Maria Kanellis-Bennett was born in Brooklyn, New York and is professionally known as Mary Louis Kanellis. She is an American pro wrestler, former independent wrestling champion, MTV personality, actress and singer who were previously working with Ring of Honor as a manager. In 2021, she went on to manage her own wrestling stable, The World Ready Professionals. Mary has also managed and worked with other top wrestlers such as Billy Gunn, Hulk Hogan, Triple H, Randy Couture and Batista. She’s also spent some time training other professionals including WWE women’s championships Kayla palminic.
Maria has been a top wrestling player since her days in high school, where she won the state wrestling championship. Over the years, she’s built a reputation as being a top competitor both internationally and in the United States. In fact, some people believe that her career peaked when she challenged and defeated Randy Couture in an attempt to become the first female world heavyweight champion. After that, she spent two years in the company, winning two more matches and capturing the U.S. Women’s Championship.
Aside from her long wrestling career, Maria has also worked in the entertainment business as a model and actor. Her credits include working on the television shows Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Married with Money. Born in Buffalo, New York, Maria is the middle of three children of parents who are also wrestling fans. She currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia.