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 The following biography
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Terri Ann Boatwright Runnels (born October 5, 1966
in Live Oak, Florida) is a professional wrestling manager. She is best known for
her eight year career with World Wrestling Entertainment, and as the former wife
of the flamboyant wrestler Goldust.
* * * *
Career
Terri Runnels was originally a make-up artist for
CNN, and worked in the same studios in which episodes of WCW were taped. When
WCW was purchased by Ted Turner in 1988, booker Ole Anderson invited her to
become part of the roster. Terri debuted in 1990 as Miss Alexandra York, an
accountant who led the WCW faction known as the York Foundation. The York
Foundation was a consortium of wrestlers with finance themed gimmicks, including
Terry Taylor (repackaged as Terrence Taylor), Ricky Morton (repackaged as
Richard Morton), Tommy Rich (repackaged as Thomas Rich) and original member
Michael Wallstreet. Terri carried a laptop which she purportedly calculated the
means (and time) necessary for her clients to win matches.
Terri debuted in the World Wrestling Federation at
the 1996 Royal Rumble as Marlena, the cigar-smoking manager and wife of her
real-life husband Dustin Runnels, then packaged as the eccentric,
cross-dressing, bisexual wrestler Goldust. Terri managed Goldust until on
November 3, 1997 he revealed his new valet, Luna Vachon. Terri disappeared from
TV, re-emerging in 1998 as the manager of Val Venis. Venis fired her and ended
their relationship when Terri announced that she was pregnant.
In November 1998 the jilted Terri formed the stable
"Pretty Mean Sisters" (P.M.S) with Jacqueline and Ryan Shamrock, both of whom
also had reason to resent men. In one of the more controversial WWF storylines,
when D'Lo Brown accidentally knocked Terri from the ring apron to the floor
during a match, she claimed to have suffered a miscarriage. This was later found
to be untrue, as was the entire pregnancy, but in the meantime Terri used the
incident to exert control over D'Lo, who became a virtual servant to P.M.S. The
stable eventually grew to encompass Meat, a male wrestler who the ladies
constantly abused. P.M.S. gradually drifted apart, and the stable finally split
in August 1999.
In late 1999, Terri arranged the "Terri
Invitational Tournament" between Edge and Christian and The Hardy Boyz, with the
winner receiving her managerial services and the sum of $100,000. The Hardy Boyz
won the Tournament, which culminated in a Ladder Match at No Mercy 1999 (with
the prize money suspended above the ring in a briefcase), and Terri spent the
next few months as their manager until she was injured when Bubba Ray Dudley
powerbombed her through a table on January 24, 2000. Terri returned on February
27, 2000 and cost the Hardy Boyz a match, complaining that they had not visited
her while hospitalized. She then tried to become the manager of Edge and
Christian, but they refused.
Terri then begun a feud with The Kat because she
was jealous of the latter's TV exposure. At WrestleMania 2000, Terri defeated
The Kat in a Catfight. The next week on RAW, Terri invited The Kat to a beauty
salon. However, Terri spiked The Kat's drink and dyed and cut her hair while she
was unconscious. On May 6 at Insurrextion in London, England, Terri lost to The
Kat in a Arm Wrestling match, but stripped her topless afterwards.
In June 2000, Terri formed an alliance with Dean
Malenko, and on June 6 on RAW, Malenko faced Jerry Lawler (representing The Kat)
in a "Over the Top, Off with the Top" Match. Though Malenko lost, Terri was
covered up by Steven Richards before she could strip topless. The Kat went on to
defeat her in a thong Stinkface Match at SummerSlam 2000.
In mid-2000, Terri became the onscreen girlfriend
and manager of Perry Saturn. The partnership lasted until Saturn, concussed by a
double powerbomb delivered by The Acolytes, opted to continue seeing "Moppy" (a
mop he believed was alive) when Terri told him to get rid of the mop or she
would leave him. Terri then became the manager of wrestler Raven in order to
enact revenge upon Saturn, a goal she achieved when Raven stole the mop and fed
it into a wood chipper.
In late 2001, Terri replaced Trish Stratus as the
host of the WWE recap program "Excess" along with Jonathan Coachman, a role she
retained until the program was cancelled. She then became a backstage
interviewer. On May 27, 2002 she briefly held the perpetually contested Hardcore
Title when she pinned a dazed Steven Richards, though he immediately pinned her
to regain the title. She also began an onscreen romance with Kane which was
abandoned when Kane turned heel in June 2003. Terri declined to train as a
full-time wrestler, preferring to act as a manager if possible.
On April 3, 2004 Terri was granted a release from
her WWE contract. She has since made a number of appearances on the independent
circuit. On June 5, 2004 she acted as guest ring announcer for Harley Race's
World League Wrestling promotion, and prevented Johnny Gold from interfering in
the main event. She resumed a managerial role on July 10, 2004, leading Brian
Costello to a victory over The Barbarian at IAW: Clash at the Cove 6. On January
18, 2005 she managed the Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton and Dennis Condrey) in a
Steel Cage Match which they lost to the Fantastics (Tommy Rogers and Bobby
Fulton) in the Southern Championship Wrestling promotion.
In March 2005 Terri stated in an interview that "I
am through with wrestling"; it remains to be seen if she has completely retired.
Signature moves
While active as a wrestler, Terri would often
perform a top rope crossbody on the opponents of her clients in order to help
swing the balance of the match. She would also occasionally perform a bronco
buster, often on other women for the purposes of titillation.
Personal Life
Terri Runnels was born Terri Ann Boatwright, but
took the name of husband Virgil Runnels III, with whom she has a daughter,
Dakota. The couple divorced several years later, but retain an amiable
relationship. She was briefly married again in April 2002, but divorced her new
husband soon after. She has turned down offers to pose for Playboy Magazine in
the 1990s, citing the potential effects on her daughter.
Terri dated Brian Pillman in 1990 while they were
both in WCW.
Championships /
Accomplishments
Title lineage
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URL of Original Article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terri_Runnels
Date Article Copied:
July 20, 2005
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