.jpg) Varon in 2025 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Lisa Marie Sole (1971-02-10)February 10, 1971 (age 54)[4] |
Spouse | |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Head Bitch in Charge[1] Queen "Tara" Victoria[1] Tara[1] Victoria[1] Lisa Marie Varon |
| Billed height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm)[2] |
| Billed weight | 155 lb (70 kg)[1] |
| Billed from | Los Angeles,California Chicago,Illinois |
| Trained by | Ultimate Pro Wrestling Power Pro Wrestling Memphis Championship Wrestling Heartland Wrestling Association Ohio Valley Wrestling Dave Finlay[3] |
| Debut | 2000[4] |
| Retired | 2019 |
Lisa Marie Varon (néeSole; born February 10, 1971) is an American retiredprofessional wrestler,fitness competitor andbodybuilder. She is signed toWWE under a legends contract, having competed for the promotion under the ring nameVictoria. She is also known for her tenure inTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), under the ring nameTara. Varon held both companieswomen's championships on many occasions.
Varon began competing in fitness competitions and wonESPN2'sFitness America Series in 1997. In 1999, she placed second at a fitness event inNew York City to earn herInternational Federation of BodyBuilders (IFBB) Professional Fitness Card.[4] Varon metWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF) performerChyna, who encouraged her to become a professional wrestler.[4] She trained in the WWF'sdevelopmental territories for three years before moving to the main roster to compete full-time under the ring name Victoria.[6]
Varon had her first television appearance atWrestleMania 2000, where she portrayed one ofThe Godfather's "Hos". She debuted in June 2002 and waspushed to win theWWE Women's Championship, a title she would go on to holdtwice in her wrestling career. After leaving WWE in 2009, Varon debuted in TNA later that year as Tara. In TNA, she became afive-time TNA Knockouts Champion, making her a seven-time Women's Champion overall.[1] She was also a one-timeTNA Knockouts Tag Team Champion, withBrooke Tessmacher, collectively known as TnT.
Varon was born inSan Bernardino, California,[7][8] to aPuerto Rican father (who is aVietnam veteran) and aKorean-bornTatar mother who worked as a singer inJapan.[5][9][10] She grew up with three older brothers, all of whom becameamateur wrestlers, with her oldest brother, Bobby, winning agold medal at the1983 Pan American Games.[4][5][11] Varon attendedEisenhower High School inRialto, California. During high school, she was active incheerleading, a sport in which she competed since thesixth grade.[4][5]
During her senior year in high school, she was nationally recognized by theNational Cheerleading Association, earning an All-American award and being chosen to cheer at half-time of theNFL1989 Pro Bowl, alongside 70 other women.[5][11][12] She participated intrack and field events in theninth grade.[4] After graduating, she studiedbiology at theUniversity of California, Los Angeles and she studied medicine atLoma Linda University, with the intent on becoming aphysician.[13][6][11] She worked as ahuman tissue coordinator at the Inland Eye and Tissue Bank inRedlands, California, where she was involved in the process oforgan donation.[13][5][3][6][11]
While working at the eye and tissue bank, Varon became apersonal trainer and taughtaerobics. While training at agym, she was offered an opportunity to compete in abodybuilding competition, a contest she won as a middleweight.[13][6] She competed infitness competitions, such asESPN2'sFitness America Series in 1997 and 1998, winning the former, and the Miss Galaxy Competition in 1998, where she met and befriendedTorrie Wilson.[4][6] After Wilson moved toLos Angeles,California and signed with theprofessional wrestling promotionWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW), she invited Varon to one of the shows. While backstage, anagent asked her to appear in a segment withScott Hall.[4][6][11] Through Wilson, Varon unsuccessfully attempted to obtain a contract with WCW.[4] She later moved to Los Angeles to find work in televised news fitness segments.[4] In 1999, she earned herInternational Federation of BodyBuilders (IFBB) Professional Fitness Card after placing second at theNational Physique Committee (NPC) Team Universe show inNew York City.[4][13][5][14][11] It was during her time working in fitness competitions that Varon also first metTrish Stratus.[13]
