Stacy Carter

Infobox Wrestler
name=Stacy Carter


names=Stacey Carter
Miss Kitty
The Kat
Chynette
height=5'3" (160 cm)
weight=105 lbs (48 kg)
birth_date =September 1971
death_date =
birth_place = Memphis, Tennessee
resides=Cape Coral, Florida
billed=
trainer=Jerry Lawler
debut=1999
retired=2001|

Stacy Carter (born September 1971), better known as Miss Kitty or The Kat, is an American former professional wrestling valet. During her tenure in the World Wrestling Federation, she held the Women's Championship once, although she was not a trained wrestler. During the Armageddon pay-per-view in December 1999, she flashed her breasts in what was the first instance of intentional nudity in the WWF. After the event, she was shown nude several more times on other pay-per-views. She is also the ex-wife of wrestler Jerry "The King" Lawler, who quit the WWF after Carter was released in early 2001 but returned after their divorce in July 2001.

Professional wrestling career

World Wrestling Federation (1999–2001)

Stacy Carter first appeared on World Wrestling Federation (WWF)'s flagship program, "Monday Night Raw", in August 1999. She debuted as Miss Kitty, an assistant to Debra, appointed to her by Jeff Jarrett, whom Debra managed.Jerry Lawler, "It's Good to Be the King ... Sometimes", p. 337.] The partnership ended when Jarrett left the company after losing the Intercontinental Championship to Chyna at No Mercy.cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/SlamWrestlingArchive/oct18_nomercy.html|title=Tag match highlights No Mercy|author=John Powell|publisher=SLAM! Wrestling|accessdate=2008-07-13|date=October 18, 1999] Because she won the match, according to the storyline, Chyna also won the services of Miss Kitty, and Carter then became Chynette, dressing in 'Chyna-like' clothing and dying her hair black.

At Armageddon in December 1999, Miss Kitty won her only WWF Women's Championship in a Four Corners Evening Gown Pool match by defeating then-champion Ivory, Jacqueline, and Barbara "BB" Bush by stripping them of their gowns. The special guest referees were The Fabulous Moolah and Mae Young. [cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/SlamWrestlingPPV/dec13_armageddon.html|title=Steph betrays Vince at Armageddon|author=John Powell|publisher=SLAM! Wrestling|accessdate=2008-07-13|date=December 13, 1999] After the match, Miss Kitty stripped out of her dress in celebration and quickly flashed the crowd her breasts. This was the first instance of intentional nudity in the WWF.Lawler, p. 339.] By 2000, Carter began to be referred to as The Kat. She lost the Championship on the January 31 edition of "Raw" to Harvey "Hervina" Wippleman in a "Lumberjill Snowbunny match", a match that took place in a snow filled pool surrounded by female wrestlers whose purpose was to keep The Kat and Hervina from leaving the pool. [cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/women/304454132121112213|title=Hervina's Title Reign|publisher=WWE.com|accessdate=2007-05-09] The Kat then appeared at the Royal Rumble in the 'Miss Royal Rumble Swimsuit Contest', where she appeared in a bikini made out of bubble wrap.Lawler, p. 350.] The contest, however, was won by Mae Young.

The Kat then began an on-screen rivalry with Terri Runnels, although neither were trained wrestlers. At WrestleMania 2000, Runnels (accompanied by The Fabulous Moolah) defeated The Kat (with Mae Young) in a catfight.cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/content/media/video/specialty_clips/wrestlemania_diva_matches/wm2000terrikat|title=Kat vs. Terri at WrestleMania 2000|accessdate=2007-05-09|publisher=WWE.com] Val Venis was the special guest referee, but he was distracted during the match when Young kissed him, which allowed Moolah to pull The Kat out of the ring. When Venis saw her out of the ring, he declared Runnels the winner. Post-match, The Kat attacked Runnels by stripping off her pants to expose her thong. The feud continued, and the duo had an arm wrestling match at Insurrextion. Carter was victorious, but after the match, Runnels pulled The Kat's top off, exposing her breasts, which Carter allowed instead of acting disgusted or embarrassed. The feud resurfaced in a 'Thong Stink Face' match at SummerSlam, which The Kat won by performing a stinkface on Runnels. [cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/summerslam/history/2000/results/|title=SummerSlam 2000 results|publisher=WWE.com|accessdate=2007-05-09] cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/SlamWrestlingPPV/aug28_summerslam.html|title=Stunts highlight SummerSlam|author=John Powell|publisher=SLAM! Wrestling|accessdate=2008-07-13|date=August 28, 2000]

