April Hunter

Last updated

April Hunter
April Hunter glamour.jpg
Hunter in 2010.
Born (1976-09-24) September 24, 1976 (age 47)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States [1]
Alma mater New England School of Photography
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) April Hunter [2]
April Kincaid [2]
Beautiful Soldier
Big Red [1]
The Prize [1]
Billed height5 ft 9 in (175 cm) [1]
Billed weight150 lb (68 kg) [1]
Billed fromPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Trained by Killer Kowalski [1]
Debut1999 [1]
Retired2014

April Hunter (born September 24, 1976) is an American retired professional wrestler, professional wrestling valet, boxer, actress, writer, fitness model and glamour model. She has appeared in publications including MuscleMag International and Playboy and has her own comic book series titled Code Red.

Contents

Professional wrestling career

World Championship Wrestling (1999–2000)

In 1999, after Hunter appeared in Playboy magazine, she was hired by World Championship Wrestling (WCW). [1] [3] Along with four other models (Tylene Buck, Kim Kanner (Shikira), Midajah and Pamela Paulshock), she accompanied members of the New World Order (nWo) to ringside for their matches.

Independent circuit (2001–2002)

Hunter trained to become a professional wrestler with Killer Kowalski in Boston. [1] She was the only woman in the class and soon began working on the independent circuit and overseas.

NWA Total Nonstop Action (2002, 2003)

On August 28, 2002, Hunter appeared for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). She was introduced (and defeated) by then-Miss TNA Bruce as part of his Miss TNA Challenge. [2] She returned for several other appearances in TNA, including matches against Desire, Eric Watts and R. J. Brewer. [2]

Independent circuit (2002–2009)

Hunter formed a tag team with fellow Kowalski graduate Nikki Roxx in World Xtreme Wrestling; the pair were known as The Killer Babes. [4] She then worked as the manager for Slyck Wagner Brown. Together they held both Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling's 3PW Tag Team Championship and Jersey All Pro Wrestling's JAPW Tag Team Championship. Hunter was the first woman in pro wrestling history to hold the (male) tag team title.

Hunter traveled to Canada for the first time in December 2005, working for Action Wrestling Entertainment and wrestling against Sarah Stock. [5] In February 2006, Hunter worked for Carmen Electra's Naked Women's Wrestling League (NWWL). [6] While in the NWWL Hunter broke her nose, which limited the moves she could perform while working for the promotion. [6]

In Women's Extreme Wrestling (WEW) in April 2006, Hunter formed a tag team known as T & A with Talia Madison. [2] On April 6, they defeated Team Blondage (Amber O'Neal and Lollipop) for the WEW Tag Team Championship. [2] A month later, Hunter and J.D. Maverick debuted together for TNT Pro Wrestling. [7] In September, Hunter challenged Madison for her TNT Women's Championship. [7] She defeated Madison for the title on September 23. [2] During her time in TNT, Hunter appeared in the Glamour, Glitz & Divas—The Untold Story of American Women's Wrestling DVD, alongside Madison and Michaels. [8]

Hunter won Queens of Chaos's World Queens of Chaos Championship in November 2006 by defeating Sweet Saraya in the final round of a championship tournament. [2] She vacated the title on In May 2012. She also won Great Canadian Wrestling's GCW W.I.L.D. Championship from Miss Danyah on April 13, 2007. [9] She held the title for one day before losing it to Cherry Bomb in a four-way match. [9] Because of wrestling-related injuries, Hunter retired from professional wrestling later in the year. [1]

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2009)

Hunter (right) with Lorelei on TNA Impact! in 2009. April Hunter TNA entrance.jpg
Hunter (right) with Lorelei on TNA Impact! in 2009.

