Eve Torres


Eve Torres Gracie is an American actress, dancer, model, martial arts instructor, and former professional wrestler. She is best known for her time with WWE, where she was the first ever three-time WWE Divas Champion.
Torres began her career as a model and dancer. She danced for The Southern California Summer Pro League and went on to become a member of the National Basketball Association's Los Angeles Clippers Spirit Dance Team for the 2006–2007 season. She also appeared on several television shows, including Show Me The Money, Sunset Tan, and Deal or No Deal.
In 2007, she won the 2007 Diva Search, earning a contract with WWE. Torres first appeared on WWE programming as a backstage interviewer in 2008 and became a full-time wrestler in 2009. She won the WWE Divas Championship in April 2010. She held the championship on a further two occasions, becoming the first person to win it three times. Following her retirement from professional wrestling in 2013, Torres focused on her role as an instructor for the Gracie Women Empowered self-defense program at the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Torrance, California, and continued to act, with roles in Skiptrace and Supergirl.

Early life

Torres was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and grew up in Denver, Colorado. She has "a Latina background" as she is of Nicaraguan descent, as well as German and Swedish. She has a younger brother, Phil, who is a television presenter.
Torres attended the University of Southern California on a full tuition scholarship. During college, she was one of the founding members of the Omega Phi Beta sorority chapter on her campus and held the vice-president position for several years. While in Omega Phi Beta, Torres was awarded for Academic Excellence at the Order of Omega Greek Awards. She graduated with honors and a grade point average above 3.5 in May 2006, with a degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering.

Dancing and modeling career

While attending USC, Torres appeared in commercials and music videos. Torres was the co-captain of the USC Fly Girls dance squad and created much of their choreography. She also danced for The Southern California Summer Pro League, the only summer league for National Basketball Association players, in Long Beach, California. After graduating from college, she began dancing and modeling full-time. After reaching the tryout finals in previous years, Torres became a member of the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers Spirit Dance Team for the 2006–07 season. She also appeared on the game show Show Me The Money.

World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE

''Diva Search'' (2007)

In May 2007, Torres entered World Wrestling Entertainment 's Diva Search. She was chosen by WWE officials as one of the eight finalists from a group of 50 women. On October 29, 2007, in Philadelphia, live on Raw, she was crowned the 2007 WWE Diva Search winner, defeating finalist Brooke Gilbertsen and becoming a WWE Diva. Following her win, she began training for her wrestling debut in WWE's developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling.

Main roster debut (2008–2009)

Videos promoting Eve's debut on SmackDown began airing on January 11, 2008. The promo aired for three weeks before Eve made her official debut on the February 1, 2008 episode of SmackDown interviewing Batista. During early 2008, Eve participated in a contest to determine the top Diva on SmackDown, participating in a bikini contest, an obstacle course, and an arm wrestling competition before being eliminated. Eve appeared at WrestleMania XXIV as a Lumberjill in the BunnyMania match between Maria and Ashley against Beth Phoenix and Melina. Eve spent the rest of the year competing in similar contests, including a dance-off and a bikini contest, before participating in the Halloween Costume Contest on October 26 at the Cyber Sunday pay-per-view, where she was dressed as Raphael from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. On the 800th episode of Raw on November 3, 2008, Eve made her televised in-ring debut in a 16-Diva tag team match, which her team lost although she was never tagged in.
Her first main storyline began in early 2009, when she began a scripted feud with Michelle McCool after McCool attacked her. On the February 6 episode of SmackDown, Eve made her singles match debut in a losing effort against McCool via submission. Their feud continued for the next few months, with them competing against each other in singles and tag team matches. Eve then moved into a feud with Layla in mid-2009. After the pair competed in dance and arm wrestling competitions, Eve defeated Layla on the May 29 episode of SmackDown in a wrestling match. On the June 18 episode of Superstars, Eve pinned Layla once again. After the match, they both shook hands.
Around the same as her scripted rivalry with Layla, Eve became associated with Cryme Tyme, appearing in several backstage segments with them. She also began accompanying them to the ring as their manager during their storyline rivalry with The Hart Dynasty. Eve and Cryme Tyme participated in multiple six-person mixed tag team matches against The Hart Dynasty, and Eve also faced Natalya in singles matches and tag team matches involving other Divas. Her final match on SmackDown was on October 9, when she was defeated in a singles match by McCool.

