Layla El

Infobox Wrestler
name=Layla El


names=Layla
names= [Layla"']
height=height|m=1.57
weight=convert|54|kg|lb st|abbr=on
birth_date = birth date and age|1978|6|25
death_date =
birth_place =London, England
resides=Los Angeles, California
billed=Miami, Florida
trainer=Jesse Hernandez
PWA staff
Dave Finlay
FCW StaffFact|date=March 2008
debut=July 10, 2006
retired=|

Layla El (born June 25, 1978) is a British dancer, model and professional wrestler of North African heritage, currently residing in the United States. She is employed by World Wrestling Entertainment as a WWE Diva and appears on the Raw brand.cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/superstars/raw/layla/bio/|title=Profile|accessdate=2007-04-15| publisher=WWE]

Before joining WWE in 2006, Layla El was a dancer for Carnival Cruise Lines, [cite web |url=http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/14792810.htm |title=Hot moves: Heat dancers' hopes for stardom |accessdate=2008-03-01 |publisher=The Miami Herald |last=Eckinger |first=Helen |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20060615155915/http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/14792810.htm |archivedate=2006-06-15 |quote=Layla, who preferred not to give her age, has been with the Heat Dancers for two years. Formerly a dancer for Carnival Cruise Lines ] the Miami Heat franchise of the NBA,cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/heat/dance/dancer05_layla.html |title=HEAT Dancer 2005: Layla |accessdate=2007-04-15 |publisher=NBA.com] and also danced for Kanye West at the MTV Video Music Awards.cite web |url=http://www.wwe.com/superstars/divas/2006divasearch/laylael/profile/ |title=Superstars > Divas > Diva Search > Layla El > Profile |accessdate=2007-04-15 |publisher=WWE]

World Wrestling Entertainment

Diva Search

Layla El first entered the world of professional wrestling after her trainer suggested she try out for the $250,000 WWE Diva Search contest in 2006.cite web |url=http://prowrestling.about.com/od/interviews/a/laylaelintervie.htm |title=Interview With Layla El, Winner of the 2006 Diva Search |accessdate=2007-04-15 |publisher=About.com |last=Cohen |first=Eric] During the contest, she won a week's worth of "immunity" on the July 14 (taped July 10) edition of "SmackDown!" after winning Sgt. Slaughter's "Diva Boot Camp" obstacle course [cite web |url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/smackdown/archive/07142006/articles/divabootcamplayla |title=Layla earns immunity |accessdate=2007-04-15 |publisher=WWE |last=Zeigler |first=Zach ] —despite having jumped over several tires in the tire hop section of the course and not having both of her feet cross the finish line due to her doing a split. [cite web |url=http://www.pwtorch.com/artman/exec/view.cgi/25/17321 |title=SmackDown! Results - July 14, 2006 |accessdate=2007-04-15 |publisher=Pro Wrestling Torch |quote=Layla El [...] was next [...] She screwed up the tires again and looked to have skipped some.] She won another competition, the "Diva Search Talent Show" on the August 11 "SmackDown!", when she danced dressed as a police officer. [cite web |url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/smackdown/archive/08112006/articles/divareport |title=Divas show their talents |accessdate=2007-04-15 |publisher=WWE |last=Medalis |first=Kara ] She won the Diva Search, beating out JT Tinney and Jen England in the finals on August 16. Layla is the first diva with African heritage to win the WWE Diva Search.

mackDown

She made her first "official" WWE appearance at the 2006 SummerSlam pay-per-view in a backstage segment with several other divas. During the segment, the other women initially taunted and teased her before revealing that "it was all in fun" and part of an "initiation" of sorts. Afterward they dragged her into the showers, fully clothed, where they proceeded to spank her while laughing.cite journal|author=PWI Staff|journal=Pro Wrestling Illustrated presents: 2007 Wrestling almanac & book of facts|title=Wrestling’s historical cards|publisher=Kappa Publishing Group|date=2007|page=121–122] [cite web|url=http://manage.fhmonline.com/girls_girls_of_fhm_article.asp?cnl_id=1&stn_id=1&idx_id=5150&gofp_slot=4|title=Girls of FHM - Extreme Exposé's Layla|publisher=FHMOnline.com|accessdate=2007-08-31]

The week after SummerSlam, El made her debut as a member of the SmackDown! brand in an interview with Mike "The Miz" Mizanin—although he did not allow her the chance to say much, spending most of the time talking about himself. [cite web |url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/smackdown/archive/08252006/ |title=Friday knightmare|accessdate=2006-08-25|first=Craig |last=Tello |publisher=WWE.com] ^{[http://www.wwe.com/content/media/video/tvshows/smackdown/200608/3221482/082506mizlayla view]} Subsequently, she was not seen on WWE TV for weeks, reappearing during the September 22 "SmackDown!" and getting into confrontations with both Kristal and Jillian Hall. [cite web |url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/smackdown/060922.html |title=SmackDown! results - September 22, 2006 |accessdate=2007-04-15 |publisher=Online World of Wrestling] She again went missing for a number of weeks after this, resurfacing at October's No Mercy event and embarrassing the Miz by tricking him into getting a lap dance from Big Dick Johnson while he was blindfolded and expecting it to be from her as a birthday gift.

Layla made her official in-ring debut, a "Diva Trick-or-Treat Battle Royal" on October 24. The match ended in controversial fashion when she was pulled from the ring apron by The Miz, causing her to lose. [cite web |url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/smackdown/archive/10242006/ |title=Mutiny |first=Lennie |last=DiFino |accessdate=2006-10-27 |publisher=WWE] This led to Miz and Kristal briefly teaming in a feud against Layla and the Boogeyman.

