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 Mendes in 2015 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Milena Leticia Roucka (1979-10-25)October 25, 1979 (age 46)[2] |
| Alma mater | University of British Columbia |
| Children | 1 |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Rosa Mendes Melina Roucka Roucka |
| Billed height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm)[1] |
| Billed weight | 125 lb (57 kg)[2] |
| Billed from | San Jose, Costa Rica[1] San Juan, Puerto Rico San Mateo, California |
| Trained by | Ohio Valley Wrestling[2] WWE Performance Center |
| Debut | November 2006[2] |
| Retired | 2018 |
Milena Leticia Roucka[2] (/ˈroʊkə/ROH-kə; born October 25, 1979)[2] is a Canadian retiredprofessional wrestler,valet andmodel. She was known for her time inWWE under thering nameRosa Mendes. Shemanaged formerWWE Tag Team ChampionsPrimo & Epico from 2011 to 2013. She was also a main cast member on theE! reality seriesTotal Divas.
Roucka grew up inVancouver, British Columbia and is ofCzech andCosta Rican descent.[3] She was a self-described "tomboy" growing up, and was once suspended from school for fighting.[4] Roucka studied business at theUniversity of British Columbia, but dropped out to pursue a career in modelling. In 2004, she was the firstNorth American to win the "Piel Dorada", a major Latin American modelling contest.[3]
In the summer of 2006, Roucka competed in theWWE Diva Search and reached the final eight. She won the first round, a dance competition.[3][4] After she was eliminated on August 24, WWE then signed her to a developmental contract.[3][5]
On the November 24, 2008 episode ofRaw, Roucka appeared as aplanted fan, holding a sign proclaiming herWWE Women's ChampionBeth Phoenix's number one fan. Over the next few weeks, she continued holding signs supporting Phoenix.[1] On the December 22Raw, Phoenix's boyfriend/tag partnerSantino Marella introduced her as Rosa Mendes. The next week, she jumped the guardrail and attacked the new number one contender,Melina, who was attacking Phoenix.[6] The next week,Stephanie McMahon said Mendes had been banned from WWE events after attacking Melina again.[7] Mendes evaded the ban by disguising herself as apaparazzo in Melina's entrance and attacked her again.[8]
On the January 19, 2009 episode ofRaw, Marella announced he had hired Mendes to be his and Phoenix's intern.[9] Mendes accompanied Phoenix for her Women's title match against Melina on the February 16 episode ofRaw, and again in a dark match atNo Way Out pay-per-view.[10] On the March 30 episode ofRaw, Mendes made her in-ring debut in an 18-woman tag team match, which her team lost. AtWrestleMania XXV, Mendes competed in a 25-womanbattle royal, but was eliminated by Marella, who competed indrag, claiming to be his twin sister "Santina".[11] Phoenix, with Mendes managing her, had a brief scripted rivalry with both "Santina" and Marella, and challenged "Santina" for the "Miss WrestleMania" title, but was unsuccessful.[12][13][14] On the June 11 episode ofSuperstars, Mendes got her first televised win when she teamed with Beth Phoenix againstThe Bella Twins where Phoenix pinned one of the Bellas.[15] Mendes made her singles debut againstMickie James on the June 15Raw, in a losing effort.[16][17] After a brief hiatus, Mendes and Phoenix returned on the July 27 episode ofRaw, teaming withAlicia Fox in a losing effort to Mickie James,Gail Kim, andKelly Kelly.[18]
In August 2009, she began managingCarlito after teaming with him on the August 13 episode ofSuperstars, to defeatKofi Kingston and Mickie James in amixed tag team match, and her association with Beth Phoenix quietly ended.[19] On the August 31 episode ofRaw, Mendes lost a battle royal to determine the number one contender to theWWE Divas Championship when she was eliminated by Beth Phoenix.
