| Layla | |||
| Ring Names | Layla | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Height | 5 ft 2 in | ||
| Weight | 115 lbs | ||
| Born | June 25, 1977 (46) | ||
| London, England | |||
| Died | |||
| Resides | Phoenix, Arizona | ||
| Billed | Miami, Florida | ||
| Trained by | Dave Finlay Jesse Hernandez | ||
| Debut | August 20, 2006 | ||
| Retired | July 29, 2015 | ||
Layla El is an English real estate agent and former dancer, model, and retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her time with WWE, where she performed under the mononymous ring name Layla.
Biography[]
Utilizing skills honed while a member of the Miami Heat dance squad, Layla won the 2006 Diva Search to earn her opportunity in WWE.
The flirty contest winner made her first appearance at that year’s SummerSlam, and the English-born beauty then took her sweet dance moves to ECW, where she wowed the WWE Universe as part of the Extreme Exposé.
By 2009, Layla joined forces with Michelle McCool to form Team Lay-Cool on SmackDown. The “Flawless” duo seemed inseparable, even going as far as referring to themselves as the self-professed “co–Women’s Champions” when Layla held the title. But it wasn’t long before Layla enjoyed her own time in the spotlight.
Alongside McCool in a 2-on-1 Handicap Match for the title, Layla pinned Beth Phoenix in May 2010 on SmackDown to become the first-ever British Women's Champion, and with that accolade, she also became the last Women’s Champion, as the title was retired shortly thereafter.
Things started to unravel between Lay-Cool in 2011, culminating with a Loser Leaves WWE Match at Extreme Rules, which saw the end to their friendship and McCool’s departure from WWE. Despite the victory over her ex-friend, an injury sidelined the British beauty for the rest of the year.
After a lengthy rehab on her knee, Layla finally returned to the ring at Extreme Rules 2012 where she defeated Nikki Bella to win the Divas Title, proving that she hadn’t lost a step in her time away from the squared circle. Although Eve defeated Layla for the title at Night of Champions 2012 amid a cloud of controversy, the insatiable former champion kept her sights on regaining the title gold.
Layla turned against her friend Kaitlyn to join forces with then-Divas Champion AJ Lee, joining her in tag team action in her quest to bring down the stars of E!'s Total Divas. Not long after, Layla competed in the Vickie Guerrero Divas Invitational at WrestleMania 30 for the Divas Championship but was unsuccessful in dethroning AJ for the title. A brief fling with Fandango followed, but the pair eventually fell out of step.
Layla retired from WWE in July 2015 and married former WWE Superstar, Ricky Ortiz.
- WWE.com
Modelling career[]
Since winning the Diva Search contest El has also done some modelling work. She has been featured in the magazines King, Smooth, and was the cover-girl for the first issue of Liquid. She also posed for FHM with the other members of Extreme Exposé. Layla, along with Beth Phoenix and Candice Michelle, appeared in the February 2009 issue of Flex Magazine.
Other media[]
In April 2007, El and several other WWE Divas appeared in the music video for "Throw It On Me" by Timbaland and The Hives. During the week of 5 November 2007, she appeared on five episodes of Family Feud with other WWE wrestlers. On February 6, 2008 she appeared on Project Runway with several WWE Divas as part of the week's challenge. El also appeared on the April 13, 2008 episode of Celebrity Fit Club Boot Camp as a trainer. She appeared as a guest judge on an episode of Cupcake Wars alongside Alicia Fox.
In 2012, she ranked number 95 in Maxim's Hot 100.
El has appeared in six WWE video games, making her in-game debut in SmackDown vs. Raw 2009. Layla also appears in, SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 as DLC, WWE '12, WWE '13 as DLC, WWE 2K14 and WWE 2K16.
Personal life[]
El resides in Phoenix, Arizona. She previously lived in Miami and Los Angeles. She announced her engagement to professional wrestler Richard Young on July 28, 2015, and the two were married on November 27, 2015.
El's mother died in August 2008, at the age of 48, due to breast cancer. She had battled cancer three times in two decades. In October 2012, El appeared in a commercial from the WWE and Susan G. Komen for the Cure to promote awareness for finding a cure for breast cancer. She incorporated infinity symbols on her wrestling attire as a tribute to her mother.
Championships and accomplishments[]
- World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
- WWE Divas Championship (1 time)
- WWE Women's Championship (1 time, final)
- WWE Diva Search (2006)
- Ranked No. 36 on WWE.com's "50 Greatest Tag Teams in WWE History" – with Michelle McCool
- Slammy Award (1 time)
- Knucklehead Moment of the Year (2010) – Lay-Cool loses to Mae Young — with Michelle McCool
Social Media[]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laylayel
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/mslayel