ECW

On January 23, Layla was moved to the ECW brand. [cite web |url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/ecw/archive/01232007/ |title=Premature rumblings|accessdate=2007-01-23 |first=Craig |last=Tello |publisher=WWE] On ECW she joined up with Brooke and Kelly Kelly as Extreme Exposé, performing a weekly dance segment with the group. Extreme Expose danced weekly on the "ECW" show for months, [cite web |url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/k/kelly.html |title=Online World of Wrestling profile|accessdate=2008-02-09] until the Miz was also placed on the brand, at which point all three ladies began actively pursuing him. [cite web |url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/ecw-wwe/070619.html |title=ECW results - June 19, 2007 |accessdate=2007-09-07 |publisher=Online World of Wresting ] When Kelly shifted her attentions towards the much more slovenly looking Balls Mahoney, [cite web |url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/ecw-wwe/070807.html |title=ECW results - August 7, 2007 |accessdate=2007-09-07 |publisher=Online World of Wrestling ] Layla, Brooke, and Miz openly mocked her. On November 1, Brooke was released from WWE, [cite web|title=Brooke released |url=http://www.wwe.com/inside/news/brookereleased|accessdate=2007-11-01|publisher=WWE] and Extreme Exposé dissolved as a group, leaving Kelly and Layla to enter an ongoing rivalry with more active in-ring roles.

Raw

As part of the 2008 WWE Supplemental Draft, Layla was drafted to the Raw brand and she became the first WWE Diva to be an official superstar on all three brands. [cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/wwedraft2008/7505418/|title=Official 2008 WWE Supplemental Draft Results|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|accessdate=2008-06-25] On the July 7 edition of "Raw", Layla made her debut along with Jillian Hall being defeated by Mickie James and Kelly Kelly, who was revealed as the newest member of the Raw brand earlier that night. An angle between her and Jamie Noble soon began, where she started to become a fan favorite, with Noble attempting to impress her with his matches, only to be defeated or thoroughly squashed by his opponents. Noble then finally defeated William Regal, which impressed Layla. On the September 15 edition of "Raw", Layla became a villain by siding with Regal after Noble continuously tried to impress her, despite picking up a victory over Paul Burchill. She came out to the entryway, feigning that she would apologize, before calling Noble a loser and choosing to stay with Regal.

Other media

Since winning the Diva Search contest El has also done some modeling work. She has been featured in the magazines "" with the other members of Extreme Exposé.cite web | url = http://www.wwe.com/superstars/divas/divadish/divadish0810 |coauthors=Craig Tello and Zack Zeigler |first= Kara A. |last=Medalis |publisher=WWE| title = Diva Dish: FHM goes Extreme |accessdate=2007-08-10]

In April 2007, Layla, along with Kelly Kelly, Brooke, Torrie Wilson, Ashley and Maryse, were filmed for Timbaland's music video "Throw It On Me" featuring The Hives. [cite web | url = http://www.wwe.com/inside/news/archive/4563070 | first=Kara A. |last=Medalis | title = The Sexiest Women in L.A. | accessdate=2007-04-20|publisher=WWE]

During the week of November 5, 2007, Layla appeared on an episode of "Family Feud" with other WWE superstars. On February 6, 2008 she appeared on "Project Runway" with several WWE Divas as part of the week's challenge. [cite web |url=http://www.wwe.com/superstars/divas/divadish/divadish0125?cid=WWEADP-83 |title=Diva Dish: 'Runway' Divas |accessdate=2008-02-10 |publisher=WWE |first=Kara A. |last=Medalis |coauthors=Zack Zeigler] She also appeared on the April 13, 2008 episode of "Celebrity Fit Club Boot Camp" as a trainer.

Personal life

She has a tattoo of a star on her lower back. [cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/inside/superstarink/articles/divas|title=Divas dish on their ink|accessdaymonthyear=15-12-2007|publisher=WWE]

In wrestling

*"'Finishing and signature moves
**Multiple kick variations
***Roundhouse
***Running crescent
***Standing 540
**Clothesline
**Leg drop
**Scoop powerslam

*Wrestlers managed
**The Miz
**Jamie Noble
**William Regal

*Entrance themes
**"Move Along" - All American Rejects (Used during the Diva Search)
**"Groove" - WWE production theme
**"Holla" - Desiree Jackson (Used while as a part of Extreme Exposé)
**"Nasty Girl" - Production theme

Championships and accomplishments

*World Wrestling Entertainment
**WWE Diva Search Winner (2006)

*Pro Wrestling Illustrated
**PWI ranked her # 39 of the best 50 female singles wrestlers in the PWI Female 50 in 2008. [cite web|url=http://www.pwpix.net/pwpixnews/headlines/223777233.php|accessdate=2008-09-19|date=2008-09-18|publisher=PWPix.net|title=The PWI Female 50 Rankings: Who Is The Top Women's Wrestler In The World?]

References

External links

* [http://www.wwe.com/superstars/raw/layla/ Layla El at WWE.com]
*imdb|2336786|Layla El
* [http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/l/layla-el.html Layla El at Online World of Wrestling]
*MySpace|laylainc|Layla El
* [http://www.nba.com/heat/dance/dancer05_layla.html Miami Heat 2005-06 team dancer profile: Layla]
* [http://www.layla-el-fan.com Layla-El-Fan.Com - the no.1 Layla El fansite]