After moving to Los Angeles, Varon worked as a trainer at the gym Crunch Fitness, where she metWorld Wrestling Federation wrestlerChyna, who complimented Varon on her appearance and encouraged her to become a wrestler.[4][13][6] Varon would then put together a biography package and sent it to the WWF.[4][13][11] She heard fromKevin Kelly two days later, who invited her to an interview in a month's time. With no previous wrestling experience, she looked upprofessional wrestling schools, and eventually began training atUltimate Pro Wrestling (UPW) inSouthern California in June 2000.[4][13][15] She wrestled under thering name Head Bitch In Charge (HBIC), and appeared in acheerleading outfit, with a snootygimmick, similar toWCWNitro GirlMiss Hancock.[4][15][16] She impressed WWF talent scoutBruce Prichard during her first UPW show.[4][11]
Varon made her on-screen debut in the WWF portraying one ofThe Godfather's "hos". She was referred to as the "head ho", and led the "Save the Hos" campaign.[5][17] On the August 7 episode ofRaw Is War, Varon took abump by beingpowerbombed through a table by The Godfather's next persona, The Goodfather.[4][5][15] After this, she was given the name Victoria.[5][15] She was removed from television in November, and sent to WWF's then-developmental territoryPower Pro Wrestling in Memphis for extensive training. In February 2001, she was aligned with Brandon Baxter andBobby Eaton in a feud withBill Dundee,Jerry Lawler andThe Kat. Throughout the feud, Victoria and Baxter were manipulating Eaton into fighting with Dundee, going so far as blurring fact and fiction by mixing professional and personal lives, including having Bobby's son Dylan call on the phone and a kayfabe wedding between Victoria and Eaton. Unfortunately, the feud didn't have a proper end, as in March 2001, the WWF severed ties with Power Pro over Jerry Lawler's quitting the promotion over the Kat's firing in late February. Power Pro folded shortly thereafter.
After Power Pro folded, she quickly joinedMemphis Championship Wrestling (MCW).[5][11][15] Victoria briefly acted as thecommissioner for MCW, and was involved in storylinefeud withIvory.[11][15] She alsomanagedSteve Bradley before MCW closed in 2001.[4] Varon later relocated toLouisville, Kentucky to train inOhio Valley Wrestling (OVW), using the ring name Queen Victoria.[4][5][6][15] She was placed as the manager of thetag team theBasham Brothers, and managed one of the team members,Doug Basham, to win theOVW Heavyweight Championship on July 25, 2001.[15]
Victoria lost toLita at the Brian Pillman Memorial Show on August 4, 2001 as part ofHeartland Wrestling Association. She worked for Heartland until early 2002.
Varon returned to the renamed World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as Victoria on the July 7, 2002 episode ofSunday Night Heat, in anangle withTrish Stratus, who Victoria claimed had betrayed her when they worked together as fitness models.[15][18] The storyline had her character become a demented, sadisticvillainess, as she and Stratus feuded for months.[15][19] Her first pay-per-view match came atNo Mercy, where she was defeated by Stratus. The following month atSurvivor Series, Victoria defeated Stratus with aSnap Suplex in ahardcore match, to win theWWE Women's Championship for the first time.[20][21] Victoria would go on to successfully retain her championship againstStacy Keibler, with the debut of her finishing move, theWidows Peak. The following night onRaw, Victoria was attacked in the ring by Stratus.Steven Richards came to her aid, establishing an on-screen relationship between Victoria and Richards.[15][22][23] AtArmageddon, Victoria began using the entrance theme "All the Things She Said" byt.A.T.u. She defeated Stratus andJacqueline to retain the WWE Women's Championship in a triple threat match.
