Candice Michelle Biography

Candice Michelle Beckman-Ehrlich (born September 30, 1978), better known as Candice Michelle, is an American model, actress, and retired professional wrestler best known for her time with World Wrestling Entertainment.

After spending years modeling and acting, Candice Michelle was hired by WWE in 2004, after she participated in the WWE Diva Search. Outside of wrestling, she is known as the Go Daddy Girl, performing in the company's annual Super Bowl commercials. She also posed for a cover and nude pictorial in the April 2006 issue of Playboy. At Vengeance in 2007, she defeated Melina to win her first WWE Women's Championship and became the first former Diva Search contestant to win a WWE title. She was released from her WWE contract on June 19, 2009.

Early life

Beckman grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and she is of German and Costa Rican descent. She played varsity and college basketball and has an avid interest in many sports. Because she is from the state of Wisconsin, Candice is a Green Bay Packers fan.

At sixteen, Beckman won a modeling competition at her local skating rink. Around 1999, she moved to Los Angeles, California to become a professional model and actress. She studied Theater Arts at Santa Monica College and had on camera acting and Meisner technique training at The Piero Dusa Acting Studio. It was during this time that Beckman adopted her middle name Michelle as her working last name. She appeared in numerous bodybuilding and car magazines such as FLEX and Lowrider Magazine, as well as being named Cyber Girl of the Week in the June 2002 issue of Playboy. Beckman also worked as a foot fetish model for a website under the name of Mackenzie Montgomery. During this time, Beckman made appearances on television programs such as Party of Five, 7th Heaven and Hotel Erotica, as well as appearing in such films as Tomcats, Anger Management, DodgeBall and A Man Apart.

Professional wrestling career

World Wrestling Entertainment (2004"2009)

Debut and Vince's Devils (2004"2006)

In July 2004, Beckman auditioned to be a contestant for World Wrestling Entertainment's Raw Diva Search. Despite not being chosen to be in the final ten, she was hired by the company under the gimmick of a makeup artist. She competed on Raw in several Diva contests, including lingerie fashion shows and limbo contests, until the end of the year.

On June 30, 2005, Candice was moved to SmackDown! where she became involved in a storyline between Torrie Wilson and Melina. On July 24, Candice made her pay-per-view debut at The Great American Bash where she served as the Special Guest Referee for the Bra and Panties match between Wilson and Melina. She was then moved back to Raw in a trade along with Wilson. In her next storyline, Candice and Torrie became villains by taunting 2005 Diva Search winner Ashley Massaro, and they joined forces with fellow Raw Diva Victoria to form an alliance known as Ladies in Pink (later Vince's Devils). On the September 5 episode of Raw, Wilson defeated Massaro after the interference from Victoria and Candice. They continued feuding with Massaro until Trish Stratus returned from a legitimate injury to help Massaro "retaliate" against Vince's Devils. On the October 17 episode of Raw, where she, Torrie and Victoria faced off against the team of Stratus, Massaro, and their new ally Mickie James in a winning effort after Wilson pinned James. On November 28 episode of Raw, Candice teamed up with Victoria and Torrie Wilson in losing effort to Trish, Ashley and Mickie. In November, Candice signed on to pose for the April 2006 issue of Playboy. She had her first shot at the WWE Women's Championship in a Fulfill Your Fantasy Battle Royal at Taboo Tuesday but was eliminated from the match by Massaro. At the Tribute to The Troops on December 19, Michelle teamed up with Maria Kanellis in a winning effort defeating then Women's Champion Trish Stratus and Ashley Massaro in a divas-tag-team match after Candice pinned Ashley.

In January, Candice appeared at New Year's Revolution in the first ever Bra and Panties Gauntlet match, where she was eliminated by Maria. On the February 13 episode of Raw, Michelle accompied Torrie in losing effort to Ashley. After winning a number one contender's Diva battle royal on Raw, Candice got her first singles WWE Women's Championship match, but lost to then-champion Trish Stratus on February 27. After the match, Candice slapped Wilson, blaming her, in storyline, for the loss. Vince's Devils later broke up when Torrie became a fan favorite after Candice and Victoria turned on her during Candice's Playboy cover unveiling. This feud led to a match at WrestleMania 22 in which both Playboy cover girls competed in a Playboy Pillow Fight. Torrie Wilson won the match. On the June 12, 2006 episode of Raw, Candice was defeated by Torrie in the first ever "Wet and Wild match", a wrestling match involving water balloons and squirt guns, in which the winner of the match would be on the cover of the WWE 2006 Summer Special magazine. but the feud continued sporadically in backstage segments where Candice was depicted as Vince McMahon's "sex slave".

