16. Lady Blossom (Stunning Steve Austin V Tracey Smothers, WCW Main Event 1991)

Video: Steve Austin V Tracey Smothers

It's time to call in again with Lady Blossom, as she continued her reign as the WCW's undisputed queen of valet interference in the early 1990s. Steve Austin's opponent this time is Tracey Smothers - one half of the Young Pistols - in what has the potential to be a competitive match-up.

Entering the ring

Following the introductions, a red-clad Lady Blossom departs the ring as the action commences. As Austin poses to the crowd following an early take-down of Smothers, the Young Pistol quickly rolls up the TV Champion for a 2-count, to the annoyance of Stunning Steve and his blonde valet.

An early assault from Austin is soon reversed by Smothers, and an arm-lock on the champion has Blossom appealing to the referee and looking distinctly unimpressed. Austin manages to hold his own though, and at 2:50 in succeeds in clothes-lining his opponent over the top rope and out of the ring. With Smothers lying prone on the floor, and the referee preoccupied in the ring with warning Austin, the time has come for his beautiful valet to enter the fray.

Blossom gets ready to attack

Blossom can be seen firstly checking the ring to make sure the referee's attention is diverted. She then eyes up her prey before walking over to the stricken wrestler and choking Smothers on the floor before rapidly departing the scene. Surprisingly, Smothers appears to quickly recover from the attack as he re-enters the ring, but nevertheless the valet's intervention was well-executed and unseen by the referee.

Smothers is choked on the floor by Austin's valet

Smothers soon regains the upper hand, and a flying elbow prompts the Young Pistol to go aerial as Austin staggers around in the ring. Tracey connects with a spectacular move and rolls up Austin for the pin. However, Lady Blossom senses the danger and intervenes again.

Blossom distracts the official with Austin pinned....

....before departing the scene

Climbing up onto the apron at 3:55 in, Blossom instantly draws the attention of the referee, leaving a frustrated Smothers lying on the champion waiting for the three-count. He then naively turns his back on Austin to remonstrate with the official, as the blonde valet departs. Austin then recovers and when Smothers turns round he is quickly nailed by the Stun Gun and the champion gains the 1-2-3 for victory.

Lady Blossom sees Smothers pinned at close quarters

As the match reached its conclusion, there was a real chance that Smothers could have caused an upset and dethroned Austin as the TV Champion. However, Lady Blossom was crucial in this successful title defence. Not only did she take the opportunity to attack Smothers as he lay hurt on the floor, she also picked her moment perfectly to distract the referee at the conclusion to the match, preventing the pin and then allowing Austin time to recover and execute his signature finisher. Whilst Smothers may have felt hard done by, ultimately he could not cope with Lady Blossom's interventions and was therefore undeserving of the win. As Tony Schiavone so eloquently puts it during the match, "She is one bad lady!"

Victorious again

15. Lady Blossom (Stunning Steve Austin V Kip Abee - WCW Worldwide)

Video: Steve Austin V Kip Abee

Leading her man to the ring

Next up we have a nice little cameo from 1991 of Lady Blossom, as she guides Stunning Steve Austin to another successful WCW TV title defence. The victim this time is the hapless Kip Abee, who is clearly a very long shot to dethrone the champ in this match.

Following the entrance of Austin, Blossom demurely retires ringside, looking radiant in an elegant turquoise number. With the match started, Austin executes two moves involving pulling the hair of Abee, drawing the ire of the referee. As the two engage in conversation, Abee has the temerity to roll up Austin from behind and gain a two-count.


That would be the end of Abee's successes though, as Austin gains command of the bout. As Stunning Steve executes a painful arm-lock on his opponent, the commentators discuss how his blonde valet was crucial in wresting away the title from Bobby Eaton, with the cameras focusing on Lady Blossom as she looks dismissively into the lens.

If looks could kill...

More attacks from Austin follow, before he intentionally pulls up Abee at the count of two to continue the opponent's suffering by getting Blossom involved. After signalling to his valet, Austin takes Abee over to the ropes, and Blossom can be seen instinctively moving into position.

