10 Things You May Not Know About Eva Marie

Think you know everything about Eva Marie? Well, think again! Here are 10 things you may not know about the Total Divas star.

Was Hired So Quickly She Never Trained For WWE

As little as a few short years ago, WWE were far more interested in females possessing model-like looks than in-ring skills. Eva Marie is proof of that, but she was far from the first. When the ‘Diva Search’ was first held in 2004, a large number of fans were left disinterested in the entire division. Previous stars such as Trish Stratus had been models, but they were also given time to develop as actual wrestlers.

That wasn’t a luxury afforded to Eva Marie when she won the Diva Search in 2013. Unlike in previous years, the whole competition wasn’t played out much on WWE programming, but was instead a recruitment drive by the company to get more women through their doors. Marie was attracted, and selected for a WWE contract. There was only one problem, she couldn’t wrestle a lick.

Even right up to her first appearances on Monday Night Raw, Eva Marie was given little wrestling training. Most of her work involved appearing on the faux reality show ‘Total Divas’, with little concern given to her lack of in-ring ability. Straight away, this was a setback, something Marie herself acknowledges now. She was woefully under-prepared.

Is Half-Mexican And Adores Spicy Food

According to Eva Marie, one of the first things that attracted her to now-husband Jonathan Coyle was the man’s ability to cook. In numerous interviews, Eva has noted that she loves good food, and actually stuffs her face more often than not! Obviously, the hard work she puts in at the gym ensures this doesn’t show on her physique whatsoever.

Something a lot of wrestling fans might not know about the WWE Diva is that she’s half-Mexican. Her mother, Josie, was born in the country. On the other side of the family, her father was born in Italy. This means that not only is Marie half-Mexican, but she also has Italian blood in her. Add to that the fact she was born in California, and that’s quite the mix.

In part due to her upbringing, Eva Marie loves a variety of different foods. This is something she shares in common with her husband, who routinely whips up tasty treats in the kitchen. Many of them are spicy, because of Marie’s love for Mexican. In one interview, Eva said that having a spouse who can cook is definitely a major plus.

Captained Her College Soccer Team And Remains A Sports Nut

To this day, Eva Marie is still a huge fan of sports. Long before breaking into the pro wrestling industry, this was where she cut her athletic teeth. As far back as high school, the WWE Diva was playing sports and keeping fit. At Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, California, Marie studied, but also excelled on the sporting field at the same time.

Intriguingly, Eva’s main game of choice was soccer/football. A striker on the pitch, she was actually captain of the Diablo Valley College team, and still enjoys playing when she has some spare time. Obviously, that free time is at a minimum due to her WWE commitments, but there are some YouTube clips of Eva messing around with a soccer ball.

It’s somewhat surprising that WWE haven’t capitalised on this natural athleticism. Fans rebelled against accepting Marie on the main roster due to her lack of in-ring skills. There was no indication given from the promotion that she was anything other than a model who had fallen into pro wrestling. In fact, the announcers didn’t even clue fans in that she had an athletic background at all.

Is Signed To The Same Management As The Rock

Eagle-eyed wrestling fans will notice that The Rock occasionally mentions Eva Marie on Twitter and Instagram. ‘The Great One’ even posted a lengthy diatribe giving praise to the Diva for how hard she was working at the WWE Performance Center. Whilst it’s true the pair are now friends, those posts weren’t as random as they may first appear.

Both share the same management team, which means Dwayne Johnson is only too happy to put Eva Marie over on a public forum. Backstage at WrestleMania 31, the pair met up and the former WWE Heavyweight Champion gave the fledgling star some key advice. On her side, Marie has talked up those words of encouragement on social media.

Obviously, Eva Marie’s focus for now is definitely on becoming a stalwart of the WWE Diva division, but her friendship with The Rock could help her further on down the line. Marie has done some acting (more on that later), and there could be room for more once she’s done in WWE. Who better than The Rock to help, both with pro wrestling and Hollywood?

She Has Two Different Degree Qualifications

It’d be easy for most people to assume that Eva Marie gets by on her looks and little else in everyday life. After all, the flame-haired beauty is naturally stunning, and has a figure to die for. Even though she has worked extensively as a model, that’s not all the Diva has to offer. Eva Marie has not one, but two different degrees to her name.

As noted earlier, Eva studied at Diablo Valley College in California. A keen sports woman, she caught the eye on the soccer field and in athletics. In the class room, she was also a stand out. Marie has said before that she enjoys keeping herself active and busy, which is certainly reflected by her achievements in college. Long before she was in WWE, she was smashing her personal goals.

A Bachelor Of Arts in Business Management is the first degree Eva Marie earned. Adding to that success, she also received a minor degree in Human Resources. It’s unclear whether or not she planned on following one of those career paths, because she was snapped up by WWE quickly when the company witnessed some of her model portfolio. Even if wrestling doesn’t pan out, Eva has a lot to fall back on.

