Jessika Heiser (born June 25, 1991) is an American

professional wrestling referee In professional wrestling, a referee is an authority figure present in or near the ring during matches. The referee's purpose is similar to that of referees in combat sports such as boxing or mixed martial arts, that is, as an arbiter of the rul ...

and former

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 o ...

. She is signed to

WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vari ...

, where she performs on the

SmackDown ''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes sim ...

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 ...

under the ring name Jessika Carr. After signing with the company in 2017, Heiser became the first female WWE referee since the 1980s. She is also known by her ring names Jessie Kaye and Kennadi Brink on the independent circuit. She regularly worked for

Maryland Championship Wrestling MCW Pro Wrestling (formerly known as Maryland Championship Wrestling) is a regional independent wrestling promotion based in Joppa, Maryland. It has regularly run events in the Mid-Atlantic region since the late 1990s. History Maryland Champion ...

Early life

As a teenager, Heiser was overweight; she credits her love of wrestling and desire to become a wrestler as "her escape" and her inspiration to change. With help from a local professional wrestler, who was signed to a developmental contract with WWE, she was able to lose over 60 lbs and become an athlete.

Career

Professional wrestler (2011–2017)

In July 2010, she started training regularly at Duane Gill's Academy of Professional Wrestling in

Severn, Maryland Severn is a census-designated place (CDP) in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population of Severn is 57,118, a 22.6% increase from 44,231 according to the 2010 census. The zip code is 21144. Geograp ...

. On April 28, 2012, as Jessie Kaye Jessika Heiser became the DCW Women's Champion. On June 2, 2013, as Jessie Kaye Jessika Heiser became the first ever VOW Vixen's Champion. On September 7, 2013, as Jessie Kaye Jessika Heiser at

East Coast Wrestling Association East Coast Wrestling Association (ECWA) is an American professional wrestling promotion A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling that has little relationship to ...

also became the first ever ECWA Women's Champion. On the October 21, 2016, episode of Ring of Honor Wrestling's

Women of Honor Women of Honor is a term used by Ring of Honor (ROH) to refer to its female talent. The term is applied universally to wrestlers, backstage interviewers, and managers/valets. Promotion and History of Women in ROH (pt.1) Early years and par ...

as Kennadi Brink Jessika Heiser made her ROH Women of Honor debut in a one-on-one match against

Rachael Ellering Rachael Ellering (born December 28, 1992) is 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 box ...

and was successful. A day prior on the October 22, 2016, episode of ROH's Women of Honor as Kennadi Brink Jessika Heiser made her second ROH Women of Honor appearance in a match against

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. ...

and was also successful in that match via submission.

Professional wrestling referee (2017–present)

Jessika Heiser signed with

in 2017 and a while afterwards became on it's

as a referee under the ring name Jessika Carr. She also became WWE's first female referee in decades to make a official debut in WWE history. After signing with the company in 2017, Heiser also became the first female WWE referee since the 1980s. On October 21, 2021, while working in the

Heiser refereed at Crown Jewel, becoming the first woman to referee in

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...

, as well as becoming the first female to referee a

Hell in a Cell match Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a five-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fenc ...

Personal life

Heiser credits The Rock,

The Undertaker Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), better known by the ring name The Undertaker, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Calaway spent the vast majorit ...

Trish Stratus Patricia Anne Stratigeas (; born December 18, 1975) better known by the ring name Trish Stratus is a Canadian professional wrestler, actress and yoga instructor. She is currently signed to WWE. Often regarded as one of the greatest Women's Pe ...

and Mickie James as her influences in professional wrestling.

Championships and accomplishments

* Dynamite Championship Wrestling ** DCW Women's Championship (1 time) *

ECWA Women's Championship The East Coast Wrestling Association Women's Championship (stylized as ECWA Women's Championship) was a women's professional wrestling championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team i ...

( 1 time, inaugural) * ''

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 Publi ...

'' ** Ranked No. 47 of the top 50 female 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 2014 * Vicious Outcast Wrestling ** VOW Vixens Championship (1 time, inaugural)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Carr, Jessika 1991 births Living people Sportspeople from Baltimore American female professional wrestlers Professional wrestlers from Maryland Professional wrestling referees 21st-century American women American women referees and umpires 21st-century female professional wrestlers