Monday, July 23, 2007

Stacy Keibler

Stacy Keibler (born October 14, 1979) is an American actress, and former professional wrestler and manager for World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment.
Career
World Championship Wrestling
In 1999, Keibler entered a contest held by WCW to find a new member of Nitro Girls dance troupe, which she won. Initially a Nitro Girl, Keibler would perform dance routines every week on WCW's flagship show Monday Nitro under the name Skye. However, this didn't last long as she soon accepted a larger role and became a valet using the provocative stage name Miss Hancock (originally Miss Handcock), briefly serving as an associate for the tag team of Lenny Lane and Lodi dubbed "Standards and Practices". Despite wearing business suits, her character would often climb on top of the announcers table and start dancing sensually. It was also during this period that she began using what would become her trademark ring entrance. At 5' 11", Keibler was one of few women in professional wrestling tall enough to step over the middle of three ropes that surround the ring.

For a brief period, she dated David Flair (both on screen and off), who was already involved in a faux relationship with Daffney. This led to Keibler's in-ring debut at the Bash at the Beach in a Wedding Gown Match, which she lost after she, as well as David Flair and the referee, were left in the ring in their underwear. Keibler removed her own gown.

Hancock was next brought into a brief feud with Kimberly Page, but Page quit the company at the beginning of the feud after problems with Scott Steiner and a refusal to wrestle Keibler on Pay-Per View.

Keibler and Flair began a feud with the Misfits in Action stable, which saw her fall to Major Gunns in a mud wrestling match at New Blood Rising.

In another notable angle, Keibler feigned pregnancy and later broke up with Flair. Originally, the angle called for her to reveal the baby's father as Vince Russo. She began to use her real name and became the valet for Shawn Stasiak.

World Wrestling Entertainment
2001-2003
When WCW was purchased by the WWF in 2001, her contract was one of 24 that were retained by the WWF. She portrayed a heel character in The Alliance. She made her WWF TV debut on the June 14, 2001 episode of SmackDown! when Shane McMahon brought her to the ring to distract Rhyno, causing him to lose a match. Keibler originally teamed up with real-life friend Torrie Wilson and the pair feuded with WWF Divas Trish Stratus and Lita. During this feud, the four Divas competed in the first-ever tag team bra and panties match at the WWF Invasion pay-per-view which Trish and Lita won.

Towards the end of the WCW/ECW Invasion, Keibler managed The Dudley Boyz, during which time she was nicknamed the "Duchess of Dudleyville" by announcer Paul Heyman. An early highlight of her career, Keibler made her WrestleMania debut at WrestleMania X8 alongside The Dudleyz. Keibler's main angle at the time was getting pantsed by her opponent. Jacqueline, Spike Dudley, and Torrie Wilson were among those to strip Keibler. During this time, she also feuded with former ally Torrie Wilson after Wilson left The Alliance. Keibler helped The Dudley Boyz put Torrie through a table. However, Torrie got her revenge after first giving Keibler a wedgie and pantsing her on an episode of SmackDown!. She then defeated Keibler in the first-ever lingerie match at No Mercy 2001. Keibler's role with the Dudley Boyz came to an abrupt end when she was powerbombed through a table after accidentally costing the team a match. Keibler was still a heel after the Alliance broke up. She set her sights upon the WWE Women's Championship at Judgment Day 2002 facing Trish Stratus in a losing effort. She would face Stratus a few more times in the proceeding weeks, losing every time.

Keibler was originally drafted to the SmackDown! brand in 2002, where she participated in a comedy segment involving WWE Chairman Vince McMahon hiring a personal assistant. McMahon was ready to hire another attractive female until Keibler interrupted and demonstrated why she should get the job by giving him a table dance in the ring. Keibler became Vince's personal assistant as well as his on-screen mistress, frequently shown flirting and even 'making out' with him in backstage segments, until Stephanie McMahon became general manager of the SmackDown! brand. Dawn Marie made her debut on SmackDown! as Vince's legal assistant, who competed with Keibler for McMahon's affections.