Blossom senses her opportunity

At 5:00 in, and with the referee's back turned as he chastises Austin for choking Abee on the ropes, Lady Blossom springs into action. With Abee prone and vulnerable, she firstly rakes her nails into his face, before then pulling his hair and choking him further on the ropes. Abee can be heard crying out in pain as the valet attacks, before she leaves the scene of the crime and checks her nails for any damage.

The claws go in to the face of Abee

The attack is swift and expertly delivered, and the valet exudes a child-like innocence as the referee wonders what had happened while his back was turned. The commentators then refer to Blossom's ruthlessness, and that she would literally scratch out your eyes out to secure a win. Soon after, Austin nails the Stungun and a finishing clothesline to gain the 1-2-3 and extend his reign as TV Champion.

Blossom protests her innocence

In what was clearly a premeditated move, Lady Blossom's intervention was skilfully executed, and it is fascinating to watch her wait for the referee's back to turn before digging her claws into the face of Abee. Not only was she able to execute a painful attack to Austin's opponent, she then showed an ability to con the referee and persuade him of her innocence. An excellent performance then from Blossom, whose interferences in Austin's matches became legendary during Stunning Steve's reign as the champion.

14. Melina (MNM V Mexicools - WWE Smackdown, 3rd February 2006)

Video: MNM V Mexicools

Melina on her way to the ring

With Melina nursing a slightly injured ankle following a recent encounter with Kurt Angle, MNM entered the ring to defend their tag team titles against the Mexicools. Once again, the valet would prove crucial in determining the result of the match.

Checking her ankle pre-splits

Leading her charges to the ring, Melina checks her ankle is OK before entering the ring with her trademark splits manoeuvre. As usual, a kiss is placed on the cheek of Mercury and Nitro, before their opponents the high-flying Mexicools drive to the ring on mini tractors.

Johnny Nitro and Pscicosis start off proceedings, with the Mexicools soon gaining the upper hand and executing some impressive double-team moves. Indeed, an early pin attempt on Nitro by Super Crazy could have yielded a quickfire win, although a streetwise Melina encourages Mercury to illegally interrupt the count.

The valet applauds her charges' efforts

Mercury and Nitro are then subject to spectacular aerial attacks, firstly from Pscicosis and then Super Crazy who flies over a bystanding referee to take out both members of MNM ringside. With the action back in the ring, Pscicosis then makes an error when flying into the turnbuckle as Mercury moves out of the way, giving the momentum to MNM.

Pscicosis crawls over to Melina as the referee looks elsewhere....

Joey Mercury softens up Pscicosis with a sustained attack, and a double-team move leaves the Mexicool stunned in the corner of the champs. As Mercury moves over to exchange words with Super Crazy with the referee in close pursuit, Melina senses her opportunity to intervene.

The leg-scissors locked on to Pscicosis

Pscicosis somehow crawls over to the ropes, attempting to gain some respite. His naivety is evident though as he places himself within easy reach of MNM's valet with the official otherwise distracted. At 6:00 in, Melina quickly jumps onto the apron and locks onto Pscicosis with a perfectly-executed leg-scissors to the head, leaving the Mexicool's arms flailing as he attempts to escape. The leg-lock lasts five seconds, before the beautiful valet releases Pscicosis to avoid detection by the referee. She can then be seen revelling in her actions, and even sticks her tongue out at the stricken opponent.

A cheeky tongue to Pscicosis

Melina berates the official

With Nitro continuing the attack on Pscicosis, before a double-team move leaves the Mexicool vulnerable to the pin by Mercury, with Melina close by. After three two-counts with Melina berating the official for his slow counting, the valet then decides to claim onto the apron to vent her fury at close hand. However, Pscicosis somehow manages to push Mercury in the direction of the valet, knocking her to ground and leaving her nursing her ankle.

The boot comes off, ready to be used later....

