Melina was one of WWE’s leading ladies as the company transitioned into the ‘Divas’ era, now she says today’s female competitors should respect those that came before them.
Melina joined WWE in 2004, joining their developmental territory of OVW. She was soon aligned with Johnny Nitro and Joey Mercury, with the trio being known as MNM. MNM made their collective WWE main roster debut in April 2005 before quickly winning their first WWE Tag Team Title from Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio.
Later in the decade, Melina found success on her own as she captured the WWE Women’s Title on three separate occasions as well as having two reigns as Divas Champion. Melina left WWE in 2011 beginning on an on/off relationship with independent wrestling in the US. In 2019 Melina returned to fan’s screens as she debuted in the rebooted National Wrestling Alliance. Most recently Melina fell to defeat on NWA Powerrr at the hands of Kylie Rae.
Speaking to Metro.co.uk, Melina commented on how she is treated in today’s locker rooms given she is now one of the elder stateswomen of wrestling:
“What the women now do not realise – as much as they’re gonna bash me for, ‘Oh you’re too old, you’re this, you’re that.’ Some girls are like, ‘No we praise you’ and others are like, ‘What is she still doing round?’ ’m like, OK. You remember that what you have today is because of women like me, the women of the best. And you remember that how you’re treating me now is the way you’re gonna be treated in your future. So what I’m fighting for now is because there needs to be someone representing.”
“Respect the people who get in the ring with you, regardless of their gender, age, or anything. Have respect because I’m fighting for your future. Because some of us love this business so much that as much as we wanna walk from it, we don’t. That doesn’t mean you don’t have a purpose in this business, in this career. You still have a place in it. You will forever have a place in it and I will fight for that until the end of my time.”
As well as competing in the ring, Melina acts as NWA and AEW star Thunder Rosa’s manager and tag team partner. The two women teamed up at NWA When Our Shadows Fall, losing to Kylie Rae and a debuting Taryn Terrell.