Hunter turned heel in her return to TNA on the December 31, 2009 edition of Impact! , teaming with the evil Lorelei Lee in a losing effort against TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champions Sarita and Taylor Wilde. [10] On June 15, 2010, Hunter claimed that she had turned down a contract offer from TNA the previous month. [11]

Independent circuit (2009–2014)

Hunter applying the Hunter's Hangman in 2010. April Hunter armbar.JPG
Hunter applying the Hunter's Hangman in 2010.

In late 2009, Hunter returned to the ring from retirement. Her mother was diagnosed with stage four cancer and her return to the ring was prompted by her wanting to help out financially. [12] Hunter toured Europe with American Rampage Wrestling in November and December 2009 with Rob Van Dam, Sid Vicious and Sabu.

Hunter was part of the AWR (American Wrestling Rampage) European Tour in November 2010 in France with Booker T, Sandman, Scott Steiner and Kai.

On September 21, 2012, Hunter debuted for Shine Wrestling's SHINE 3 event as the villainous manager of Made In Sin (Allysin Kay and Taylor Made). All three women would align with Rain and Ivelisse to form the Valkyrie faction at SHINE 6 on January 11, 2013. At SHINE 7 on February 22, Hunter made her in-ring debut for the promotion, teaming with Made In Sin in a victorious outing against Mia Yim, Su Yung and Tracy Taylor. [13]

April Hunter debuted for High Impact Wrestling Canada in August 2014 as part of the "Tour De Rumble" that featured events throughout Central Canada. She appeared at eight events during the tour. On the tour she fought alongside Danny Duggan and Mike McSugar defeating the teams of Jaida and Michael Allen as Dick Richards and Jaida. Being her last fights after not fighting for a while, she retired in 2018 from professional wrestling.

Other media

April Hunter fitness competition.jpg
Hunter posing in a fitness competition.
April Hunter 2008.jpg
Hunter at an anime convention in 2008.

Hunter competed in Muscle and Fitness competitions in 2009 and placed third in her first National Physique Committee-sanctioned figure competition November 14, 2009. [14] She then competed in Figure on June 18, 2010, at the Junior Nationals in Chicago. [15]

Hunter has appeared in the films Oh! My Zombie Mermaid (2004) and Just Another Romantic Wrestling Comedy (2007). [16] In the United Kingdom, she has appeared on the James Whale Show, and in Japan, she appeared in a Toyota Fun Cargo TV commercial. In the United States, she appeared in an MSNBC documentary entitled Body of Work, on The Howard Stern Show , and in the video for The Outhere Brothers' "Boom Boom Boom"/"Don't Stop (Wiggle Wiggle)." She appeared in a W-FIVE documentary in Canada, TruTV's Most Daring Wild Women and several independent films, including Ultimate Death Match II and Hell House in 2009/2010. [17]

In 2012, Hunter appeared in horror film The Meat Puppet playing the role of "Jade" [18] For her performance she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, Feature Drama in the Downbeach Film Festival. [19]

In 2013 Hunter appeared in the film Gravedigger, playing the role of Marie Spiegel. [20]

Hunter is featured in a line of comic books with the titles Code Red, Code Red II, Stripper Viking, and Stripper Viking II. She is also featured in various trading cards and art, comics, and books by Jay E. Fife, Scott Blair, Monte Moore, Julie Strain and Boris Vallejo. In 2013 Hunter was one of several models chosen to work with artist George Pérez on his new comic, Sirens. She served as the model for the character "Agony". [21] [22]

In 2013, Hunter started a blog she titled "Putting The Clothes On, Taking The Gloves Off". [23]

Starting in 2013 she started making appearances at horror, science fiction, and comic book conventions cosplaying as various characters. Her cosplay costumes have featured Phoenix, Black Widow, a female version of The Punisher, Poison Ivy, Wonder Woman and Red Sonja. [24]

Personal life

Hunter is of German, Scottish and Italian descent. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but moved to Enterprise, Alabama with her father when her parents divorced. [3] Before entering the world of professional wrestling, Hunter worked as a fitness model. [6] She placed in Ms. Fitness Philadelphia and Ironwoman Tri-Fitness in Tampa, Florida. She also worked as a Playboy model [25] and Met-Rx spokesperson. [26]

