Cheerleader Melissa

Cheerleader Melissa is an American professional wrestler best known for her work in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, ChickFight, and SHIMMER Women Athletes.

Early life
Melissa is one of the few second-generation female wrestlers. Her father, Doug Anderson, wrestled professionally before her in the early 1980s. Growing up she became a fan of her father's work and also showed her own flair for sports, particularly soccer as well as joining Palmdale High School's athletics and amateur wrestling team as one of only four girls. While only 15, she had already become involved in the wrestling business, travelling to San Bernardino frequently to train in and work for the wrestling school of Billy Anderson, her father's former tag team partner, as well as involving herself in the running of things and before long she made her debut front of stage. Despite touring so young, Anderson still studied and gained her high school diploma largely through the help of e-mailing teachers; she also credits the internet for helping her become famous while only wrestling in front of small crowds.

Training
While training at Billy Anderson's school, she met the Ballard Brothers (Shannon and Shane) who were using the gimmick of hockey players, similar to the Hanson Twins from Slap Shot. They were looking for a valet and due to their sporting gimmick, Anderson took on the role of a heel and the gimmick of a cheerleader, despite them not playing a part in ice hockey. They toured the West Coast, mostly appearing with All Pro Wrestling (APW) where she would interfere in matches, often using high-flying moves. As Cheerleader Melissa she also received training from Christopher Daniels for a short period of time before moving on to APW where she trained under the tutelage of Robert Thompson and "American Dragon" Bryan Danielson.

After gaining experience from ring side, Cheerleader Melissa eventually had her first proper match on her 17th birthday against Lexie Fyfe in a losing effort at an outdoor carnival event. In 2001, she entered into Ultimate Pro Wrestling and in the following year, in the Summer of 2002, Melissa was personally invited to wrestle and train for three months in Japan for the now-defunct promotion ARSION. She was selected alongside Taylor Matheny who had recently received exposure in World Wrestling Entertainment's Tough Enough programme and thus Anderson received much internet attention by association. Among the rigorous training schedule she wrestled what she claims to be some of her favourite matches, particularly a 15-minute draw against Rie Tamada and her loss to Mariko Yoshida. Also as a present for her 20th birthday, which she celebrated out there, she was allowed to tag team with veteran female wrestler Lioness Asuka.

Tournaments (2004-2007)
After Melissa returned from Japan, her days of being a valet were over and Melissa became a full time wrestler. Moving on from her pre-Japan feud with Nikki, she continued to wrestle for APW winning its Above The Law Championship from Robert Thompson in July 2004. Under her reign it was renamed the Future Legends Championship, the title under which she lost it to Daizee Haze the following year before winning it back and retiring the belt. In October, APW associated itself with the newly formed, all-female tournament-cum-promotion ChickFight (CF). In the first event, staged under the APW banner for their Halloween Hell weekend, Melissa made it through two rounds only to be defeated in a steel cage match for the final round by luchadora Princess Sugey. She would become a staple of ChickFight, appearing at the first ten of their major events, missing the eleventh event due to injury sustained less than a week before the show; she is scheduled to appear at the next event under her Raisha Saeed character. She made the final in the first two tournaments but exited the third in the first round after a double disqualification during a match with former rival Nikki, now under her better known name Sara Del Rey. Melissa won ChickFight V tournament, beating Jazz in the final and also went on to win ChickFight VII: The UK vs The USA tournament when it moved from the United States over to the United Kingdom pinning "The Jezebel" Eden Black in the last match. However, the focus of ChickFight VII was on the controversial ending to her first match that saw Sweet Saraya's head hung in the ropes, Melissa continued to assault her despite being trapped until the referee ended the match and Saraya was stretchered from ringside. As Melissa celebrated her tournament victory Saraya reappeared and threatened Melissa. The feud was cut short during a pre-match brawl for Real Quality Wrestling (RQW) in June that saw the two brawl both in and outside of the building and ended with Melissa winning shortly after Saraya was thrown on an already utilised aluminium can, tearing through her ligament and leaving her hospitalised. She was forced to forfeit her ChickFight IX: Our Final Chance match the following day and would not wrestle again for six months.

Feud with Wesna (2007-2009)
Meanwhile, Melissa had begun a new feud. She did not participate in the tournament at ChickFight VIII but instead had a rematch against Eden Black for the newly created Transatlantic Women's Championship which she won. Later in the show she successfully defended the title against Croatian wrestler Wesna Busic. The two had met years previously when her internet celebrity saw her invited to German Stampede Wrestling to face Wesna in a losing effort at International Impact I. After defending her Transatlantic Championship at ChickFight VII, their next CF meeting saw Wesna defend her RQW Women's Championship fought under ChickFight Rules (no disqualification and falls count anywhere) which saw the two go to a forty-five minute time limit draw. This left the two at 1-1 and so a decisive match was to be held at ChickFight X but this ended in controversy when Wesna claimed that her tap out was merely an attempt to grab the rope for a rope break; their rematch later that night saw Wesna pick up the victory leaving them drawn again at 2-2. CF XI was originally slated to be a two out of three falls match to find a decisive victory until Melissa pulled out due to injury. Their feud was picked up the following year for Shimmer Women Athletes at Volume 23 in May 2009. The company preluded the match with a video package showing their matches in Europe and announced that the winner would go on to face the Shimmer Champion at a later event. Similar to their 45 minute draw, the two traded forearm shots and ended on their knees trading slaps but unlike that match there would be a winner this time. Towards the end of the bout, Annie Social came to the ring to distract Melissa allowing Wesna to use her CB4 Driver to pick up the victory. Wesna lost her championship match at Volume 25 and, owing to the controversy of their previous match, Melissa wrestled Wesna again in Volume 26 in a Knockout/Submission match where Melissa picked up the victory, making them level once more.

