Michelle McCool is an American former professional wrestler who made history in WWE as the first Divas Champion and Unified Divas Champion.
She won the women’s championship twice, becoming the only female wrestler to hold both titles.
She was known for her athleticism, charisma and beauty in the ring and for feuding with some of the most famous female wrestlers of the time, such as Melina, Beth Phoenix and Layla.
She retired from wrestling in 2011 and married Mark Calaway, aka The Undertaker, one of the most legendary and respected wrestlers ever.
File
- Full Name: Michelle Leigh Calaway (née McCool)
- Date of birth: January 25, 1980
- Age: 43 years old
- Gender: Female
- Place of birth: Palatka, Florida, United States
- Nationality: American
- Occupation: Retired professional wrestler
- Height: 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
- Parents: Terry McCool and Mary McCool
- Siblings: Jeremy Louis Alexander (brother)
- Spouse: Mark Calaway (The Undertaker) (married 2010)
- Children: Kaia Faith Calaway (daughter), one son (name unknown)
- Relationship status: Married
- Net worth: $3.5 million
Early life and education
Michelle McCool, now 43, was born on January 25, 1980, in Palatka, Florida, to Terry and Mary McCool.
Her father is a director, and her mother is a teacher. She has an older brother, Jeremy, who plays football at the University of Cincinnati. She grew up in a Catholic family and attended private school.
She was an active and competitive child, excelling in basketball, softball, and volleyball. She also participated in track, gymnastics, and cheerleading. She graduated from high school in 1998 and received a scholarship to play basketball at Florida State University.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in science and master’s degree in educational leadership from FSU. She also works as a seventh-grade science teacher at a middle school in Palatka.
Personal life
Michelle McCool married Mark Calaway, The Undertaker, on June 26, 2010. They met in 2007 when they were both working for WWE and began dating shortly thereafter.
They have two children together: a daughter named Kaia Faith, born August 29, 2012, and a son, whose name has not been revealed to the public, born in 2020.
The Undertaker also has three other children from previous marriages: Gunner, Chasey, and Gracie. Michelle and Mark live in Austin, Texas, and are very private about their personal lives.
They rarely appear together in public, except for some WWE events and charity work.
Career
Michelle McCool began her wrestling career in 2004 when she participated in WWE Diva Search, a reality television show that sought new female talent for the company.
She was one of the finalists but did not win the competition. However, she impressed WWE officials enough to earn a contract and join the SmackDown brand.
She debuted as a fan favorite in several segments and matches with other divas, such as Torrie Wilson, Dawn Marie, and Joy Giovanni. She also served as the personal assistant to the general manager, Theodore Long, and had a brief romance with Orlando Jordan.
In 2006, she suffered a broken nose and sternum in a match with Melina, which put her out of action for several months. She returned in 2007 as a villain, aligning with Kristal Marshall and Jillian Hall, and wrestling Ashley Massaro and Mickie James.
She also became the first woman to participate in and win a mixed tag team match at WrestleMania, when she teamed with Booker T to defeat The Boogeyman and Sharmell at WrestleMania 23.
In 2008, she underwent a major career change when she changed her look and attitude and began calling herself “Queen of American country music“ .
She became more aggressive and dominant in the ring and challenged for the newly created Divas Championship, exclusive to the SmackDown brand.
At The Great American Bash, she defeated Natalya in the tournament finals to become the inaugural Divas Champion on July 20, 2008. She held the title for five months before losing it to Maryse on December 26, 2008.
In 2009, she moved to the Raw brand, where she continued to pursue the Divas Championship. She regained the title from Melina on June 28, 2009, at The Bash, becoming the first woman to win the title twice. She also became friends with Mickie James, the Women’s Champion.
However, she quickly turned her back on her and started a heated argument, mocking her weight and calling her “James the pig” She also linked up with Layla, another diva who shares her views. They call themselves “Cooling” and became one of the most infamous and successful couples in WWE history.
