– Torrie’s career began long before 1997 as she went from having an eating disorder to finding fitness
– She excelled in the fitness world in 1997 moving to Los Angeles from Boise, Idaho
– She started gracing the covers of magazines and taking part in fitness shoots
– She won the Miss Galaxy competition in 1998 and Tri-Fitness Grace & Physique Champion 1998 and met fellow Divas Victoria and Trish Stratus who were fitness models at the time
– She did some minor acting but started becoming a big name in the fitness industry
– While backstage at a WCW show in 1999, she was spotted and asked to work the show, this led to more which led to well you know
– She appeared in WCW in 1999 through 2001 when it was bought by WWF (WWE) working with big stars such as Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair
– Torrie was one of the top valets in wrestling during WCW managing tag teams and working main event angles and long time rival Stacy Keibler
– She was the winner of WCW Magazine’s 1999 Female of the Year and the only female to be crowned “Miss NWO”
– Her beauty and girl next door look and fitness skills caught the eye of WWE and was signed in the summer of 2001
– Torrie went on to grow up in front of the fans, training as she went, becoming a household name within months as she appeared next to and feuded Stacy Keibler
– She became equally a big valet as she was an on screen character that fans fell in love with immediately
– She participated in the first ever tag team bra and panties match and became the center of those gimmick matches
– There is no shame in any of that as Torrie was able to show her beauty and her talent all in one
– Torrie was one of the first women to be put through a table by the Dudley Boyz
– Torrie was drafted to Smackdown in 2002 and went on to become Smackdown’s top female star through 2005
– Won the first and only WWE Divas Golden Thong Award in 2002
– Has competed against and been in angles with many of WWE’s top stars early on in her career
– Torrie’s real life father got to be a part of a storyline with her

Early Life – Wilson was born in Boise, Idaho. She claims that while growing up she was painfully shy as a child. Wilson found her niche in many school activities, including cheerleading, dance, and was very competitive in track and field. During her sophomore year of high school, after Wilson’s interest in modeling grew more serious, her mother urged her to pursue it. They visited an agency and were informed that Wilson would have to lose weight to be considered for jobs. In the process of losing weight, she began a bout with anorexia nervosa and then bulimia that lasted from ages 14-to-20. After recovering from the disorder, Wilson became involved in fitness. She began eating six meals a day and working out. She placed third in her first competition, and she later won the Miss Galaxy competition in 1998.She then spent some time on the Extreme Fitness Team. As part of the Women’s Tri-Fitness Championships in 1998, Wilson won first place in the Grace and Physique round. Later in 1998, Wilson moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting. She began acting classes and was introduced to an agent who helped her gain a few jobs.

Professional Wrestling Career – World Championship Wrestling (1999–2000) – Wilson’s start in wrestling came when she attended a World Championship Wrestling (WCW) show with her boyfriend in 1999. After going backstage, she was asked to walk out to the ring with Scott Steiner. Later, Kevin Nash expressed an interest in doing a storyline with her. She debuted as “Samantha” on the February 11, 1999 episode of Thunder. Wilson was brought in by the New World Order (nWo) to seduce David Flair into turning against his father, Ric Flair. They appeared together on February 21 at SuperBrawl IX when Wilson slapped Ric, and David zapped him with a taser. After Ric won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship from Hollywood Hogan at Uncensored inside a Barbed Wire Steel Cage match, David and Wilson took some time off from WCW television in April before returning in May to accompany David to the ring for matches. At the 1999 Bash at the Beach, Wilson acted as a valet for Flair as he successfully defended the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship against Dean Malenko.