On October 12, 2009, Mendes was traded from Raw to theECWbrand.[20] She debuted on the October 20 episode ofECW, in a backstage segment withECW general manager,Tiffany, who welcomed her to ECW.[21]
On the November 3 episode ofECW she began distractingZack Ryder, who was infatuated with her, during his matches.[22][23] On the November 25ECW, Mendes began a personal and managerial relationship with Ryder.[24][25][26] She managed him through various feuds, including one withTommy Dreamer, culminating on December 29, when he defeated Dreamer to force him from WWE.[27] On the final episode ofECW on February 16, 2010, Ryder and Mendes interfered in themain event match, and Mendes was speared by Tiffany.[28]
Ryder and Mendes then moved to the Raw brand.[29] She made her in-ring return on the April 5Raw, in a Divas Championship number-one-contender battle royal, whichEve Torres won.[30] On April 27, Mendes was drafted to theSmackDown brand as part of the2010 Supplemental Draft, without Ryder.[31] She and Ryder reunited on the April 29Superstars, where she managed him to a win overPrimo.[32] In her debut match forSmackDown, she lost toKelly Kelly.[33] On the May 6 episode ofSuperstars, Mendes facedBeth Phoenix in a non-title match in which Phoenix tore her ACL. As a result, one week later onSmackDown, Mendes received aWWE Women's Championship match, though she was ejected from the match byVickie Guerrero and replaced byMichelle McCool andLayla.[34]
In June 2010, Mendes tried to joinLayCool (Michelle McCool and Layla), who refused and instead mocked her.[35] Over the next few months, Mendes exercised in backstage segments in an attempt to impress LayCool, and cost Layla a match by distracting her byskipping rope at ringside.[36][37][38] On the September 17 episode ofSmackDown, Rosa Mendes turnedface by teaming with Kelly Kelly to lose to LayCool.[39] In late 2010, Rosa Mendes appeared mainly in backstage segments with various wrestlers, includingKane andHornswoggle.[40][41] On February 25, 2011, Mendes won her firstSmackDown singles match, over Layla by disqualification, after McCool attacked her outside the ring. The next week, Mendes reunited with Beth Phoenix, teaming to lose to LayCool. On the March 25 episode ofSmackDown!, Mendes teamed with Kelly Kelly to again lose to LayCool.[42]
After some time away, Mendes returned on the May 27 episode ofSmackDown as a heel, managing the team ofTamina andAlicia Fox to a win over The Chickbusters (AJ andKaitlyn).[43] They also won the rematch a week later.[44] On the June 17 episode ofSmackDown, Mendes teamed with Fox and Snuka to defeat The Chickbusters andNatalya. On the June 23 episode ofSuperstars, they lost a rematch. On the July 29 episode ofSmackdown, they won the rubber match. On the July 15 episode ofSmackDown, Mendes lost toDivas Champion Kelly Kelly in a non-title match. On the August 1 episode ofRaw, Mendes competed in a Divas Championship number-one-contenders battle royal, which Beth Phoenix won.[45]
Mendes started managingPrimo & Epico on the December 1, 2011Superstars.[46] On January 15, 2012, at ahouse show inOakland, California, Primo and Epico defeated Air Boom (Evan Bourne andKofi Kingston) for theWWE Tag Team Championship. On theWrestleMania XXVIII pre-show, they successfully defended the title againstThe Usos andJustin Gabriel andTyson Kidd in a Triple Threat tag team match.[47] On the April 30 episode ofRaw, Primo and Epico lost the title toR-Truth andKofi Kingston.[48]Primo, Epico and Mendes then joinedAbraham Washington's "All World Promotions" stable, until he turned on them atNo Way Out, costing them the match and allying with their opponents,The Prime Time Players (Titus O'Neil & Darren Young).[49][50] The next night onRaw, Mendes, Primo and Epico turnedface when they defeated the Prime Time Players by countout. after Young and O'Neil walked out of the match.[51][52] AtMoney in the Bank, Mendes managed Primo and Epico to a win over The Prime Time Players.[53][54] Following the release of A.W. they quickly returned as heels and from September till the end of the year, Primo and Epico had a losing streak.
Roucka took a two-month hiatus to settle some personal issues at home. Mendes returned to television on the July 25 episode ofNXT, though she did not wrestle. On August 26, Mendes returned toRaw as aface, dancing withThe Miz to distractFandango before managing him in his match against Fandango. Despite this, she teamed up with the otherheel Divas (Aksana andAlicia Fox) on the October 7 episode ofRaw in a losing effort againstNatalya,Eva Marie andJoJo.
