SHIMMER Original Cheerleader Melissa To Be Inducted Into Indie Wrestling Hall Of Fame

By Eric Mutter
Cheerleader Melissa getting ready for a fight Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Last year marked the inaugural class of the Indie Wrestling Hall of Fame. GCW found relative success with the concept and has begun assembling the Class of 2023 for this year's induction over WrestleMania weekend. Previously, Christopher Daniels was announced as being up for the prestigious honor, and it looks like he'll be joined by some solid company.  Yesterday, GCW announced the Cheerleader Melissa, one of the pioneers of modern-day women's wrestling in the United States, would be a part of this year's class.  

"Indie HoF Update," the promotion tweeted. "Inductee #2, CHEERLEADER MELISSA. Inducted by: DAVE PRAZAK."

Trained by Daniels, Bryan Danielson, and Robert Thompson, Cheerleader Melissa broke into the Southern California wrestling scene in 2001. However, it wouldn't be until late 2006 that she really began gaining notoriety. That's when she began working for the all-women's promotion SHIMMER, run by both Prazak and Allison Danger. For the next 13 years, Melissa would serve as one of the promotion's most significant stars, winning the SHIMMER Championship twice and the SHIMMER Tag Team Championships once with Mercedes Martinez.

Her success in SHIMMER led to her signing with TNA in 2008, where she portrayed both Raisha Saeed, a Syrian wrestler who wore a niqāb to disguise her appearance, and Alissa Flash. She requested her release from the promotion in 2010 and continued to wrestle independently before joining Lucha Underground in 2015 as the sister to Marty "The Moth" Martinez, Mariposa. She would remain with LU till its final season concluded in 2018.

Though she hasn't officially retired, Melissa hasn't wrestled since November 2019. Fittingly, her last match to date was in SHIMMER, where she wrestled Shazza McKenzie, Elayna Black, Kris Statlander, Nevaeh, and Skylar in a Scramble match.

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