Wrestling ~ Melina Nava Perez

Melina Nava Perez was born on March 9, 1979, in Los Angeles, California. Though raised in an athletic household (her father was a boxer while her mother worked out on a regular basis), Melina Perez initially found herself drawn toward endeavors of a distinctly artistic nature. “When I was young and around my family, you could say I was a little diva,” Melina Perez explains. “I’d dance around, and I’d pretend like I was a little ballerina. I was always in my own little world.”

She subsequently spent the majority of her adolescent years pursuing a variety of non-athletic goals, including a stint in her school’s choir and a brief attempt at becoming a journalist. Melina Perez’s popularity among her fellow students played in instrumental role in her gig as Homecoming Queen: “I was never in one set clique,” she says. “I got along with everyone. [Being Homecoming Queen] was important to me because I represented all of my friends.”
It was thanks to one of her pals that Melina Perez first got into the wrestling scene, as she was encouraged to include the sport as part of her rigorous workout regimen. Her almost instantaneous ability at picking up wrestling’s various moves and holds proved instrumental in her decision to pursue a career within the industry, and, in the early part of 2000, Melina Perez took the first steps toward becoming a professional by signing up for sessions at Jesse Hernandez’s School of Hard Knocks.


Melina's Wrestling Debut
Melina Perez made her debut in early 2002 under such ring names as Kyra and Melanie Little Deer, and it wasn’t long before she found herself gaining a reputation as a promising up-and-coming performer within both the Empire Wrestling Federation and the women-only CRUSH Wrestling. Later that year, Melina Perez signed up for a stint on the World Wrestling Entertainment’s reality show Tough Enough III, but was eliminated in the very first episode.

Undeterred, Melina Perez spent the next couple of years honing her skills and building up a devoted fan base. In March 2004, Melina Perez landed her highest-profile gig to date after she was added to Ohio Valley Wrestling’s roster of performers. She was eventually paired with Johnny Nitro and Joey Mercury, with the trio -- now known as MNM -- going on to win the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship in November of that year.


Melina's Ring Entrance
Melina is known for her ring entrance, which is a display of her flexibility. Standing beside the ring, she lifts her right leg onto the apron, then lifts her left leg, performing the splits, and then bends her upper body under the bottom rope. Michael Cole and Tazz were quick to label this "the greatest ring entrance in the history of sports entertainment." On RAW, she added another variation to this entrance where she stands on the apron before performing the splits and sliding under the ring.