They dominated the women’s division and often interfered in each other’s matches to help each other retain their titles. Michelle lost the Divas Championship to Melina on January 31, 2010, at the Royal Rumble but regained the title on February 22, 2010, on Raw, when she and Layla attacked Melina and invoked her rematch clause.
She then unified the Divas Championship and the Women’s Championship by defeating Beth Phoenix on the May 14, 2010, episode of SmackDown, becoming the first and only unified Divas Champion. She also became the first woman to hold both titles at the same time and the second person to hold both titles in her career, after Trish Stratus.
In 2010, she and Layla continued to feud with various divas, such as Kelly Kelly, Tiffany, and Kaval. They also had a brief alliance with Vickie Guerrero, who was the general manager of SmackDown.
They also faced some challenges from NXT rookies vying for WWE contracts, with Kaitlyn, Vickie and Naomi, who finished second in the competition, being particularly targeted.
They also have a rivalry with Melina, who claims to be the rightful Divas Champion as she has never lost the title in any match.
They faced her and Eve Torres in a tag team match at Night of Champions, where they lost both the Divas Championship and the Women’s Championship, ending their Unified Divas Championship reign.
In 2011, Michelle and Layla began to have some tension when they both claimed to be co-Divas champions and argued over who was the better wrestler.
They also faced some new opponents, such as Natalya and Beth Phoenix, who called themselves “Goddesses of Death” and wanted to end the era of “Barbie“the goddesses”.
They challenged them to a tag team match at WrestleMania 27, where they lost. They then had a rematch at Extreme Rules, where they faced each other in a “The loser leaves WWE” match, with Layla’s career at stake. Michelle lost the match and was attacked by Layla after the match, ending their partnership and friendship.
She then received a Tombstone Piledriver from The Undertaker, who suddenly appeared and was carried out of the arena by him. This was her last appearance in WWE, as she announced her retirement from wrestling shortly afterwards.
Net worth
Michelle McCool has an estimated net worth of $3.5 million.
She earned the majority of her fortune from her wrestling career, where she is one of the highest-paid female wrestlers in WWE. She also earns some money from endorsements, appearances, and merchandise sales.
Argumentative
Michelle McCool has been involved in many controversies, both on screen and off, throughout her wrestling career.
Some of the most notable are:
Her feud with Mickie James, when she and Layla mocked her weight and called her a “Piggy James.” This was widely criticized by fans and critics, who found it insensitive, bullying, and body-shaming.
The incident also sparked backlash from Mickie’s friends and colleagues, such as Maria Kanellis and Gail Kim, who defended her and criticized Michelle and Layla for their behavior.
Michelle later apologized for the storyline, saying it was not her idea but the WWE creative team’s. She also said that she and Mickie are friends in real life and that Mickie is a great performer and person.
Her relationship with The Undertaker reportedly caused jealousy and tension backstage among other wrestlers and staff.
Some have accused her of using her influence to get better deals and opportunities and bury other talent. She has also been blamed for some of The Undertaker’s decisions, such as his feud with Brock Lesnar and his retirement match with Roman Reigns.
Michelle denied these allegations and said that she and The Undertaker kept their personal and professional lives separate and never interfered with his or anyone else’s career. She also said that she respected and supported The Undertaker and that he was the love of her life.
Her retirement from wrestling was sudden and unexpected to many fans and colleagues. She retired on May 1, 2011, just a week after losing to Layla at Extreme Rules. She stated that she wanted to spend more time with her family and was grateful for her wrestling career and her fans.
She also said she had a number of health problems, such as a broken toe, a torn synovial capsule and a torn medial collateral ligament, that made it difficult for her to perform to her full potential.
She received a tribute from WWE and a standing ovation from the crowd. She also received thanks and admiration from many of her fellow wrestlers, such as John Cena, Randy Orton, and Trish Stratus.
Social media
- Instagram Name: @mimicalacool
- Twitter Username: @McCoolMichelleL
