Catherine Joy "CJ" Perry (born March 24, 1985) 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 boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
, actress, and dancer. She is best known for her time in
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 ...
under the
ring name Lana.
Early life
Perry was born on March 24, 1985, in
Gainesville, Florida,
the eldest of four siblings. She is of Portuguese and Venezuelan descent.
She spent several years of her childhood in the
Latvian SSR, where her father worked as a
Christian mission
A Christian mission is an organized effort for the propagation of the Christian faith. Missions involve sending individuals and groups across boundaries, most commonly geographical boundaries, to carry on evangelism or other activities, such as ...
ary.
Perry and her family remained in Latvia after it
restored its independence in 1991. From an early age, Perry aspired to become a
ballet dancer
A ballet dancer ( it, ballerina fem.; ''ballerino'' masc.) is a person who practices the art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet; however, dancers have a strict hierarchy and strict gender roles. They rely on ye ...
like her mother. She attended the
Riga Choreography School (the ballet school of the
Latvian National Opera
The Latvian National Opera and Ballet (LNOB) is an opera house and opera company at Aspazijas boulevard 3 in Riga. Its repertoire includes performances of opera and ballet presented during the season which lasts from mid-September to the end of Ma ...
) and began dancing with the Latvian National Ballet at the age of 14.
At the age of 17, Perry returned to the U.S. She initially lived in
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 ...
, where she danced at the
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT) is a modern dance company based in New York City. It was founded in 1958 by choreographer and dancer Alvin Ailey. It is made up of 32 dancers, led by artistic director Robert Battle and associate ...
,
Ballet Hispanico,
Broadway Dance Center, and
Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance
Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance is located in New York City and is the headquarters to the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance and the Martha Graham Dance Company, which is the oldest continually performing dance company in the ...
. She later enrolled at
Florida State University (FSU) in
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2020, the populatio ...
, majoring in dance and acting.
While attending FSU, she began attending
Florida State Seminoles football games with
Jenn Sterger
Jennifer Lynette Sterger (born November 29, 1983) is an American model, television personality, and former online columnist for ''Sports Illustrated''. She has worked as the "Gameday Host" for the New York Jets and was a co-host of the Versus spo ...
and several other students, cheering from the bleachers while dressed as cowgirls. The students, known as the FSU Cowgirls, entered the public consciousness after being acknowledged by commentator
Brent Musburger during a game between the Florida State Seminoles and the
Miami Hurricanes
The Miami Hurricanes (known informally as The U, UM, or The 'Canes) are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. The Hurricanes compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic A ...
that aired on
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
in September 2005.
Perry parlayed the exposure into a modelling career, appearing in photoshoots in publications such as the
RIDGID Tool Calendar and working as a spokesmodel for the energy drinks Matrix and
Red Bull.
Upon graduating from FSU, she relocated to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
with the aim of working in show business.
Music and acting career
In 2009, Perry joined No Means Yes, a
girl group signed to
Ne-Yo
Shaffer Chimere Smith (born October 18, 1979), known professionally as Ne-Yo, is an American singer, songwriter, actor, dancer, and record producer. He gained fame for his songwriting abilities when he penned Mario's 2004 hit " Let Me Love You ...
's
record label
A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...
comprising Perry (billed as "C.J."), Kat, Shea, and Tanu. The group released one
single, "Would You Like That", and recorded two others ("7 Years Bad Luck" and "Burn Rubber") before disbanding in 2010.
Perry later stated:
Perry went on to work as a
backup dancer
A backup dancer also known as background dancer is a performer who dances with or behind the lead performers in a live musical act or in a music video. Their movements (especially where there are many moving together) improve the visual aesthetic ...
for performers such as
Keri Hilson
Keri Lynn Hilson (born December 5, 1982) is an American R&B singer, songwriter and actress. She was born and raised in Decatur, Georgia and spent most of her youth working with producer Anthony Dent as a songwriter and background vocalist for ...
,
Nelly,
Pink
Pink is the color of a namesake flower that is a pale tint of red. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, politeness, ...
,
Usher,
Akon
Aliaune Damala Badara Akon Thiam (; born April 16, 1973), known mononymously as Akon, is a Senegalese-American singer, record producer, and entrepreneur. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of " Locked Up" (featuring Styles P ...