Divas Champion (2009–2011)

On October 12, 2009, Eve was traded to the Raw brand. On the November 2 episode of Raw, she competed in her first match after being traded: a battle royal which was won by Alicia Fox. She then entered into a storyline romance with Chris Masters in December 2009, becoming his valet. In January 2010, the WWE Divas Championship was vacated and a tournament was set up to determine the new champion. Eve made it to the semi-finals, before being defeated by the eventual winner, Maryse. At WrestleMania XXVI Eve was on the losing team in a 10-Diva tag team match, but the following night on Raw, she pinned Maryse in a rematch to earn the victory for her team.
On the April 5 episode of Raw, Eve won a "Dress to Impress" battle royal to become the number one contender to the WWE Divas Championship, and the following week on Raw, she defeated Maryse to win the championship for the first time. She successfully defended the championship against Maryse at the Over the Limit pay-per-view in May. At the Fatal 4-Way pay-per-view in June, Eve lost the championship in a fatal four-way match, when Alicia Fox pinned Maryse to win the championship. On the July 5 episode of Raw, Eve invoked her rematch clause against Fox but was unsuccessful after Fox feigned an ankle injury. As a result, she received another rematch at the Money in the Bank pay per-view, but lost again to Fox. In mid-2010 she began acting as the valet for R-Truth.
At the Royal Rumble on January 30, 2011, the Raw General Manager added Eve to a two-on-one handicap match for the Divas Championship, turning it into a fatal four-way match. Eve pinned Layla to win the match and become a two-time Divas Champion. She retained the championship against Natalya in a Lumberjill match on the February 14 episode of Raw, and against Nikki Bella on the March 7 episode. She held the championship until the April 11 episode of Raw, when she lost it to Brie Bella.
Eve then formed an alliance with Kelly Kelly, and after Kelly won the Divas Championship in June, Eve accompanied her to the ring during her matches. Eve and Kelly began feuding with The Divas of Doom, and after Phoenix won the Divas Championship from Kelly, Eve defeated Natalya to earn a title match against Phoenix. She faced Phoenix at the Vengeance pay-per-view, but was unsuccessful. On the October 31 episode of Raw, Eve won a battle royal to become the number one contender to the Divas Championship. She received her championship match at the Survivor Series pay-per-view, but lost a Lumberjill match to Phoenix. She later described the match as her favorite.

