Kacy Catanzaro

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Kacy Catanzaro
Catanzaro in 2016
Born
Kacy Esther Catanzaro[1]

(1990-01-14) January 14, 1990 (age 34)[2]
Glen Ridge, New Jersey, United States
Other namesMighty Kacy
Alma materTowson University
Occupations
Employers
  • Alpha Warrior (2013–2017)
  • WWE (2017–present)
Ring name(s)Kacy Catanzaro
Katana Chance[3]
Billed height5 ft (152 cm)
Billed weight95 lb (43 kg)
Trained byWWE Performance Center
DebutApril 19, 2018[4]

Kacy Esther Catanzaro (born January 14, 1990), also known by her current ring name Katana Chance, is an American professional wrestler, gymnast and television personality. She works for WWE on the Raw brand. She won the WWE and NXT Women's Tag Team Championships once each with Kayden Carter.

Catanzaro was previously on American Ninja Warrior. She was the first woman to complete a City Qualifiers course and the first woman to complete a City Finals course.[5]

Early life and education[change | change source]

Catanzaro was born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey.[6] She grew up in nearby Belleville where she attended Belleville High School.[7] Catanzaro is of Italian descent.[8][9] She stands about 5 ft (1.524 m) tall and weighs 95 pounds (43 kg). She began doing gymnastics at age 5. She attended Towson University in Towson, Maryland, from 2009 until 2012. At Towson, she studied early childhood education.[2][10]

Gymnastics career[change | change source]

Junior Olympic[change | change source]

Catanzaro was a Junior Olympic gymnast. She began her training at age 6.[11] She reached level 10 in 2007 and competed at the 2007 New Jersey Level 10 State Championships. At the State Championships, she placed fifth in the Senior-A division.[12] In 2008, Catanzaro competed at the 2008 New Jersey Level 10 State Championships. This time she placed third.[13] This allowed her to compete at the 2008 Junior Olympic National Championships. She finished 23rd overall at Nationals. She finished 6th on the balance beam.[14]

NCAA[change | change source]

Catanzaro competed in gymnastics for Towson in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). She started in the 2009 season. Catanzaro helped the Towson Tigers gymnastics team win the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships in 2009 and 2010.[15] In 2012, her senior year, she was the Southeast Regional Gymnast of the Year.[16] She was also the 2012 Eastern College Athletic Conference Gymnast of the Year and was the top-ranked gymnast in that conference for that year.[17]

Obstacle competitor career[change | change source]

American Ninja Warrior[change | change source]

Catanzaro worked for Alpha Warrior from February 2013.[2] It is an obstacle-course gym in San Antonio, Texas.

She spent two years training for American Ninja Warrior.[18] She did not complete the qualifying course in Venice, California, but was a wildcard at the 2013 finals.[19]

In 2014, Catanzaro became the first woman to finish the qualifying course of American Ninja Warrior (season 6). She made it up the warped wall on her second try at 5:26.18 at the Dallas qualifiers. She was ranked 21 out of 30 people. She was also the first woman to ever make it up the warped wall in competition. Later in 2014, Catanzaro competed in the Dallas finals of American Ninja Warrior. She was the first woman to complete a city finals course. She was only the second woman to attempt it. The first was Jessie Graff in season 5). Catanzaro qualified for the national finals in Las Vegas with a time of 8 minutes, 59 seconds.[20][21] No other woman competed in a City Finals course matched until 2019.[22]

Professional wrestling career[change | change source]

WWE[change | change source]

NXT (2017–present)[change | change source]

On January 4, 2017, Catanzaro received a tryout with WWE at their WWE Performance Center.[23] She had her first match at a NXT live event on April 19, 2018 in Sanford, Florida. She lost to Reina González.[4]

Catanzaro continued to make appearances during 2018. She wrestles as a face and takes inspiration from WWE's Alexa Bliss's slogan "Five Feet of Fury". This also refers to Catanzaro's own small size.[24] The 2nd episode of the Mae Young Classic aired on September 12, Catanzaro had her first televised match, She beat Reina Gonzalez in the first round match. On Episode 5, she lost in the second round to Rhea Ripley. On January 27, 2019, Catanzaro had her first match on the main roster. She entered the women's Royal Rumble match at number 19 and lasting 10:45. She was eliminated by Ripley.[25][26] Her first NXT match was on March 13.