Shimmer Women Athletes (2005-present)
Melissa has a strong singles record in SHIMMER. However, in the tournament to crown the first Shimmer Champion, she lost in only the first round to Sarah Stock. Her other two chances to fight for gold have been similarly unsuccessful, with her losing a staggered entry 21 woman battle royal and a Four Corners match, both for #1 Contendership. Melissa and Wesna faced each other for the fifth time on May 2, 2009, at the tapings of Volume 23. Annie Social interfered in the match and helped Wesna pick up the win turning her heel in the process. The following night, at the tapings of Volume 26, Melissa defeated Wesna via knockout in a "Knockout or Submission Match". On November 8, 2009, she continued her winning streak by defeating first Nicole Matthews as part of Volume 27 and then "The Rate Tank" Kellie Skater as part of Volume 28. On the April 10 & 11 weekend tapings, Melissa teamed with MsChif against the Canadian Ninjas in an unsucessful bid for the SHIMMER Tag Team Titles on Volume 29. Melissa returned to singles action on Volume 30, losing to Madison Eagles in a number one contender's match. Melissa then faced Japanese wrestler Misaki Ohata in a victory for Volume 31. Melissa then faced Ayako Hamada in the main event of Volume 32, after the match she called out the

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
On the May 1, 2008 edition of Impact!, Anderson appeared as her signature Cheerleader Melissa gimmick and defeated Daisy Haze in a singles match that was billed as a "try-out" for both women. However, she reappeared as Saeed later that night.[57] At the May 26, 2009 Impact! taping, Anderson wrestled as "Future Legend" Melissa Anderson in a dark match where she was defeated by Awesome Kong.

Other promotions
As well as being a regular for APW, ChickFight, Shimmer and TNA Melissa continues to tour the independent circuit working for a number of different promotions. She has had two stints in the National Wrestling Alliance affiliate Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling. In her second run, during September 2005, she had a short feud with Nattie Neidhart, taking her on in a singles match where Neidhart won using her Sharpshooter after some interference from Belle Lovitz. Enraged by interference, Melissa formed an impromptu tag team with Tiffany, Girls Gone Wrestling, and pinned Nattie after an Air Raid Crash.

Also in 2005 she wrestled at Givin Em The Bizness for Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South (IWA: Mid-South) in a six way elimination match for the NWA Midwest Women's Championship against champion Ariel as well as MsChif, Mickie Knuckles, Sara Del Rey and eventual winner Daizee Haze.[68]

Melissa has participated in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) workouts with Ivory, Molly Holly, and Jazz.[2] She also had a tryout match on the May 26, 2006 edition of WWE Heat. Wrestling under her birth name, Melissa Anderson fell to a Widow's Peak by Victoria in Las Vegas, Nevada in one of her highest-profile matches to date.[70]

On January 7, 2007, Melissa won Pro Wrestling World-1's inaugural Queen's Cup tournament. After beating Melissa Strips in the first round, she received a bye through to the final to face Allison Danger. During an autograph session, she attacked Danger to the point where she was said to not to be able to compete, though Danger fought through her injury. By winning, Melissa earned herself a number one contendership for the AWA World Women's Championship, a match she never competed in.[71]

In an attempt to build a strong women's division, Jersey All Pro Wrestling opened 2009 with January's Female Revolution. Under her Cheerleader gimmick, she beat Nikki Roxx and later appeared as Raisha Saeed also winning against Ariel. She appeared again in May losing a return match to Roxx but staying undefeated as Saeed against Daizee Haze.[72] She was scheduled for a rematch with Roxx on November 16 but after Roxx pulled out she defeated Hailey Hatred to earn a match against Sara Del Rey for the JAPW Women's Championship.[73] Melissa won the match by disqualification after Hatred interfered, leading to a no-disqualification Three Way match in January 2010 at Back Where It All Began for the title in which Melissa was pinned by Del Rey.

In wrestling

 * Finishing moves
 * Air Raid Crash (Over the shoulder back to belly piledriver)
 * Kondo Clutch (Inverted cloverleaf)[1]
 * Kudo Driver (Back to back double underhook piledriver)
 * Signature moves
 * Curb Stomp (Standing inverted Indian deathlock surfboard followed into a head stomp)
 * Wheelbarrow whip into objects
 * Guardrail whip into an opponent
 * Modifed Tree of Woe Stretch
 * Samoan Drop
 * Belly to Back Suplex
 * Missile Dropkick
 * Wrestlers managed
 * The Ballard Brothers
 * Nicknames
 * Future Legend
 * Entrance themes
 * "#1 Da Woman" by Tricky (Shimmer / APW / ChickFight)[84]
 * "Firestarter" by The Prodigy (APW / IWA-MS)[85]