, and
Rich Boy
Marece Benjamin Richards (born September 2, 1983), better known by his stage name Rich Boy, is an American rapper from Mobile, Alabama. He is best known for the hit single "Throw Some D's" (featuring Polow da Don) released in August 2006. It was ...
.
In 2013, she starred alongside
Kelley Jakle
Kelley Jakle is an American actress and singer-songwriter. She played the role of Jessica Smith in the ''Pitch Perfect'' series (2012–2017) and appeared on the first and second seasons of '' The Sing-Off'' in 2009 and 2010. She is also a me ...
in the music video for Jakle's
cover
Cover or covers may refer to:
Packaging
* Another name for a lid
* Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package
* Album cover, the front of the packaging
* Book cover or magazine cover
** Book design
** Back cover copy, part of co ...
of the
Paramore song "
Ain't it Fun". She trained as an actress at
The Groundlings School and under the acting coaches Lesly Kahn and
Larry Moss.
She went on to appear in acting roles such as an episode of ''
The Game'' in 2011, the lead role in ''I.C.I.R.U.S.'' in 2011, the
musical comedy
Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...
film ''
Pitch Perfect
''Pitch Perfect'' is a 2012 American musical comedy film directed by Jason Moore and written by Kay Cannon. It features an ensemble cast, including Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Skylar Astin, Anna Camp, Brittany Snow, Hana Mae Lee, Alexis ...
'' in 2012 and the 2015 sequel ''
Pitch Perfect 2'', and an episode of ''
Banshee
A banshee ( ; Modern Irish , from sga, ben síde , "woman of the fairy mound" or "fairy woman") is a female spirit in Irish folklore who heralds the death of a family member, usually by screaming, wailing, shrieking, or keening. Her name i ...
'' in 2013.
In 2016, she starred in the
WWE Studios
WWE Studios Inc. (formerly known as WWE Films) is an American film studio owned by the professional wrestling promotion WWE. WWE Studios movies frequently mix well-known actors and actresses in lead roles with WWE wrestlers, and teams with exist ...
production ''
Interrogation'' alongside
WWE Hall of Fame
The WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame which honors professional wrestlers and professional wrestling personalities maintained by WWE. Originally known as the "WWF Hall of Fame", it was created in 1993 when André the Giant was posthumously i ...
r
Adam "Edge" Copeland.
Professional wrestling career
WWE
Managerial role (2013–2016)
![Lana and Rusev](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/Lana_and_Rusev.jpg)
In June 2013, Perry revealed that she had been 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 ...
and was sent to their
developmental branch NXT
NXT may refer to:
Professional wrestling
* ''WWE NXT'', a professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that began in 2010
** NXT (WWE brand), WWE's Florida-based brand and former developmental territory
* ''NXT UK'', the British spin- ...
. She debuted on the October 23, 2013, episode of ''
NXT
NXT may refer to:
Professional wrestling
* ''WWE NXT'', a professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that began in 2010
** NXT (WWE brand), WWE's Florida-based brand and former developmental territory
* ''NXT UK'', the British spin- ...
'', under the
ring name "Lana", scouting
Alexander Rusev.
On the November 6 episode of ''NXT'', Lana became Rusev's "social ambassador", using a
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
accent and developing a character who majored in
Foreign Affairs and Business and Social Media Marketing in college.
Lana made her main roster debut on the January 31 episode of ''
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 ...
'', where she and Rusev in the following weeks appeared in a series of self-promotional videos and speeches. In early May, Lana began dedicating Rusev's matches to her "hero",
President of Russia
The president of the Russian Federation ( rus, Президент Российской Федерации, Prezident Rossiyskoy Federatsii) is the head of state of the Russian Federation. The president leads the executive branch of the federal ...
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...
, as well as adopting an
anti-American
Anti-Americanism (also called anti-American sentiment) is prejudice, fear, or hatred of the United States, its government, its foreign policy, or Americans in general.
Political scientist Brendon O'Connor at the United States Studies Centr ...
,
Russophilic gimmick.