In September 2019, it was reported that Catanzaro had quit the WWE and retired from professional wrestling because of a long term back injury.[27][28] She returned on the January 15, 2020 episode of NXT in a women's battle royal. Catanzaro said that she took some time off because she had doubts about continuing in the Professional Wrestling business.[29][30] On the September 16 episode of NXT, Catanzaro teamed with Kayden Carter. They beat beat Jessi Kamea and Xia Li.[31] The next week, she competed in a battle royal to chose the number one contender for the NXT Women's Championship. Catanzaro beat Indi Hartwell to reach the final four. She lost to Dakota Kai, with help from Candice LeRae.[32]

Catanzaro and Carter took part in the 2021 Women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament. They beat Mercedes Martinez and Toni Storm in the quarterfinals. They were beaten by Dakota Kai and Raquel González in the semifinals.[33][34]

On the August 24 episode of NXT, after beating Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne, Catanzaro and Carter said that they were going after the NXT Women's Tag Team Championship.[35] They got their chance on the next episode but lost to champions Io Shirai and Zoey Stark.[36]

Championships and accomplishments[change | change source]

References[change | change source]

  1. ↑ Catanzaro, Kacy (July 22, 2014). "@middlenamegame Esther". Retrieved August 28, 2017.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Dan Reilly (July 17, 2014). "14 things #MightyKacy told us after her huge victory on American Ninja Warrior". Esquire.
  3. ↑ "Identities of WWE's Two New Name Changes Reportedly Revealed". Retrieved April 23, 2022.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "NXT Sanford, FL, live results: Kacy Catanzaro makes her debut". Archived from the original on April 21, 2018. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  5. ↑ Mallenbaum, Carly (August 31, 2017). "Will 'Mighty Kacy' be a heel for the WWE? The 'Ninja Warrior' star explains her career move". USA TODAY. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  6. ↑ Edmonson, Jonathan. "Kacy Catanzaro fails to complete American Ninja Warrior qualifying round", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, June 9, 2015, updated January 17, 2019. Accessed November 12, 2020. "Catanzaro, a Glen Ridge native who made history when she became the first woman to qualify for the finals on season six of NBC's American Ninja Warrior, was derailed at the Houston qualifying round last night."
  7. ↑ Schneider, Jeremy. "From N.J. to WWE: Kacy Catanzaro begins pro wrestling journey", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, January 30, 2018, updated January 30, 2019. Accessed November 12, 2020. "World Wrestling Entertainment announced on Jan. 18 that Catanzaro, a Belleville High School graduate who was born in Glen Ridge, has joined WWE's NXT, the organization's developmental system."
  8. ↑ Allison Takeda (July 16, 2014). "Kacy Catanzaro owns American Ninja Warrior, is first female finalist". US Magazine.
  9. ↑ "14 Things #MightyKacy Told Us After Her Huge Victory on American Ninja Warrior". Esquire. Esquire. July 17, 2014. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Kacy Catanzaro sets the bar high on American Ninja Warrior". CBS Baltimore. July 15, 2014.
  11. ↑ "2009-10 Women's Gymnastics Roster: Kacy Catanzaro". Towson Tigers.
  12. ↑ "2007 New Jersey Level 10 State Championships". My Meet Scores. April 1, 2007.
  13. ↑ "2008 New Jersey Level 10 State Championships". My Meet Scores. March 30, 2008.
  14. ↑ "Meet Results Level 10 - Senior D" (PDF). USA Gymnastics. May 18, 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 4, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  15. ↑ "Past Champions Women's Gymnastics". Eastern College Athletic Conference.
  16. ↑ Kyle Newport (July 15, 2014). "Former NCAA gymnast becomes 1st woman to finish 'American Ninja Warrior' course". Bleacher Report.
  17. ↑ "Catanzaro named as NCAA Regional Gymnast of the Year". Towson Tigers. April 7, 2012.
  18. ↑ Alex Heigl (July 17, 2014). "Kacy Catanzaro becomes first woman to complete American Ninja Warrior course". People.