Looking on as the Mexicools take charge

Sensing that his valet is hurt, Johnny Nitro rushes to her aid and helps to remove Melina's boot, as she sits on the steps ringside to recuperate. Meanwhile, back in the ring the Mexicools are now firmly in charge, and MNM's belts are under real threat. A flying backflip from Super Crazy appears to be enough to clinch the win, but Mercury just about kicks out. A further near-pin is then prevented by Nitro intervening, which brings Pscicosis into the ring and attracts the attention of the official.

Melina runs over to Super Crazy....

Super Crazy then decides to go aerial, and climbs the turnbuckle for what he hopes will be a match-winning move. However, Melina can be seen rushing along the apron and levels the Mexicool with her removed boot, leaving Super Crazy prone and pinned by Mercury for the victory.

....before levelling him with with her removed boot

In what was a real nip-and-tuck match, MNM's valet literally proved the difference between Mercury and Nitro retaining or losing their belts. Her first intervention in executing the leg-scissors on Psicosis was perfectly-timed and effective. Indeed, Pscisosis has form in falling prey to the actions of female valets (see post 2 from his WCW days), and once again he was shown to be wanting in this area, suffering the consequences as a result. The replays of Melina's boot attack then reveal that the valet was not injured at all by her fall off the ring apron, as she can clearly be seen running unimpeded to Super Crazy before nailing the wrestler with her boot. That mix of deviousness, coupled with referee positional awareness, and an ability to execute effective attacks at key moments, all combined to secure the win for MNM. While some would see the result as unfair on the Mexicools, they fell short in the face of a skilled, experienced valet who would not be denied victory. MNM-arvelous!

13. Melina (MNM Vs Nick Berg & Kevin Matthews - WWE Velocity)

Video: MNM Vs Nick Berg & Kevin Matthews

Confidently leading her men to the ring

As MNM's reign as WWE Tag Team Champions continued, this easy win over Berg and Matthews would once again display Melina's talents as their cruel, calculating, and beautiful valet.

Melina's trademark ring entrance

A kiss for good luck

With the entrances complete, Melina places a kiss on the face of Mercury and Nitro before arrogantly shooing away their hapless opponents - a theme that would continue as the match went on. The commentators then refer to the valet's importance in MNM holding the belts, acknowledging her impeccable timing in interfering in matches. As usual, Melina takes her time to leave the ring, a full 10 seconds after the bell to start the match had been rung.

Nick Berg is first in to face off against Joey Mercury. Predictably, Joey takes the upper hand to the cheers and applause of Melina ringside. With Berg's face rammed into the boot of Joey Nitro, MNM's valet points and shouts orders to her men as the assault continues. Melina can then be seen mocking Berg as he lies prone in the ring.

Melina checks her manicure as the match continues

Spotting an opportunity to intervene

An uppercut from Nitro draws a mocking gesture from Melina, satisfied that her men are in full control. The valet then proceeds to check her fingernails and look dismissively to the crowd, such is her confidence in the result of the match. Unbelievably, she then takes out her cellphone and commences a lengthy conversation while the match continues in the ring - a gesture of supreme arrogance and dismissiveness.

Berg receives a full-force kick from Melina

As a hurt Nick Berg is thrown out of the ring by Mercury at 3:50 in, Melina is still engaged in her phone call. However, with the referee diverted she prowls around the ring to where the stricken opponent lies, before taking aim and launching a brutal kick to the midsection of Berg. The sound of the impact shows how hard the valet's kick was, and Berg wheels away in clear pain as Melina continues her call and the referee's back still turned.

Berg in agony as the referee is oblivious

More excellent work from Nitro and Mercury continues as Melina gestures her approval whilst still on the phone. Berg is in big trouble now as Melina berates the crowd to keep quiet to allow her call to continue. Finally Berg manages to tag in Kevin Matthews, prompting Melina to end her call some two and a half minutes after it began.

The call continues....

A brief period of success for Matthews ends as he flies into the boot of Nitro, and the match is soon over as Joey closes things out. Melina looks mockingly at Matthews before Joey throws him out of the ring. Berg is then forced to the ring apron as the beautiful valet laughs and points in their direction.

