Lisa Marie Varon is a professional wrestler known for competing in WWE as Victoria and in TNA as Tara, portraying a villainess in both promotions.
WWE[]
Victoria's first feud in WWE came in 2002 against Trish Stratus, with the feud portraying Victoria as a psychotic villainess obsessed with destroying Trish, who was the WWE Women's Champion at the time. In the angle, Victoria and Trish were fitness models together, but Victoria claimed that Trish betrayed her when she was called up by WWE. Victoria failed to capture the Women's Championship against Trish at No Mercy, but at Survivor Series that year, Victoria defeated Trish in a Hardcore Match to win her first Women's Championship. Her reign as champion ended at WrestleMania XIX, when she lost the title to Trish in a Triple Threat Match that included Jazz. During her feud with Trish, Victoria was in an on-screen relationship with Steven Richards.
Victoria added a second Women's Championship reign as a babyface in 2004, but in May 2005, Victoria turned villainous after losing a bikini contest to Christy Hemme. After the contest, the evil Victoria attacked all of the other contestants, moderator Jerry "The King" Lawler, and finally saving Christy for last. Regarding her reasons, Victoria was jealous of the attention Christy was receiving, and at Vengeance, she defeated Christy in a grudge match. In August, Victoria aligned with the villainous Torrie Wilson and her equally evil partner, Candice Michelle, to form Vince's Devils, and the trio feuded with Ashley Massaro, Trish Stratus, and Mickie James for several months. After the group broke up, Victoria chased the Women's Championship, held by Mickie James, but she failed to win the title at New Year's Revolution in 2007. She later moved to the SmackDown brand and feuded with former co-hort Torrie Wilson, before forming an alliance with the debuting Natalya in 2008. Victoria left WWE in January 2009, with her last WWE match being a loss against the villainous Michelle McCool.
TNA[]
The evil Tara as Knockouts Champion
Victoria went to TNA in June 2009 as Tara, but after several months as a babyface, Tara turned heel at Lockdown in April 2010, doing so after she and Angelina Love lost a tag team match to The Beautiful People (Velvet Sky and Madison Rayne). The match was for Angelina's Knockouts Championship and the BP's Knockouts Tag Team Championship, and Madison pinned Tara to win Angelina's title. After the match, the evil Tara attacked Angelina and later embraced her heel persona with a psychotic shriek and a sinister glare at Angelina. Tara challenged Madison to a title match at Sacrifice, with her career on the line, but she was defeated.
Despite her career ending, Tara resurfaced months later as a leather-clad villainess in a mask and biker helmet, serving as Madison Rayne's evil henchwoman. She continuously helped Madison during her matches, even after Madison lost the Knockouts Championship. In September 2010, Tara and Madison defeated Angelina and Velvet in tag team action, and after the match, she removed her mask and revealed herself to the crowd. Despite her alliance with Madison, Tara defeated Madison, Angelina, and Velvet to capture the Knockouts Championship. It was her fourth overall Knockouts Championship reign, and her first as a heel Knockout. Four nights later on Impact, Madison demanded that Tara lay down for her and surrender the title, which she did. She later feuded with Mickie James for the remainder of 2010 and into 2011.
Tara was emancipated from Madison after Sacrifice in May of 2011, when Mickie defeated Madison to retain her Knockouts Championship. She formed a partnership with Brooke Tessmacher and held the tag titles with her, but in September 2012, Tara turned against Brooke and attacked her, doing so four days after Brooke defeated Tara at No Surrender to retain her Knockouts Championship. A week after the attack, Tara accused Brooke of using her to get attention, and then tried to attack ring announcer Christy Hemme. At Bound For Glory, Tara defeated Brooke to capture the Knockouts Championship, and after the match, she introduced her Hollywood boyfriend, Jesse Godderz. Tara's title reign ended in February 2013, when she lost the title to Velvet Sky in a four way elimination match that also included Brooke and Gail Kim. Tara left TNA in the summer of 2013.
Independent Circuit[]
Varon as a villainess @ House of Hardcore 36
Lisa Marie debuted for Bellatrix Female Warriors under her real name in 2016, doing so as the special guest referee in the main event Bellatrix World Championship contest between champion Sammi Baynz and challenger Destiny. Lisa Marie turned heel during the match when she attacked Baynz and attempted to help Destiny win, only to be thwarted by Saraya Knight. On the following event, Lisa Marie teamed with Destiny against Saraya Knight and Sammi Baynz for the latter's Bellatrix World Championship, but the match ended in a no contest. Lisa Marie began feuding with Saraya later in the year, defeating Saraya in a singles match, only for both rematches to end in a no contest.
In July 2017, Varon made appearances for Ultimate Championship Wrestling in Nova Scotia, Canada as Victoria; competing as a villainess in a series of matches against up-and-comer Maddison Miles. Victoria won their first two encounters on the 19th and 20th, and also picked up a mixed tag team victory, before losing to Miles on the 22nd. On December 2, Lisa Marie Varon appeared at House of Hardcore 36 and competed against her former Vince's Devils cohort Candice Michelle, in what was Candice's retirement match. Varon turned villainous and attacked Candice after feigning an injury, and following her heel turn, the evil Varon ended up defeated by Candice.
Trivia[]
- Overall, Victoria/Tara has had four different runs as a mainstream wrestling villainess; two in WWE and two in TNA.
- Lisa Marie Varon's heel turn in House of Hardcore bares some similarity to Melina turning heel at MCW in 2015. Both women appeared heroic at first, only to reveal their true evil colors and go after babyface targets to fulfill their own agenda. In Varon's case, she played on Candice Michelle's emotions as part of her plan to upstage Candice in her retirement match in her home state of Wisconsin. Both villainesses ended up thwarted and/or defeated, with Varon losing her match to Candice. Ironically, Varon participated as a babyface referee two years prior and took down heel enforcer Melina, who attempted to prevent Mickie James from winning the MCW Women's Championship.
