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Lisa Marie Varon (née Sole; born February 10, 1971) is a retired American professional wrestler, fitness competitor and bodybuilder. She is best known for her tenure in WWE, under the ring name Victoria. She is also known for her time in Impact Wrestling, under the ring name Tara. Varon held both companies women's championships on several occasions. Varon began competing in fitness competitions and won ESPN2's Fitness America Series in 1997. In 1999, she placed second at a fitness event in New York City to earn her International Federation of BodyBuilders (IFBB) Professional Fitness Card. Varon met World Wrestling Federation (WWF) performer Chyna, who encouraged her to become a professional wrestler. She trained in the WWF's developmental territories for three years before moving to the main roster to compete full-time under the ring name Victoria. Varon had her first television appearance at WrestleMania 2000, where she portrayed one of The Godfather's "Hos". She debuted in June 2002 and was pushed to win the WWE Women's Championship, a title she would go on to hold twice in her wrestling career. After leaving WWE in 2009, Varon debuted in TNA later that year as Tara. In TNA, she became a five-time TNA Knockouts Champion, making her a seven-time Women's Champion overall. She was also a one-time TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champion, with Brooke Tessmacher, collectively known as TnT. Early life Varon was born in San Bernardino, California, to a Puerto Rican father (who is a Vietnam veteran) and a Korean-born Turkish mother who worked as a singer in Japan. She grew up with three older brothers, all of whom became amateur wrestlers, with her oldest brother, Bobby, winning a gold medal at the 1983 Pan American Games. Varon attended Eisenhower High School in Rialto, California. During high school, she was active in cheerleading, a sport in which she competed since the sixth grade. During her senior year in high school, she was nationally recognized by the National Cheerleading Association, earning an All-American award and being chosen to cheer at half-time of the NFL 1989 Pro Bowl, alongside 70 other women. She participated in track and field events in the ninth grade. After graduating, she studied biology at the University of California, Los Angeles and she studied medicine at Loma Linda University, with the intent on becoming a physician. She worked as a human tissue coordinator at the Inland Eye and Tissue Bank in Redlands, California, where she was involved in the process of organ donation. Bodybuilding and fitness career While working at the eye and tissue bank, Varon became a personal trainer and taught aerobics. While training at a gym, she was offered an opportunity to compete in a bodybuilding competition, a contest she won as a middleweight. She competed in fitness competitions, such as ESPN2's Fitness America Series in 1997 and 1998, winning the former, and the Miss Galaxy Competition in 1998, where she met and befriended Torrie Wilson. After Wilson moved to Los Angeles, California and signed with the professional wrestling promotion World Championship Wrestling (WCW), she invited Varon to one of the shows. While backstage, an agent asked her to appear in a segment with Scott Hall. Through Wilson, Varon unsuccessfully attempted to obtain a contract with WCW. She later moved to Los Angeles to find work in televised news fitness segments. In 1999, she earned her International Federation of BodyBuilders (IFBB) Professional Fitness Card after placing second at the National Physique Committee (NPC) Team Universe show in New York City. It was during her time working in fitness competitions that Varon also first met Trish Stratus. Professional wrestling career World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (2000-2009) Training and debut (2000–2001) After moving to Los Angeles, Varon worked as a trainer at the gym Crunch Fitness, where she met World Wrestling Federation wrestler Chyna, who complimented Varon on her appearance and encouraged her to become a wrestler. Varon would then put together a biography package and sent it to the WWF. She heard from Kevin Kelly two days later, who invited her to an interview in a month's time. With no previous wrestling experience, she looked up professional wrestling schools, and eventually began training at Ultimate Pro Wrestling (UPW) in Southern California in June 2000. She wrestled under the ring name Head Bitch In Charge (HBIC), and appeared in a cheerleading outfit, with a snooty gimmick, similar to WCW Nitro Girl Miss Hancock. She impressed WWF talent scout Bruce Prichard during her first UPW show. Varon made her on-screen debut in the WWF portraying one of The Godfather's "hos". She was referred to as the "head ho", and led the "Save the Hos" campaign. On the August 7 episode of Raw Is War, Varon took a bump by being powerbombed through a table by The Godfather's next persona, The Goodfather. After this, she was given the name Victoria. She was removed from television in November, and sent to WWF's then-developmental territory Power Pro Wrestling in Memphis for extensive training. In February 2001, she was aligned with Brandon Baxter and Bobby Eaton in a feud with Bill Dundee, Jerry Lawler and The Kat. Throughout the feud, Victoria and Baxter were manipulating Eaton into fighting with Dundee, going so far as blurring fact and fiction by mixing professional and personal lives, including having Bobby's son Dylan call on the phone and a kayfabe wedding between Victoria and Eaton. Unfortunately, the feud didn't have a proper end, as in March 2001, the WWF severed ties with Power Pro over Jerry Lawler's quitting the promotion over the Kat's firing in late February. Power Pro folded shortly thereafter. After Power Pro folded, she quickly joined Memphis Championship Wrestling (MCW). Victoria briefly acted as the commissioner for MCW, and was involved in storyline feud with Ivory. She also managed Steve Bradley before MCW closed in 2001. Varon later relocated to Louisville, Kentucky to train in Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), using the ring name Queen Victoria. She was placed as the manager of the tag team the Basham Brothers, and managed one of the team members, Doug Basham, to win the OVW Heavyweight Championship on July 25, 2001. Women's Championship reigns (2002–2004) Varon returned to the renamed World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as Victoria on the July 7, 2002 episode of Sunday Night Heat, in an angle with Trish Stratus, who Victoria claimed had betrayed her when they worked together as fitness models. The storyline had her character become a demented, sadistic villainess, as she and Stratus feuded for months. Her first pay-per-view match came at No Mercy, where she was defeated by Stratus. The following month at Survivor Series, Victoria defeated Stratus with a Snap Suplex in a hardcore match, to win the WWE Women's Championship for the first time. Victoria would go on to successfully retain her championship against Stacy Ke.... Discover the Lisa Rayne popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Lisa Rayne books.