Melina mocks Matthews

A display of pure arrogance and narcissism, Melina nevertheless clearly assisted in the win thanks to excellent timing and a willingness to physically hurt MNM's opponents when the opportunity arose. Vocal as always, she helped to direct operations in-ring despite spending much of the bout on her cellphone, and her continual mocking gestures to Berg and Matthews will no doubt have helped to erode any confidence they may have had in stepping up to take on the champions. The kick to the stomach of Berg will live long in the memory, not just for the stricken wrestler, but also for the crowd ringside who witnessed how brutal and calculated the beautiful valet could be. Ruthless, arrogant, but very effective....

The beautiful Melina celebrates with the win secured

12. Melina (MNM Vs Stevie Lee & Jason Bates - WWE Velocity, 21 May 2005)

Video: MNM Vs Stevie Lee & Jason Bates

Melina leads her the Tag Team champs to the ring

Moving to more recent times, this match features Melina in her role as valet to the WWE Tag Team Champions MNM. As well as going on to become an excellent wrestler, she also had some well-honed valet skills, as would be shown in this bout.

Looking sizzling in a cleavage-baring black number, Melina executes her trademark leg-splits ring entrance and places a kiss on the cheek of both Mercury and Nitro to instill confidence in her men. With the bell rung to start the match, she calmly takes her time to leave the ring.

Johnny Nitro starts the bout with Stevie Lee opening affairs for MNM's overmatched opponents. Surprisingly, Lee takes the initiative and tags in Bates to execute an impressive double-team suplex. Bates continues the momentum, as a worried Melina claps and encourages Nitro to take charge.

Ruthless and calculating....

Predictably, Nitro gains the upper hand and tags in Joey Mercury as Bates struggles to deal with their assaults. Meanwhile, Melina applauds the efforts of her charge. With Bates sufficiently softened up, a close-up on Melina shows the beautiful valet tapping her fingers on the apron and pondering her next move ringside, deciding that the time has come for her intervention.

Bates about to feel the wrath of Melina

Mercury drags Bates over to the middle rope within easy reach of Melina, choking him to the obvious anger of the referee. With the referee berating Joey, Melina can be seen calmly walking into position to eye up her prey at close quarters.

A hurtful slap out of view of the official

Reaching up to Bates to hold him still, she draws back her arm and executes an accurate slap to the face of the hurt wrestler, before pointing at the stricken opponent and launching a verbal torrent in his direction. The referee is totally unaware of Melina's attack as he deals with an annoyed Stevie Lee, as the valet departs the scene unnoticed.

A verbal volley completes the valet's work

Mercury continues his fine work, although a smart knee-drop from Bates on Mercury buys some respite. Thanks to Melina's encouragement, Mercury manages to tag in Johnny Nitro although Bates somehow tags in Stevie Lee. Normal service is resumed though as Nitro has his opponent hurt and tags in Mercury to pull off their Snapshot finisher and gain the three-count. Their beautiful valet then enters the ring to celebrate, looking disdainfully at the incapacitated Lee.

MNM and Melina victorious

A brief cameo of Melina's talents, this match was an excellent example of a valet sensing an opportunity and executing it to perfection. In what was at times a surprisingly even bout, the valet's ability to read when the attention of the referee was diverted proved invaluable, with Jason Bates feeling the full force of her right-hand slap. Her intervention, coupled with her vocal encouragements and berating of the official, helped MNM to gain the win and prolong their reign as champions.

11. Sherri Martel (Harlem Heat Vs Gary Jackson & Alan Horne - WCW Saturday Night 17/12/1994)

Video: Harlem Heat Vs Gary Jackson & Alan Horne

Sherri confidently leads the Heat to the ring

During Sherri Martel's tenure as manager of the Harlem Heat in the mid-1990s, Sister Sherri as she was known then certainly left her mark on many an opponent. This match would be no different against vastly over-matched opposition as the sensuous valet delivered an innovative attack in this easy win.

Stevie Ray draws applause from Sister Sherri

Exuding confidence as she leads the Heat to the ring, Sherri takes her place ringside as her men swiftly take charge against their hapless opponents. A slam to the mat from Stevie Ray on Jackson at 2:20 in draws applause from the sensuous valet, before a choke and further slam at 2:45 leaves Sherri ecstatic and Jackson in huge pain.

