| 17 June |
Candice Michelle’s bright wrestling career marred by string of injuries |
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Being multidisciplinary, and having accomplishments in the field of professional modeling as well as acting and theater, Candice Michelle Beckman Ehrlich tends to have a rich history of success but currently, she is most famous for her work as a world championship-winning WWE Diva.
Back in 2004, coming off fresh from several small roles in films such as Anger Management, A Man Apart, and Tom Cats, as well as a starring role in a softcore HBO series entitled Hotel Erotica, Candice Michelle signed up to be a contestant for the World Wrestling Entertainment’s annual RAW Diva Search, wherein women of outstanding physical looks and athleticism are given a chance to be employed as one of WWE Raw’s top female talents.
Candice did not win the Diva search but was still signed by the company after being recognized as a fan favorite. For the better part of the year, she was saddled with a makeup artist gimmick and was booked in conventional diva matches, which tend to focus on showing off skin instead of athletic skills.
It wasn’t until 2006 that Candice Michelle has improved enough on the ring and was given a chance to show off her actual mat wrestling abilities, which she did exceptionally well as she won a RAW Diva battle royal, and earned a spot as the number one contender for the WWE Women’s championship, which was held by Trish Stratus at the time. Candice lost the match but caught the attention of fans and higher ups alike, as she performed better than expected out of a Diva with no prior wrestling background.
Candice’s rise to the top of the WWE ladder was momentarily delayed November of 2006, when she suffered a broken nose in a Diva Battle Royal, after receiving a kick from fellow Diva Victoria. She underwent surgery a few days later in order to repair a deviated septum.
The WWE saw Candice Michelle’s return to the ring in a January Pay Per View where made a guest appearance in order to prevent fellow diva Melina from interfering in a WW Women’s championship match between then champion Mickie James and Victoria. It was the year where Candice was given full support by the company and was booked in matches designed to promote her as a legitimate athlete, which culminated in a WWE Women’s Championship title match against Melina, which she won and led to her being the first ever WWE Diva Search contestant to legitimately win the WWE Women’s Title. This reign lasted for a few months before Candice was put out of action due to a clavicle that was injured during a title match against fellow diva Pheonix.
Candice made her in ring return March of 2008, but unfortunately, suffered an injury again in which she damaged her left shoulder by rupturing the scar tissue left over from per previous injured clavicle. This time, the injury was more serious and prompted her to be replaced by diva Ashley Massaro for her scheduled Wrestlemania match. Candice Michelle had a successful surgery on her reinjured left clavicle last March 23 and is currently considering a return to WWE.