Wrestling / Candice Michelle

"Let me show you what love is..."

Candice Michelle Beckman Ehrlich (born September 30, 1978) known professionally as Candice Michelle is an American model, actress, and retired professional wrestler who worked for WWE from 2004 to 2009.

After winning a modeling competition at her local skating rink, Candice moved to Los Angeles, to become a professional model and actress, making appearances on television programs such as Party of Five, 7th Heaven and Hotel Erotica, as well as appearing in films such as Tomcats, Anger Management, DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story and A Man Apart.

After participating in the WWE Diva Search, Candice was hired by WWE in 2004 under the gimmick of a makeup artist before being moved to 'SmackDown' and joining Vince's Devils. She moved back to Raw in 2005 and eventually became a full-fledged wrestler, winning her first and only WWE Women's Championship in 2007. She retired from wrestling after being released from her WWE contract on June 19, 2009.

Outside of pro wrestling, she is known for her work as the Go Daddy Girl, the mascot of its Super Bowl commercials. She appeared the February 2009 issue of FLEX magazine alongside fellow Divas Beth Phoenix and Layla, and posed for Playboy once in 2002 and again in 2006. In 2017 she made a one night only appearance for House of Hardcore - wrestling an official final match against long time friend Lisa Marie Varon.

---

Too Much Tropin' Never Hurt Nobody

• Aborted Arc:
  • Her return leading into Bunnymania at WrestleMania 24 was cut short when she reinjured her arm on Raw. Although Ashley Massaro replaced her, she didn't even appear at the show at all.
  • She was drafted to SmackDown in 2009 and then released before she could even appear on the brand (she was still recovering from an injury).
• Arch-Enemy: Trish Stratus, Mickie James (for a while, at least), Beth Phoenix, Torrie Wilson, and perhaps most infamously, Melina.
• Back for the Finale: She returned to wrestling for one night only in 2017 - to have an official retirement match.
• Badass Longcoat: Became a staple of her entrance attire, often performing some Sexy Coat Flashing when removing it.
• Beauty, Brains, and Brawn: Vince's Devils - Candice filled the Beauty role, as the seductress who often used her sex appeal to distract the referee.
• Beta Bitch: On Raw, she was pretty much the play thing of Victoria and Torrie Wilson, up until she was invited to pose for playboy and do Go-daddy commercials. Then they did more to help her wrestle. It then turned into Backstabbing the Alpha Bitch after she blamed Torrie's efforts to help her not winning the Women's Championship.
• Bitch Slap: During Trish Stratus's feud with Christy Hemme, Candice laughed at one of Christy's taunts to Trish - and got a slap in the face from her. She later revealed that Trish had hit her especially hard.
• Catchphrase: "Defining Beauty" which was printed on her outfits around 2008.
• Class Clown: According to Maria, Candice was one of the biggest pranksters backstage.
• Commuting on a Bus: Her final match happened in February 2009 as she got injured. But she still appeared in a couple of segments, namely acting as the guest timekeeper for the battle royal at WrestleMania 25. She was even drafted to SmackDown and even appeared in the opening sequence but she was released before she could even appear for the brand.
• Demoted to Extra: In 2008. She would retire the following year.
• Disproportionate Retribution: The October 10, 2006 episode of WWE's ECW show featured an "Extreme Strip Poker" competition involving a mix of Divas from WWE Raw, WWE SmackDown and ECW. After each girl is in their underwear (and one is topless but using Hand-or-Object Underwear), Candice loses a match. She looks like she is about to go topless but she stops. Maria then asks if she is embarrassed. And, just for that one comment, she is stripped completely naked on national TV by the first who claimed she "cheated".
• Early-Installment Weirdness: The first time she debuted the Candy Wrapper, it was more of a standing bulldog. It eventually was done pretty much the same way Christian had done his finisher.
• Edible Theme Naming: Her Finishing Moves had such names as "Candywrapper", "Sugar Rush" and "Candylicious." The first and third examples also qualify as Puns based on her name.
• Enemy Mine: She and Beth Phoenix grudgingly worked together for the sake of a Survivor Series match. Beth was even cheering Candice on at one point in the match.
• Everything's Better with Sparkles: Her gear for her retirement match was a bodysuit covered in rhinestones. She had her share of sparkly dresses during her time in WWE too.
• Expository Hairstyle Change: Began highlighting her hair around the time she won the Women's Championship.
• Face–Heel Turn: Shockingly enough when she was traded to Raw in late 2005. She and Torrie debuted on the show to seemingly congratulate Ashley Massaro on winning the Diva Search - but turned heel on her. This was especially surprising because Torrie had been WWE's favourite babyface Diva behind Trish Stratus, and Candice had only been in a recurring Ms. Fanservice capacity. The heel turn marked the start of Candice being a regular on-screen character and eventual wrestler.
• Finishing Move: The Candywrapper, a modified version of the Killswitch and the Sugar Rush, a forward Russian Legsweep. She would occasionally use a spinning heel kick as well.
