Kristal Melisa Marshall (born November 10, 1983 in Los Angeles, California) is an African-American Model, Beauty Queen, and retired professional wrestler and WWE Diva. She is perhaps more well-known for her time in World Wrestling Entertainment on it's Smackdown! brand as Kristal (Marshall) and in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) as Kristal Lashley.
She has also previously (briefly) appeared as one of the Briefcase Models on the NBC Primetime Game Show Deal or No Deal and as one of Barker's Beauties on The Price is Right during its 33rd season.
Early Life & Career[]
Native of Los Angeles, California. Kristal was already a huge success in life even before her life her on Smackdown, where she would become best known. In 2004, she first gained fame as a competitor in the 2004 Miss California pageant.
The Price is Right & Deal or No Deal[]
After competing in the 2004 Miss California pageant, Kristal found her calling. She then began going on auditions and one of her first and more steady gigs was appearing as one of Barker's Beauties on the television game show The Price is Right during its 33rd season on the air.
The lovely redhead made her televised debut on (airdate) March 10, 2005, with a follow-up appearance on the 11th, followed by eight additional appearances from the 21st to the 30th (with Gwendolyn Osborne making her Price is Right debut the next day) and a grand total of 10 episodes.
Several months later, in December, Marshall resurfaced in the game show arena as she appeared as one of the 26 beautiful briefcase models on the newly NBC Primetime Game Show Deal or No Deal, making it's debut during the week of the 19th-23rd. Kristal stood beside Briefcase #5 and only appeared during the series' weel-long trial run. Deal or No Deal returned to the airwaves in February 2006 as a primetime regular.
Besides Kristal, other former Price is Right models to have appeared as Briefcase Models on Deal or No Deal have included: Claudia Jordan (briefcase #9: trial week, briefcase #1: seasons 1-4), Lisa Gleave (briefcase #3: entire run), Lanisha Cole (briefcase #15: seasons 1-2, substitute: season 3), Sonia Vera (briefcase #25: season 1), Mylinda Tov (briefcase #1: trial week, briefcase #19: seasons 1-3) and Enya Flack (substitute: season 2, briefly).
WWE Smackdown & Later Career[]
After her stints as a model on The Price is Right and Deal or No Deal, Marshall went on to the field she would become most recognized for. She first entered WWE as a contestant in the 2005 Raw Diva Search, in which she eventually finished in fourth place and despite not winning the Diva Search contract, Kristal was signed to a development deal soon after the contest finished and sent to Deep South Wrestling, WWE newest "farm territory" at that time.
In late 2005-early 2006, she joined the SmackDown! roster as a backstage correspondent, interviewing the brand's superstars during the shows. Her first actual feud on the brand came against the heel run of Jillian Hall. Marshall defeated Hall in debut match—a "Divas Uncovered" match—on the March 10, 2006 SmackDown! Kristal was defeated by Jillian Hall but was later confronted by Michelle McCool.
When Diva Search winner Ashley Massaro joined the SmackDown! brand, Marshall was turned heel and put into an angle where she was jealous of Massaro's Diva Search win. She aligned herself with Michelle McCool as the two got into a feud with Massaro and then-babyface, Jillian Hall, leading to a Fatal Four-Way Bra and Panties match at The Great American Bash, during which Marshall was legitimately injured, even though she did not miss any time.
Later that September, the next years Diva Search winner, then-babyface, Layla El, arrived on the brand, and Marshall was put into a feud with her. This one, Marshall aligned herself with Mike "The Miz" Mizanin against Layla and the Boogeyman.
Kristal has some championships and accomplishments under her belt: Fitness Universe Ms. Bikini America (Medium Class; 2008), NPC Arnold Amateur Championships 2nd Place (Short Class; 2009) and NPC USA Bodybuilding & Figure Championships 1st Place (Class C & Overall; 2009)
On October 18, 2009, at Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's Bound for Glory Marshall, dubbed as Kristal Lashley, debuted as a member of the crowd cheering on her kayfabe husband Bobby Lashley during his match with Samoa Joe. She then started an angle with Scott Steiner where Steiner kept harassing her in the crowd during his and Lashley's matches.
On the November 5 edition of TNA Impact! Kristal accompanied Lashley to the ring but was sent backstage by the referee where Steiner would try to kidnap her but would get stopped by Lashley. Making her national TNA in-ring debut on the December 12 edition of Impact! teaming with Lashley in a losing effort against Steiner and Awesome Kong in a mixed tag team match. On the January 4, 2010, Monday night edition of Impact! Bobby and Kristal Lashley requested for their kayfabe immediate release from TNA Wrestling, turning heel in the process. Though this storyline did not last as Bobby Lashley was released from TNA in February to focus more on his MMA career.
Trivia & Personal Life[]
Outside the WWE ring, Kristal has done other television appearances relating to wrestling as well as other media outlets. She appeared in an episode of Hulk Hogan's Hogan Knows Best as well as a 2008 episode of Project Runway alongside fellow wrestlers Maria, Candice Michelle, Torrie Wilson, Layla, and Michelle McCool.
In June 2007, Marshall posed for her first magazine cover, the September issue of African Americans on Wheels and she has also appeared in music videos for rappers 50 Cent and Ma$e and has done commercials for The Best Damn Sports Show Period.
From 2007-2010, Kristal was previously in a relationship with Bobby Lashley and have two children together: son Myles, born in July 2008 and daughter Naomi, born in 2011. Marshall confirmed her split from Bobby in April 2010 via Twitter.
Today, Kristal and her two children currently or have previously resided in Atlanta, Georgia.
Gallery[]
(on The Price is Right)
(on Deal or No Deal)