Lana made some controversial comments during an in-ring promo prior to Rusev's match at
Battleground, blaming the United States for current world events and praising Putin. Although she did not directly mention it, some media outlets said Lana was making reference to the crash of
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17/MAS17) was a scheduled passenger flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur that was shot down by Russian forces on 17 July 2014, while flying over eastern Ukraine. All 283 passengers and 15 crew were killed. Cont ...
, which happened three days before Battleground, to help build
heat
In thermodynamics, heat is defined as the form of energy crossing the boundary of a thermodynamic system by virtue of a temperature difference across the boundary. A thermodynamic system does not ''contain'' heat. Nevertheless, the term is ...
for Rusev in his
feud against
Jack Swagger
Donald Jacob Hager Jr. (born March 24, 1982) is an American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist, currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Jake Hager, where he is a member of the Jericho Appreciation Society ...
. A representative of WWE later told ''
TMZ
TMZ is a tabloid news website owned by Fox Corporation. It made its debut on November 8, 2005, originally as a collaboration between AOL and Telepictures, a division of Warner Bros., until Time Warner divested AOL in 2009. On September 13, 202 ...
'' that the segment was not specifically about the Malaysia Airlines crash, noting that the Rusev-Lana storyline "has been a part of WWE programming for more than three months. WWE apologizes to anyone who misunderstood last night's segment and was offended".
Following the November 3 episode of ''
Raw
Raw is an adjective usually describing:
* Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made
* Raw food, uncooked food
Raw or RAW may also refer to:
Computing and electronics
* .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
'', Rusev defeated
Sheamus
Stephen Farrelly (born 28 January 1978) is an Irish professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Sheamus.
Prior to joining WWE, he wrestled on the European i ...
on
WWE Network
WWE Network is a subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and digital television
Digital television (DTV) is the transmission of television signals using digital encoding, in contrast to the earlier analog television t ...
to capture the
United States Championship. At
WrestleMania 31
WrestleMania 31 was the 31st annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on March 29, 2015, at Levi's Stadium in the San Francisco Bay Area town of Santa Clara, California. Nine ...
, Rusev lost the title to Cena after Rusev accidentally crashed into Lana, knocking her off the ring apron. On May 17, at
Payback
Payback may refer to:
* Revenge, a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance
Payback may also refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media Fictional entities
* Payback, a member of the fictional comics superhero team Shadow ...
, Cena defeated Rusev in an
"I Quit" match after Lana quit on Rusev's behalf. The following night on ''Raw'', Lana justified her actions by explaining that Rusev said he quit in
Bulgarian
Bulgarian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria
* Bulgarians, a South Slavic ethnic group
* Bulgarian language, a Slavic language
* Bulgarian alphabet
* A citizen of Bulgaria, see Demographics of Bulgaria
* Bul ...
, only for him to harshly dismiss her; later that night, Lana kissed
Dolph Ziggler
Nicholas Theodore Nemeth (born July 27, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and stand-up comedian. He is currently signed to WWE under the ring name Dolph Ziggler, where he performs on the Raw brand.
After a prolific career in amateur ...
,
turning
Turning is a machining process in which a cutting tool, typically a non-rotary tool bit, describes a helix toolpath by moving more or less linearly while the workpiece rotates.
Usually the term "turning" is reserved for the generation ...
her
face
The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may aff ...
(i.e., changing sides) and officially ending their association. After Ziggler being injured by Rusev, he went to return on the August 17 episode of ''Raw'', aiding Lana during a confrontation with Rusev and
Summer Rae
Danielle Louise Moinet (born November 28, 1983) is an American professional wrestler, model, actress, ring announcer, and former American football player. She is best known for her time in WWE, where she performed under the ring name Summer Ra ...
. Rae went on to "seduce" Ziggler in order to end his relationship with Lana, but the storyline ended quietly, after WWE announced that Lana had injured her wrist while training. On October 11, ''TMZ'' reported that Lana had gotten engaged to Rusev, which Lana confirmed. Lana made her return, once again as a
villainess
A villain (also known as a " black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character a ...
, on the November 30 episode of ''
Raw
Raw is an adjective usually describing:
* Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made
* Raw food, uncooked food
Raw or RAW may also refer to:
Computing and electronics
* .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
'', where she and Rusev referenced their engagement.