She’s Appeared In Major Hollywood Movies

It’s not uncommon for models to land small parts in major Hollywood productions. The movie industry is fascinated by physical appearance, so Eva Marie checks that particular box straight away. Of course, good looks don’t guarantee that a person is going to be a proficient actress, but Marie has been invited to appear on a number of television shows.

By far her biggest showing was in the TV show, Entourage. The program ran from 2004-2011, but Marie only had a few minor roles towards the end of the show’s tenure on screens. Nonetheless, the show was popular enough to made into a full-length movie in 2015, so it’s definitely a plus for Eva that she was part of proceedings. Entourage wasn’t her last foray into television.

Appearances on shows such as 90210, America’s Got Talent, and CSI: New York have all been great experiences for the WWE Diva. All of her parts to date have been relatively small, but she has said acting is something she’s interested in doing more of in the future. Perhaps Marie sees WWE as the ideal launching point for such a career, due to the exposure working for the promotion can provide.

Brian Kendrick’s Wife Made Her NXT Ring Attire

During her first matches on shows such as Monday Night Raw in 2013, Eva Marie received a frosty reception from audiences. WWE fans seemed to realise swiftly that the woman didn’t have a lot of substance beyond her obvious good looks. That’s definitely the fault of management, who should never have pushed Marie into such a lofty position before she was truly ready.

Working diligently at the WWE Performance Center, Eva has started to grasp many of the wrestling fundamentals she was previously lacking. In July, she re-debuted on the NXT show, which is likely where she should have been posted to begin with in 2013. Upon her reintroduction, Marie had tweaked her look a little, showing off flashy new ring gear.

The robe and ring attire she wore to the ring wasn’t made by the usual sources in WWE. Obviously, the company have their own wardrobe department, but it was actually Brian Kendrick’s wife who put together Eva’s new gear. The Diva had become friendly with her due to training hard with Kendrick at the WWE Performance Center.

Dyes Her Hair An Unhealthy Amount

To date, Eva Marie hasn’t been see on WWE television without her trademark red hair. Clearly, the bright shade isn’t natural, and takes a lot of maintenance to keep in check. Marie has black hair naturally, but decided to dye her locks red in order to help her stand out. It definitely worked, because it’s become one of the most recognisable things about her.

Dying hair is a risky business, especially if done regularly. Generally speaking, it’s recommended that people don’t dye their hair any more than once every 6 weeks, but that’s not advice Eva Marie is willing to follow. Due to the fact her black roots start to come in very quickly, she gets the red hair dye out at least once every 3 weeks.

In interviews, Marie has noted that this is a problem, because it’s hardly healthy for her hair. Even so, her red hair is now something fans recognise her by. If she were to revert to black hair, it might mean she doesn’t look as individual on the roster.

Personally Requested To Do More Training Sessions

If there’s one thing WWE have definitely encouraged over the years, it’s people dedicating their lives to the promotion. Whilst Eva Marie enjoys time away from the company, she has started to integrate herself far more over the past year or so. A big indication of this is just how much time she has been spending training at the WWE Performance Center since the calendar switched to 2015.

On social media, Brian Kendrick has stated his admiration for Eva’s determination. According to Kendrick, he was only expecting to see Marie around twice per week, but she herself has asked for way more sessions than that. This is something the former WWE Tag-Team Champion has only been too happy to oblige with, because he sees that the Diva is eager to improve.

Up until recently, Eva Marie spent at least 5 days training at the WWE Performance Center. Taking into account the fact that she wants to burst onto the main roster, that has to be considered a smart move. Due to her new arrival on the NXT roster, those training session have likely dropped a little, but that’s only because Kendrick, and others, have deemed she’s ready to wrestle.

Studies Tajiri Matches Extensively

One key piece of advice Brian Kendrick gave Eva Marie was to watch as much wrestling as she could. Better yet, Kendrick wanted the Diva to really study bouts, picking them apart and realising why certain wrestlers do certain things. This is pretty standard procedure for those training to wrestle, but it’s interesting to learn who Brian picked out for Marie specifically.

Yoshihiro Tajiri isn’t the first name fans would expect WWE trainers to ask fledgling performers to study. The diminutive Japanese grappler was heralded for his strikes and had a great run as part of WWE’s Cruiserweight division, but he was far from a top star. Nonetheless, he is someone Eva Marie has been paying close attention to, studying his body of work hard.

Generally, Kendrick asked Eva to study the Japanese wrestling scene across the board. It’ll be interesting to see what elements of this study make it to her repertoire, because having a WWE Diva influenced by proceedings in the Orient ca only be considered a plus. Much like her red hair, using some ‘strong style’ nuances could help Eva Marie stand out once she progresses to the main roster again.