Mendes and other Divas began a feud with the castTotal Divas after the implosion onRaw, leading to them accompanyingTamina Snuka on the November 20 episode ofMain Event, to defeat Naomi, who had the Total Divas in her corner.[55] At theSurvivor Series pay-per-view, Mendes participated in her first pay-per-view match, a seven-on-seventraditional elimination tag team match as her team took on theTotal Divas; Mendes managed to eliminateCameron before she was eliminated, but her team ultimately lost the match.[56] The following night onRaw, they faced the Total Divas in a rematch, in a losing effort.[57][58] On April 6, Rosa competed atWrestleMania XXX in the 14–Diva "Vickie Guerrero Invitational match" for theWWE Divas Championship, which was won by the defending championAJ Lee.[59] She returned on the June 23 episode ofRaw, interfering on behalf ofStephanie McMahon, along withLayla and Alicia Fox, but was thrown into a mud pool by Vickie Guerrero during their match.[60] On July 8 episode ofMain Event, Mendes participated in a six–on–onehandicap match with Eva Marie,Summer Rae,Naomi and Natalya againstNikki Bella as part of Stephanie McMahon's punishment against Nikki.[61] Mendes would transition into afan favorite on the September 2 episode ofMain Event, teaming with Natalya in a losing effort to Summer Rae andLayla because of a miscommunication.[62]
After two months of absence, Mendes returned asFandango's new dance partner on theSurvivor Series pre-show on November 23. Fandango defeatedJustin Gabriel with aSalsa dancer gimmick and new theme music.[63] On the April 13, 2015 episode ofRaw, Fandango dissolved his relationship with Mendes. Later that night, Mendes competed in a Divasbattle royal to determine the #1 contender for theWWE Divas Championship. Mendes eliminatedNatalya andSummer Rae before being eliminated byEmma.[64] Following the end of her association with Fandango, Mendes ended up costing him a match toAdam Rose, whom she subsequently went on to manage.
As she announced herpregnancy on August 6,[65] Mendes began serving as the WWE.com correspondent forSmackDown in October.[66] The same month, she went onmaternity leave, and gave birth on February 13, 2016.[67] She retired from WWE exactly one year later, on February 13, 2017.[68] Her last televised appearance with the company took place as a guest appearance on the sixth season ofTotal Divas in April, where she was billed as a former WWE Superstar.[69]
In 2018, Roucka announced that she was making her return to professional wrestling.[70] On May 19, Roucka made her first wrestling appearance onMCW Pro Wrestling under her WWE ring name,Rosa Mendes, when she teamed with the former WWE wrestlerAdam Rose, which together they successfully defeated the team of Gia Scott and Joe Keys.[71]
Roucka acted in Costa Rican commercials forTrident,Lux, andChrysler in 2004.[3]
She portrayed Isabel Díaz in the video gameNeed for Speed: Most Wanted. In September 2014, Mendes joined the main cast ofTotal Divas, areality television show produced by WWE andE!,[72][73] in which she was a main cast member during the third and the fifth season.[74] Mendes appeared in one WWEvideo game. She made her in-game debut atWWE 2K16 as a selectablemanager.
Film and television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | WWE Diva Search | Self; contestant | 4th place, 8 episodes |
| 2009 | WWE Hall of Fame 2009 | Self; audience | TV special |
| 2010 | WWE Hall of Fame 2010 | Self; audience | TV special |
| 2013 | The JBL & Cole Show with Renee Young | Rosa Mendes | 1 episode |
| 2014–2017 | Total Divas | Self; cast member | 34 episodes |
| 2015 | Sidewalk Entertainment | Self; guest | 1 episode |
| Swerved | Self; recurring | 4 episodes | |
| 2018 | Miz & Mrs. | Self; guest | 1 episode |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Need for Speed: Most Wanted | Isabel Díaz | |
| 2014 | WWE SuperCard | Rosa Mendes | |
| 2015 | WWE 2K16 | Rosa Mendes | Non-playable character |
Roucka has trained inkickboxing,Muay Thai andBrazilian Jiu-Jitsu.[5] She citesTrish Stratus as her inspiration for becoming a wrestler. She has a Chinese tattoo which consists of adorned wings and a halo, on the right side of her waist. On May 18, 2012, she sufferedwhiplash in a car accident.[75]
Rouckacame out onTotal Divas asbisexual in 2014.[76] But, in a later interview, stated that she was straight.[77] On August 6, 2015, Roucka announced that she and her partner, musician and clothing company owner Bobby Schubenski, were expecting their first child, a girl, whom she planned to name Jordan Elizabeth.[65] On October 8, Roucka and Schubenski got engaged inParis, France.[78] As part of the pregnancy, Roucka moved toPittsburgh so that the baby could be closer to Schubenski's family.[79] She gave birth to Jordan Elizabeth on February 13, 2016.[67]
,Cagematch,Wrestlingdata,Internet Wrestling Database