Debrah Ann Miceli
Outside of the WWF, she wrestled under her professional name of Madusa, which was shortened from "Made in the USA".[ Her early career was spent in the American Wrestling Association, where she once held the AWA World Women's Championship. In 1988, she was the first woman to be awarded Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Rookie of the Year. The following year, she signed a contract with All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling, making her the first foreign wrestler to do so.
]
She later joined World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where she was a member of The Dangerous Alliance, a group of wrestlers managed by Paul E. Dangerously. In 1993, she joined the rival World Wrestling Federation (WWF) under the name Alundra Blayze. In the WWF, she feuded with Bull Nakano and Bertha Faye, while holding the WWF Women's Championship three times. Two years after joining the WWF, Miceli returned to WCW, showing up on an episode of Monday Nitro to throw the WWF Women's Championship belt into a trash can; she was blacklisted by the WWF for the next 20 years as a result.
Miceli is a former monster truck driver, and second longest tenured female driver in the sport to Scarlet Bandit.
Early life
Miceli was born in Minneapolis.[
]
Professional wrestling career
American Wrestling Association (1986–1989)
In 1984, Miceli trained with Eddie Sharkey in Minneapolis and began working on the independent circuit for $5 a match.[ In 1986, she started wrestling in the American Wrestling Association (AWA) feuding with Sherri Martel][ After Martel left the AWA, she replaced her as Kevin Wacholz's manager, who often teamed with Nick Kiniski as "The Perfect Tag Team".][ At that time Madusa also began managing the AWA World Heavyweight Champion Curt Hennig.][
]
All Japan Women's Pro Wrestling (1989–1991)
Miceli wrestled a six-week tour for All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling at the beginning of 1989,[ where she won the IWA Women's title from Chigusa Nagayo before dropping it back to her the very next day. She then began training in Japan, learning the Japanese wrestling style, as well as Muay Thai, kickboxing, and boxing.][ She eventually signed a three-year deal with All Japan, which made her the first non-Japanese wrestler to do so.][ In addition, she worked for the TWA, feuding with Luna Vachon, whom she faced in a Hair vs Hair Mixed Tag Team match in September 1991.][
]
World Championship Wrestling (1991–1993)
She then went to WCW and helped Paul E. Dangerously form his Dangerous Alliance.[ On October 25, Dangerously kicked her out of the Dangerous Alliance at Halloween Havoc.][ She, however, defeated him by count-out on November 18, 1992, at Clash of the Champions XXI.][
]
World Wrestling Federation (1993–1995)
In 1993, the WWF reinstated its Women's Championship, a title that had been vacant since 1990,[ She debuted under the ring name Alundra Blayze,][ because WWF owner Vince McMahon did not want to pay Miceli to use the name Madusa, which she had trademarked.][ She wrestled in a six-woman tournament to crown a new Women's Champion, and in the finals, she pinned Heidi Lee Morgan on December 13 to win the title.][
After the tournament, Miceli asked WWF management to bring in new women for her to wrestle.][ She returned to the ring in August 1995, losing the Women's Championship to Faye at SummerSlam on August 27.][ Two months later, she won the title a third time, defeating Faye on October 23.][ Miceli was blacklisted by the WWF for the next 20 years, owing to her participation in a controversial incident upon returning to WCW during which she dropped the WWF Women's championship belt into a trash can.]
Return to WCW (1995–2001)
In December 1995, Miceli signed with WCW, and as part of a storyline by booker Eric Bischoff,[ She later admitted that she regretted the action and would not have done it had Bischoff not coerced her.][
]
The company then decided to establish the WCW Women's Championship, but Madusa lost to Akira Hokuto in the finals of the tournament to crown the first champion on December 29 at Starrcade.
Madusa returned to WCW in April 1999 as part of Randy Savage's faction Team Madness with Gorgeous George and Miss Madness.[ After that storyline ended, Madusa entered into a tournament for the WCW Championship, but she was defeated and eliminated from the tournament.][ After her elimination, Madusa put all her focus on managing Karagias.]
In January 2000, Madusa developed a rivalry with Ed Ferrara.[
]
In the meantime, Miceli became an instructor at the WCW Power Plant, where she helped train women such as Nora Greenwald (Molly Holly) to wrestle.[ She left the company when she heard that Vince McMahon, the owner of the World Wrestling Federation, was going to buy WCW.][ Because she had a previous falling-out with McMahon, she opted not to stay with the company.][ She retired from professional wrestling for good in 2001 because she did not like the direction in which women's wrestling was going; according to her, it was becoming less about real wrestling and more about Bra and Panties matches.][
]
Late career and WWE Hall of Fame (2001–present)
On March 2, 2015, it was announced that Miceli would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2015, under her Alundra Blayze moniker.[ @Madusa_rocks on Twitter, 6:40 PM – 24 Mar 2015] During her speech, in response to constant questions about her dumping the WWF Women's Championship belt in the trash on Monday Nitro, her inductor, Natalya, wheeled a trash can onstage. Miceli (calling herself both Madusa and Alundra Blayze) withdrew the belt, which she stressed was a good-looking "women's wrestling belt", and said it was finally "back home where it belongs" after 20 years.
