Debra Marshall: Difference between revisions
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===World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment=== | ===World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment=== | ||
Debra started her WWF career in [[1998]] in the role of a shrewd businesswoman, wearing business suits and rarely smiling as she managed wrestler Jeff Jarrett, whom she often helped through cheating and interference. During | Debra started her WWF career in [[1998]] in the role of a shrewd businesswoman, wearing business suits and rarely smiling as she managed wrestler Jeff Jarrett, whom she often helped through cheating and interference. During Jarrett's feud with Goldust and in numerous subsequent matches she would flash Jarrett's opponent or strip to a bra and g-string to cause a distraction. She also used Jarrett's guitar to bash opponents over the head, usually resulting in disqualification. | ||
In February | In February [[1999]] Debra entered the ring as the culmination of a feud with Ivory. She continued to participate in tag-team grudge matches with Nicole Bass. She won the WWF Women's Championship from Sable in a controversial "Evening Gown Match" on [[May 10]]. She lost the title to Ivory in a [[June 14]] match featuring interference from Bass. | ||
That summer Jarrett began blaming Debra for his losses even as he climbed to European and Intercontinental WWE championships. He favored her "assistant" Miss Kitty. Debra turned on him in a [[September 26]] match against Chyna, smashing his guitar over his own head and causing him to win the match by disqualification. She and Chyna continued their feud with Jarrett and Kitty for the rest of the year, but made only a few appearances, including an 8-woman Sudden Death match. | |||
Marshall turned down an offer to pose for ''Playboy'' at the end of that year. | |||
====2000–2002==== | ====2000–2002==== | ||
Revision as of 10:14, 7 April 2009
Debra Gale Marshall (born March 2, 1960) is an actress and former professional wrestler and manager. She was a star for World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1998 to 2002.
Early life
Raised in West Blocton, Alabama, Marshall became a track runner, cheerleader, and homecoming queen at Holt High School before attending the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute in New York. She then became a flight attendant before joining World Championship Wrestling (WCW) along with her husband, Steve "Mongo" McMichael, in 1996.
Professional wrestling career
World Championship Wrestling (1996–1997)
Debra started in wrestling as one of the many women who would stand on the entrance ramp and cheer as Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage entered the ring. Her role became more that of a manager when she was involved in the storyline framing the re-creation of the "Four Horsemen". Her stable or wrestlers disbanded in 1998 when she left WCW and divorced McMichael.
World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment
Debra started her WWF career in 1998 in the role of a shrewd businesswoman, wearing business suits and rarely smiling as she managed wrestler Jeff Jarrett, whom she often helped through cheating and interference. During Jarrett's feud with Goldust and in numerous subsequent matches she would flash Jarrett's opponent or strip to a bra and g-string to cause a distraction. She also used Jarrett's guitar to bash opponents over the head, usually resulting in disqualification.
In February 1999 Debra entered the ring as the culmination of a feud with Ivory. She continued to participate in tag-team grudge matches with Nicole Bass. She won the WWF Women's Championship from Sable in a controversial "Evening Gown Match" on May 10. She lost the title to Ivory in a June 14 match featuring interference from Bass.
That summer Jarrett began blaming Debra for his losses even as he climbed to European and Intercontinental WWE championships. He favored her "assistant" Miss Kitty. Debra turned on him in a September 26 match against Chyna, smashing his guitar over his own head and causing him to win the match by disqualification. She and Chyna continued their feud with Jarrett and Kitty for the rest of the year, but made only a few appearances, including an 8-woman Sudden Death match.
Marshall turned down an offer to pose for Playboy at the end of that year.
2000–2002
In 2000, she acted as ring announcer for the WWF Tag Team Championship match between Edge and Christian against D-Generation X's X-Pac and "The Road Dogg" Jesse James at Backlash.<ref name=Debra> Template:Cite web</ref> She disappeared in the summer of 2000, but made a full-time return in the fall of that year, playing the role of Lieutenant Commissioner,<ref name=commissioner>Template:Cite web</ref> the assistant of Commissioner Mick Foley. By this time, Debra had married Stone Cold Steve Austin, and the marriage was incorporated into on-screen storylines.
