Trinity (wrestler)

Not to be confused with Naomi (wrestler).
Trinity

Finochio, as Trinity, in 2006
Birth name Stephanie Finochio
Born (1971-12-01) December 1, 1971[1][2]
Long Island, New York, United States[1][2]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) American Power[1][2]
Italian Finesse[1][2]
Starfire[1][2]
Stephanie Starr[1][2]
Stephanie[1]
Trinity[1][2]
Untamable Spirit[1][2]
Billed height 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)[1]
Billed weight 121 lb (55 kg)[1]
Billed from New York City
Trained by Chris Bassett[1]
Chris Divine[1][2]
The S.A.T.[1]
Mikey Whipwreck[1][2][3]
Debut 2002[4]
Retired 2007[1]

Stephanie Finochio (born December 1, 1971) is an American stuntwoman and former professional wrestler and valet. She is best known by her ring name Trinity and for her stunts in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment.

Professional wrestling career

Debut and independent circuit (2002–2005)

After completing her training, Finochio made her professional wrestling debut on October 10, 2002 without using her surname, where she lost to Phoenix.[4] On October 13, Finochio, now using the ring name Trinity, defeated Simply Luscious to win her first professional wrestling match.[4] On October 26, Finochio made her Chikara debut under the ring name Stephanie Starr, where she lost to Mercedes Martinez.[4] On November 1, Trinity lost to Luscious in a rematch.[4] On January 17, 2003, Trinity wrestled against NWA Canadian Women's Champion Bam Bam Bambi for the title, but was defeated.[4]

On September 13, Trinity defeated April Hunter to win the vacant CSWF Women's Championship.[4] Trinity made her first title defense on February 21, 2004 against Ariel, where she was successful in retaining the title.[4] On August 28, 2004, Trinity lost the title to Hunter in a four-way match also involving Ariel and Tracy Brooks, ending her reign at 350 days.[5]

On May 13, 2005, Trinity competed at the Queens of Chaos' debut event, where she competed in a battle royal to determine the promotion's inaugural World Championship, which was ultimately won by Nikita.[4]

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2003–2005, 2013)

On January 29, Finochio made her Total Nonstop Action Wrestling debut as Trinity, where she and Kid Kash defeated Desire and Sonny Siaki in a mixed tag team match.[4] Trinity then defeated Desire in a singles match on February 5 before later defeating ODB on February 26.[4] On March 19, Trinity became the first woman in TNA history to compete for one of the promotion's male championships, as she wrestled against Kid Kash and Amazing Red in a three-way match for Kash's X Division Championship, but was unable to win the title.[4] In June, Trinity turned heel by choking out Goldylocks backstage, and would solidify her heel turn by aligning with Vince Russo the following week.[2] In April 2004, Finochio formed the New York Connection (NYC) alongside Glenn Gilbertti, Vito LoGrasso, and Johnny Swinger.[6] The NYC had their first match together on April 28, where Trinity, Gilbertti, and Swinger lost to Desire, Pat Kenney, and Sonny Siaki before losing a rematch on June 3 in a dark match before the inaugural episode of Impact!.[4] Trinity then began feuding with Desire, and proceeded to defeat her in a stretcher match on June 23 and then again in a mixed tag team match on July 7 to end the feud.[4] At the inaugural Victory Road pay-per-view on November 7, 2004, the evil Trinity defeated Jacqueline Moore in an open challenge.[7]

After the NYC disbanded, Trinity entered into an angle with Tracy Brooks and TNA's Director of Authority Dusty Rhodes over the position of Rhodes' personal assistant. Brooks eventually won the job after her team of The Disciples of Destruction defeated Trinity's team, Phi Delta Slam, at the inaugural Destination X pay-per-view on March 13, 2005.[8] Trinity then became the manager of Michael Shane and resumed her feud with Brooks, who became the manager of Chris Sabin. At the inaugural Hard Justice pay-per-view, Trinity and Shane were defeated by Brooks and Sabin after Brooks turned on Sabin and Shane turned on Trinity.[9]

On March 17, 2013, Trinity made her return to TNA at one of their One Night Only shows, Knockouts Knockdown, which aired on September 6, 2013. At the PPV, Trinity competed as a villainess and was defeated by ODB.

World Wrestling Entertainment

Ohio Valley Wrestling

After leaving TNA, Finochio received a try-out match World Wrestling Entertainment, where she and Chris Cage lost to Beth Phoenix and Aaron Stevens on November 9, 2005.[2] After appearing on the January 6, 2006 episode of Heat alongside Talia Madison in a segment with The Heart Throbs, WWE officially signed Finochio to a contract.[2] She was then placed in WWE's developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling, where she made her debut on March 22, 2006 as the special guest referee in a match between Shelly Martinez and Beth Phoenix, which Phoenix won.[2] Finochio, as Trinity, made her in-ring debut for OVW on March 29 in a match against Sosay that ended in a no-contest after she was attacked Phoenix.[4] In response to the attack, Trinity wrestled against Phoenix on April 5, but was defeated.[4]

ECW

On the June 13 episode of ECW on Sci Fi, Trinity made her WWE debut the manager for The Full Blooded Italians (Little Guido, Tony Mamaluke and Big Guido).[2][6] On June 24 at an ECW house show, Finochio injured her knee after executing a moonsault from the top rope to the outside of the ring during a catfight with Kelly Kelly and Francine that stemmed from Francine winning a bikini contest earlier in the night.[2] She underwent surgery a few days later, and was given a recovery time of six to eight weeks.[2][10]

Finochio made her return October 7, where she lost to Jazz in a singles match at a house show.[4] She lost to Jazz in a rematch the next night.[4] On the October 31 episode of ECW on Sci Fi, Trinity won the first ever ECW Diva Halloween Costume Contest after being voted over Kelly Kelly and Ariel.[2] On January 13, 2007, Trinity teamed with fellow ECW Diva Kelly Kelly in a losing effort to Michelle McCool and Jillian Hall at a house show.[4] The following day, Trinity wrestled her final match in the WWE as she and Kelly lost to McCool and Hall in a rematch.[4]

Finochio was later released from her WWE contract on June 22, 2007.[11]

Retirement

After being released from WWE, Finochio retired from professional wrestling in order to concentrate on her stunt work.[1][12] On September 20, 2008, Finochio made a one-night return to wrestling under her old Stephanie Starr ring name, where she lost a three-way match to Peggy Lee Leather that also involved Fantasy.[4] On April 19, 2012, Finochio began competing in roller derby as a member of the Strong Island Derby Revolution.[13]

Media

Filmography

Television

Personal life

Finochio was born and raised in Long Island, New York, where she graduated from Lindenhurst Senior High School in 1989 before later graduating from Dowling College in 1994 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting and a Bachelor of Arts in psychology.[3] She later returned to Dowling and earned a master's degree in education in 2000.[3]

Finochio has over twenty years of experience as a dancer and is a certified aerobics instructor.[1]

In wrestling

Championships and accomplishments

References

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