In early 2001, The Kat began a new storyline with a stable called the Right to Censor, a group of conservative wrestlers, where she demanded equal time for the "right for nudity".cite web|url=http://www.playboy.com/sex/d12/jerrylawler/index.html|title=The Dirty Dozen: Jerry Lawler|publisher=Playboy.com|accessdate=2008-03-19|author=Antonia Simigis] At No Way Out, Jerry Lawler, who was representing The Kat, lost a match to Steven Richards, the head of the stable, after The Kat mistakenly hit Lawler with the Women's Championship belt, which was the pre-planned ending to the match. As a result of Lawler losing the match, she was forced to join the stable. On the following episode of "Raw", The Kat was forced, as part of the storyline, to wear a burlap sack to the ring, which Richards was depicted as forcing her to do.R. D. Reynolds and Blade Braxton. "The WrestleCrap Book of Lists!" (140)] On February 27, 2001, however, Carter was released from the WWF in the middle of the storyline.cite web|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCO/is_5_3/ai_81826835|title=Landing on her feet|author=Tim Towe|publisher=Wrestling Digest|accessdate=2007-10-08|month=February | year=2002] As a result, her husband Jerry Lawler also quit the company.cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/SlamWrestlingBiosL/lawler_01feb28-can.html|title=WWF releases The Kat, loses Lawler|publisher=SLAM! Sports|accessdate=2007-10-09|date=2001-02-28] [Lawler, p. 403.] According to Lawler, Carter was released from the WWF because Vince McMahon decided to end the angle with the Right to Censor. [Lawler, p. 405.] Other insiders cite Carter's negative backstage attitude as the reason for her dismissal.

Independent circuit (2001)

After Carter and Lawler left the World Wrestling Federation, they worked various independent wrestling events. They also signed with Tri-Star Productions and worked at Memphis Championship Wrestling.

Personal life

Stacy Carter's family was originally from West Memphis, Arkansas.Lawler, p. 264.] After her parents divorced, Carter's mother moved to Memphis, Tennessee. Stacy Carter, however, as well as her younger brother and sister, continued to live with their father, who worked as a policeman, in Arkansas. Carter moved to Memphis to live with her mother, Cathy, after graduating from high school.

Stacy Carter met Jerry Lawler, her future husband, at a charity softball game at Treadwell High School in Memphis on July 23, 1989, two months before her nineteenth birthday.Lawler, p. 333.] She was attending the game with her mother, who was dating one of the players on the team for which Lawler also played. Lawler, however, was married at the time, and he claims that when he initially met Carter, he considered an affair. After Lawler separated from his wife, Carter moved in with him. When Carter first met Lawler, she was working as a bank teller. Lawler later helped her get a job at a photography studio, and she also opened and ran her own hair salon.

Lawler and Carter married in September 2000.cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/Bios/lawler.html|title=SLAM Bio: Jerry Lawler|publisher=SLAM! Sports|accessdate=2007-10-08|date=2005-02-05] While they were together, former professional wrestler Missy Hyatt offered Carter $10,000 to pose nude on her website, but Carter refused the offer. [Lawler, p. 305.] Carter decided to leave Lawler in July 2001, and they separated not long after. [Lawler, p. 415.] She left the wrestling business upon separating from Jerry Lawler. She worked in the field of real estate in Lee County, Florida for Century 21 for some time after the divorce. [Lawler, p. 448.] In 2007, Carter applied for a cosmetology license in the town of Cape Coral, Florida.cite web|url=https://www.myfloridalicense.com/wl11.asp?mode=2&search=Name&SID=&brd=&typ=|title=Stacy Carter's licensing|publisher=Florida Department of Business Professional Regulation|accessdate=2008-07-27]

In wrestling

*Signature moves
**Stinkface

*Wrestlers managed
**Jeff Jarrett
**Chyna
**Jerry Lawler

Championships

*World Wrestling Federation
**WWF Women's Championship (1 time)cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/women/30445413212111233|title=The Kat's Title Reign|publisher=WWE.com|accessdate=2007-05-08]

Notes

References

*cite book|author=Jerry Lawler|title=It's Good to Be the King...Sometimes|year=2002|publisher=WWE Books|isbn=978-0743457682
*cite book|author=R. D. Reynolds and Blade Braxton|title=The WrestleCrap Book of Lists!|year=2007|publisher=ECW Press|isbn=1550227629

External links

*imdb name|id=0141943|name=Stacy Carter
* [http://www.owow.com/Ringsidewith/Kitty/index.htm The Kat's profile on Online Women of Wrestling]