Horne vulnerable as Martel looks on

With Booker T now tagged in, Alan Horne is next to feel the wrath of the Harlem Heat, and the pain that their valet is capable of inflicting. At 3:35 in, Horne is choked on the middle rope within easy reach of Sherri. With Horne temporarily incapacitated, and the referee's back turned as he berates Booker T, Ms. Martel senses her opportunity.

A rake to the face from Sherri

With hands behind her back, she calmly approaches Horne and at 3:45 in reaches up to his face as he lies prone and executes a vicious scratch to his face. The technique used is textbook and leaves the opponent clutching his face in agony. A shocked Tony Schiavone exclaims "Oh look at that! Clawing the man in the eyes!" before it is suggested that Horne may have made an obscene gesture to Sherri to provoke the attack.

Horne in pain after feeling Sherri's claws

Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. Martel simply took the opportunity to launch a vicious, unprovoked attack on a vulnerable opponent when the opportunity arose and the referee's back was turned. Shortly afterwards, the Heatseeker is landed to give Harlem Heat the win, and leave Sherri screaming into the camera to hurl abuse at the Nasty Boys.

Celebrating the win

Another example of Sherri's ruthlessness, her intervention was calculated, sneaky, and delivered out of view of the referee. Whilst she wore gloves during many of the Heat's matches, Sherri instead was gloveless during this match, allowing her rake to the face to have maximum impact. While Horne and Jackson were never going to trouble her men, Sherri's attack which came so close to the match-winning Heatseeker move nevertheless helped to soften up Horne. It certainly gave a new meaning to 'clawing your way to victory'!

10. Sherri Martel (Harlem Heat Vs Eddie Jackie & Red Tyler - WCW Worldwide 1995)

Video: Harlem Heat Vs Eddie Jackie & Red Tyler

In another example of Sherri Martel's power as the valet to the Harlem Heat, this match sees her team take on the novice pairing of Eddie Jackie and Red Tyler in another dominating performance.

Sherri roars on the Heat

The Heat beat up on Eddie Jackie as Sherri looks on from ringside. Eventually, Jackie manages to tag in Tyler to escape the onslaught, but Stevie Ray is unrelenting as the cameras show Sherri barking encouragement.

Tyler vulnerable as Sherri approaches

With Booker T now tagged in, Tyler is visibly struggling and at 2:08 he is choked on the top rope by the Heat member. With the referee berating Booker away from the action, Stevie Ray holds Tyler down as Sherri spots her opportunity. Quickly climbing up onto the apron, at 2:15 in she takes aim and launches a vicious slap to the face of Tyler, departing the scene with the official none the wiser.

A hurtful slap accurately landed

The attack on Tyler continues, and before long Booker T lands the 'Harlem Hangover' on Red off the turnbuckle, to take him down and complete the pin. The match over, Jackie tends to his stricken team-mate with the Heat and Sherri prowling the ring.

Sherri commences her post-match assault

Jackie tastes Sherri's power

Jackie is then restrained by Stevie Ray at 3:37, as Sherri springs into action to target the vulnerable opponent. Landing a ferocious punch to Jackie's face at 3:38, She follows up with a second punch shortly after, before an accurate knee to the groin at 3:42. Stevie Ray then hands Jackie over to Sherri, who grabs the wrestler and forecfully throws him out of the ring, leaving him squirming in agony on the floor.

A knee lands 'down south'....

Eddie Jackie thrown out of the ring

Slapping Tyler mid-match was skilfully executed out of sight of the referee, While Harlem Heat were on top at the time, Sherri's assauly maintained their momentum as they went on to clinch an easy win. It is her attack after the pin that will live long in the memory. A brutal two punch salvo and evil knee to Jackie would have put any man down, and the dismissive way that she casually threw him out of the ring was an outward display  of her power and dominance. Such after-match assaults on weakened opponents appeared to be Sherri's trademark at the time, leaving any wrestler in no doubt that she could inflict serious pain.

You don't want to mess with this lady!