Victoria

Lisa Marie Varon is a retired professional wrestler best known as Victoria in the WWF/WWE and Tara in TNA’s Knockouts division. As a former fitness competitor and bodybuilder, she transitioned to wrestling after encouragement from Chyna, training in Ultimate Pro Wrestling (UPW) and several WWF developmental territories before reaching WWE’s main roster in 2002.

As Victoria, she quickly became a centerpiece of the women’s division, portraying a dark, unhinged heel who feuded violently with Trish Stratus, Lita, and Molly Holly. Her first Women’s Championship came in a Hardcore match against Stratus at Survivor Series 2002, and she later won a second reign, famously shaving Molly Holly’s head at WrestleMania XX in a Hair vs. Title match.

After nearly a decade in WWE, Varon reinvented herself in 2009 as Tara in TNA. There she became a cornerstone of the Knockouts division, winning the Knockouts Championship five times and the Knockouts Tag Team Championship with Brooke Tessmacher, while blending technical wrestling, power spots, and character work centered on her tarantula “Poison.”

From 2011 onward, she became a highly sought‑after independent star, appearing for promotions like ROH, House of Hardcore, Chikara, and Master of Ring Entertainment, where she wrestled her final active match in 2019 and captured the inaugural MORE Women’s title.

Her innovative Widow’s Peak finisher, her willingness to work stipulation matches, and her ability to both terrify and entertain helped elevate women’s wrestling well before the mainstream “women’s revolution.”

Recognized with multiple accolades, including a WWE Legends contract and induction into the Women’s Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2024, Varon is seen as one of the most influential women of her era.