Bodybuilding
Prior to wrestling, Coates aspired to become a professional tennis player after watching Martina Navratilova. In order to train effectively for tennis, Coates began weightlifting at 15, and during that same year, she entered her first tennis competition in 1984, where she lasted until the finals. She re-entered the following year and won the Mid-Canada Junior Girls Championship. However, she soon began to shift her attention from tennis to bodybuilding and entered her first contest in the early 1990s, where she won the overall lightweight category of the Windsor Physique Contest. After she began making prominence, Coates decided to move to Los Angeles and worked for two gyms and two bars to finance herself. After being granted professional status in 1995, she won the Jan Tana Classic in 1996. In 1999, she retired from bodybuilding and subsequently began working as a model.
She also competed in the first two seasons of Extreme Dodgeball on the Game Show Network. Her team, the Barbell Mafia team, qualified for the playoffs in the first season but failed to qualify the next year.
Melissa Coates
Personal Info
Birth
June 18, 1974 (1974-06-18) (age 35), Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
Professional Career
Pro-debut
1994 Canadian Nationals, 1994
Best win
1996 Jan Tana Classic Champion, 1994-1996
Professional wrestling career
Training and debut (20052006)
After training at both Killer Kowalski’s training school and Ultimate Pro Wrestling’s Ultimate University, Coates moved down to Louisville, Kentucky to begin training in World Wrestling Entertainment’s developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling. Coates then made an appearance at WWE’s Backlash, taking part in Chris Masters’ “Masterlock Challenge” segment, which offered $ 1000 to anyone who could break his Master Lock hold, which she failed to do. She was then placed in OVW as an official trainee and became the “head of security” for Kenny Bolin’s stable “Bolin’s Services”. Soon after, however, Coates left both OVW and WWE and went to work for World Xtreme Wrestling.
After defeating Krissy Vaine in her only match for WXW, Coates returned to OVW, albeit not under a WWE developmental contract, and soon began facing off with several of the OVW Divas, including Beth Phoenix, Mickie James, Melina Perez, and Jillian Hall before becoming the bodyguard of Jillian Hall. Then, along with Hall, she acted as a valet for the Toland Brothers (Chad and Tank Toland). After training in OVW, Coates then moved over to Deep South Wrestling and debuted for the territory as The Bag Lady, a homeless woman who became the love interest and eventually the manager of The Freakin’ Deacon. On February 22, 2007, the Bag Lady debuted a brand new “Diva” look and defeated Angel Williams in their subsequent match. The Bag Lady then began feuding with both Williams and Krissy Vaine before leaving DSW to wrestle on the independent circuit.
Independent circuit (2007resent)
Coates, as Mile High Melissa, in 2008
In her first appearances on the indy circuit after leaving DSW, Coates made her debut for Georgia’s Great Championship Wrestling on May 29 and won the NWA/GCW Women’s Championship from Daffney Unger. Coates continued to remain champion until the title was seemingly forgotten and thus deactivated in late 2007. Coates also made several appearances for other Georgia-based wrestling promotions in both a wrestling and non-wrestling role. On July 7, she made her debut for NWA Anarchy as a villain, challenging and defeating several male wrestlers in intergender matches. At NWA Anarchy’s Fright Night event, Coates teamed up with former fellow DSW wrestler Tony Santarelli to defeat Todd Sexton and referee Wes Grissom, the latter of whom Coates was feuding with. On December 15, Coates began an angle with Don Williams after Coates attacked Williams and his tag team partner Brodie Chase. All three were then entered into an Anarchy Battle Royal to determine the number one contender for the Television Championship, but both Coates and Williams were simultaneously eliminated and Williams began showing smitten affection towards her. On December 29, Williams publicly declared his affection towards Melissa, going as far as to say “I’m smitten like a kitten” before Coates struck him with a forearm smash to his jaw. However, Williams continued his tirade by saying “That’s what I love the most about you. It’s the foreplay.” The angle between the two continued until Williams’ tag team partner Brodie Chase revealed that he and Coates were together, effectively turning Chase into a villain. On May 31, 2008, Chase, with Coates in his corner, defeated Williams. Coates occasionally returns to NWA:ANARCHY and has posted victories over Krissy Vaine and 2ce over experienced MMA fighter Crystal Rose. Coates also made an appearance for Women’s Extreme Wrestling’s 2007 event Payback’s A Bitch, where she wrestled against Amber O’Neal. Following the match, she did a run-in accompanying fellow Canadians Dayhna, Kat Powers and Jaime D (Sirelda from TNA, who had a feud with TNA KNOCKOUT CHAMPION GAIL KIM) during a USA vs. Canada segment in the ring as a supporter of Canada. On the US team were Annie Social, April Hunter, Nurse T, and Amy Lee.
In April 2008, Melissa began a managerial role under the name Mile High Melissa, a flight attendant character. However, when wrestling, she continues to use her real name. She was soon joined by “Captain” Mike Flyte and the pair became known as The Flight Crew and in July 2008, they were joined by “Captain” Jason Static. The group primarily competes in the Northern United States and Canadian independent circuits. After a few months, Static left the group.