On the April 25, 2016, episode of ''Raw'', Lana returned to managing Rusev, After being drafted to ''
Raw
Raw is an adjective usually describing:
* Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made
* Raw food, uncooked food
Raw or RAW may also refer to:
Computing and electronics
* .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
'' as part of the
2016 WWE draft
Sixteen or 16 may refer to:
*16 (number), the natural number following 15 and preceding 17
*one of the years 16 BC, AD 16, 1916, 2016
Films
* ''Pathinaaru'' or ''Sixteen'', a 2010 Tamil film
* ''Sixteen'' (1943 film), a 1943 Argentine film ...
which took place on July 19, Lana made her first appearance for the brand on August 1, where she accompanied Rusev. On August 8, Rusev's and Lana's wedding celebration was usurped by
Roman Reigns
Leati Joseph "Joe" Anoa'i (born May 25, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and former football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Roman Reigns. He is the leader of The B ...
,
and one week later on the August 15 episode of ''Raw'', Rusev competed in a match for Lana's honor against Reigns but lost. In early 2017, Rusev suffered a legitimate shoulder injury, taking them off television.
Early matches (2016–2017)
![Team B](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Team_B.A.D._Blonde_WrestleMania_32.jpg)
On the February 29, 2016, episode of ''Raw'', Lana confronted
Brie Bella
Brianna Monique Danielson (née Garcia-Colace; born November 21, 1983), known professionally as Brie Bella, is an American professional wrestler and TV personality. She is currently signed to WWE working as an ambassador.
She and her twin N ...
during a backstage segment, arguing that Bella's fans only supported her out of pity for having a "bad
husband", On the March 14 episode of ''Raw'', she distracted Brie during a
tag team 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 ...
against
Team B.A.D.
Sasha Banks and Naomi, originally known as Team B.A.D., were an American professional wrestling tag team that performed in WWE, where they are former WWE Women's Tag Team Champions.
The inceptive variation of the team began and ended as a duo ...
(
Naomi
Naomi or Naomie may refer to:
People and biblical figures
* Naomi (given name), a female given name and a list of people with the name
* Naomi (biblical figure), Ruth's mother-in-law in the Old Testament Book of Ruth
* Naomi (Romanian singer) (bor ...
and
Tamina), causing her to lose, and aligned herself with Team BAD. On the March 22 episode of ''Main Event'', she brought the returning
Emma and
Summer Rae
Danielle Louise Moinet (born November 28, 1983) is an American professional wrestler, model, actress, ring announcer, and former American football player. She is best known for her time in WWE, where she performed under the ring name Summer Ra ...
to her guild.
As a result, Lana faced off Bella in a tag team match at the
WrestleMania 32
WrestleMania 32 was the 32nd annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on April 3, 2016, at the AT&T Stadium in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, Texas. This was the last Wre ...
pre-show, in what would be Lana's in-ring debut, which her team (dubbed Team B.A.D. & Blonde) lost.
On the April 11, 2017, Lana was drafted to 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 as part of the
Superstar Shake-up. As vignettes hyping her televised return aired, Lana resumed in-ring competition under her new gimmick at NXT live events that same month.
Lana made her return on the June 6 episode of ''SmackDown Live'', unsuccessfully vying to compete in the impending women's
Money in the Bank ladder match
The Money in the Bank ladder match is a multi-person ladder match held by the professional wrestling promotion WWE. First contested at WWE's annual WrestleMania event beginning in 2005, a separate Money in the Bank pay-per-view was established ...
, and had a feud with
SmackDown Women's Champion
The WWE SmackDown Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the SmackDown brand division. It is one of two women's world titles for WWE's main ros ...
Naomi. On June 18, Lana was defeated by Naomi in her first televised singles match at
Money in the Bank after a distraction by
Carmella.
She went on to compete against Naomi two more times on the June 27 and July 4 episodes of ''SmackDown Live'', where she was defeated both times in quick matches. On July 23 at
Battleground, Lana competed in a
five-way elimination match to determine the number one contender for the SmackDown Women's Championship, where she was eliminated by
Becky Lynch
Rebecca Quin (born 30 January 1987) is an Irish professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE under the ring name Becky Lynch where she performs on the Raw brand. Lynch is one of WWE's most recognizable and highest-paid wrestlers. Twitter name ...