A key storyline for Keibler's on-screen character occurred when she left SmackDown! for RAW. Keibler made her official RAW debut on August 12, 2002. After her acquisition was announced by then-General Manager Eric Bischoff, she greeted the cheering crowd and then removed her skirt as she performed one of her signature table dances on the RAW announcer's table. During her ensuing time on RAW, Keibler managed Scott Steiner and Test, the latter of which was her real-life boyfriend at the time. She was also involved in the eventual feud between these two. As Test's on-screen marketing agent, she came up with the idea that Test should call his fans "Testicles," cut his hair and reshape his image. However, Test became jealous of Keibler wanting to also be Steiner's manager. During a match on RAW, Test turned heel and began verbally abusing Keibler. Steiner managed to defeat Test for Keibler's services, and Keibler seemed happy as Steiner's new manager, as the two characters even alluded to having more than a professional relationship. Test, however, was not happy at all, and petitioned for an intergender tag team match, pitting himself and former rival Chris Jericho against Scott and Keibler, to win back the services of Keibler. Test faked a leg injury to pick up the win.

A match was set for Unforgiven 2003, the stipulation being if Test won, he would not only retain Keibler's services, but acquire those of Scott Steiner as well. During the match, Keibler's interference backfired and Test won the match and the services of both Keibler and Steiner. Steiner would then turn heel by attacking Keibler when she botched another interference on the next RAW. For a time, Test and Steiner would work as a tag team, sharing the services of Keibler. Finally, General Manager Mick Foley put a stop to the abusive Test and Steiner and freed Keibler from her obligatory contracts with the pair by temporarily firing them.

2004
Keibler was chosen to record a track on the album WWE Originals. She and WWE music producer Jim Johnston recorded the track "Why Can't We Just Dance?" for the album. Other tracks were performed by Superstars such as Chris Jericho, Lilian Garcia, and John Cena, each of which had their own music career. Her track was used on an episode of RAW for herself, during the 2004 RAW Diva Search and even on the Viva Las Diva of the WWE DVD.

Keibler then got involved with SmackDown! Divas Torrie Wilson and Sable. She aligned herself with Miss Jackie and they made it clear to everyone that they belonged in Playboy, not Wilson and Sable.Keibler and Jackie challenged Sable and Wilson to a Tag Team Evening Gown Match at Wrestlemania 20, which they lost. Jackie ended up losing the fall to Wilson. The feud was dropped after the match.

As one of the more popular RAW face Divas, Keibler took over the 2004 RAW Diva Search for a few weeks. That was followed by a dance competition with Molly. This led to a push with her participating in several tag matches against the heel girls, then WWE Diva, Gail Kim; then heel and then WWE Diva, Trish Stratus; and then WWE Diva, Molly Holly. Her partners were WWE star, Nidia and then babyface, Victoria. Keibler showed off much improved wrestling skills, managing to get upset victories over Molly, Gail, and Trish. She even got herself a Women's Championship title match on October 11, 2004. However, Trish defeated her to retain the title. Keibler also competed in the first-ever Fulfill your Fantasy Diva Battle Royal for the WWE Women's Championship at the 2004 Taboo Tuesday Pay-Per-View along with Victoria, Nidia, Gail Kim, Molly Holly, Jazz & the champion Trish. She got eliminated second to last as she was jumping over the top rope to avoid hitting the turnbuckle, Molly punched her in the face and knocked her off the apron thus eliminating her.

Keibler was voted as the 2004 WWE Babe of the Year, being the first WWE Diva to defeat Trish Stratus in the Babe of the Year competition (Stratus was 2001-2003 Babe of the Year). As a result of this, Keibler appeared on RAW following her victory and told everyone that she would bend over backwards to make the fans happy. Keibler's Babe of the Year photoshoots would be posted on WWE's official website on a monthly basis throughout 2005.