• From Nobody to Nightmare: She was essentially the weakest one of Vince's Devils - as the inexperienced model. But then she posed for Playboy, kicked Torrie out of their stable and started working in the ring a lot more. She eventually became Women's Champion and dominated the division for a while - a spot that neither Torrie nor Victoria would reach again.
• Fluffy Fashion Feathers: A few of her coats had feathers on them.
• Game-Breaking Injury: Complications from a broken clavicle forced her into retirement. She apparently tried to pretend to doctors that it had fully healed in order to compete at WrestleMania, but re-injured it as soon as she took a dropkick.
• Genki Girl: Not so much in the ring, as she was a lot more sensual. But in interviews she's very perky and happy-go-lucky.
• Genre Blindness: She gave Maria a tarantula in a match once. A strategy that would have been effective had it not been a Bra & Panties match - and Maria was able to pull Candice's pants down while trapped in the hold.
• Girl Posse: Was a member of Vince's Devils with Torrie Wilson and Victoria. They hazed third Diva search winner Ashley Massaro.
• Girly Bruiser: Much of her offense revolved around aerial assault, slaps and hair-pulls, but she also had a few actual wrestling moves in her arsenal, such as a Northern Lights Suplex.
• Happily Married: To her chiropractor, Dr. Ken Ehrlich.
• Important Haircut: She cut her hair for Locks for Love. This was also right before her return to challenge Beth Phoenix once again.
• Inelegant Blubbering: After she won the Women's Championship she burst into tears and could barely walk up the ramp.
• Milwaukee: She's from there.
• Manipulative Editing: During her return match in 2008 it was noted that some botches were edited out.
• Ms. Fanservice: Both in and out of wrestling. She appeared in several softcore porn flicks, posed for Playboy magazine and did several Go.daddy.com commercials for the super bowl that had her washing cars in thongs and such.
• Put on a Bus: She was drafted to SmackDown! as part of the 2009 Supplemental Draft, but was released before ever appearing on the show.
• Recycled Soundtrack: Kelly Kelly's theme, Holla, was originally recorded for Candice.
• Religious Bruiser: She is a devout Christian and has a few Christianity-themed tattoos.
• The Rival: Melina, as mentioned above.
• Shameless Fanservice Girl: Mentioned that she is more than comfortable in the nude, which is evidenced by her modelling and acting careers. She parodied this in a promo for WrestleMania 21 which had numerous WWE stars trying to recreate the "you talkin to me?" scene from Taxi Driver; instead of reading the lines, she just did a sexy dance.
• Shout-Out: Her first Go Daddy commercial was a parody of the infamous Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction.
• Signature Move: Candylicious, a rope hanging Figure Four Necklock. Also the Go-Daddy dance into an elbow drop.
• Significant Wardrobe Shift: She switched to long tights and a more modest sports bra around the time she Took a Level in Badass in an attempt to be take more seriously.
• Spell My Name With An S: Was infamous for accepting both Candace and Candice without preference. Though the latter is most often accepted as the proper spelling.
• Spicy Latina: Played mostly straight in her first couple of years, as she was portrayed as a very hot-tempered seductress - though her Latin heritage was not acknowledged.
• Technician Versus Performer: In her feud with Melina, the latter was the technician - trained indie wrestler and reigning Women's Champion. Candice meanwhile was the green model working hard and trying to prove herself.
• Took a Level in Badass: In 2007. She won the Women's Championship and was voted "Most Improved Wrestler of the Year" by Pro Wrestling Illustrated and is currently the only woman to have won that prize.
• Toplessness from the Back:
  • In a 2005 feud with Kurt Angle, John Cena tries to poll the backstage area to see if Kurt Angle sucks:
  • First he ends up in the ladies' locker room. Right before he's thrown out, Candice stands in front of Cena and drops her towel (her back, unfortunately, to the audience). After he's thrown out, he genuflects briefly at his bad luck.
    Candice: John, I know you think that Kurt Angle sucks, but... (drops her towel) ...do you think I do?
    Cena: Is there any way I can make that happen...
• Two First Names: Yes, though she uses them as her first and middle name if you dug deep enough to find out.
• Wardrobe Malfunction:
  • Sort of. During Mickie and Melina's Falls Count Anywhere match, it spills into the locker room and Candice orders them out. Melina pulls her towel off and the camera crew cuts away too late. Although the live feed was darkened, the people in the arena still accidentally saw everything.
  • During her match where she won the title, her top came undone towards the end. She was wearing a sports bra underneath however.
• Wrestling Doesn't Pay: She was introduced as a backstage make-up artist.
• Wounded Gazelle Gambit: Reports of house shows before she was released said she turned heel on Melina by faking an injury.
• You Can Leave Your Hat On: Her proper Raw debut was participating in a striptease segment with Randy Orton - along with Melina, Maria and Stacy Keibler.

---