Torrie Wilson

Torrie Wilson

Torrie Anne Wilson (born July 24, 1975), known now simply by her ring name, Torrie Wilson, has gained notoriety as an asset to that Mecca of ferocious faux fun that is professional wrestling. She currently is working for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) under the RAW brand, as a valet, escorting the professional wrestlers into the ring before a crowd of thousands, and also as a Diva, employed primarily as "eye candy" and only sometimes as a wrestler. Wilson is intent on becoming a legitimate actress one day, though the leap from the wrestling ring to the big screen has yet to be fully accomplished (Chyna, coming the closest to achieving success in the entertainment industry, yet she is still far from what anyone would call a legitimate actress.)

Early Life

Born in Boise, Idaho, Wilson moved to the small town of McCall, Idaho (population 2,500) after her parents divorced when she was only 10. Shy as a child, she found solace in after school activities and began to display her physical prowess on many of the sports teams in school, quickly finding her niche in cheerleading, dance, and in track and field.

As a sophomore, Wilson began to develop an interest in modeling and her mother urged her to pursue it. When an agency owner informed her that she would have to drop some weight in order to make it in the business, Wilson lost a few pounds. However, her diet soon spiraled out of control, and she developed the serious eating disorder, bulimia, which consumed her for four more years.

Though, modeling opportunities began to trickle in after high school from New York and Los Angeles, Wilson opted not to stray from her hometown for fear of relapsing.

Hesitant to get caught up in the fashion industry so soon after recovering from an eating disorder, Wilson set her sights on maintaining a healthy physic and became engrossed in the fitness world. In 1996, she decided to compete in the Ms. Galaxy competition, and followed a strict diet and exercise regimen. With overall health and fitness as her main priority, Wilson placed in the top third in her first competition.

The next year, with the help of a coach and a grueling regimen, the 5' 9" (36-25-36) Wilson entered the same competition and achieved victory as Ms. Galaxy in St. Petersburg, Florida. Several magazine covers and pictorial work followed, including Natural Muscle; Wilson became interested in extending her talent further into acting, and took the leap away from the comfort of her hometown, and to the allure of Los Angeles.

Career

She moved to Los Angeles in 1998 and began taking acting classes. A friend introduced Wilson to an agent who helped her land a few small jobs. However, in 1998, Wilson and her then boyfriend went to a World Championship Wrestling (WCW) show in Los Angeles.

Wilson had never been to a wrestling match before and on her first visit to the show, she was asked by prominent wrestler Scott Steiner to walk him to the ring for his match: she made an immediate impression.

She later signed with World Championship Wrestling and her first major role was as a valet to wrestler David Flair, the son of Ric Flair. Wilson was enamored with the energy rush she got from the experience and she was soon offered the chance to join the WCW family.

Discovered by wrestler Kevin Nash during his days with WCW, she began her career in small roles as a valet for some of the league's contenders, accompanying them to the ring. When World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) bought out WCW, Wilson made her debut as one of the WWE's Divas. Aside from escorting wrestlers, she also occasionally steps into the ring, appearing in scantily-clad outfits, and acting out wrestling matches, such as "Bikini" or "Lingerie" matches with other Divas such as Sable, Stacy Keibler and Trish Stratus of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Another common match for a Diva in the ring is the "ingerie pillow fight," a pillow fight between Divas near a bed full of pillows inside the wrestling ring. Some of the divas incorporate provocative moves into their moveset. For example, Wilson does the "stinkface" where she rubs her butt in her opponents face.

Other Opportunities

Joining the WWF and acting as a valet and Diva has garnered Wilson many other opportunities. She has found a profitable niche also posing for Playboy magazine and WWE Divas Magazine; however, her work in Playboy is mostly touted to drum up internal wrestling industry rivalry with some of the other women in the WWE.

She has also taken part in the WWE Divas Bahamas in November 2001, and was on the front cover of the December issue of RAW Magazine; and was featured in the WWE Divas 2002 Magazine, the “Tropical Pleasure DVD/Video,” and the “WWE Divas Undressed Special.”

Wilson was the cover girl for the May 2003 issue of Playboy magazine, which sold over one million copies. However, In March 2004, both Wilson and Sable appeared in Playboy together and subsequently took part in a "Playboy Evening Gown Match" against Stacy Kibler and Jackie Gayda at Wrestlemania 20.

In 2006, Wilson was named the twenty-second Most Desirable Woman in the World according to "Askmen.com," and in 2007, she was named the sixty-fifth Most Desirable Woman in the World according to "Askmen.com."

Personal Life

It was during the beginning of her time with the WWF when she met wrestler, Pete Gruner otherwise known as Billy Kidman. She eventually became Billy's valet and they traveled together on the road and fell in love with each other in real-life. The two worked together in WCW for a while as part of the Filthy Animals, a WCW stable of wrestlers that were known for playing younger trouble makers that made fun of older wrestling veterans.

In July 2003, she and Billy Kidman married.