2011–2013

Eve moved into a storyline with Zack Ryder in December 2011, and the pair "won" a mixed tag team match against Natalya and Tyson Kidd on the December 26 episode of Raw. On the January 9, 2012, episode of Raw, Eve agreed to a date with Ryder beginning a storyline relationship. Eve quickly became involved in the storyline between Ryder, his ally John Cena, and Kane, who began targeting Ryder. After injuring Ryder, he turned his attention to Eve, and tried to attack her until he was stopped by Cena. On the February 6 episode of Raw, Eve suffered a legimiately broken nose when Beth Phoenix clotheslined her during a match. The following week, Cena saved Eve from being kidnapped by Kane, and Eve kissed him in thanks. On the February 20 episode of Raw, Eve began turning into a villainous character after she confessed backstage to The Bella Twins that she had never liked Zack Ryder and had used him for publicity and planned to take advantage of Cena the same way. Cena overheard her revelation and scorned her as she begged for forgiveness. Eve justified her actions by stating that she had no problem using men to achieve her goals and that she was "a woman in a man's world." She wrestled her first match as a villain on the March 2 episode of SmackDown, defeating Natalya. Ryder returned on the March 5 episode of Raw, confronting Eve over her recent actions, but she managed to seduce him into forgiving her. At WrestleMania XXVIII, Eve and Beth Phoenix lost to Kelly Kelly and Extra correspondent Maria Menounos in a tag team match. Later that night, she accompanied Ryder to the ring for the Team Johnny vs. Team Teddy matchup where she distracted Ryder, costing him and Team Teddy the match. She then gave Ryder a low blow after the match.
at the Wrestlemania XXVIII pay-per-view in April 2012
As a result, John Laurinaitis appointed her the Executive Administrator of Raw and SmackDown. As her first order of business as Executive Administrator, on the April 30 episode of Raw, Eve fired the Bella Twins. Despite her new authority figure role, she continued to participate in matches throughout mid-2012. On the August 10 episode of SmackDown, Eve asked SmackDown General Manager Booker T if she could be his assistant, but Kaitlyn was given the job instead. Eve threatened Booker T that she would tell the Board of Directors about his discriminatory hiring practices and was given a match against Kaitlyn the following week. Eve won the match and the job.
In August, she began a storyline where she appeared friendly and nice, diminishing her villainous characteristics. As part of this apparent personality change, she shook hands with her rival Kaitlyn following a match and teamed with her and Layla on the September 10 episode of Raw. At the Night of Champions pay-per-view, Kaitlyn was attacked and injured by a masked figure; as a result, Eve replaced Kaitlyn in a match against Divas Champion Layla, which she won. Her victory made her the first woman to hold the Divas Championship on three occasions. After Kaitlyn revealed her attacker was blonde, Eve accused Beth Phoenix, and attacked her on the September 24 episode of Raw. The following week, Eve suspended Phoenix, pending an investigation into Kaitlyn's attack. On the October 8 episode of Raw, Eve defeated Kaitlyn via submission to retain the Divas Championship, and following the match, Eve reverted to her heel persona and attempted to re-injure Kaitlyn, but was stopped by Layla. The following week, she defeated Layla to retain the championship. After the reveal that Kaitlyn was attacked by Aksana, under Eve's orders, the three-way feud led to a match at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, where Eve retained the Divas Championship against Layla and Kaitlyn in a triple threat match. Eve continued to feud with the duo, facing them in tag team matches with multiple partners and defeating Kaitlyn at Survivor Series to retain the championship. At, Eve stopped Kaitlyn from winning a number one contender's match, and defeated winner Naomi to retain the title. Kaitlyn won a non-title match against Eve, and won the subsequent title match by disqualification on December 18, however Eve retained the championship. The rematch occurred on the January 7, 2013, episode of Raw, in which Eve successfully defended the championship after losing by countout. The following week, on the special "20th Anniversary" episode of Raw, Eve lost the Divas Championship to Kaitlyn. She quit immediately following the loss in storyline. In reality, Torres had asked for her release in December 2012 to plan her upcoming wedding and focus on her role as an instructor for the Gracie Women Empowered Self-defense program.

Ambassador (2013–present)

On December 9, 2013, Torres appeared at the Slammy Award, presenting the Diva of the Year award to The Bella Twins. Since April 2014, she has served as an ambassador for WWE. Torres appeared on the June 19, 2017, episode of Table for 3 on WWE Network alongside Kelly Kelly and Maryse. On October 28, 2018, Torres made her first appearance in over a year as part of the pre-show panel for WWE's first women's pay-per-view Evolution.

Other media

In August 2008, Torres, along with fellow WWE Divas Maria and Candice Michelle, appeared on an episode of Sunset Tan. On October 2, 2008, Torres and Maria appeared on a special episode of '. Torres appeared on the November 3, 2009 episode of Deal or No Deal with Maria and Dolph Ziggler. On July 1, 2012, Torres, Kelly, and Michelle McCool appeared on Extreme Weight Loss. In 2012, she was part of NBC's celebrity reality competition series called Stars Earn Stripes; she won the competition on September 3, earning over $100,000 for her charity, the United Service Organizations. On September 7, 2012, Torres appeared on G4's Attack of the Show for an interview.
Torres, along with Maryse and Michelle McCool, appeared in the January 2009 issue of Muscle & Fitness magazine.
On April 30, 2012, it was announced that Torres would be featured in the WWE Studios and Kare Production Project "Les reines du ring", alongside fellow wrestlers The Miz and CM Punk. In mid-2013, Torres filmed a role for the film ', which was released in 2015. She later earned a role in Matador as Reyna Flores, a journalist reporting on the leading character's career. The show was cancelled after a single season. In 2016, Torres appeared in the film Skiptrace as a Russian assassin. The same year, she appeared in an episode of the Supergirl television series as Maxima.

Personal life

Torres is trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and holds a purple belt from the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy based in Torrance, California. Torres also participates in kickboxing. She is a spokeswoman and head instructor for the Gracie Women Empowered self-defense program. Torres was the first female instructor for the academy.
Torres met Rener Gracie when she attended the Gracie Academy for training. They married in April 2014. They have two sons, born September 2015 and August 2018.
Torres and her sister-in-law Sage operate an event rental company named "inJOY The Party".

Filmography

Film

Television

Championships and accomplishments