Welcome to the #1 source for Maria Kanellis news, photos, videos & more. Maria is a former WWE Diva, ROH manager, actress, swordfighter, stuntwoman, singer, AfterBuzzTV host, writer, and entrepreneur.
Commercials have been airing for tonight’s “The Insider” show, and apparently it will talk about Maria’s Playboy photo shoot. In New York, it airs on Channel 2 @ 7PM and is repeated tomorrow at 9AM on the same channel. Check your local listings for when it will air in your respective towns.
We will try and get captures and a video when it airs.
WrestleMania XXIV Dogg Days
Written: March 3, 2008
WrestleMania XXIV appears to be going to the dogs. More specifically, Snoop Dogg.
An announcement was made on Raw that the rapper/actor has been added to a growing list of who will be attending The Granddaddy of Them All on March 30.
Snoop will serve as master of ceremonies for the BunnyMania Lumberjack Match pitting Maria & Candice Michelle against Beth Phoenix & Melina.
Maria’s boyfriend, Santino Marella, revealed immediately before her match with Beth that she had to defeat the Women’s Champion to claim the Playboy contract he was holding. When former Women’s Champion Candice Michelle made a surprise return on Monday night, Beth was obviously stunned and distracted by Candice’s entrance, leaving Maria the chance to roll up the Women’s Champion for the pin.
Once Maria’s win set in, the elated Diva celebrated with Santino (who didn’t exactly look pleased) and former Playboy cover girl, Candice Michelle. As Maria clutched the contract in her hands, she beamed and jumped for joy, as our fans were just as excited.
Stay tuned to WWE.com for complete coverage of Maria’s Playboy shoot and upcoming cover release
Since 2003, WWE female personalities have been featured in Playboy prior to WrestleMania, the professional wrestling organization’s major spring pay-per-view television event.
WrestleMania XXIV will be Sunday, March 30, at the Citrus Bowl football stadium in Orlando, Fla.
Playboy’s print edition has a circulation of 2.6 million, Hennessey said. She added that Kanellis, who will turn 26 later this month, will be the only WWE Diva to be in April’s Playboy.
“She’s one of our most popular, engaging, entertaining and beautiful Divas. It was a no-brainer,” Kevin Hennessy, WWE director of publicity, said when asked why the group chose her to appear in the magazine.
A 2000 graduate of Ottawa Township High School and onetime Northern Illinois University student, Kanellis has been on WWE shows since 2004. The same year, she was a contestant on “Outback Jack,” an Australia-based reality show telecast on the TBS network. She also recently appeared with other WWE Divas on “Project Runway,” the fashion design reality series on the Bravo cable TV network.
Kanellis regularly is featured on “Monday Night Raw,” which airs 8 p.m. weekly on the USA Network, and on the Web site www.wwe.com.
According to that Web site, Kanellis has acted as an interviewer and wrestler for WWE and writes an auto care column for the organization’s monthly magazine. Video, still photos and audio of Kanellis’ entrance theme also are on the Web site.
The latest issue of Playboy was sent to subscribers this week and there is a preview photo of a clothed Maria wearing lingerie & a feather boa in the back of the magazine plugging the next issue. The preview for next month’s issue reads: “Maria Kanellis – The WWE’s Sexiest Star has moved from innocent reporter to mistress of the mat. Now her pesky tights are peeled off in a slamming pictorial.” The magazine will be officially released on Friday, March 7, but subscribers will likely get it a bit earlier.
