Angelina Love
Williams at the Big Apple Summer Sizzler in Manhattan, June 13, 2009.
Ring name(s)	Angelina Love[1] Angel Williams[2] Canadian Angel[2]
Billed height	5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)[3]
Billed weight	118 lb (54 kg)[3]
Born	(1981-09-13) September 13, 1981 (age 30)[4] Toronto, Ontario, Canada[4]
Resides	Tampa, Florida
Billed from	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Trained by	Rob "El Fuego" Etcheverria[4] Deep South Wrestling
Debut	August 2000[4]

Lauren Williams^[5] (born September 13, 1981)^[4] is a Canadian professional wrestler, who is currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) under the ring name Angelina Love.^[1] She is a record-setting five-time TNA Women's Knockout Champion and a former a one-time TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champion with Winter. She works outside of TNA under the ring name Angel Williams.

Professional wrestling career[link]

Williams debuted in wrestling in 2000, working independent promotions around Canada under the ring name Angel Williams. Her all-time favorite wrestler Shawn Michaels was her inspiration to get into wrestling. She was first a valet for various wrestlers such as Chris Sabin and Eric Young and then began to train under Rob Fuego to become a wrestler, as well.^[4] Williams briefly worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) in 2004, mainly wrestling on TNA Xplosion against Trinity.^[6]

World Wrestling Entertainment (2004–2007)[link]

She was working for promotions around America when World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) spotted her, and invited her to a tryout in June 2004.^[6] In November she trained at Ohio Valley Wrestling, and WWE signed her to a developmental contract in late 2004.^[2][6] She was assigned to wrestle and train in Deep South Wrestling (DSW), one of WWE's developmental territories. Williams began managing Johnny Parisi in the summer of 2005.^[2] On September 8, 2005, Williams won her first match in Deep South by defeating Michelle McCool.^[2] On September 22, Williams was scheduled to wrestle against McCool, but Michelle never showed up.^[2] Instead Daisy Mae came out and challenged Williams.^[2] Williams was injured at the February 9, 2006 DSW TV Tapings, but she still managed to participate in the first ever Bikini Contest in DSW. She did not reveal her bikini because Palmer Cannon interrupted, which led to a match that featured him and Tommy Dreamer. During the match she could not physically get involved, so she walked backstage.^[2] On February 28, 2006, she underwent knee surgery in Birmingham, Alabama to repair her torn ACL.^[7] After almost seven months of rehab, she stepped back into the ring at a DSW TV taping.^[2] At the beginning of November 2006, Williams started managing The Gymini, but The Gymini were released from their contracts in January 2007.^[2] Williams then got in a feud with General Manager of DSW, Krissy Vaine, after she made Williams lose her matches due to distractions by other Deep South Divas.^[2] At one point Williams had enough and even attacked Vaine in her office. At the March 15, 2007 Deep South TV Tapings Williams aligned herself again with Vaine and was promoted the Co-GM of Deep South Wrestling.

When Deep South Wrestling shut down in April, Williams was moved to Ohio Valley Wrestling. Williams made her Ohio Valley Wrestling debut in a dark match at the May 16, 2007 television taping in Louisville, Kentucky, defeating Serena.^[8] She was released from her developmental contract one day later.

Independent circuit (2007)[link]

After being let go from her WWE developmental contract in May 2007, Williams resurfaced in Mexico's Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA) promotion under the name Canadian Angel on June 10, 2007.^[9] She also appeared for independent promotions such as NWA: Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling and Full Throttle Wrestling.

Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (2007, 2011)[link]

In June 2007 Williams made several appearances for Mexican promotion Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA) as a member of La Legión Extranjera (Foreign Legion) under the ring name Canadian Angel.^[2] She returned to the promotion on June 18, 2011, at TripleManía XIX, where she teamed with Mickie James, Sexy Star and Velvet Sky to defeat Cynthia Moreno, Faby Apache, Mari Apache and Lolita in an eight woman tag team match.^[10]

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2007–2009)[link]

In September 2007, she was contacted again by TNA to appear at their annual pay-per-view Bound for Glory, which was confirmed on the October 9 episode of TNA Today where she was interviewed by Jeremy Borash. At Bound For Glory, Williams participated in a 10 Knockout Gauntlet to crown the first TNA Women's Champion.^[11] During the match, she was eliminated by Gail Kim and O.D.B., and the match was won in the end by Kim.^[11] At Genesis, Williams competed in a four-way match for the championship with Gail Kim retaining her title.^[12]

Angelina Love at a TNA show in April 2009.

Williams soon began competing under the ring name "Angelina Love" and formed a partnership with Velvet Sky, calling themselves "Velvet-Love Entertainment", later changed to "The Beautiful People". The duo defeated ODB and Roxxi Laveaux at Turning Point in a Knockouts Tag Team match.^[13] Love and Sky became villains on the March 13 episode of Impact by attacking Laveaux. Love also participated at Lockdown in the first ever "Queen of the Cage" match but was pinned by Laveaux.^[14]

Love was the runner-up in the Make Over battle royal-ladder match at Sacrifice.^[15] Love then cost Gail Kim a match against Awesome Kong, costing her the chance of winning the Knockout Title. The Beautiful People hired Moose to join their team to face off with the team of Laveaux, ODB and Kim at Slammiversary, but lost.^[16] Love then lost to Gail Kim at Victory Road in a singles match. At Hard Justice she teamed with Velvet Sky and Awesome Kong in a losing effort against Gail Kim, ODB and Taylor Wilde then unsuccessfully challenged Wilde at No Surrender for the Women's Knockout Championship.^[17][18] In August 2008 and February 2009 Cute Kip and Madison Rayne joined Love and Sky as members of the Beautiful People.^[19][20]

Angelina Love giving Awesome Kong a makeover.

Love earned another shot at the Women's Knockout Championship at Lockdown, in a 3-Way Dance with Awesome Kong and Wilde. She won the match and the title after pinning Wilde. During the match she suffered a concussion while receiving a crossbody from Wilde.^[21] The following week, Awesome Kong interrupted her title celebration.^[2] In the following weeks, Kong destroyed Madison Rayne, Velvet Sky, and Cute Kip in Stretcher matches.^[2] At Sacrifice, Love retained her championship against Kong, and on the May 28 episode of Impact! she successfully defended her title against Sojournor Bolt.^[2] After the match she officially kicked Kip from the Beautiful People and was then assaulted by the debuting Tara.^[2] At Slammiversary Love successfully defended her title against Tara, before losing the title to her on the July 9, 2009 episode of Impact!.^[2] At Victory Road, however, Love controversially defeated Tara to win back the title, when Tara's foot was on the bottom rope, which was unnoticed by ref Slick Johnson.^[2] At Hard Justice Love lost the Knockout title to ODB after Cody Deaner pinned Velvet Sky in a tag team match between the four.^[2] After the match, Love left the ring without Sky or Rayne, however in the following weeks, her relationship with Sky remained intact, with the duo cutting Rayne loose.^[2] On September 3, 2009, Williams was released from TNA due to visa issues, while still a top draw in the women's division.^[22] However on September 7, 2009, Williams posted a blog entry on her MySpace account stating that she would return to TNA Wrestling once the issues with her visa were sorted out.^[23] She continued appearing on Impact! for two more weeks due to the tapings being held before her release. In the episodes she and Velvet Sky advanced to the finals of the tournament for the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship with help from Madison Rayne, whom they afterwards welcomed to return to the Beautiful People.^[24] Rayne would go on to replace Love in the finals for the Knockouts Tag Team Championship.^[25]

Women Superstars Uncensored (2009–2010)[link]

After her release from TNA, Williams began working for Women Superstars Uncensored (WSU), where she performed under her TNA ring name of Angelina Love. On November 14, 2009, she unsuccessfully challenged Mercedes Martinez for the WSU Championship.^[26] On December 12 she teamed with Jennifer Cruz to defeat Jana and Rick Cataldo in a tag team match.^[27] After returning to TNA, Williams made one more appearance for WSU, defeating Sassy Stephie at the 3rd Anniversary Show on March 6, 2010.^[2]

Return to TNA Wrestling[link]

Feud with The Beautiful People (2010)[link]

Love upon her return to TNA, wearing an anti-Beautiful People t-shirt.

