Kristina Laum

Last updated
Kristina Laum
Born (1976-11-23) November 23, 1976 (age 47)
Seoul, South Korea
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) Kimona Wanalaya
Kimona Wanaleia
Kris
Leia Meow
Billed height5 ft 1 in (1.55 m)
Billed weight101 lb (46 kg)
Debut1996
Retired2002

Kristina Laum (born November 23, 1976) is a Korean retired professional wrestler, professional wrestling valet, and manager in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling. She used the names Kimona Wanalaya in ECW [1] and Leia Meow in WCW. [2]

Contents

Professional wrestling career

Extreme Championship Wrestling (1996)

Laum was asked by her friend Raven to go into professional wrestling while she was working as a go-go dancer at a club. She made her debut in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) on January 27, 1996, as Raven's new valet under the name Kimona Wanalaya (a play-on-words for "Come on, I wanna lay ya") and she managed Raven to win the ECW World Heavyweight Championship on the same night. According to the storyline, Raven used her to replace Beulah McGillicutty, his former girlfriend and valet, who had announced that she was pregnant with Tommy Dreamer's child on January 7 at ECW's House Party event. [3]

Wanalaya left Raven at Massacre on Queens Boulevard on April 13 after he slapped her for remonstrating with him, causing her to vow revenge. On April 20, 1996, at Hostile City Showdown, Shane Douglas, with Kimona by his side, called out Dreamer to inform him that Beulah had been cheating on him. While Dreamer was wondering who the person could be, to which Douglas replied “it's not a he”, Kimona snatched the microphone from Douglas's hand and shouted "It's me!" Moments later, Beulah made her way to the ring and she and Kimona shared a racy kiss and fell to the mat together before Dreamer decided to date both women. The segment is widely believed to be the first lesbian angle in a major wrestling promotion. A career highlight came when she danced atop the ECW Arena, a moment that was used to sell VHS copies of Extreme Warfare Vol. 2 until the promotion died.

Jersey All Pro Wrestling

Laum later left ECW and worked for Jersey All Pro Wrestling (JAPW) for a while as Kimona. While in JAPW, she wrestled Missy Hyatt in a series of mixed tag team matches and a steel cage match.[ citation needed ]

World Championship Wrestling (1999–2001)

She was signed by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1999.

This angle soon ended and she became the manager for the Jung Dragons (Jamie-San, Yun Yang, and Kaz Hayashi), thus turning heel. She would interfere in matches with a flying bodypress off of the top rope onto their opponents. She also had a dominatrix gimmick and carried a riding crop. She used it to attack Pamela Paulshock after Paulshock had won the "Miss WCW" contest that Meow participated in on September 25, 2000. She was then attacked by Midajah and had a brief rivalry with her leading to a fight on the following Thunder during Mike Awesome's Lava Lamp Lounge segment. She also had a short feud with Tygress and threatened to cut her hair off. By the time WCW was sold to Vince McMahon, she had been fired from WCW along with the majority of the other female talent due to roster cuts.

Independent circuit

She went to the X Wrestling Federation (XWF) where she was known as Kris, a member of the X-Girls, a dance team that included Gorgeous George and Chiquita Anderson of the Nitro Girls. When XWF ended, Kristina Laum retired from wrestling.

On April 1, 2022, she made an appearance at ICW No Holds Barred 24 in Newark, New Jersey.

Related Research Articles

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

Scott Levy is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Raven. He is known for his appearances with professional wrestling promotions including Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (WWF/E) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). Widely recognized as "one of the best talkers in wrestling", Raven is known for his "psychological heel tactics" and grunge-inspired gimmick. His feud with The Sandman in the mid-1990s has been described as "one of the most emotional rivalries in professional wrestling's history".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shane Douglas</span> American professional wrestler and promoter

Troy Allan Martin is an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name Shane Douglas. He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), World Wrestling Federation (WWF) as Dean Douglas, and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he worked as a wrestler and manager.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raven's Nest</span> Professional wrestling stable

Raven's Nest was a professional wrestling stable led by Raven that was present in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) between 1995 and 1997.

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

James Fullington, better known by his ring name The Sandman, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler, best known for his career with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), where he developed into a smoking and drinking "Hardcore Icon" and held the ECW World Heavyweight Championship a record five times. He also had stints in World Championship Wrestling (WCW), Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

Trisa Laughlin is an American author and retired professional wrestling valet, better known by her ring name, Beulah McGillicutty. She is best known for her appearances in Extreme Championship Wrestling from 1995 to 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francine (wrestling)</span> American professional wrestling valet

Francine Meeks, known by the mononym Francine, is an American semi-retired professional wrestling valet and professional wrestler. She is best known for her appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling from 1995 to 2001 and with World Wrestling Entertainment in 2005 and 2006. During her tenure with ECW, Francine managed several of the promotion's top wrestlers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Extreme Championship Wrestling</span> Defunct American professional wrestling company

Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) was an American professional wrestling promotion that was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and operated by its parent company HHG Corporation. The promotion was founded in 1992 by Tod Gordon as National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) affiliate Eastern Championship Wrestling. The following year, businessman and wrestling manager Paul Heyman took over the creative end of the promotion from Eddie Gilbert. Under Heyman, the promotion was rechristened as Extreme Championship Wrestling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Return of the Funker</span> 1995 Extreme Championship Wrestling supercard event

Return of the Funker was a professional wrestling supercard event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). It took place on February 25, 1995 from the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States. The commentator for the event was Joey Styles. Several of the bouts were broadcast on the February 28, March 7 and March 14 episodes of ECW Hardcore TV. The tag team match pitting Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko against Sabu and The Tazmaniac was featured on the 2001 Pioneer Entertainment compilation DVD Hardcore History.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crossing the Line Again</span> 1997 Extreme Championship Wrestling supercard event

Crossing the Line Again was a professional wrestling event held by the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States-based professional wrestling promotion Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) on February 1, 1997. The commentator for the event was Joey Styles. The title of the event referenced the 1994 ECW event The Night the Line Was Crossed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hostile City Showdown (1996)</span> 1996 Extreme Championship Wrestling supercard event

Hostile City Showdown (1996) was the third Hostile City Showdown professional wrestling supercard event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). It that took place on April 20, 1996 in the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hostile City Showdown (1995)</span> 1995 Extreme Championship Wrestling supercard event

Hostile City Showdown (1995) was the second Hostile City Showdown professional wrestling event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). It took place on April 15, 1995 in the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US. It was a "double header" event with Three Way Dance, which took place the prior weekend. The announcer for the event was Joey Styles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Matter of Respect (1996)</span> 1996 Extreme Championship Wrestling supercard event

A Matter of Respect was the first A Matter of Respect professional wrestling event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). It took place on May 11, 1996, in the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heat Wave (1996)</span> 1996 Extreme Championship Wrestling supercard event

Heat Wave (1996) was the third Heat Wave professional wrestling event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). The event took place on July 13, 1996 from the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hardcore Heaven (1996)</span> 1996 Extreme Championship Wrestling supercard event

Hardcore Heaven (1996) was the third Hardcore Heaven professional wrestling event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). The event was a supercard that took place on June 22, 1996, in the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">House Party (1996)</span> 1996 Extreme Championship Wrestling supercard event

House Party was the first House Party professional wrestling supercard event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). The event took place on January 5, 1996 in the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States. Several matches from the event aired on the January 23, 1996 episode of ECW Hardcore TV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ultimate Jeopardy (1996)</span> 1996 Extreme Championship Wrestling supercard event

Ultimate Jeopardy - the second Ultimate Jeopardy professional wrestling supercard event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) - took place on October 5, 1996 in the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States. Excerpts from Ultimate Jeopardy aired on episodes #181, #182, and #183 of the syndicated television program ECW Hardcore TV in October 1996, while the bout between Bam Bam Bigelow and Terry Gordy was included on the compilation DVD Extreme Warfare Volume 2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Three Way Dance</span> 1995 Extreme Championship Wrestling live event

Three Way Dance was a professional wrestling live event produced by Eastern Championship Wrestling (ECW) on April 8, 1995. The event was held in the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States. It was a "double header" event with Hostile City Showdown, which took place the following weekend.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enter the Sandman</span> 1995 Extreme Championship Wrestling live event

Enter the Sandman was a professional wrestling live event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) on May 13, 1995. The event was held in the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States. The title of the event referred to professional wrestler the Sandman and to his entrance music, Enter Sandman by Metallica.

When Worlds Collide was the name of two professional wrestling live events produced by the professional wrestling promotion Eastern Championship Wrestling/Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in 1994 and 1996 respectively. Both events were held in the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Massacre on Queens Boulevard</span> 1996 Extreme Championship Wrestling pay-per-view event

Massacre on Queens Boulevard was a professional wrestling live event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) on April 13, 1996. The event was held in the Lost Battalion Hall in the Rego Park section of the New York City borough of Queens in the United States. The event took its name from the street where the venue is located.

References

  1. Williams, Scott E.; Douglas, Shane; Tahinos, George (2007). Hardcore History: The Extremely Unauthorized Story of ECW. Sports Publishing LLC. p. 103. ISBN   978-1-59670-225-7 . Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  2. Williams, Steve; Caiazzo, Tom; Switzer, Barry (2007). Steve Williams: How Dr. Death Became Dr. Life. Sports Publishing LLC. p. 123. ISBN   978-1-59670-180-9 . Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  3. "Raven bio". Archived from the original on 2019-08-04. Retrieved 2013-08-07.