. 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 ...
on January 28, 2018, Lana participated in the first ever women's
Royal Rumble match
The Royal Rumble match is a professional wrestling match based on the classic Battle Royal match in which a number of wrestlers (traditionally 30) aim at eliminating their competitors by tossing them over the top rope, with both feet touching the ...
as the 13th entrant, but was eliminated by
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 ...
. Lana would compete in the
WWE Mixed Match Challenge
''WWE Mixed Match Challenge,'' also known simply as ''Mixed Match Challenge,'' was a seasonal professional wrestling series and tournament that was produced by WWE, where all matches are mixed tag team matches. Like all professional wrestling ...
, teaming with Rusev, where they defeated
Elias
Elias is the Greek equivalent of Elijah ( he, אֵלִיָּהוּ ''ʾĒlīyyāhū''; Syriac: ܐܠܝܐ ''Eliyā''; Arabic: الیاس Ilyās/Elyās), a prophet in the Northern Kingdom of Israel in the 9th century BC, mentioned in several h ...
and
Bayley in the first round. Lana competed in the
WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal
The WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal was a professional wrestling battle royal held at WrestleMania by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE. The winner of the match received the WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal Trophy. The inaugur ...
at
WrestleMania 34
WrestleMania 34 was the 34th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on April 8, 2 ...
she was eliminated by
Bianca Belair
Bianca Blair Crawford (born Bianca Nicole Blair; April 9, 1989) is an American professional wrestler and a fitness and figure competitor. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Bianca Belair, a ...
. On the May 22 episode of
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 ...
, Lana defeated
Billie Kay
Jessica McKay (born 23 June 1989) is an Australian professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE, where she performed under the ring name Billie Kay and for her time in Impact Wrestling, where she competed as Jessie McKay.
In J ...
to qualify for the women's
Money in the Bank ladder match
The Money in the Bank ladder match is a multi-person ladder match held by the professional wrestling promotion WWE. First contested at WWE's annual WrestleMania event beginning in 2005, a separate Money in the Bank pay-per-view was established ...
marking Lana's first and only singles win on
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 ...
. At the
2018 Money in the Bank, Lana did not win the
Money in the Bank ladder match
The Money in the Bank ladder match is a multi-person ladder match held by the professional wrestling promotion WWE. First contested at WWE's annual WrestleMania event beginning in 2005, a separate Money in the Bank pay-per-view was established ...
the match was won by
Alexa Bliss
Alexis Cabrera (née Kaufman; born August 9, 1991) is an American professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Alexa Bliss. In 2013, Bliss signed a contract with WWE and was a ...
.
Various alliances and departure (2018–2021)
Throughout late July 2018, she was booked with Rusev and
Aiden English
Matthew Thomas Rehwoldt (born October 7, 1987) is an American color commentator and retired professional wrestler who currently appears in Impact Wrestling where he performs under his real name. He is best known for his time in WWE, where he per ...
against
Andrade "Cien" Almas and
Zelina Vega
Thea Megan Trinidad Büdgen (born December 27, 1990) is an American professional wrestler and actress. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Zelina Vega, and is a member of Legado Del Fan ...
. At
SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
, Lana and Rusev faced Vega and Almas which they lost. Lana competed in the
WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal
The WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal was a professional wrestling battle royal held at WrestleMania by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE. The winner of the match received the WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal Trophy. The inaugur ...
at
WrestleMania 35
WrestleMania 35 was the 35th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and 205 Live brand divisions. The event took place ...
, Lana was eliminated by
Sarah Logan
Sarah Rowe (née Bridges; born September 10, 1993) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Valhalla. From 2017 to 2019, she was a member of the stable The Riott ...
.
On September 30, 2019, edition of ''Raw'', Lana started a romantic storyline where she started a relationship with Bobby Lashley, kissing him in front of Rusev. However, the storyline was dropped after Rusev was legitimately released from his WWE contract. Lana then began a feud with
MVP
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
, after he tried to gain Lashley as an ally. After
Backlash
Backlash may refer to:
Literature
* '' Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women'', a 1991 book by Susan Faludi
* ''Backlash'' (Star Wars novel), a 2010 novel by Aaron Allston
* Backlash (Marc Slayton), comic book character
* ''Backla ...