On August 30, 2006, Hunter married Canadian wrestler Jordan Danyluk (known as J.D. Maverick) in Las Vegas, Nevada. [7] They first met at a wrestling show in December 2005 and were engaged after Valentine's Day in 2006. [7] The two have since divorced. [27]

She studied photography at the New England School of Photography. [1]

Championships and accomplishments

Hunter as the NWA Cyberspace Women's Champion in March 2005. April Hunter - NWA Cyberspace Women's Champion.jpg
Hunter as the NWA Cyberspace Women's Champion in March 2005.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gail Kim</span> Canadian professional wrestler (born 1977)

Gail Kim is a Canadian semi-retired professional wrestler, currently signed to TNA Wrestling, where she serves as a producer and occasional on-screen talent. In Impact Wrestling she was the inaugural and record setting seven-time Knockouts Champion and she also was a one-time Knockouts Tag Team Champion with Madison Rayne. She is also known for her two stints in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), where she won the WWE Women's Championship in her first match.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christy Hemme</span> American professional wrestler

Christina Lee Hemme is an American retired professional wrestler, ring announcer, backstage interviewer, singer, and model. She is best known for her time in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) as a ring announcer and one of the original Knockouts, and as a former wrestler in the WWE. She was also the winner of the 2004 WWE Diva Search, receiving $250,000 and a one-year contract with the company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joey Mercury</span> American professional wrestler

Adam Birch, better known by the ring names Joey Mercury and Joey Matthews, is an American professional wrestler who is best known for his two tenures in WWE. Birch was most recently signed to Ring of Honor, where he worked as a producer, trainer, and member of the creative team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angelina Love</span> Canadian professional wrestler

Lauren Williams is a Canadian professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in TNA/Impact Wrestling under the ring name Angelina Love. She is signed with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shelly Martinez</span> American professional wrestler and model

Shelly Leonor Martinez is an American model, actress, retired professional wrestler and valet. She is known for her work with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) on its ECW brand under the ring name Ariel and for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) under the ring name Salinas as valet to The Latin American Xchange (LAX).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Traci Brooks</span> Canadian professional wrestler

Tracy Brookshaw is a Canadian former professional wrestler, wrestling valet and referee, better known by her ring name Traci Brooks. She is best known for her work in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where she spent most of her career, having been the longest signed knockout the company has had wrestling actively with them from 2003 up until 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slyck Wagner Brown</span> Jamaican born professional wrestler

Wagner Brown is a Jamaican born professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, SWB or Slyck Wagner Brown. Brown currently wrestles on the Independent circuit in the Northeastern United States. Additionally, SWB was appointed head trainer at Killer Kowalski's school in Boston. Brown also had a longtime association with women's wrestler April Hunter. The duo held tag team titles together in Jersey All Pro Wrestling and Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling. Brown now runs his wrestling training school, Test of Strength, out of East Hartford, Connecticut and runs monthly shows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katarina Waters</span> German-born English professional wrestler

Katarina Leigh Waters is a German-born English American professional wrestler and actress. She is best known for her time with Impact Wrestling under the ring names Katarina or Winter and for her time in WWE under the ring name Katie Lea Burchill. She spent many years on the independent circuit, particularly in the Frontier Wrestling Alliance, where she used the ring name Nikita.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lizzy Valentine</span> American professional wrestler, valet, model, jazz musician, and actress

Elizabeth Miklosi, known professionally as Lizzy Valentine, is a American former professional wrestler, valet, model, and actress. She is best known for her work on MTV's Wrestling Society X.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taylor Wilde</span> Canadian professional wrestler

Shantelle Larissa Malawski is a Canadian professional wrestler. She is signed with TNA Wrestling, where she performs under the ring name Taylor Wilde.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roxxi Laveaux</span> American professional wrestler