Singles competition and Women's Champion (2006"2007)

On the July 17 episode of Raw, Candice was the Special Guest Referee during a tag team match of Stratus and Wilson against Victoria and Mickie James. James entered the match without being tagged in, so Candice threw her out of the ring. Afterwards, Victoria tried to clothesline Candice, but she ducked out of the way, allowing Stratus to perform a Stratusfaction for the victory. As a result of her participation in the match, Candice became a fan favorite. On the Raw following Unforgiven, Candice won a match against Lita. The next week, in her second match against Lita, Candice was pinned after she was speared by guest referee Edge, in the first round of the WWE Women's Championship tournament. On the November 27 episode of Raw, during the Diva battle royal, Candice suffered a legitimate broken nose when Victoria kicked her in the face. She had surgery on November 30 to repair her deviated septum.

Candice returned at New Year's Revolution on January 7, when she went to the ring with Maria to fight off Melina as she tried to interfere in the Women's Championship match between then-champion Mickie James and Victoria. Candice made her in-ring return on January 22 when she and Mickie James defeated Victoria and Melina in a tag team match with Candice scoring the pinfall. Candice then resumed her feud with Melina, who claimed in her blogs that no Playboy cover model was capable of defeating her in the ring. Candice took offense to this, which led to a Bra and Panties match between the two, which she lost. During this time, Candice began training on her off-days to improve her in-ring abilities. Weeks later, Candice was beginning to receive more air-time and higher profile matches, and she won tag matches that pitted her with Mickie James against Victoria and Melina. She also picked up several wins against the latter two in singles matches, which culminated at One Night Stand, where Candice defeated Melina in the first ever match held in a swimming pool full of pudding. Candice defeated Melina to capture her first WWE Women's Championship at Vengeance, becoming the first ever WWE Diva Search contestant to win the Women's Title. Candice retained her title against Melina in a rematch at The Great American Bash as well as debuting a new finisher called the Candywrapper.

Beth Phoenix became the number one contender for the Women's Title after winning a Diva battle royal at SummerSlam. At the Unforgiven pay-per-view, however, Candice successfully retained her title in their match by countering one of Phoenix's moves with a crucifix pin. Their feud continued when Phoenix pinned Candice during a non-title mixed tag team match on Raw on September 24. At No Mercy on October 7, Candice dropped the title to Phoenix, ending her reign as Women's Champion. On October 22, Candice legitimately cracked her clavicle during her rematch for the Women's Title against Phoenix in a two out of three falls match; Phoenix ran into the ropes, causing Candice to fall face-first off of the turnbuckle onto her face, neck, and shoulders necessitating a rushed finish and putting her out of action for 14 weeks.

Injuries and release (2008"2009)

Candice made her on-screen return on the February 18, 2008 episode of Raw, distracting Beth Phoenix during a match with Maria. She returned to in-ring action on March 17, teaming up with Maria to defeat Jillian Hall and Victoria. During the match, Candice injured her left shoulder by tearing the scar tissue over her previously broken left clavicle. Unlike her previous injury, Candice broke her clavicle in four separate places, in essence, shattering it. As a result, Candice was replaced by Ashley for her scheduled match at WrestleMania XXIV. On March 23, Candice underwent successful surgery on her re-broken clavicle.

On the September 1 episode of Raw, Candice made her in-ring return match teaming up with Kelly Kelly and Mickie James to defeat Jillian Hall, Katie Lea Burchill and Beth Phoenix, with Candice pinning Phoenix. Candice received a push upon her return as she was named the number one contender for the Women's Championship, but lost to Beth Phoenix at No Mercy. On the February 2 episode of RAW, Candice unsuccessfully challenged Beth Phoenix for the Women's Championship after the interference by Mendes and Merella. On the February 16 episode of RAW, Candice, James and Kelly stopped Merella and Mendes from interfering in the Women's Championship match between Melina and Phoenix, which was won by Melina.

On April 15, 2009, Candice was drafted to the SmackDown brand as part of the 2009 Supplemental Draft. She, however, never appeared on the brand and was released from her WWE contract on June 19, 2009.

Other media

Music Videos

In December 2011, Candice along with Torrie Wilson filmed Lilian Garcia's music video "U Drive Me Loca".

Television and modeling

During the week of November 5, 2007, Candice appeared on five episodes of Family Feud with several other WWE superstars and Divas. Also in 2007, Candice Michelle was No. 82 on AskMen.com's "100 Most Desirable Women" list. She has also appeared on the Playboy TV show Totally Busted, a hidden camera show which puts unsuspecting people in awkward situations. Candice is a member of the group of regulars on the show and even featured in the opening credits.