2005
Keibler had a brief run as Super Stacy, complete with her own superhero costume.
Keibler soon began a short angle with popular superstar Randy Orton. She supported him from backstage and was never considered his manager. As Randy challenged The Undertaker to a match at WrestleMania 21, Randy ended the relationship by giving her an RKO, justifying this evil act by claiming he was demonstrating just how ruthless he could be in order to defeat The Undertaker. In the end, Keibler's involvement with Orton was a device for his inevitable heel turn. Orton was the third on-screen boyfriend to betray Keibler.

Keibler would go on to join forces with Hurricane and Rosey. She became 1/3 of their trio as Super Stacy, complete with her own superhero costume. During this time, Keibler was credited as having one of her best matches to date with WWE Diva, Victoria, on an international edition of WWE Heat.

After a long tenure on Monday nights, Keibler and fellow RAW Diva Christy Hemme were moved to SmackDown! as part of a trade, bringing Torrie Wilson and Candice Michelle to RAW.Upon their debut, the two former RAW Divas participated in a bra and panties pillow fight that was deemed too hot for television (the match could be viewed on WWE's official website. After a short absence, Keibler started a short feud with Jillian Hall, which lead to the two having a match on Velocity, during which Hall captured the victory through cheating. The match represented Keibler's final match and final appearance on WWE television.
2006
Keibler appeared on the hit show Dancing with the Stars (see Outside of wrestling), placing third. Recaps were aired weekly on RAW, which was believed to be because of a conflict with SmackDown! and UPN not wanting to promote a rival network. After a few weeks, her profile was moved from SmackDown! back to RAW.

In April 2006, Vegas Magazine reported that Keibler was done with WWE and moving on to other endeavors. Keibler posted a message on her official website saying that her WWE contract expired on July 21, 2006, and she went on to sign a contract with ABC Studios, formerly Touchstone Television, which is owned by Disney.
Outside of wrestling
For several months, Keibler wrote a monthly fitness column for Stuff Magazine titled Getting Fit. Although her legs are famed for their length and beauty, she has great strength as well. In one issue, she speaks of how she recently attempted a 450 lb leg press. Although unable to push it, she did manage a 405lb leg press. In addition to posing for a total of five full pictorials, Keibler has graced the cover of Stuff Magazine twice, in June 2005 and March 2006. Maxim named her #5 in their 2006 Hot 100 issue and #70 in their 2007 Hot 100.

She competed in the second season of Dancing with the Stars. Her dance partner was ballroom dancer Tony Dovolani. Keibler managed to score a perfect 10 in the earliest round of the competition ever. Keibler received a perfect score of 30 from the three judges for her samba dance routine in week five. This prompted the judges to nickname her a "weapon of mass seduction." The following week, two perfect scores were awarded, one going to Keibler, the other to fellow contestant Drew Lachey. Overall, Keibler and Tony received four perfect scores. Keibler came in third to Jerry Rice, who placed second in the final round of the competition, and Lachey, the winner of the season. However, some viewers and two of the judges, Bruno Tonioli and Len Goodman, felt she should've at least placed second.
Keibler has also appeared on MTV's Punk'd twice. Once, as an accomplice to Triple H's punk, along with Stephanie McMahon, in season five. Keibler was then seen again in season seven, this time being Punk'd herself by her boyfriend, Geoff Stults.

Keibler (along with Stults) is part-owner of the Hollywood Fame, a 2006 expansion franchise of the American Basketball Association.
In February 2007, Keibler began her recurring role on ABC's Monday night dramedy, What About Brian. She plays the role of Brian's new neighbour and love interest, Stephanie. This marks Keibler's first significant acting role, compared to her previous minor roles in both "Bubble Boy" and "Pecker".

Keibler also guest starred on The George Lopez Show on ABC when the show returned in January. According to an interview on E! Television, she hopes to have her own sitcom soon and is also working on The Comebacks, a comedy film produced by Punk'd producer Adam Goldberg.

Keibler has also worked as an entertainment correspondent for the ABC show Good Morning America, covering the premiere of the fourth series of Dancing with the Stars.