On January 2, 2010, it was reported that Williams had re-signed with TNA.^[28] Williams, as Angelina Love, made her return on the January 14 episode of Impact!, appearing in the crowd and hugging Velvet Sky and Madison Rayne prior to their match with Awesome Kong and Hamada. However, after the match, Love turned face by attacking her former partners and Lacey Von Erich, her replacement in the group, seemingly angry about being replaced.^[29] She made her in-ring return the following week by defeating Rayne, however after the match she was triple teamed by the Beautiful People.^[30] On the February 4 episode of Impact! she was unsuccessful in her attempt to regain the Knockout Championship from Tara.^[31] On the March 8 episode of Impact! Love and Tara teamed up to challenge for the vacant Knockouts Tag Team Championship, but were defeated by Rayne and Sky, after interference from Daffney, with whom Tara was involved in a feud.^[32] On the April 5 episode of Impact!, Love teamed with Tara, ODB, and Hamada to face the Beautiful People and Daffney in the first ever Lockbox elimination match, contested for four keys to four boxes containing prizes. Love won a key by eliminating Lacey Von Erich, and it was later revealed that her key opened the box, which contained the Knockout Championship, making her a three-time champion.^[33] At Lockdown Love lost the Knockout Championship to Madison Rayne, after she pinned Tara in a tag team steel cage match, where Love and Tara faced Rayne and Velvet Sky for both the Women's Knockout Championship and the Knockouts Tag Team Championship.^[34] After the match, Tara turned heel by attacking Love.^[34] At the April 20 tapings of Impact!, Williams partially tore her biceps and suffered ligament damage in her arm and was expected to be out of action until May.^[35] On May 26 it was announced that Williams had been cleared to return to wrestling.^[36] When Love returned from her injury on the June 17 episode of Impact!, she vowed to reclaim the Knockouts title and stated that she would go through each member of the Beautiful People to do it. That night she faced Von Erich and got disqualified after dropping her with a DDT on a steel chair.^[37] The following week her match with Velvet Sky ended in similar fashion.^[38] On July 11 at Victory Road, Love defeated Rayne via disqualification in a Title vs. Career match to win the Women's Knockout Championship for the fourth time. Prior to the match it was announced that the title would change hands via disqualification, if either Velvet Sky or Lacey Von Erich interfered in the match.^[39] However, the title was returned to Rayne on the July 22 episode of Impact!, when it was declared that there was no proof that the person who had interfered in the match was either Sky or Von Erich.^[40][41] The following week Love defeated Sarita to once again become the number one contender to Rayne's title.^[42] Two weeks later Love defeated Rayne, after a distraction from Velvet Sky, to win the Women's Knockout Championship for the fifth time.^[43]

Love and Winter as the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champions.

On the August 19 episode of Impact!, Love reunited with Velvet Sky, who accompanied her to the ring, when she successfully defended her Women's Knockout Championship in a rematch against Rayne, who was with the mysterious biker woman. After the match Love and Sky were attacked by Rayne and the biker.^[44] Rayne's mysterious ally was finally unmasked as Tara on the September 2 episode of Impact!, when the two of them defeated Love and Sky in their first match together in a year.^[45] Lacey Von Erich would join Love and Sky in the Beautiful People, after being saved by them from Rayne and Tara on the September 16 episode of Impact!.^[46] She, however, would leave the promotion two months later on November 11.^[47] On October 10 at Bound for Glory Love lost the Women's Knockout Championship to Tara in a Four Corners match, which also included Velvet Sky and Madison Rayne and was refereed by Mickie James.^[48]