In September 2015, Miceli was appointed the commissioner of Japanese women's promotion World Wonder Ring Stardom.
On January 27, 2016, Miceli appeared on WWE Network's program Table for 3, along with fellow wrestlers Ivory and Molly Holly.
In September 2017, the WWE Network released a documentary entitled "TrailBlayzer" detailing Miceli's careers in both wrestling and monster truck driving.
Miceli as Alundra Blayze was announced as an entrant into the battle royal for a women's championship opportunity at WWE Evolution, marking a return to the ring after an 18-year hiatus, however she was eliminated by Nia Jax
On July 22, 2019, Alundra Blayze appeared as a heel and attacked 24/7 Champion Candice Michelle, after which she captured the title from Candice by forcing her to submit, with Melina Perez acting as the official, becoming the third woman to win the title, while also becoming the first individual to win the title via submission. She also became the second woman to hold both the WWE Women's Championship, and the 24/7 Championship. She later attempted to toss the 24/7 Championship into the trash (similar to when she did the same to the WWF Women's Championship in 1995), only to instead sell the title to WWE Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase.
Returning to TNT for the first time in 20 years, Miceli was presenter of the All Elite Wrestling (AEW)'s Women's Tag Team Cup Tournament: The Deadly Draw, which began on August 3, 2020.
Miceli would also appear in WWE on the July 26, 2022, episode of WWE NXT in a backstage segment with Roxanne Perez and McKenzie Mitchell, announcing a fatal four-way elimination match for the vacant NXT Women's Tag Team Championship.
On January 23, 2023, Miceli appeared backstage during Raw is XXX, celebrating the 30th anniversary of Monday Night Raw.
Miceli inducted Bull Nakano into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2024.
National Wrestling Alliance (2019–present)
On April 27, 2019, at Crockett Cup Miceli appeared on National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) as Madusa, where she presented the vacant NWA Women's Championship before Allysin Kay and Santana Garrett competed for it.
Monster truck career
Miceli entered the monster truck business under Dennis Anderson in 1999.[ She made her first American hot rod appearance at the Trans World Dome.][ Afterward, she purchased her own truck and named it Madusa, as she still held the rights to the name.][ She began winning freestyle competitions in 2001.][ In March 2005 in Las Vegas, she beat her trainer Dennis Anderson in the final bracket of the Monster Jam World Finals for the Racing Championship,][ thus making her the first woman to win the Monster Jam World Finals racing championship.][ Also in 2005, she was the only female competitor in the Super Bowl of Motorsports.]
As of January 2008, she is also the Executive Vice President of the Major League of Monster Trucks.
On October 10, 2014, she was injured in a Monster Jam event in Melbourne, Australia, and was taken to a Melbourne hospital for treatment.
Other media
She appeared in the video games WCW Nitro, WCW Backstage Assault, WWE 2K16, WWE 2K17, WWE 2K18, WWE 2K19 and WWE 2K25.
Personal life
After a brief first marriage to Eddie Gilbert in 1990, Miceli's second marriage was on February 14, 1998, to NFL player Ken Blackman, eight months after they met in June 1997.[ In 1998, they opened a motorcycle shop called Spookee Custom Cycles, which made motorcycles for other NFL players such as Kimo von Oelhoffen, Darnay Scott, Bradford Banta, and Dan Wilkinson.][ The couple later divorced in 2008.][
]
On June 25, 2011, Miceli married Alan Jonason, a sergeant major in the U.S. Army, in Memphis.
In 1995, she appeared in the films Shootfighter II, Death Match, and Intersanction II. In Japan, she released a CD of songs sung in Japanese entitled Who's Madusa.[ She owns a grooming, pet spa, and doggy bakery called Koolkats and Hotdogs in Lecanto, Florida.][ In February 2004, she provided commentary for boat races.][
]
Championships and accomplishments
Professional wrestling
-
All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling
-
IWA World Women's Championship (2 times)
[
]
-
Tag League the Best (1989) – with Mitsuko Nishiwaki
-
American Wrestling Association
-
AWA World Women's Championship (1 time)
[
]
-
Cauliflower Alley Club
-
Iron Mike Mazurki Award (2020)
-
George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
-
International World Class Championship Wrestling
-
IWCCW Women's Championship (1 time)
[
]
-
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
-
Rookie of the Year (1988)
[
]
-
Stanley Weston Award (2020)
-
Women's Wrestling Hall of Fame
-
World Championship Wrestling
-
WCW Cruiserweight Championship (1 time)
[
]
-
World Wrestling Federation/WWE
-
WWF Women's Championship (3 times)
-
WWE 24/7 Championship (1 time)
-
WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2015)
Motorsports
-
United States Hot Rod Association
-
USHRA Monster Jam World Finals Freestyle Co-Championship (2004)
[
]
-
USHRA Monster Jam World Finals Auto racing Championship (2005)
[
]
Notes
External links