Victoria continued to feud withTrish Stratus into 2003, competing against her in successful title defenses andmixed tag team matches, during which Victoria teamed with Richards.[15] AtWrestleMania XIX, Victoriadropped the Women's Championship back to Stratus during aTriple Threat match that also involvedJazz.[24][25] She also faced wrestling legend andWWE Hall of FamerThe Fabulous Moolah on September 15, 2003, in a losing effort.[26] Throughout the rest of the year, Victoria was involved in matches against otherDivas, such as participating in aFatal Four-Way match for the Women's Championship atJudgment Day, and defeatingLita in the first women'ssteel cage match in WWE history on November 24.[27][28] Victoria also defeatedIvory in a number one contender's match for the Women's Championship on the last episode ofSunday Night Heat of 2003. After the match, Women's ChampionMolly Holly struck Victoria in the head with the title belt.[29]
The next week onRaw, Victoria became afan favorite, when she attacked Holly after the two women were placed in a team, along withMiss Jackie, for a six-woman tag team match. During her face run, she abandoned her sadistic and unstable personality, and began wearing hippie shorts and performed a gyratingmoonsault. On January 5, 2004, Victoria was set for a title match with Molly Holly, however she was attacked byTest before the match.[19][30][31]
The angle with Molly Holly continued into the next year, with Victoria defeating Holly in tag team matches.[32][33] On February 23, 2004, Victoria defeated Holly, Lita and Jazz in afatal four-way elimination match, to win her second Women's Championship.[34] After defeating Holly in a tag team match the next week, Victoria was challenged by Holly to a rematch for the title atWrestleMania XX, which later became ahair vs title match.[35][36] At thepay-per-view, Victoria won the match, andshaved Holly's head bald.[36][37] She held the Women's Championship until June 13, when she dropped the title to the villainous Trish Stratus during a Fatal Four-Way match atBad Blood, that also included Lita andGail Kim, and was unsuccessful in regaining it in a rematch a week later.[37][38][39] After defeating Molly Holly atVengeance to become the number one contender,[40] Victoria lost to Stratus atUnforgiven for the championship.[41][42] Prior to Unforgiven, several of Victoria's matches were interrupted by a mysterious person indrag, who was later revealed to be Steven Richards, with whom she was previously allied.[42] After the match with Stratus, the storyline culminated when Richards challenged Stratus' allyTyson Tomko to a match, which Richards lost.[43]
On the May 30, 2005 episode ofRaw, Victoria participated in aswimsuit contest, losing toChristy Hemme. Following the loss, the storyline had Victoria become a villainess by attacking the other contestants, as well as host Jerry Lawler, claiming that she had enough of the attention Hemme was receiving.[19][44] The two engaged in a short feud which culminated in a match atVengeance, which Victoria won.[45] During her heel run, Victoria adopted the gimmick of a bully-like enforcer, when she was placed in an angle alongside Torrie Wilson andCandice Michelle (collectively known as theLadies in Pink, and later Vince's Devils) on August 29, portraying the role of the group'senforcer, as the three women joined forces against the2005 Diva Search winnerAshley Massaro.[46] Massaro was assisted in the storyline feud byTrish Stratus, and atUnforgiven, Victoria and Wilson were defeated by Stratus and Massaro.[47] The angle continued intoWWE Homecoming, where the Ladies in Pink lost aHandicap Bra and Panties match to Stratus and Massaro. The three of them competed in the first ever Bra and Pantiesgauntlet match, where Ashley was declared the winner by last eliminating Victoria. She lost to male wrestlerCarlito on the December 26, 2005 episode ofRaw.[48] At the 2006Royal Rumble, they appeared flirting withVince McMahon.
On March 6, 2006, onRaw, Victoria and Candice turned on Wilson during Candice'sPlayboy cover unveiling, starting an angle between the former teammates.[49] A scheduled match was set to take place atSaturday Night's Main Event XXXII with Victoria and Candice against Wilson and Stratus. As part of the storyline, however, on the episode ofRaw prior to the event, Wilson was found unconscious, with the implication being that Victoria and Candice had attacked her.[50][51] The match eventually took place on March 27, with Victoria and Candice being defeated.[52] The alliance of Victoria and Candice fell apart during a tag team match on July 17, in which Victoria andMickie James were defeated by Wilson andTrish Stratus, with Candice as thespecial guest referee.[53]
Victoria was given apush on November 27, after she won a number one contender'sbattle royal.[citation needed] Varon gained notoriety from the match when it was reported that herkick to Candice Michelle's face had resulted in alegitimatebroken nose that required surgery.[54][55] Following the victory, the angle had her carry a checklist to the ring which contained the names of other Divas.[citation needed] Each week, shechecked a name off the list after defeating them in matches.[citation needed] She also defeated WWE Women's Champion Mickie James in a non-title match.[56] Victoria lost the championship match against James atNew Year's Revolution, and a rematch on January 15, 2007.[57][58]
On June 17, Victoria was moved to theSmackDown!brand as part of theWWE Supplemental Draft.[59] Victoria became involved in an on-screen relationship withKenny Dykstra,[60] and the duo was placed in feuds against Torrie Wilson andJimmy Wang Yang,[61][62] as well asMichelle McCool andChuck Palumbo.[63] While on a tour ofEurope with WWE in December 2007, Varon claimed to havelegitimately broken McCool's nose.[64]
Victoria later allied herself with the debutingNatalya in April. At theBacklash pay-per-view on April 27, Victoria teamed up with Natalya,Beth Phoenix,Jillian Hall,Layla andMelina to defeat Mickie James,Maria, Ashley, Michelle McCool,Cherry andKelly Kelly.[1] On the May 2 episode ofSmackDown, Victoria and Natalya defeated McCool and Cherry.[65] In October, Victoria lost to the debutingBrie Bella, when Brie disappeared under the ring during the match, emerged appearing refreshed, and won. On the September 26 episode ofSmackDown, Victoria and Natalya lost to Maria and Brie.[1] On the October 31 episode ofSmackDown, Victoria teamed up with Natalya andMaryse in losing effort to Michelle McCool, Maria and Brie.[1] On the November 7 episode ofSmackDown, Victoria was accompanied by Natalya, where she was once again defeated by Brie. After the match, it was revealed that Brie had been switching places under the ring with hertwin sister,Nikki Bella, and the twins proceeded to attack Victoria and Natalya.[1] On the November 21 episode ofSmackDown, Victoria teamed up with Natalya in losing effort toThe Bella Twins (Nikki and Brie).[1] On the November 28 episode ofSmackDown, Victoria teamed up with Natalya and Maryse to defeat the Bella Twins and Michelle McCool.[1]
With two more years of her contract remaining, Varon asked for her release when WWE told her they have no plans for her.[66] Her last match took place on the January 16, 2009 episode ofSmackDown, against Michelle McCool. She then thanked the fans, and gave farewell to staff at ringside.[1]
After leaving WWE, Varon began training for a career inmixed martial arts, and practicedJiu Jitsu.[67][68] She returned to WWE for one night only in April 2009, when she was part of the 25 Divasbattle royal atWrestleMania XXV, outlasting the five other former WWE Divas. She eliminated Maria, but was eliminated by The Bella Twins.
_Tara_(TNA).jpg)
On May 24, 2009,Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) confirmed that Varon had signed a contract with the company.[69] She debuted on the May 28, 2009 episode ofTNA Impact!, under thering nameTara, later revealed to be short for "Tarantula". She made her intentions known by attackingThe Beautiful People (Angelina Love,Velvet Sky, andMadison Rayne) after Love's match withSojournor Bolt, establishing herself as a fan favorite. On the June 11 episode ofImpact!, Tara won her debut match against Madison Rayne. On the July 1 episode ofImpact!, Tara began bringing her pet tarantula, named Poison, with her to the ring. After winning a tag team match against The Beautiful People, she put the spider on the unconscious body of Velvet Sky. On the July 9 episode ofImpact!, after Tara threatened to put her spider on Sky once again, Angelina Love agreed to put herTNA Knockouts Championship on the line, which Tara ultimately won,[70] only to lose the title back to Love two weeks later atVictory Road.[71]
On the September 24 episode ofImpact!, Tara teamed with the new Knockouts ChampionODB to challengeSarita andTaylor Wilde for theTNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship, but they lost afterAwesome Kong interrupted and distracted her during the bout.[72] During the following two weeks ofImpact!, Tara and Kong both received one-on-one Knockouts Championship matches from ODB, but both of them ended up losing after the other interfered in the match.[73][74] AtBound for Glory, ODB defeated both Tara and Kong in a three-way match to retain the title.[75] During the match, Tara was confronted bymixed martial artistKim Couture to set up an MMA fight between the two, which, however, never came to fruition.[76][77] AtTurning Point, Tara defeated Kong in aSix Sides of Steel match.[78] On November 26, Tara won a ten-womanbattle royal to earn a shot at the Knockouts Championship atFinal Resolution.[79] At the event, she defeated ODB to win the Knockouts Championship for the second time.[80] On the January 4, 2010 episode ofImpact!, Tara lost the title back to ODB.[81] Two weeks later atGenesis, Tara defeated ODB in atwo out of three falls match to regain the title, making her a three-time champion.[82]
On the February 18, 2010 episode ofImpact!, Tara defeatedDaffney by disqualification, after she hit Tara with atoolbox.[83] AtDestination X, Tara successfully defended her title against Daffney, who stole Poison the tarantula from her after the match.[84] On the March 29 episode ofImpact!, Tara retained her title against Daffney for a second time, this time in the first ever women'sFirst Blood match in TNA.[85] On the April 5 episode ofImpact!, Tara was one of the four winners in an eight-Knockout Lockbox match. The box she opened contained her pet tarantula, Poison. At the same time, however, Tara lost the Knockouts Championship to Angelina Love, and began turning villainous due to her friction with Love heading into their match againstThe Beautiful People.[86] AtLockdown, the villainous Tara attacked Love after losing a tag teamsteel cage match against Rayne and Sky, cementing Tara's heel turn.[87]
On April 28, 2010, Varon announced on herMySpace blog that she would be leaving TNA the following month, after refusing to re-sign with the company, due to not receiving a pay increase.[88] On the May 3 episode ofImpact!, Tara challenged Madison Rayne to a match atSacrifice, where she would put her career on the line against Rayne'sKnockouts Championship.[89] At Sacrifice on May 16, Tara failed to win the match, and as a result her TNA career came to an end.[90] After her TNA career came to a halt, she continued to discuss a new contract withDixie Carter.[91]
She returned to the company on July 11 atVictory Road as avillainess, disguising herself by wearing amotorcycle helmet and attacking Angelina Love during her match for the Knockouts Championship.[92][93] In the following weeks, she aligned herself with Madison Rayne against Love and Velvet Sky.[94][95] Tara was ultimately unmasked on the September 2 episode ofImpact!, when she and Rayne defeated Love and Sky in a tag team match, after hitting Sky with the motorcycle helmet.[96] On the September 30 episode ofImpact!, Rayne signed awaiver to allow Tara to return to in-ring competition.[97] AtBound for Glory, Tara defeated Angelina Love, Velvet Sky, and Madison Rayne in a Four Corners match to win the Knockout Championship for the fourth time, much to the dismay of Rayne, who thought Tara's intention was to help her regain the title.[98] On the following episode ofImpact!, Tara laid down for Rayne and allowed her to pin her to regain the Knockouts Championship, giving Tara the shortest reign in the title's history. The following week, Tara attacked Mickie James after her victory overSarita.[99][100] AtTurning Point, Tara wrestled James to a double disqualification, after James pushed the referee, and they began brawling.[101] On the December 2Impact!, Tara attacked James while she was singing her single "Hardcore Country", which later led to James attacking her.[102][103] AtFinal Resolution, Tara defeated James in aFalls Count Anywhere match, following interference from Madison Rayne.[104] On the following episode ofImpact!, James defeated Tara in a steel cage match.[105] During the match, Tara legitimately tore a ligament in her elbow, but the injury did not require surgery.[106][107] On the December 16 episode ofImpact!, Tara and Rayne defeated James andMs. Tessmacher to advance the finals of a tournament for the vacant TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship.[108] The following week, they were defeated in the finals by Angelina Love andWinter.[109]
In 2011, Madison Rayne would start a rivalry with Mickie James over the Knockouts Championship, and would successfully defend the title against her atGenesis andAgainst All Odds, after Tara interfered in both matches.[110][111] During the feud, Tara began claiming that Rayne had gone too far in her brutality towards Mickie James, but was forced to follow her orders due to being under exclusive contract with her, and not TNA.[112] After Rayne lost the Knockouts Championship to James atLockdown, James agreed to give her a rematch on the condition that if she is unable to regain the title, Tara would be released from her contract with Rayne.[113][114] On May 15 atSacrifice, Tara became a fan favorite after knocking out Rayne during her match with James, costing her the Knockouts Championship and guaranteeing herself a release from her contract with Rayne.[115]
Tara and Madison Rayne had their first match against each other since the break–up of their partnership on the May 19 episode ofImpact Wrestling, where Tara teamed with Mickie James and Ms. Tessmacher against Rayne, Sarita andRosita. Tara won the match for her team by pinning Rosita, after Rayne, who avoided her former partner throughout the match, sacrificed her in order to get away from the ring.[116] Tara and Rayne faced each other again on the July 14 episode ofImpact Wrestling, where Tara was victorious after distracting Rayne with her tarantula.[117] On the July 21 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Tara and Ms. Tessmacher, later named TnT, defeatedMexican America (Rosita and Sarita) to win theTNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship.[118][119] Tessmacher and Tara made their first title defense on August 7 atHardcore Justice, defeating Mexican America in a rematch.[120] On the September 29 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Tara was defeated by her former partner Madison Rayne in a match to determine the third and final challenger for theTNA Knockouts Championship atBound for Glory.[121] On the November 3 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Tara and Tessmacher lost the Knockouts Tag Team Championship to Gail Kim and Madison Rayne.[122] On the January 26, 2012 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Tara defeated Mickie James and Velvet Sky in a three-way match to earn a match for the Knockouts Championship.[123] On February 12 atAgainst All Odds, Tara was unsuccessful in her title challenge against Gail Kim.[124]
On the August 23 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Tara defeated the new Knockouts Champion and TnT partner Miss Tessmacher in a non-title match, and was subsequently named number one contender for her title.[125][126] On September 9 at theNo Surrender, Tara challenged Tessmacher for the Knockouts Championship, but failed to capture the title.[127]On the following episode ofImpact Wrestling, Tara congratulated Tessmacher on her victory, only to attack Tessmacher shortly afterwards, turning Tara into a villainess and effectively disbanding TnT.[128] On the September 27 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Tara defeated ODB in a number one contender's match to earn another shot at Miss Tessmacher's Knockouts Championship.[129] On October 14 atBound for Glory, Tara defeated Tessmacher to win the TNA Knockouts Championship for a record-tying fifth time. Afterwards, Tara introduced her "Hollywood boyfriend", the debutingJesse.[130] Tara made her first successful title defense on the October 25 episode ofImpact Wrestling, defeating Tessmacher in a rematch following interference from Jesse.[131] On November 11 atTurning Point, Tara and Jesse were defeated by ODB andEric Young.[132] On December 9 atFinal Resolution, Tara successfully defended her Knockouts Championship against Mickie James after a distraction from Jesse.[133] On the December 20 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Tara defeated James again to retain her title.[134] Tara went on to have another successful title defense on the January 25, 2013, episode ofImpact Wrestling, defeating Velvet Sky.[135] On the February 21 episode ofImpact Wrestling taped inLondon, England, Tara lost the championship to Sky in afatal four-way elimination match, also involving Gail Kim and Miss Tessmacher, ending her reign at 104 days.[136] Tara received her rematch on the February 28 episode ofImpact Wrestling, but was again defeated by Sky.[137] The following months, Tara would make increasingly fewer appearances, and would be rarely used competing in matches.[138][139][140] On the July 14 episode ofTNA Xplosion, Tara would wrestle her final match in TNA losing to ODB. Two days later on July 16, Tara was released from her TNA contract.[141][142] Varon later stated in an interview that she was close to leaving TNA prior to her release, and that she would never return to TNA.[143] She also stated that her tenure in TNA was great, but different from WWE and made her "appreciate WWE a lot".[144]
Tara took part ofFamily Wrestling Entertainment'sFWE: Fallout pay-per-view on November 15, 2011, defeating Madison Rayne with Christy Hemme as thespecial guest referee. Tara returned to the promotion on February 25, 2012, taking part of a tournament to determinate the inauguralFWE Women's Champion atFWE: No Limits, losing toMaria Kanellis. Tara then helped Maria defeat Winter to win the championship alongside her partner Ms. Tessmacher.[citation needed] On November 9, 2013, Varon debuted atHouse of Hardcore 3, where she and Stevie Richards were defeated by Carlito and Rosita.
Varon debuted forRing of Honor on October 26, 2013, under her real name. She made anFAQ beforeGlory by Honor XII. At the event, she attacked Maria Kanellis with a Widow's Peak.[145]
On June 19, 2015, Varon appeared atMaryland Championship Wrestling'sLadies Night event as the special guest referee for the MCW Women's Championship main event match between Mickie James and Amber Rodriguez, attacking villainous enforcer Melina during the match following Melina's attack towards James, who went on to capture the title.[146]
On September 2, 2016, Victoria made her debut forChikara, when she entered the2016 King of Trios tournament as part of Team Original Divas Revolution, alongside Jazz and Mickie James. They defeated Team Shimmer (Candice LeRae,Crazy Mary Dobson andSolo Darling) in their first round match.[147] The following day, Team Original Divas Revolution was eliminated from the tournament by The Warriors Three (Oleg the Usurper,Princess KimberLee and ThunderFrog).[148]
On December 2, 2017, Varon appeared atHouse of Hardcore 36 as Candice Michelle's opponent in Candice's retirement match. Varon turned heel and attacked Candice after feigning an injury, only to be defeated by Candice with a DDT.[149]
On January 6, 2019, Varon announced that it would be her last year as an active wrestler.[150] She competed in her last match in the main event at Master of Ring Entertainment on September 21, 2019; defeating Melina to become the inaugural MORE Women's Champion.[151]
In November 2020 in a meeting for WrestlingInc.com, Varon showed interest in working forAll Elite Wrestling (AEW) in a backstage space. She believed she could fulfill company needs as a trainer or agent and share her extensive knowledge about the business.[152]
In2021 Royal Rumble, Victoria was the 10th entrant in the Women'sRoyal Rumble match, which her first appearance in WWE since 2009.[153] Victoria was the 5th contestant to be eliminated after being thrown over the top rope byShayna Baszler.[153] Later that year,WWE Network added her in a list of top 50 female wrestlers in the history of the company.[154]
In January, 2023, Varon appeared as Tara in Impact Wrestling atHard To Kill 2023 to support Mickie James in her title vs. career match againstJordynne Grace, appearing in a backstage segment and in-ring to celebrate with James upon her victory. It was reported that on January 14, Tara returned during Impact television tapings, teaming up withGisele Shaw to challenge the Death Dollz (Jessicka &Taya Valkyrie) for the Impact Knockouts World Tag Team Championship, but they lost.[155]
On August 31, 2024, Varon revealed via her Twitter that she had signed with WWE under a Legends contract, and revealed that her wrestling gimmick likeness will be included in WWE merchandise like video games and action figures.[156]
In a career that has spanned over 2 decades, Varon is overall a seven-time champion betweenWWE andTNA and is considered to be a legend in the wrestling industry. She has influenced the likes ofMaryse,Bayley,[157]Jessie McKay,Cassie Lee,Tenille Dashwood,Brandi Rhodes and many more. Five-timeWWE Women's Champion, one-timeWWE Divas Champion and three-timeTNA Knockouts ChampionMickie James said of Varon's influence: “she was breaking down barriers in that whole era of women.”.[158] Supported by her colleagues such as James,Molly Holly,[158]Trish Stratus,[159]Beth Phoenix,[160]Natalya,[161]SoCal Val[162] and more, she is among the top picks to be the next inductee into theWWE Hall of Fame. In 2021,WWE Network ranked Victoria as one of the greatest WWE female wrestlers of all time, placing Number 14.[163]
Varon's finisher is agory neckbreaker called theWidow's Peak. According to Varon, she creditsRoderick Strong for the move, while also crediting Molly Holly for suggesting the move. Holly then reveals that she wrestled with Strong in their teens, in which Holly saw Strong using the move and decided to pass the knowledge of the move to Varon.[164]
Varon has made guest appearances ontelevision showsV.I.P. andNikki, as well as participated in two fitness competitions for theUnivision programSábado Gigante.[5][12] In November 2010, she was a contestant on an all-TNA week ofFamily Feud, teaming withAngelina Love,Christy Hemme,Lacey Von Erich andVelvet Sky againstJay Lethal,Matt Morgan,Mick Foley,Mr. Anderson andRob Van Dam.[165] On November 10, 2012, Varon, along with several other TNA employees, were featured in an episode ofMTV'sMade.[166]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Sábado Gigante | Fitness competitor | 2 episodes |
| 2000 | V.I.P | Bodyguard | 1 episode |
| Nikki | Chickasaurus | 1 episode | |
| 2001 | WWE Tough Enough | Victoria | 1 episode |
| WWE Divas in Hedonism | Victoria | Scenes deleted | |
| 2002 | WWE Divas: Undressed | Victoria | Direct to DVD |
| 2003 | WWE Divas: Desert Heat | Victoria | Direct to DVD |
| WWE: Trish Stratus - 100% Stratusfaction | Victoria | Documentary | |
| Spike TV VGA Video Game Awards | Victoria; guest | TV special | |
| 2004 | 10 Things Every Guy Should Experience | Self; guest | 1 episode |
| WWE Byte This! | Victoria | 1 episode | |
| WWE Hall of Fame 2004 | Self; guest | TV special | |
| WWE Divas: South of the Border | Victoria | Direct to DVD | |
