Eve Torres Gracie[8] (born Eve Marie Torres on August 21, 1984) is an American actress, dancer, model,
martial arts instructor, and retired
professional wrestler. She is currently signed to
WWE, where she serves as an ambassador. She was the first ever three-time
WWE Divas Champion.
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 two further 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.[4][9] Her father is Nicaraguan and her mother is of German and Swedish descent.[10][11] She has a younger brother, Phil, who is an Explorer and biologist.[12][13]
Torres attended the
University of Southern California (USC) on a full tuition scholarship.[4] During college, she was one of the founding members of the
Omega Phi Betasorority chapter on her campus and held the vice-president position for several years.[14] While in Omega Phi Beta, Torres was awarded for Academic Excellence at the
Order of Omega Greek Awards.[15] She graduated with honors and a
grade point average above 3.5 in May 2006, with a degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering.[4][14]
Her first main storyline began in early 2009, when she began a
scripted feud with
Michelle McCool after McCool attacked her.[4][28] On the February 6 episode of SmackDown, Eve made her singles match debut in a losing effort against McCool via
submission.[29] Their feud continued for the next few months, with them competing against each other in singles and
tag team matches.[6][30] Eve then moved into a feud with
Layla in mid-2009.[4] After the pair competed in dance and arm wrestling competitions, Eve defeated Layla on the May 29 episode of SmackDown in a wrestling match.[31][32][33] On the June 18 episode of Superstars, Eve pinned Layla once again. After the match, they both shook hands.[34]
Around the same as her scripted rivalry with Layla, Eve became associated with
Cryme Tyme (
Shad and
JTG), appearing in several backstage segments with them.[6][35] She also began accompanying them to the ring as their
manager during their storyline rivalry with
The Hart Dynasty (
David Hart Smith,
Tyson Kidd, and
Natalya).[36] 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.[37][38][39] Her final match on SmackDown was on October 9, when she was defeated in a singles match by McCool.[40]
Divas Champion (2009–2011)
On October 12, 2009, Eve was traded to the Raw brand.[4] 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.[41] She then entered into a storyline romance with
Chris Masters in December 2009, becoming his
valet,[42][43] after Masters saved Eve from a confrontation with Chavo Guerrero. In a Christmas Edition of Raw, Eve kissed Chris Masters under the mistletoe after Masters defeated Carlito in a Single's match. Eve and Masters would continue their romantic storyline throughout early 2010 as the couple would share celebratory kisses and hugs after each match victory in the middle of the ring. 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.[44][45] 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.[46][47]
Another picture of Eve Torres at Tribute to the Troops of year 2010.
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.[48][49][50] On the May 3 episode of Raw, Eve was involved in a backstage segment where she was knocked unconscious by Maryse during a photoshoot with her new title. Later on that night, after defeating Nikki Bella, Maryse humiliated Eve further by showing photos of herself posing with the unconscious Eve and her Divas Championship belt. Eve successfully defended the championship against Maryse at the
Over the Limit pay-per-view in May.[51] 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.[52] On the July 5 episode of Raw, Eve invoked her rematch clause against Fox but was unsuccessful after Fox feigned an ankle injury.[53] As a result, she received another rematch at the
Money in the Bank pay per-view, but lost again to Fox.[54][55] In mid-2010 she began acting as the valet for
R-Truth, entering another romantic storyline. The pair would enter a storyline feud with Ted DiBiase and Maryse.