Nicole Raczynski is an American former professional wrestler. She is best known for her tenure in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring names Roxxi Laveaux, The Voodoo Queen, and Roxxi. She is also known for her time in Shimmer Women Athletes and various other independent promotions under the ring name Nikki Roxx.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brooke Tessmacher</span> American professional wrestler

Brooke Nichole Adams is an American model and professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Brooke Tessmacher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Awesome Kong</span> American professional wrestler

Kia Stevens is an American actress and semi-retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling/Impact Wrestling under the ring name Awesome Kong. She also worked with Ring of Honor (ROH), Shimmer Women Athletes, All Elite Wrestling (AEW), and with WWE under the ring name Kharma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Velvet Sky</span> American professional wrestler

Jamie Lynn Szantyr is an American color commentator and retired professional wrestler best known for her time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) and the NWA under the ring name Velvet Sky. She is a former two-time TNA Women's Knockout Champion and is a former TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champion as part of The Beautiful People.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Stock</span> Canadian professional wrestler (born 1979)

Sarah Stock is a Canadian professional wrestler, who is signed to AEW as a coach and producer. Previously, she was a women's trainer and producer for WWE. Stock began her career in Canada and moved back and forth across the country, working for various promotions, facing both male and female wrestlers. She then moved to Mexico, where she worked under the ring name Dark Angel for Lucha Libre AAA World Wide (AAA) and later for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). She is also known for her time in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where under the ring name Sarita she became the inaugural and two-time TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champion, holding the title the first time with Taylor Wilde and the second time with Rosita. She has also worked in Japan for JDStar and World Wonder Ring Stardom, where she held the Wonder of Stardom Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lacey Von Erich</span> American retired professional wrestler

Lacey Dawn Adkisson is a retired American professional wrestler best known by her ring name Lacey Von Erich. She is the daughter of Kerry Von Erich and the granddaughter of Fritz Von Erich. She is best known for her time in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where she is a one-time TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taryn Terrell</span> American professional wrestler and model

Taryn Nicole Dryden is an American model, actress, stuntwoman, ring announcer and retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her tenures in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), under her real name, and in WWE, where she performed under the ring name Tiffany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madison Rayne</span> American professional wrestler

Ashley Nichole Lomberger is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling under the ring name Madison Rayne, where she is also the coach of the women's division. She is best known for her time with Impact Wrestling, where she was the record-breaking three-time Impact Knockouts World Tag Team Champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Beautiful People (professional wrestling)</span> Professional wrestling stable

The Beautiful People was a stable known for its time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) where Angelina Love, Velvet Sky, Madison Rayne, Lacey Von Erich and Cute Kip were all members throughout its several incarnations. The team is known for its narcissistic gimmick and holding the TNA Knockouts Championship and the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship simultaneously. Their characters were portrayed as arrogant blonde Barbie dolls, whose main goal as a team was to "cleanse" the TNA roster "one ugly person at a time", based on the belief that their physical attractiveness was greater than that of others in the company, however various incarnations have portrayed them as faces. Original members Angelina Love and Velvet Sky came up with the characters, inspired by Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ODB (wrestler)</span> American professional wrestler