Debra disliked her husband's becoming a villain at WrestleMania X-Seven, but still stood by him as he slowly descended into madness throughout his reign as WWF Champion. Only when Austin joined The Alliance during the Invasion angle did Debra officially became a villain again, and she began wearing leather pants and tight black t-shirts with Stone Cold written on them. While she did not accompany Stone Cold to the ring for his matches, she did join him in backstage segments and in interviews. She also started baking cookies, which she served to the other Alliance members. The cookies supposedly tasted terrible, but no one told her, except a somewhat tactless Austin. On August 2, 2001, Debra hit Austin with a tray in the middle of the ring after he repeatedly interrupted and disrespected her. One week later on Raw, Stone Cold and Debra took on the babyface gimmics of Matt Hardy and Lita. Debra and Lita fought outside the ring until Stone Cold stunned Lita and won the match.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In early 2002, Stone Cold entered into a feud with Triple H, which led into an argument between Debra and Stephanie McMahon on January 14. The argument turned into a catfight when Debra slapped Stephanie and pulled her down by her hair. They fought for about two minutes until WWF officials separated them.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Debra retained an on-screen role with Stone Cold even after the Alliance angle ended and Stone Cold had turned face again. Her appearances became more and more infrequent: lacking involvement in any actual angles or storylines, she just made random appearances backstage. After the WWF changed its name to World Wrestling Entertainment in 2002, Debra made even more infrequent appearances. On June 3, Debra was shown with Stone Cold discussing both Raw and SmackDown! and about who Stone Cold would have to wrestle. On June 10, Debra was shown in a backstage interview about an incident between Lita and Austin. Debra's final appearance was on Excess where Debra and Trish Stratus guested. The show aired two days after her last Raw appearance. In late June 2002, Austin walked out of WWE, and Debra followed.
2009
In 2009, Debra began accepting wrestling related bookings, including participation during WrestleMania weekend, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, charity events and autograph signings.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Other media
Before becoming involved in wrestling, Debra had a small role in the 1994 film Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation as a policewoman.
In 1999, Debra presented two awards at the Teen Choice Awards. On February 16, 2002, she and Steve Austin appeared on an episode of Mad TV. On March 10, 2002, Debra appeared on an episode of The Weakest Link alongside several other members of the WWE roster. She also appeared in Just Another Romantic Wrestling Comedy as "Jenny". Debra will be in the upcoming film Gathering of Heroes due for release in 2009.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Personal life
In 1985, Debra married National Football League alumnus and professional wrestler Steve McMichael. She and McMichael divorced on October 12, 1998.<ref name=marriage>Template:Cite web</ref>
On September 6, 2000, Debra married Steve Austin and changed her name to Debra Williams.<ref name=marriage/> On June 15, 2002, police were called to their residence in San Antonio, Texas. They found a hysterical Debra with bruises and a bloody nose.<ref> Template:Cite web</ref> Austin had left the house and police asked him not to return. On August 14, Austin was arrested and charged with domestic abuse. He pled no contest on November 25 and was given a year's probation, a $1,000 fine, and ordered to carry out eighty hours of community service.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In addition, he was banned from drinking alcoholic beer for a year, as alcohol was believed to be linked to his offense. Austin filed for divorce on July 22, 2002,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the couple were legally divorced in 2003. Debra later auctioned her wedding ring off on eBay. The money was donated by Debra to "SafePlace", a legal clinic which assists the victims of domestic abuse. The ring went for $34,000.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In June and July 2007, Debra made several appearances in various newspapers and news programs, along with "Superstar" Billy Graham, to discuss the Chris Benoit double murder and suicide. Debra described steroids and drugs as the cause of Stone Cold hitting her in June 2002 and suggested links with them to the death of Chris and his family.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She said Benoit was a "nice person" but that drugs can change people, as they did Austin. Austin beat her three times, including holding her down on the floor and hitting her in the head and back while on drugs, which was the reason she divorced him. Debra also told Fox News that WWE had a "code of silence" where she was not allowed to reveal that Stone Cold hit her, as it would cost the company millions of dollars because Stone Cold was one of their biggest stars. Debra said she revealed the information five years later as she was suffering from depression from the whole ordeal.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Championships and accomplishments
- World Wrestling Federation
- WWF Women's Championship (1 time)<ref name=champ/>
Filmography
- Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1994) as "Cop At Bud's Pizza"
- Beyond the Mat (1999) as "Herself"
- Biography (1999) in the episode "The Life and Death of Owen Hart"
- Teen Choice Awards (1999) as "Presenter"
- Stone Cold Steve Austin: What? (2002)
- Mad TV (2002) in episode 7.15
- Weakest Link (2002) in the episode "WWF Superstars Edition 2"
- Hard Knocks: The Chris Benoit Story (2004) as "Herself"
- Just Another Romantic Wrestling Comedy (2006) as "Jennie/Dancer"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Inside Edition (2007) as "Herself"
- Gathering of Heroes: Legend of the Seven Swords (2009) as "Reina"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>