On August 23, Coates made her debut in Women Superstars Uncensored and defeated Autumn Breeze in her debut match. Beginning in October, Coates formed a tag team called the Badass Beauties with Trixxie Lynn. The team made its debut on October 10 in a victory over Annie Social and Rick Cataldo. The following day, the Badass Beauties lost to the Beatdown Betties (Roxxie Cotton and Annie Social) in the first round of the WSU tag team tournament.
Personal life
Coates’ mother was a nurse and amateur actress while her father is a doctor. She is the youngest of four children, having a sister and two brothers. She also earned her Bachelor of Science in biology from Lakehead University, due to originally wanting to become a veterinarian. While under contract with World Wrestling Entertainment, Coates began dating Gene Snitsky. However, they broke up after Coates left WWE.
In wrestling
Finishing moves
Coates Rack (Backbreaker rack)
Facelift (Sitout inverted suplex slam)
Signature moves
Botox Lock (Coates uses her legs to trap the opponent’s arms in a modified surfboard)
Nose Job (Inverted Death Valley driver)
Wrestlers managed
Jillian Hall
The Toland Brothers (Chad and Tank Toland), with Jillian Hall
The Freakin’ Deacon
Brodie Chase
The Flight Crew (Captain Mike Flyte and Captain Jason Static)
Nicknames
“Coates Rack” (Extreme Dodgeball)
Championships and accomplishments
Bodybuilding
1991 Windsor Physique 1st (LW)
1992 Eastern Ontario 1st (MW)
1993 Ontario 1st (MW)
1994 Canadian Championships 1st (MW)
1996 Jan Tana Classic 1st (Overall)
1996 IFBB Ms. Olympia 9th
1997 IFBB Ms. International 6th
1997 IFBB Ms. Olympia 11th
1999 IFBB Ms. International 13th
Professional wrestling
!Bang!
!Bang! Women’s Tag Team Championship (1 time, current) with Claudia Reiff
Great Championship Wrestling
NWA/GCW Women’s Championship (1 time)
Other titles
IUWA (Indiana) Diva’s Championship (1 time, current)
DRAGON’CON Women’s Championship (1 time)
References
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac “Women Wrestler Profiles: Melissa Coates”. Online World of Wrestling. http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/m/melissa-coates.html. Retrieved 2009-07-08. 
^ a b c d e f g h i j k “Cagematch profile”. http://www.cagematch.de/?id=2&nr=1917. 
^ “Melissa Coates”. Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1742755/. Retrieved 2009-07-08. 
^ a b c Robson, David. “An Interview with Melissa Coates”. Bodybuilding.com. http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/drobson52.htm. Retrieved 2009-07-08. 
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m “Melissa’s Bio”. Melissa Coates.com: Official Website. http://www.melissacoates.com/mc_bio.html. Retrieved 2009-07-08. 
^ Merritt, Greg (November 2004). “Artful Dodgers”. Flex. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0KFY/is_9_22/ai_n6257911/. Retrieved 2009-07-08. 
^ Sokol, Chris (May 2, 2005). “Hulkamania rules Backlash”. SLAM! Wrestling. http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/PPVReports/2005/05/02/1021811.html. Retrieved 2009-07-13. 
^ a b c Xamin, Mark (July 18, 2007). “Jillian Hall’s bio”. SLAM! Wrestling. http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/Bios/pf-hall-jillian.html. Retrieved 2009-07-12. 
^ Rosenthal, Jim (August 2002). “Coates on the mat”. Flex. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0KFY/is_6_20/ai_98488547/. Retrieved 2009-07-08. 
^ a b c “Championship histories from Coates’ official website”. http://www.melissacoates.com/mc_wrestling.html. 
^ “NWA/GCW Women’s Championship history”. TitleHistories.com. http://www.titlehistories.com/NWA_GCW_Womens_Title.htm. Retrieved 2007-06-02. 
External links
Professional wrestling
portal
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Melissa Coates
Official website (fitness model)
Official website (bodybuilding)
v d e
NWA Anarchy
Championships
Heavyweight National Heavyweight Tag Team Television Young Lions
Roster
Mr Adonis Brodie Ray Chase Melissa Coates Seth Delay Truitt Fields Jay Fury Adrian Hawkins Iceberg Slim J Shadow Jackson Mikael Judas Kimo Jeff Lewis Malachi Kyle Matthews Don Matthews Nemesis Chad Parham Sal Rinauro Ace Rockwell Todd Sexton Phill Shatter Jeremy Vain Hayden Young
Tag Teams
Awesome Attraction (Hayden Young and Austin Creed) The Devil’s Rejects (Azrael and Shaun Tempers) Hollywood Brunettes (Andrew Alexander and Kyle Matthews) New Wave (Derrick Driver and Steven Walters) Wild Bunch (Billy Buck and Chris King) Talent and Money (Andrew Pendleton III and JT Talent) Texas Treats (Don Juan and Chris Marvel) The Technicians (Tyler Smith and Bob E.) Chip Day and Wes Grissom
Categories: 1969 births | Living people | 20th-century Canadian people | 20th-century female bodybuilders | Canadian expatriate professional wrestling people in the United States | Canadian female professional wrestlers | Female bodybuilders | Female professional wrestlers | People from Thunder Bay, Ontario | Wrestling people from Ontario

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