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.[56][57] 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.[58][59] She held the championship until the April 11 episode of Raw, when she lost it to
Brie Bella.[60]
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.[61][62] Eve and Kelly began feuding with
The Divas of Doom (Beth Phoenix and Natalya), and after Phoenix won the Divas Championship from Kelly, Eve defeated Natalya to earn a title match against Phoenix.[63] She faced Phoenix at the
Vengeance pay-per-view, but was unsuccessful.[64] On the October 31 episode of Raw, Eve won a battle royal to become the number one contender to the Divas Championship.[65] She received her championship match at the
Survivor Series pay-per-view, but lost a Lumberjill match to Phoenix.[66] She later described the match as her favorite.[67]
Evil authority figure, Record Breaker and retirement (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.[68] On the January 9, 2012 episode of Raw, Eve agreed to a date with Ryder beginning a storyline relationship.[69] 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 became a
villain after she confessed backstage to
The Bella Twins that she had never liked Zack Ryder and didn't care about the injury he had suffered the previous week. She stated that she was using him for publicity and planned to take advantage of John Cena the same way. Cena overheard her revelation and scorned her as she begged for forgiveness.[70] 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."[71] She wrestled her first match as a villain on the March 2 episode of SmackDown, defeating Natalya.[72] Ryder returned on the March 5 episode of Raw, confronting Eve over her recent actions, but she managed to seduce him into forgiving her and the two shared a long backstage kiss.[73]
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. After the match she publicly humiliated him by kicking him in the groin, sending him to his knees in agony.[74]
As a result,
John Laurinaitis gave her a position of authority by appointing her as the Executive Administrator of Raw and SmackDown.[75] Eve found the role to be a power trip and enjoyed abusing her position by bullying and humiliating people on numerous occasions. One such occasion was on the April 30 episode of Raw, when Eve fired the Bella Twins with cruel glee.[76] She also publicly humiliated The Big Show in the middle of the ring by making him apologise for mocking John Laurinaitis, and threatened his job if he didn't comply. However, it was former SmackDown General Manager
Theodore Long who Eve seemed to take the most pleasure in bullying. After finding himself working for Laurinaitis after his team's loss at Wrestlemania, Long was told that he would now be working under Eve and would report to her, a situation she clearly enjoyed. As Eve's subordinate, the next few weeks were hell for Long. She took great pleasure in humiliating him by forcing him to do menial, degrading tasks; such as making him wear an apron and name tag at all times, like a maid. As well as stand guard by a door dressed as a Queen's soldier. She also enjoyed ordering him to get her coffee and would throw the coffee all over him if it wasn't to her satisfaction. Long was also forced by Eve to rub oil on
Antonio Cesaro for a photoshoot, this was particularly humiliating for Teddy as it was in front of his ex love interest (and Cesaro's current girlfriend) the evil
Aksana, who seemed to find Long's predicament extremely entertaining.
Despite her new authority figure role, she continued to participate in matches throughout mid-2012. Eve's power trip eventually ended in June 2012 at
No Way Out when John Laurinaitis was fired, therefore her role as Executive Administrator ended.[77][78][79] On the August 10 episode of SmackDown, Eve asked
SmackDown General ManagerBooker 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.[80]
In August, she began a storyline where she appeared friendly and nice, diminishing her villainous characteristics.[81] 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.[82] 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.[83] 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.[84] 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.[85] The following week, she defeated Layla to retain the championship.[86] 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.[87] 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.[88][89][90] On the December 10 episode of Raw, Eve defeated Alica Fox. After the match, Eve invited a ringside photographer into the ring to take photos of herself celebrating with the championship over the defeated Fox in an attempt to humiliate her.
At
Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Eve stopped Kaitlyn from winning a number one contender's match, and defeated winner
Naomi to retain the title.[91] Kaitlyn won a non-title match against Eve, and won the subsequent title match by disqualification on December 18, however Eve retained the championship.[92][93] The rematch occurred on the January 7, 2013 episode of Raw, in which Eve successfully defended the championship after losing by count-out.[94] The following week, on the special "20th Anniversary" episode of Raw, Eve lost the Divas Championship to Kaitlyn.[95] She quit immediately following the loss in storyline.[96] 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.[7][97] Torres was offered a role on the first season of
E!reality seriesTotal Divas by
Triple H, with a proposed storyline that involved her WWE departure, which she ultimately declined.[98]
On October 28, 2018, Torres appeared on the pre-show for the first all-women's WWE pay-per-view,
WWE Evolution, as well as in a video package during the main broadcast.[104][deprecated source]
Torres, along with Maryse and Michelle McCool, appeared in the January 2009 issue of Muscle & Fitness magazine.[110]
On April 30, 2012, it was announced that Torres would be featured in the
WWE Studios and Kare Production Project "Les reines du ring" (English: Queens of the Ring), alongside fellow wrestlers
The Miz and
CM Punk.[111] In mid-2013, Torres filmed a role for the film The Scorpion King 4: Quest for Power, which was released in 2015.[112] She later earned a role in Matador as Reyna Flores, a journalist reporting on the leading character's career.[113] The show was cancelled after a single season.[114] In 2016, Torres appeared in the film Skiptrace as a Russian assassin.[115] The same year, she appeared in an episode of the Supergirl television series as
Maxima.[116]
^"Phi Chapter".
Omega Phi Beta. Archived from
the original on December 12, 2007. Retrieved April 22, 2010. Soror Eve Torres Awarded for "Academic Excellence" at Order of Omega Greek Awards.