  19. ↑ Nina Mandell (July 18, 2014). "American Ninja Warrior phenom Kacy Catanzaro: 'I had no idea so many people would care so much'". USA Today.
  20. ↑ Avery Thompson (July 17, 2014). "'American Ninja Warrior': Kacy Catanzaro is first woman to finish course". Hollywood Life. Archived from the original on July 24, 2018. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  21. ↑ Sophia Rosenbaum (July 16, 2014). "First woman advances to 'American Ninja Warrior' finals". New York Post.
  22. ↑ By Ninja veterans Michelle Warnky and Jesse "Flex" Labreck.
  23. ↑ "'Ninja Warrior' star Kacy Catanzaro, Saints LB work out for WWE". FOX Sports. January 8, 2017. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
  24. ↑ "Kacy Catanzaro on Making the Jump from 'American Ninja Warrior' to WWE". TV Insider. May 30, 2018. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
  25. ↑ Johnson, Mike (January 27, 2019). "Complete WWE Royal Rumble 2019 Coverage". PWInsider. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  26. ↑ Benigno, Anthony. "Becky Lynch won the 30-Woman Royal Rumble Match". WWE. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  27. ↑ "Kacy Catanzaro Reportedly Done With WWE". 411Mania. September 1, 2019.
  28. ↑ "Kacy Catanzaro Finishes With WWE". Squared Circle Sirens. Archived from the original on July 13, 2020. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
  29. ↑ "Kacy Catanzaro revela el motivo de su ausencia en WWE NXT". January 23, 2020.
  30. ↑ "Kacy Catanzaro On Why She Left WWE Last Summer, What Led To Her Return". Wrestling Inc. January 22, 2020.
  31. ↑ Beaston, Erik (September 16, 2020). "WWE NXT Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from September 16". Bleacher Report. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  32. ↑ "WWE NXT Results – September 23, 2020". PWMania. September 23, 2020. Archived from the original on January 18, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  33. ↑ Moore, John (January 20, 2021). "1/20 NXT TV results: Moore's review of Tommaso Ciampa vs. Timothy Thatcher in the NXT Fight Pit, Kacy Catanzaro and Kayden Carter vs. Mercedes Martinez and Toni Storm, Kushida and Leon Ruff vs. The Way, and LHP vs. Imperium in Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic matches". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on February 20, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  34. ↑ Moore, John (February 3, 2021). "2/3 NXT TV results: Moore's review of Royal Rumble winner Edge's appearance, Santos Escobar vs. Curt Stallion for the NXT Cruiserweight Championship, Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher vs. Adam Cole and Roderick Strong in a Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic match, additional Dusty Classic matches". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on February 21, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  35. ↑ Moore, John (August 24, 2021). "8/24 NXT TV results: Moore's review of the NXT Takeover 36 fallout show with new NXT Champion Samoa Joe, Hit Row vs. Legado Del Fantasma, Carmelo Hayes vs. Odyssey Jones in the NXT Breakout Tournament finals, Timothy Thatcher vs. Ridge Holland, Kay Lee Ray in action". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on August 28, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  36. ↑ Moore, John (September 7, 2021). "9/7 NXT TV results: Moore's review of MSK vs. Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch for the NXT Tag Titles, Io Shirai and Zoey Stark vs. Kacy Catanzaro and Kayden Carter for the NXT Women's Tag Titles, Carmelo Hayes vs. Santos Escobar, Ember Moon vs. Kay Lee Ray, Mei Ying's in-ring debut". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on September 8, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  37. ↑ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated Top 100 Female Wrestlers Results". Wrestling Travel. November 2019. Archived from the original on November 15, 2019. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  38. ↑ "NXT Women's Tag Team Championship". World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

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