, where Lashley was unsuccessful in capturing the WWE Championship due to an altercation between MVP and Lana at ringside, Lashley choose to stay with MVP instead of Lana. Since September, Lana worked with Nia Jax, where Jax performed a
Samoan Drop on Lana through the commentator's table.
That would become a recurring theme, as Jax would Samoan Drop Lana through the table on weekly basis during ''Raw''.
On November 22, at
Survivor Series
Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...
, Lana participated at the traditional
Survivor Series elimination match as part of team Raw.
During the match, Lana was told by her teammates to stand on the ring steps, not to tag in again.
At the end of the match, Jax and
Bianca Belair
Bianca Blair Crawford (born Bianca Nicole Blair; April 9, 1989) is an American professional wrestler and a fitness and figure competitor. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Bianca Belair, a ...
from team SmackDown were counted out, leaving Lana the sole survivor thus winning the match for team
Raw
Raw is an adjective usually describing:
* Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made
* Raw food, uncooked food
Raw or RAW may also refer to:
Computing and electronics
* .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
.
On the next day on ''Raw'', Lana challenged Asuka again for the Raw Women's Championship, Lana lost by disqualification because Asuka was attacked by the
Women's Tag Team Champions Nia Jax and
Shayna Baszler
Shayna Andrea Baszler ( ; born August 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, kickboxer and former mixed martial artist. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand. Baszler is a former two-time and longest ...
. On December 14, 2020, episode of RAW, Jax and Baszler injured Lana's leg. She returned on January 31, 2021, 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 ...
as the 26th entrant. On March 8, 2021, episode of
Raw
Raw is an adjective usually describing:
* Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made
* Raw food, uncooked food
Raw or RAW may also refer to:
Computing and electronics
* .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
, Lana and
Naomi
Naomi or Naomie may refer to:
People and biblical figures
* Naomi (given name), a female given name and a list of people with the name
* Naomi (biblical figure), Ruth's mother-in-law in the Old Testament Book of Ruth
* Naomi (Romanian singer) (bor ...
challenged
Nia Jax
Savelina Fanene (born May 29, 1984) is an Australian-born American professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE, where she performed under the ring name Nia Jax from 2014 to 2021 and became a one-time Raw Women's Champion and tw ...
and
Shayna Baszler
Shayna Andrea Baszler ( ; born August 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, kickboxer and former mixed martial artist. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand. Baszler is a former two-time and longest ...
for the
WWE Women's Tag Team Championship
The WWE Women's Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling women's tag team championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE. It is the only women's tag team championship for WWE's main roster, thus is defended across bot ...
but they were unsuccessful. They competed in the Tag Team Turmoil match at
WrestleMania 37
WrestleMania 37 was the 37th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place as a two-night ...
to determine the no. 1 contenders for the
WWE Women's Tag Team Championship
The WWE Women's Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling women's tag team championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE. It is the only women's tag team championship for WWE's main roster, thus is defended across bot ...
, but they were eliminated by
Billie Kay
Jessica McKay (born 23 June 1989) is an Australian professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE, where she performed under the ring name Billie Kay and for her time in Impact Wrestling, where she competed as Jessie McKay.
In J ...
and
Carmella. On May 3, 2021, episode of
Raw
Raw is an adjective usually describing:
* Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made
* Raw food, uncooked food
Raw or RAW may also refer to:
Computing and electronics
* .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
, Lana and
Naomi
Naomi or Naomie may refer to:
People and biblical figures
* Naomi (given name), a female given name and a list of people with the name
* Naomi (biblical figure), Ruth's mother-in-law in the Old Testament Book of Ruth
* Naomi (Romanian singer) (bor ...
challenged
Nia Jax
Savelina Fanene (born May 29, 1984) is an Australian-born American professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE, where she performed under the ring name Nia Jax from 2014 to 2021 and became a one-time Raw Women's Champion and tw ...
and
Shayna Baszler
Shayna Andrea Baszler ( ; born August 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, kickboxer and former mixed martial artist. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand. Baszler is a former two-time and longest ...
for the
WWE Women's Tag Team Championship
The WWE Women's Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling women's tag team championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE. It is the only women's tag team championship for WWE's main roster, thus is defended across bot ...
again but they were unsuccessful.
