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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 Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy McMahon (; born August 24, 1945) is an American media proprietor and retired professional wrestling promoter, executive, and performer. From 1982 to 2022, he served as the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the ...
's legal assistant. She debuted with the name "Dawn Marie Rinaldi" although it was quickly shortened to the original "Dawn Marie". In her initial storyline, she briefly feuded with Stacy Keibler
Stacy Ann-Marie Keibler (born October 14, 1979) is an American retired professional wrestler and actress, former cheerleader, dancer, and model. She is specifically known for her work with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and World Wrestling E ...
over McMahon's affections until McMahon turned over the General Manager position to his daughter, Stephanie McMahon
Stephanie McMahon Levesque (born Stephanie Marie McMahon; ; September 24, 1976) is an American businesswoman and retired professional wrestler. She is the current chairwoman and co-chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the world's largest prof ...
, which was followed shortly by Keibler's departure for the RAW brand
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create ...
.
Psaltis would begin a controversial feud with Torrie Wilson
Torrie Anne Wilson (born July 24, 1975) is an American former professional wrestler and model. She is best known for her time in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE, previously the World Wrestling Federation).
As a fitness competitor, Wilson won ...
in 2002. On the October 17 episode of ''Smackdown!'', Marie picked up her first victory when she teamed up with Matt Hardy
Matthew Moore Hardy (born September 23, 1974) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is best known for his time with WWE.
With his real life brother Jeff, Hardy gained notoriety in WWF's tag team ...
to defeat Rikishi and Torrie Wilson
Torrie Anne Wilson (born July 24, 1975) is an American former professional wrestler and model. She is best known for her time in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE, previously the World Wrestling Federation).
As a fitness competitor, Wilson won ...
. In the angle, Psaltis developed a relationship with Wilson's real-life father Al Wilson. On the edition of November 7 of ''Smackdown!'', Psaltis became engaged to Al. 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
According to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, Armageddon (, from grc, Ἁρμαγεδών ''Harmagedōn'', Late Latin: , from Hebrew: ''Har Məgīddō'') is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies ...
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!''.[ Al then, in storyline, died from a ]heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...
after having rigorous sex
Sex is the trait that determines whether a sexually reproducing animal or plant produces male or female gametes. Male plants and animals produce smaller mobile gametes (spermatozoa, sperm, pollen), while females produce larger ones ( ova, of ...
numerous times in succession on their honeymoon.[Ian Hamilton. ''Wrestling's Sinking Ship: What Happens to an Industry Without Competition'' (p.62)] In response, Wilson defeated Psaltis at No Mercy in October. She defeated Psaltis again at the Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...
in 2003 in what was billed as a ''Stepmother vs. Stepdaughter match''.[ 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
Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler, Olympic gold medalist in American freestyle wrestling, and former collegiate wrestler. He is best known for his tenures in WWE and Total Nonstop Action ...
, made the stipulation for the match at Judgment Day, which Wilson won.
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
Charles Doyle Haas II (born March 27, 1972) is an American professional and former amateur wrestler. He is best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) from 2000-2009 and Ring of Honor (ROH) from 2010-2013. In WWE he was a me ...
, had an affair.[ This angle led up to a match between the two at ]Armageddon
According to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, Armageddon (, from grc, Ἁρμαγεδών ''Harmagedōn'', Late Latin: , from Hebrew: ''Har Məgīddō'') is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies ...
, with Haas as the guest referee. Psaltis won the match, but afterward, Haas confirmed their affair and broke off both relationships.[
At the No Way Out pay-per-view, on February 20, 2005, Dawn Marie entered a feud with ]Michelle McCool
Michelle Leigh Calaway (née McCool; born January 25, 1980) is an American retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her time with WWE, where she is a former two-time WWE Divas Champion and a two-time WWE Women's Champion.
McCool ...
after McCool attacked Marie during the Divas Contest where Marie and Torrie Wilson
Torrie Anne Wilson (born July 24, 1975) is an American former professional wrestler and model. She is best known for her time in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE, previously the World Wrestling Federation).
As a fitness competitor, Wilson won ...
co-hosted the contest. On the March 3 episode of ''Smackdown!'', Marie teamed up with Rene Dupree in losing effort to Big Show
Paul Donald Wight II (born February 8, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as an in-ring performer, and as a commentator for its web television show, '' AEW Dark: Elevation,'' under ...
and McCool in a mixed tag team match. On the March 24 episode of ''Smackdown!'', Dawn Marie pinned McCool by using the ropes for leverage. On the April 14 episode of ''Smackdown!'', Dawn Marie was defeated by Torrie in a Divas Match, this would turn out to be Marie's last match. Her last in-ring appearance with the company was at ECW One Night Stand, managing Lance Storm for his match against Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler and singer. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of the Jerich ...
. Her final appearance on WWE programming was during the June 19, 2005 episode of ''WWE Byte This!''. Afterward, she was released from her WWE contract on July 6, 2005, as her status was on maternity leave, as she was pregnant.
Independent circuit (2005–2012)
On November 5, 2005, a visibly pregnant Psaltis appeared at the ECW reunion event Hardcore Homecoming: November Reign, which was unaffiliated with World Wrestling Entertainment, holding the key for the main event steel cage 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 ...
between Jerry Lynn
Jeremy Lynn (born June 12, 1963), better known by the ring name Jerry Lynn, is an American retired professional wrestler currently signed with All Elite Wrestling as a producer and coach. He has worked for promotions such as World Championship ...
and Justin Credible. The match was won by Justin Credible after Psaltis, Jason Knight, and Lance Storm interfered on his behalf. In June 2006, she managed Johnny Candido
John Candito (born June 11, 1982) is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, and is the younger brother of late professional wrestler Chris Candido. He is best known under the ring name Johnny Candido.