She continued to accompany David to the ring until September when David was on the telephone with Wilson and later found out that Wilson was in the Filthy Animals’ locker room flirting with Billy Kidman, which resulted in a feud between Flair and Kidman. On the October 18, 1999 episode of Nitro, Wilson turned on him, resulting in Flair losing the match and the Animals beating on him; after the Animals stopped assaulting David, Wilson left with the Filthy Animals. It was around this time that Wilson began managing Kidman and his Filthy Animals teammates. As a result, she found herself involved in the Animals continuing feud with The Revolution. On the November 22, 1999 episode of Nitro, during a tag team match between Kidman and Konnan facing Creative Control for the WCW World Tag Team Championship, Kidman looked up at the Turnertron and saw that Wilson and Eddie Guerrero were shown flirting inside his locker room on the “Kidcam”, a hidden camera segment, which led to a storyline feud between Kidman and Guerrero. Following this, Wilson once again disappeared from television. Wilson however returned on the January 19, 2000 episode of Thunder managing Kidman, and in April 2000, Kidman and Wilson joined a stable known as the New Blood, making them both villainous characters. As part of their newest storyline, Kidman became jealous of the attention Wilson began to give to fellow New Blood member Horace Hogan. In June, Wilson gave Kidman a hit at the Great American Bash, causing him to lose to Horace’s uncle, Hulk Hogan.

Wilson was taken off of television following the encounter, reappearing at July’s Bash at the Beach during a match between Shane Douglas and Buff Bagwell. After the match, Wilson and Douglas left together, which led to a feud between Kidman and Douglas.At September’s Fall Brawl, Wilson and Douglas defeated Kidman and Madusa in a mixed tag team match with scaffolding erected above the ring. Wilson was released from WCW in December 2000.

World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment – The Invasion and feuding with Dawn Marie (2001–2003) – Wilson made her television debut as a heel on the June 28, 2001 episode of SmackDown! as part of The Alliance during the Invasion angle in 2001. In her first storyline with the company, she portrayed Vince McMahon’s latest affair. She also regularly teamed with fellow WCW performer Stacy Keibler. The duo made their wrestling debuts in a Bra and Panties match against Lita and Trish Stratus at the InVasion pay-per-view, which Stratus and Lita won by stripping their opponents to their underwear. The following night on Raw, Wilson defeated Stratus in a Paddle on a Pole match. Despite her relative lack of in-ring experience, Wilson, alongside Keibler and Ivory, regularly feuded with the Divas, as well as interfering in matches on behalf of other wrestlers in The Alliance.

She became a face during the Invasion storyline when her character began an on-screen romance with Tajiri. This new romance caused Keibler to turn against Wilson, and as a result of this, Wilson defected to the WWF. Wilson defeated Keibler in the first ever lingerie match at No Mercy. When the first ever brand separation of the company roster took place in April 2002, Wilson was drafted to SmackDown! Shortly after this, as part of the storyline, Tajiri soon became jealous over the increased attention that Wilson received from other men, so he forced her to wear a geisha outfit, and he also appeared to mistreat her in matches. She depantsed Rico on the April 25, 2002 version of SmackDown! Wilson finally grew tired of this, and during Tajiri’s match against The Hurricane, she got on top of the announcer’s table and stripped off her clothing. The distraction allowed The Hurricane to pick up the win. At Rebellion, Wilson and her real life boyfriend at the time Billy Kidman defeated John Cena and Dawn Marie in an intergender tag team match. After the match, Wilson and Kidman kissed. Wilson then got her first WWE Women’s Championship match on SmackDown! after Women’s Champion Molly Holly invaded the show interrupting Wilson’s photoshoot and challenging her to a match in which Wilson was unsuccessful in winning.

Wilson started a controversial feud with Dawn Marie in September 2002, in which Dawn would start a relationship with Wilson’s real-life father Al Wilson. On the October 17 episode of SmackDown!, Wilson teamed up with Rikishi in a losing effort to the team of Dawn and Matt Hardy In response, Wilson defeated Dawn at No Mercy in October. Soon afterwards, Dawn would get engaged to Al, and told Wilson that she would break it off if she spent a night in a hotel room with her, though Dawn would later reveal this was a lie. Dawn would eventually show footage of this at Armageddon. The feud continued into 2003 when Dawn and Al got married on the January 2 episode of SmackDown! in their underwear. One week later, Al then, in storyline, died from a heart attack after having rigorous sex numerous times in succession on their honeymoon. Wilson defeated Dawn again to end the feud at the Royal Rumble in what was billed as a Stepmother vs. Stepdaughter match.

Stay tuned as our celebration of Torrie’s career continues ALL week long leading up to her Hall of Fame induction THIS SATURDAY!