On May 31, 2021, episode of
Raw
Raw is an adjective usually describing:
* Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made
* Raw food, uncooked food
Raw or RAW may also refer to:
Computing and electronics
* .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
, Lana and
Naomi
Naomi or Naomie may refer to:
People and biblical figures
* Naomi (given name), a female given name and a list of people with the name
* Naomi (biblical figure), Ruth's mother-in-law in the Old Testament Book of Ruth
* Naomi (Romanian singer) (bor ...
were defeated by
Dana Brooke
Ashley Mae Sebera (born November 29, 1988) is an American professional wrestler, bodybuilder, gymnast, fitness competitor, and model. She is signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Dana Brooke and is a fifteen-ti ...
and
Mandy Rose
Amanda Rose Saccomanno (born July 18, 1990) is an American professional wrestler, television personality, and fitness and figure competitor. She is best known for her time in WWE, where she performed under the ring name Mandy Rose.
Rose began ...
. This was Lana's last match in WWE. On June 2, 2021, Lana was released by WWE.
Other media
Lana has appeared in six WWE video games. She made her in-game debut at ''
WWE 2K15'' as an
NPC, appearing during Rusev's entrance and winning celebration. She later made her
managing
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities o ...
debut in ''
WWE 2K16
''WWE 2K16'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K Sports for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. It is the sequel to ''WWE 2K15'', and was succeeded by ''WWE 2K17''. ...
'' and later appearing in its follow-ups, ''
WWE 2K17
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 ...
'' and ''
WWE 2K18
''WWE 2K18'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K Sports. It is the nineteenth installment in the WWE game series (fifth under the ''WWE 2K'' banner) and a follow-up to '' WWE 2K17''. It was released wor ...
''. She was confirmed to be a playable character for the first time in ''
WWE 2K19
''WWE 2K19'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K Sports. It was released worldwide on October 9, 2018, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It is the twentieth overall game in the ''WW ...
'' and followed that up with appearance in ''
WWE 2K20
''WWE 2K20'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K Sports. It was released worldwide on October 22, 2019, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It is the twenty-first installment o ...
'', ''
WWE 2K Battlegrounds'', and ''
WWE 2K22
''WWE 2K22'' is a 2022 professional wrestling sports video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K Sports. It is the twenty-second overall installment of the video game series based on WWE, the ninth game under the ''WWE 2K'' banne ...
''.
In 2016, it was announced that Lana would be featured as a main cast member for the sixth season of ''
Total Divas
''Total Divas'' is an American reality television series that aired from July 28, 2013, to December 10, 2019, on E!. The series gave viewers an inside look into the lives of female WWE wrestlers from their work within WWE to their person ...
''. Lana joined the cast of VH1's reboot of ''
The Surreal Life
''The Surreal Life'' is an American reality television series that records a group of celebrities as they live together in Glen Campbell's former mansion in the Hollywood Hills for two weeks. The format of the show resembles that of '' The Real ...
'' in 2021.
Personal life
![Rusev and Lana 2018 HOF](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Rusev_and_Lana_2018_HOF.jpg)
Perry once dated actor and former American football player
Isaiah Mustafa. She married wrestler
Miroslav Barnyashev (known in WWE by his ring name Rusev and now known as Miro) on July 29, 2016.
Filmography
Discography
Singles
Awards and accomplishments
* ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
''
** Worst Storyline (2015) –
* ''
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four W ...
''
**
Best Gimmick (2014) –
* ''
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 (2015) –
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lana
1985 births
21st-century American actresses
Actresses from Gainesville, Florida
American ballerinas
American contemporary dancers
American female dancers
Dancers from Florida
Female models from Florida
American female professional wrestlers
American film actresses
American hip hop dancers
American jazz dancers
American people of Portuguese descent
American people of Venezuelan descent
American sportspeople of Venezuelan descent
American television actresses
American expatriate sportspeople in Latvia
American expatriates in the Soviet Union
Faux Russian professional wrestlers
Florida State University alumni
Living people
Participants in American reality television series
People from Riga
Professional wrestling managers and valets
Professional wrestlers from Florida
Sportspeople from Gainesville, Florida
21st-century American singers
21st-century American women singers
21st-century professional wrestlers