Beckman appeared on the February 6, 2008 episode of Project Runway, in an episode where the contestants were challenged to design wrestling attire for several of WWE's female wrestlers. Beckman made a special appearance on the November 12, 2008 episode of Redemption Song, which is hosted by fellow WWE wrestler Chris Jericho, with several other Divas. She also appeared in the February 2009 issue of FLEX magazine.

Go Daddy

Beckman gained national attention in 2005 when she appeared in a commercial for internet domain provider Go Daddy, which aired during Super Bowl XXXIX. She played a character named "Nikki Cappelli" who had trouble with a snapped spaghetti strap on her tank top as she testified before a panel holding broadcast censorship hearings. The commercial was a parody of the 2004 "wardrobe malfunction" in which Janet Jackson's right breast was exposed. She then became widely known as "Miss GoDaddy.com" and the "Go Daddy Girl".

The following year, she was featured in several more Go Daddy commercials. During the 2006 NFC playoffs, she was featured cleaning windows. She later appeared in a commercial during Super Bowl XL, where she seduced an ABC executive to acquire an advertising slot for Go Daddy. She appeared in another commercial for Super Bowl XLI in 2007, where she danced in a room being doused with champagne. Beckman appeared on American Chopper to promote the commercial as well as Go Daddy's custom made chopper. In 2008, she was featured in her fourth consecutive Go Daddy commercial for Super Bowl XLII, entitled "White Light", but Fox refused to air it.

Personal life

On May 7, 2005, she married Dr. Ken Gee Ehrlich, a West Los Angeles chiropractor. They met at the Key Club on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood on the same week she initially moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting and modeling career. Candice was home with her husband only one-to-four days a week due to her touring schedule with WWE.

In early and mid-2007, Candice Michelle had a real-life feud with fellow Diva Melina Perez in their WWE.com blogs. The feud began when Candice accused Perez of stealing one of her signature moves in the ring. Perez responded to Candice's accusation in her blog by posting a picture of herself performing that move during an independent wrestling show in 2003, proving that she has been using the same move long before she joined WWE and before Candice began her professional wrestling career. She then wrote a blog in April of that year that WWE.com would not publish due to the feelings she expressed towards Perez. Candice took exception to Perez claiming that she had a "spare tire" during an episode of Raw, and in retaliation, Candice claimed Perez was just jealous. The off-screen fighting between the duo was eventually turned into an on-screen storyline.

She has a tattoo of the word "faith" on her inner wrist, which she considers a "personal affirmation". It is also a reminder, in her words, to "believe in myself and have 'faith'". She got the tattoo, which was documented on the reality show LA Ink, after breaking her collarbone in 2007. The tattoo is also related to her Christian beliefs. When Candice made her return, she had new tattoos on her back, her new tattoos are of five stars, which starts at the lower part of her back then finished at the middle of her back.

Candice, along with Batista, Shelton Benjamin, and Josh Mathews, represented WWE at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in an effort to persuade fans to register to vote in the 2008 Presidential election.

In November 2009, Beckman announced on her website that she was expecting her first child. She gave birth to a daughter named AkiAnne Rose on May 23, 2010. On February 14, 2011, Beckman announced that she was pregnant with her second child. On February 22, 2011 Beckman announced on her Twitter that she has suffered a miscarriage. However on May 1, 2012 she made a surprise announcement on her blog that she was thrilled to let fans know that she is pregnant with her second child. On October 20, 2012 Beckman gave birth to a daughter named Ryumi Grace.

In wrestling

• Finishing moves
  • Candywrapper (Double chickenwing twisted to jumping inverted double underhook facebuster) " 2007"2009
  • Spinning heel kick " 2007; used as a signature move from 2008"2009
  • Sugar Rush (Forward Russian legsweep) " 2005"2006

• Signature moves
  • Bridging northern lights suplex
  • Candylicious (Hanging figure four necklock)
  • Hurricanrana
  • Tilt"a"whirl headscissors takedown

• Wrestlers managed
  • Torrie Wilson
  • Victoria
  • Maria Kanellis

• Managers
  • Torrie Wilson

• Entrance themes
  • "Holla" by Desiree Jackson (2004)
  • "What Love is" by Jim Johnston (2005"2007).
  • "What Love Is" in-house remix by Scooter and Lavelle (2007"2009).

Championships and accomplishments

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (2007)
  • PWI Woman of the Year (2007)
  • PWI ranked her # 10 of the best 50 female singles wrestlers in the PWI Female 50 in 2008.
• World Wrestling Entertainment
  • WWE Women's Championship (1 time)