| 2005 | WWE Hall of Fame 2005 | Self; guest | TV special |
| WWE Viva Las Divas | Victoria | Direct to DVD | |
| Trisha | Victoria; guest | 1 episode | |
| 2006 | WWE Hall of Fame 2006 | Self; guest | TV special |
| WWE Divas Do New York | Victoria | Direct to DVD | |
| 2007 | WWE Hall of Fame 2007 | Self; guest | TV special |
| 2008 | WWE Hall of Fame 2008 | Self; guest | TV special |
| 2009 | WWE Hall of Fame 2009 | Self; guest | TV special |
| 2010 | Family Feud | Tara; contestant | 1 episode |
| 2012 | Made | Tara; guest | 1 episode |
| The Late Live Show | Self; guest | 1 episode | |
| 2013 | Svengoolie | Self; guest | 2 episodes |
| 2014 | Tainted Dreams | Carla Santiago | Recurring role |
| The Swerve | Self; guest | 1 episode | |
| 2015 | Paragon Pro TV | Self; guest | 2 episodes |
| 2017 | Fox 10 News | Self; guest | 1 episode |
| Ballerina I'm Not | Victoria | ||
| 2018 | Love | Mayday Marge | 1 episode |
| 2019 | WWE Hall of Fame 2019 | Self; guest | TV special |
| The Blake & Sal Show | Self; guest panelist | 1 episode | |
| 2020 | You Cannot Kill David Arquette | Self | Documentary |
| 2021 | Just Roll with It | Tilda | 1 episode |
| WWE Day of | Self | 1 episode | |
| WWE Ruthless Aggression | Self | Documentary | |
| WWE The Bump | Self; guest | 1 episode | |
| 2022 | Sidewalks Entertainment | Self; guest | 1 episode |
| Hollywood Entertainment News TV Show | Self; guest | 1 episode | |
| Out in the Ring | Self | Documentary | |
| 2023 | Raven Van Slender Saves Christmas! | Lisa | |
| 2025 | WWE Hall of Fame 2025 | Self; guest | TV special |
| TBA | A Pro-Rasslin' Movie: The Legend of Dirty Ron | TBA | In production |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | WWE WrestleMania XIX | Victoria | Video game debut |
| WWE Raw 2 | |||
| WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain | |||
| 2004 | WWE Day of Reckoning | ||
| WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw | |||
| 2005 | RAW Mobile | ||
| WWE WrestleMania 21 | Removed, unplayable[167] | ||
| WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2006 | Removed, unplayable[168] | ||
| 2008 | WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 | ||
| 2025 | WWE 2K25 | DLC | |
| TBA | The Wrestling Code | TBA | In Development |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-2022 | Ring The Belle | Herself | 3 episodes |
| 2023 | Mike Lewis Podcast | 1 episode |
Lisa Marie Varon | |
|---|---|
| YouTube information | |
| Channel | |
| Years active | 2012–2015 |
| Subscribers | 4.3 thousand |
| Views | 502 thousand |
| Last updated: July 1, 2025 | |
Varon was married to Lee Varon from 1994 to 2015. They had no children.[169][170][171] Varon claims that during a separation from her husband in 2002, she briefly dated fellow wrestlerJohn Cena.[172] The relationship between Varon and Cena had previously been mentioned by another wrestler,Kenny Dykstra.[173]
Varon has a tattoo of a heart on her ankle, which she got in high school and hid from her parents.[174] She is a fan ofmotorcycles and owns aSuzuki Hayabusa.[3][175]
Varon owned a restaurant inLouisville, Kentucky named Fat Tony's Pizzeria, but sold it in May 2007.[175] In May 2008, she and her husband opened a custom car shop, Black Widow Customs, in Louisville.[178][179] The shop was destroyed on December 16, 2010, in a fire, which the authorities deemed suspicious.[180] This occurred the day after a local TV show's "Consumer Watch" segment. Antwane Glenn, a football player at theUniversity of Kentucky, wanted a refund after claiming his car was left un-drivable following Black Widow Customs' work on it. He contactedWHAS11 and the story was profiled on the show.[181]
In March 2013, Varon opened a wrestling themed restaurant inChicago, Illinois named The Squared Circle.[182][183] In January 2015, Varon announced that she would be moving back toCalifornia, and leaving the restaurant to be run by her estranged husband Lee Varon.[184] In March 2015, the restaurant was put up for sale.[185] One week later, a gunman entered the restaurant and Lee Varon was able to incapacitate the man until police arrived.[186] Days after the gunman incident and the resulting media attention, Lisa Marie Varon announced her intention to close the establishment and that she would no longer support the business or encourage fellow wrestlers to make promotional appearances there.[187] The restaurant closed on April 10, 2017, just two years after the gunman incident.[188]
| Winner (wager) | Loser (wager) | Location | Event | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victoria (championship) | Molly Holly (hair) | New York City, New York | WrestleMania XX | March 14, 2004 | [36] |
| Madison Rayne (championship) | Tara (career) | Orlando, Florida | Sacrifice | May 16, 2010 | [90] |
Dykstra:Uh...well, Victoria is my girlfriend.
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