Storyline with Winter (2010–present)[link]

On the October 21 episode of Impact! Love entered a storyline where a woman named Winter started appearing in mirrors, claiming to be her fan, though only Love was able to see her.^[49] After weeks of appearing only in front of Love, Winter was for the first time seen by the other people on the November 25 episode of Impact!, when she saved Love during a large backstage brawl.^[50] On the December 9 episode of Impact! Love and Sky entered a four–team tournament for the vacated Knockouts Tag Team Championship, defeating Sarita and Daffney in their first round match.^[51] On the December 23 episode of Impact!, Winter replaced an injured Velvet Sky, who had been attacked by Sarita, in the tournament final and teamed with Love to defeat Madison Rayne and Tara for the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship.^[52][53]

On March 13, 2011, at Victory Road, Love and Winter lost the Knockouts Tag Team Championship to Sarita and Rosita, after an interference by Velvet Sky backfired.^[54] On the March 24 episode of Impact!, Winter, seemingly having control over Love's actions, prevented her from saving Sky from a beatdown at the hands of Sarita and Rosita.^[55] Love was kept under Winter's spell with drinks of what she described as her medicine.^[56] On the April 7 episode of Impact!, Love turned on Sky during a Knockouts Tag Team Championship match against Sarita and Rosita and left her to be pinned by the champions.^[56] On the April 28 episode of Impact!, Love defeated Sky via submission in a singles match, no-selling all of her opponent's offense during the match.^[57] On the May 5 episode of Impact!, Sky gained a measure of revenge on her former partner, when she teamed with Kurt Angle in a handicap mixed tag team match, where they defeated Love, Winter and Jeff Jarrett.^[58] The feud between the former Beautiful People partners seemingly ended on the May 19 episode of Impact Wrestling, with Sky defeating Love and Winter in a handicap match.^[59] The following week Love attacked Mickie James, after she had defeated Winter in a singles match, setting up a match between the two for the TNA Women's Knockout Championship at Slammiversary IX.^[60] Prior to the match at the pay-per-view, Love declined to take her medicine, saying that she no longer needed it as she now understood Winter. After failing in her attempt to win the title, both Love and Winter attacked James.^[61][62] On the June 23 episode of Impact Wrestling, Love helped Winter defeat James in a non-title Street Fight.^[63] On August 7 at Hardcore Justice, Love again helped Winter defeat James, this time to become the new Women's Knockout Champion.^[64] On the September 15 episode of Impact Wrestling, Love failed to earn a shot at the title as she was defeated by Velvet Sky in a qualifying match.^[65] After being inactive for two months, Love returned on the January 19 episode of Impact Wrestling, challenging Eric Young to a match. Young won the match via disqualification, after Love kicked him in the groin.^[66] On the January 26 episode of Impact Wrestling, Love and Winter lost to ODB and Eric Young in a tag team match.^[67]

Personal life[link]

In late 2007, she began dating Jared Weeks, the lead singer of the band Saving Abel,^[68] but as of August 2008, the couple decided to split.^[69] Williams has also dated fellow wrestlers Eric Young and Paul London.^[2]

Other media[link]

Williams appeared on an episode of The Jenny Jones Show about former geeks turned into physical competitors.^[7] She also made an appearance on Kenny vs Spenny in the "Who is the Strongest" episode (alongside fellow TNA Knockout Traci Brooks).^[7] Williams had a role in the indie film entitled Good Intentions starring country music star LeAnn Rimes and Luke Perry.^[70] She was also featured on MTV's Made alongside A.J. Styles, Taylor Wilde, and Velvet Sky.^[71] On January 24, 2009, she appeared as a soccerette on British television program Soccer AM, wearing a Leeds United replica shirt, along with Velvet Sky.^[72] In November 2010 she was a contestant on an all TNA week of Family Feud, teaming with Christy Hemme, Lacey Von Erich, Tara and Velvet Sky against Jay Lethal, Matt Morgan, Mick Foley, Mr. Anderson and Rob Van Dam.^[73]

In wrestling[link]

Love performing a Botox Injection on Mickie James.