Professional wrestling career
Cand ...
in a match for the National Wrestling Superstars promotion.
On March 8, 2008, Marie made her debut for Women Superstars Uncensored
Women Superstars United (WSU; formerly ''Women Superstars Uncensored'') is an American, New Jersey based women's professional wrestling promotion which held its first event in 2006. Shows combine wrestling interspersed with both serious and c ...
as a special guest referee for match between Alexa Thatcher and Cindy Rogers versus Nikki Roxx and Alere Little Feather. Marie made her in-ring debut on the March 22, 2008 episode of ''Women Superstars Uncensored'', competing in the WSU/NWS J-Cup Tournament and being managed by the villainous Tammy Lynn Sytch, but losing to Becky Bayless
Rebecca Treston (born February 3, 1982) better known by her ring name Rebecca "Becky" Bayless, is an American professional wrestler, currently working for independent promotions such as Women's Extreme Wrestling, Wrestling Superstars Unleashed, ...
in the first round. On the June 21 episode of ''Women Superstars Uncensored'', Marie was defeated by Becky Bayless following the match it was then turned in a tag team match where she teamed up with Portia Perez
Jenna Grattan (born October 26, 1987) is a Canadian former professional wrestler better known by her ring name Portia Perez. Perez teamed with Nicole Matthews as The Canadian NINJAs, and they are former two-time Shimmer Tag Team Champions.
...
in a winning effort defeating Bayless and Angelina Love
Lauren Williams (born September 13, 1981) is a Canadian professional wrestler She is best known for her time in TNA/Impact Wrestling under the ring name Angelina Love. She is currently signed with National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).
Between ROH ...
.
On the August 23, 2008 episode of ''Women Superstars Uncensored'', Marie's final match was where she competed in a no-contest with Trixie Lynn, Marie was scheduled to face Becky Bayless but was changed due to Bayless being signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Impact Wrestling (stylized as ''IMPACT! Wrestling''), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment.
Founded by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett in 2002, the promo ...
.
In July 2009, Psaltis signed with Dragon Gate USA
Dragon Gate USA (DGUSA) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded in 2009 as an international expansion of the Japanese promotion Dragon Gate.
Gabe Sapolsky, former head booker of Ring of Honor, served as the promotion's Vice P ...
as the "Live Event Hostess", a role similar to that of the ring announcer. 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 and The Mercenary whom was managed by Tommy Dreamer.
On the March 6, 2010 episode of ''Women Superstars Uncensored'', Marie was inducted into the "Women Superstars Uncensored" Hall of Fame by Alicia.
Marie took part in the World Wrestling Fan Xperience showcase in 2012.
Other media
Psaltis starred in '' The Vampire Carmilla'', a 1999 independent film. In 2008, she appeared in the second installment of Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman (born September 11, 1965) is an American professional wrestling manager, former promoter, photographer, and executive. He is currently signed to WWE, appearing on the SmackDown brand as manager for Undisputed WWE Universal Heavyweig ...
's ''The Heyman Hustle'' video blog, which featured her and Heyman on the streets of New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
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'', '' ECW Anarchy Rulz'' and '' WWE WrestleMania XIX''.
Personal life
While wrestling in ECW, Psaltis took one college class a semester because of her love of learning and reading.[ She also took acting classes with the intention of becoming an actress after her career in professional wrestling was over.][ After her wrestling career, Psaltis became a ]nurse
Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health c ...
.
Psaltis began dating Simon Diamond
Patrick Kenney (born May 26, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler and baseball player, better known by his ring name, Simon Diamond. He is currently working for the National Wrestling Alliance as Director of Talent Relations. Diamo ...
in October 1998.[ Before dating, the two had been good friends for almost two years.][ They had planned to be married by the end of 2000 or into 2001.][ They did not wed, but stayed engaged for several years afterwards.][ After seven years together, their relationship had come to an end.]
Later, Psaltis met Matthew DaMatta, whom she married in 2005 in Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
.[ In 2005, Psaltis gave birth to her first child.][ In January 2006, she filed a complaint against WWE with the ]Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is a federal agency that was established via the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to administer and enforce civil rights laws against workplace discrimination. The EEOC investigates discrimination ...
, 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. The case was reportedly settled in late 2007.[ Psaltis gave birth to her second child in 2009.]
Championships and accomplishments
*Women Superstars Uncensored
Women Superstars United (WSU; formerly ''Women Superstars Uncensored'') is an American, New Jersey based women's professional wrestling promotion which held its first event in 2006. Shows combine wrestling interspersed with both serious and c ...
** WSU Hall of Fame (2010)
* WrestleCrap
''WrestleCrap'' is a professional wrestling website created by R. D. Reynolds and Merle Vincent, serving as a "hall of shame" for some of the worst gimmicks and storylines in professional wrestling history. The site is currently run by Reynolds ...
** Gooker Award (2003) – "Al Wilson" feud with Torrie Wilson
Torrie Anne Wilson (born July 24, 1975) is an American former professional wrestler and model. She is best known for her time in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE, previously the World Wrestling Federation).
As a fitness competitor, Wilson won ...
References
Further reading
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Psaltis, Dawn Marie
1970 births
American color commentators
American female models
American female professional wrestlers
American radio personalities
Living people
People from Woodbridge Township, New Jersey
Professional wrestlers from New Jersey
Professional wrestling managers and valets
New York University Stern School of Business alumni
Sportspeople from Rahway, New Jersey
21st-century American women
20th-century professional wrestlers