Christy Hemme

Biography

Christina Lee Hemme ( HEM-i; born October 28, 1980) is an American wrestling executive and retired professional wrestler, ring announcer, backstage interviewer, singer and model. She is best known for her time in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) where she performed as a wrestler and ring announcer. She also worked as a front office executive at the company. She is also a former wrestler in WWE, where she won the 2004 Diva Search.

== Early life == Hemme was born in Poway, California, but she grew up in Temecula, California. She enjoyed racing street bikes and dirt bikes. She was a "self-described" tomboy. She grew up watching wrestling and favored The Undertaker. She was a cheerleader for two years at Temecula Valley High School. She graduated in 1998 at age seventeen. Hemme attended Mt. San Jacinto College, where she majored in dance.

== Modeling career == After graduating, she relocated to Los Angeles, California to pursue a career in modeling. Hemme initially joined a burlesque dance team known as "The Purrfect Angelz". She performed at Easyrider tours and Harley motorcycle rallies. She went on to appear in magazines such as Maxim, Playboy, Rolling Stone, and Stuff. In addition, she appeared in the music video of the Trace Adkins songs "Chrome", and "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" and in videos for bands Blink-182 and Sonic. She also had parts in commercials for AT&T Corporation and TrimSpa, and she was a spokesmodel for Hawaiian Tropic. Other early jobs included a waitressing job at Hooters. In past years, her image has also been found on Bench Warmer trading cards as Christy "Sunni" Hemme. As Sunni, she was Bullz-eye.com's featured model in September 2002. Her modeling career led to her joining the cast of Comedy Central's The Man Show as a member of the "Juggy Dance Squad" in 2003. Hemme remained with the series for a year, during which she appeared on The Commies, a Comedy Central produced award show, on December 7, 2003. Hemme took part in the 2004 Lingerie Bowl. She appeared on the cover of the April 2005 issue of Playboy magazine. Before appearing nude in the magazine, Hemme got the permission of her father, who had previously requested that she never pose nude. She also competed as a quarterback for the Chicago Bliss Lingerie Football League team in the 2006 Lingerie Bowl.

== Professional wrestling career ==

=== World Wrestling Entertainment ===

==== Diva Search (2004) ==== In mid-2004, Hemme participated in the Diva Search, a competition held by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) to recruit new WWE Divas. In the course of the competition, Hemme and the five other finalists faced seven existing Divas in a game of dodgeball at SummerSlam on August 15, eliminating all eight Divas with the loss of just one finalist, Joy Giovanni. Hemme was announced as the winner of the competition on September 20, with a prize of a one-year contract with WWE, with remuneration of $250,000.

==== Brand switches (2004–2005) ==== Hemme began her WWE career as a member of the Raw roster. She quickly began a feud with Carmella DeCesare, the runner-up of the Diva Search. The feud culminated in a "lingerie pillow fight" at Taboo Tuesday on October 19, which Hemme won.

Following her feud with DeCesare, Hemme began a rivalry with WWE Women's Champion Trish Stratus. Stratus, along with Molly Holly and Gail Kim, threw Hemme an initiation party, but, it soon turned into a 3-on-1 Bra and Panties Handicap match, which Hemme lost. As Stratus was ostensibly scornful of Hemme's appearance in the April 2005 issue of Playboy, Stratus interrupted Hemme's unveiling and spray painted all over the cover. Hemme responded by slapping her, which resulted in Stratus knocking her out with a Chick Kick and spraying the word "slut" on her back. Hemme eventually challenged Stratus to a match at WrestleMania 21, with Stratus' nemesis Lita training her in the weeks preceding the event. At the event on April 3, Hemme unsuccessfully challenged Stratus for the Women's Championship. In the months after WrestleMania, Hemme began a feud with Victoria, who claimed to be jealous of the opportunities afforded to Hemme. Hemme would feud with Victoria during Raw house shows, and defeated her on several occasions. On the June 6 episode of Raw, Hemme teamed up with Rosey and The Hurricane in a losing effort to Victoria and The Heart Throbs (Antonio and Romeo) in a six-person mixed tag team match. The feud culminated in a bout at Vengeance on June 26, which Victoria won. With her feud with Victoria over, Hemme briefly aligned herself with Eugene, before she and Stacy Keibler were traded to the SmackDown! brand in exchange for Candice Michelle and Torrie Wilson, on August 25. On the September 30 episode of SmackDown!, Hemme began a feud with Melina, the valet of MNM, after losing to her in a singles match, and in the process joined forces with the Legion of Doom. At No Mercy on October 9, Hemme and the Legion of Doom defeated MNM in a six-person intergender tag team match. Her feud with Melina continued on November 25 with Melina defeating Hemme.