Love in July 2011

• Finishing moves
  • Botox Injection (Bicycle kick)^[74] – 2008–present
  • Break a Bitch (Inverted facelock transitioned into a double knee backbreaker)^[63][75][76] – 2011–present
  • Cramp^[2] (Modified camel clutch) – 2006, 2011
  • Lights Out^[2] (Lifting reverse STO)
• Signature moves
  • Diving crossbody^[2]
  • Hurricanrana, sometimes to an oncoming opponent^[2]
  • Running springboard arm drag^[2]
  • Shoulder jawbreaker^[77]
  • Snapmare followed by a running low-angle front dropkick to the opponent's face or back^[2]
  • Spear^[29]
  • Tilt-a-whirl headscissors takedown^[2]

• With Velvet Sky
  • Finishing moves
    • Makeover^[78] (Russian legsweep (Sky) / Botox Injection (Love) combination)
    • Simultaneous roundhouse kicks to the abdomen (Sky) and the back of the leg (Love)^[79]
  • Signature moves
    • Hollering Elbow (Double elbow drop, with theatrics)^[80]
• With Winter
  • Finishing moves
    • Botox Injection (Love) / Samoan drop (Winter) combination^[81]

• Wrestlers managed^[4]
  • Texas Hell-Razors^[4]
  • Derek Wylde^[4]
  • The Gymini^[2]
  • Prince Nana
  • Johnny Parisi^[4]
  • Jimmy Rave^[2]
  • Palmer Canon^[2]
  • Chris Sabin^[4]
  • Simon Diamond^[4]
  • Krissy Vaine^[2]
  • Eric Young^[4]
  • Velvet Sky^[2]
  • Becky Bayless^[2]
  • Cute Kip^[2]
  • Madison Rayne^[2]
  • Winter^[2]

• Nicknames
  • "The Queen Diva" (DSW)^[82]

• Entrance themes
  • "Papercut" by Linkin Park^[83] (Independent circuit)
  • "Girlfriend" by Dale Oliver^[83] (TNA)
  • "Angel on My Shoulder" by Dale Oliver^[84][85] (TNA; 2007–2009, 2010–2011)
  • "Hands of Wicked" by Goldy Locks^[86] (TNA; used while teaming with Winter)

Championships and accomplishments[link]

Angelina Love with the TNA Knockout Championship.

• Impact Wrestling Federation
  • Manager of the Year (2000)^[2]

• Old School Pro Wrestling
  • OSPW Women's Championship (1 time)^[2]

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked her #2 of the best 50 female singles wrestlers in the PWI Female Top 50 in 2009^[87] and in 2010^[88]

• Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
  • TNA Women's Knockout Championship (5 times)^[2]
  • TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Winter^[52][53]

Luchas de Apuestas[link]

Notes[link]

External links[link]

Professional wrestling portal

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Angelina Love

• Official TNA profile
• Angelina Love on Myspace
• Angelina Love on Twitter
• Angel Williams at the Internet Movie Database
• Online World Of Wrestling profile

SoCal Val
SoCal Val in July 2010
Ring name(s)	Miss Valerie SoCal Val SoCal Valerie Valerie Valerie Wyndham
Billed height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)[1]
Billed weight	105 lb (48 kg)
Born	(1986-03-27) March 27, 1986 (age 26) Beverly Hills, California[1]
Resides	Orlando, Florida
Billed from	Southern California
Debut	March 2002

Valerie Elizabeth Wyndham^[1] (born March 27, 1986) is an American professional wrestling valet, better known by her ring name, SoCal Val. She is currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.

