlers from Mississippi NWA World Women's Champions