Jessica Nora Kresa (born June 6, 1978) is an American professional wrestler, actress, entrepreneur, and former collegiate ice hockey player, better known as ODB (One Dirty Bitch). Best known for her time in TNA Wrestling, she is a four-time TNA Women's Knockout Champion, and a one-time TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champion.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "April Hunter's profile". GLORY Wrestling. Archived from the original on January 31, 2010. Retrieved September 27, 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "April Hunter's profile". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved September 29, 2009.
  3. 1 2 "April Hunter Interview". extremenutrition.co.uk. Archived from the original on June 25, 2007. Retrieved July 30, 2007.
  4. Official site
  5. Oliver, Greg (January 18, 2006). "The Harsh Reality: AWE PPV tonight". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. Retrieved September 28, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  6. 1 2 3 Oliver, Greg (February 2, 2006). "The recent rough road of April Hunter". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved September 28, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  7. 1 2 3 4 Kamchen, Richard (August 30, 2006). "Wedding day for J.D. Michaels & April Hunter". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on January 1, 2013. Retrieved September 27, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  8. Mackinder, Matt (April 23, 2009). "Big Vision DVD potpourri outstanding". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012. Retrieved September 28, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  9. 1 2 3 "GCW W.I.L.D. Championship". Great Canadian Wrestling. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved September 29, 2009.
  10. Parks, Greg (December 31, 2009). "PARKS' TNA New Year's Knockout Eve Report 12/31: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of the special, including TNA Knockouts Tournament". PWTorch. Archived from the original on January 3, 2010. Retrieved January 1, 2010.
  11. Gerweck, Steve (June 15, 2010). "Potential knockout turns down TNA". WrestleView. Archived from the original on April 28, 2012. Retrieved June 15, 2010.
  12. Gerweck, Steve (December 19, 2009). "April Hunter explains her ring return". WrestleView. Archived from the original on January 23, 2010. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
  13. Adrian (February 24, 2013). "SHINE 7 in Review: Kong Grounded as Valkyrie Ascend | Diva Dirt". diva-dirt.com. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  14. "April Hunter's bio and NPC competition results". BodyBuilding.com. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved December 29, 2009.
  15. "Pictures". musculardevelopment.com.
  16. Â! Ikkenya puroresu (2004) - IMDb
  17. April Hunter – IMDb
  18. The Meat Puppet
  19. Downbeach Film Festival - Best Supporting Actress, Feature Drama
  20. Gravedigger
  21. Pérez, George (September 7, 2013). "She-Devils is the new George Pérez series for BOOM! Studios - George Pérez". sites.google.com. Retrieved June 21, 2014.
  22. Dietsch, TJ (June 3, 2014). "Despite Eye Surgery, George Peréz Keeps His Focus on 'Sirens'". comicbookresources.com. Retrieved June 21, 2014. Agony, the battle-loving brute, is a model/wrestler named April Hunter.
  23. "Putting The Clothes On, Taking The Gloves Off". Putting The Clothes On, Taking The Gloves Off. June 6, 2022. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  24. "Robot Check" . Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  25. Kitching, Chris (December 5, 2005). "April Hunter perfect mix of beauty, brawn". slam.canoe.com. Archived from the original on July 11, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  26. Steven, Andy (November 9, 2006). "April Hunter Speaks On Playboy, Wrestling Nude, WCW & More". wrestlinginc.com. Archived from the original on July 11, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  27. [url=https://floridageekscene.com/2022/08/19/april-hunter-storyteller-cosplayer-author-model-artist-pro-wrestler/?referrer-analytics=1 "Robot Check"]. Retrieved March 22, 2024.{{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help); Missing pipe in: |url= (help)
  28. "German Stampede Wrestling". Online World of Wrestling. Archived from the original on July 20, 2008. Retrieved July 8, 2008.
  29. 1 2 Sokol, Chris (November 3, 2005). "A Slyck upcoming star". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on July 14, 2012. Retrieved September 28, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  30. "3PW 5 Star 4 Way". onlineworldofwrestling.com. Archived from the original on June 21, 2008. Retrieved July 6, 2008.
  31. "The PWI Female 50 Rankings: Who Is The Top Women's Wrestler In The World?". PWPix.net. September 18, 2008. Archived from the original on September 19, 2008. Retrieved September 19, 2008.
  32. "Queens of Chaos". Online World of Wrestling. Archived from the original on June 22, 2008. Retrieved July 7, 2008.
  33. "Independent Wrestling Results – November 2003". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved July 5, 2008.