Maria Kanellis

Maria Kanellis
Kanellis in 2012
Birth nameMary Louis Kanellis
Born (1982-02-25) February 25, 1982 (age 42)[1]
Ottawa, Illinois, U.S.[2][3]
Alma materNorthern Illinois University
Johnson & Wales University
Spouse(s)
​
(m. 2014)​
Children2
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Maria[4]
Maria Kanellis[5]
Maria Kanellis-Bennett
Billed height5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)[6]
Billed weight120 lb (54 kg)[1]
Billed fromChicago, Illinois[4]
Trained byOhio Valley Wrestling[3]
Fit Finlay
Debut2004[1]

Mary Louis "Maria" Kanellis-Bennett[7][8][9] (born February 25, 1982)[1] is an American professional wrestler, manager, promoter, singer and model. She is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and Ring of Honor (ROH) as the on-screen manager for the tag team of Cole Karter and Griff Garrison, and is also the co-owner and founder of the independent promotion Women's Wrestling Army (WWA).[10] She is best known for her tenures in WWE and TNA.

Outside of wrestling, she is known for her 2008 Playboy magazine pictorial and 2010 appearances on the Celebrity Apprentice television series.

Kanellis' career began as a contestant on the reality show Outback Jack in 2004. In the same year, she placed fifth in the Diva Search, and was later hired by WWE as a backstage interviewer. Kanellis began competing in the ring as a professional wrestler in 2005 and received the Slammy Award for Diva of the Year in 2009. She released her debut album Sevin Sins in 2010 and departed WWE later that year. After departing WWE, she worked for Ring of Honor (ROH) and Impact Wrestling - then Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) - often appearing with her husband Mike Bennett. In TNA, she is a former TNA Knockouts Champion. Along with Bennett, she returned to WWE from 2017 to 2020 and held the WWE 24/7 Championship once, and as it was during her pregnancy, that made her the first ever pregnant champion in WWE history.

  1. ^ a b c d "Maria Kanellis". Online World of Wrestling. Archived from the original on May 30, 2012. Retrieved May 9, 2012.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference mh1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference philly was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b "Maria". WWE. Archived from the original on November 12, 2017. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
  5. ^ "Maria Kanellis returns to WWE with her husband Mike Kanellis". WWE. Archived from the original on June 19, 2017. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Love Note 6 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Instagram post by Maria Kanellis-Bennett • May 22, 2017 at 11:29am UTC". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 26, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  8. ^ "Maria Kanellis: "This is Me" – Diva Dirt". August 6, 2013. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  9. ^ "Mary Kanellis-Bennett". Facebook. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
  10. ^ Carey, Ian (April 14, 2022). "Maria Kanellis launching 'Women's Wrestling Army' project". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Archived from the original on November 11, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.