Career[link]

Independent circuit[link]

Wyndham was approached by a promoter at a wrestling show and offered the possibility of being a manager.^[2] She debuted in March 2002 for the Golden State Championship Wrestling independent promotion in Anaheim, California.^[1] She acted as the manager of Pinoy Boy. She promptly betrayed him by berating him after he was defeated by Scott Lost and then left with Lost. From the age of fifteen, she acted as a manager, ring girl, and timekeeper.^[1] She appeared for several other promotions in Southern California before her family moved across the country to Orlando, Florida when she was sixteen. Wyndham developed the character of SoCal Val, a wealthy, petulant, ruthless villain, who was based on Stephanie McMahon of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), whom Wyndham admired.^[1][2]

In addition to working for multiple independent promotions, Wyndham appeared with WWE in early 2005 on SmackDown! as part of a vignette featuring Luther Reigns.^[1] She regularly appears with the Orlando based promotion TNA Wrestling, working variously as a ring girl and merchandise model beginning in June 2005.^[1] She appeared at TNA's No Surrender pay-per-view on July 17, 2005 alongside ring announcer Jeremy Borash and used to be an interviewer on the now defunct TNA Global Impact!.

As a part of Women's Extreme Wrestling (WEW), Wyndham started out as an "executive" under Francine Fournier.^[1] Wyndham later wrestled Francine in a Kiss My Foot match, which Wyndham lost.^[1] She later became the General Manager of WEW. In 2007 she starred in RingDivas second feature film, Girls of War.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2006-present)[link]

In August 2006, SoCal Val officially signed with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). On August 18, SoCal Val got kicked out by the Women's Extreme Wrestling promotion at their PPV taping event Twisted Steel and Sex Appeal. On the December 14, 2006 episode of Impact!, Kurt Angle dragged her in the ring and threatened to break her ankle until Jim Cornette talked him into letting her go. On the March 8, 2007 episode of Impact!, SoCal Val got injured after receiving the Black Hole Slam from Abyss.

In 2008, Val entered into an on-screen relationship with Jay Lethal with signs of Sonjay Dutt also showing affection for Val. Lethal lost his X Division championship to Petey Williams after a Canadian Destroyer on the April 17 episode of Impact!. As part of the storyline, at Slammiversary, Val was scheduled to marry Lethal, but their wedding was ruined when Sonjay Dutt claimed he should marry Val and attacked Lethal. At No Surrender, she became a heel by giving Lethal a low blow, allowing Dutt to get the victory. In the following weeks, Val's actions were explained by transitioning her character into a gold digger, claiming that Dutt's father was the richest man in India. In 2009, Dutt was released thus ending the storyline.

She returned to her previous role as a ring girl on the April 2, 2009 edition of Impact!. She began working as a backstage interviewer beginning on the Sacrifice pre-show. On the October 8, 2009 edition of Impact!, Val was briefly assaulted by Awesome Kong, who had come to the ring during Tara's match against ODB with a sledgehammer that she intended to use to kill Tara's pet tarantula, Poison. Although Kong made Val position Poison on the floor outside the ring for her to smash with her sledgehammer, Tara was able to attack Kong and stop her from inflicting any damage.

In June 2010, Wyndham began working as the ring announcer on Xplosion.^[3]

Other media[link]

In July 2006, Val was contacted by Playboy about doing a centerfold for the magazine. She commented about it on her MySpace blog, saying: "It's a very serious thing to consider and the jury is still out on how I am going to handle this one. I've spoken to the people in my life whose opinions I value most, and each has been very supportive. For that I am grateful....but this is one I'm going to have to decide all on my own." She ended up declining the offer.^[4] She has also been in advertisements for Morphoplex.^[1] In 2009, Val appeared in a video promo for the F.E.A.R. 2 game, dressed as an Armacham FEAR AWAY nurse.^[5]

In wrestling[link]

• Finishing moves
  • SoCal Slap (Bitch slap)

• Wrestlers managed

• Entrance themes

• "Magnify" by Dale Oliver (TNA)^[6]

References[link]

External links[link]