LaTasha Marzolla - Another One The WWE Let Get Away

LaTasha Marzolla first came to my attention back in 2004 when both she and fellow Playboy model Bobbi Billard were signed by the WWE on a developmental contract. Both subsequently suffered injuries and were washed out of their training courses. Billard alleged her release had been partially due to Ivory taking a dislike to her, seeing her as nothing more than a blonde bimbo who planned to sleep her way to the top rather than pay her dues and work hard. Personally I choose to accept Billard's story and consider it a shame that she never made it onto our screens even as just a piece of eye candy. Marzolla on the other hand kept a lower profile and little has been heard from her since. A Google search back at the time yielded few pictures and her members only website further limited the information that could be found on her. But a recent posting of pictures of her in a wrestling forum I frequent got me interested in what she'd been doing post-WWE and began to make me realise that maybe the WWE had passed up a bigger opportunity than she realised at the time.

At a first glance, LaTasha seems like your run-of-the-mill gorgeous Playboy blonde. Weighing 127lbs, standing at 5'6" and with a 36DD-25-34 figure, she certainly has the body to justify her appearance in several of the magazine's special pictorials as well as to explain why she was voted Model of the Year in 2004. But both before and after the WWE she was proficient in the Muay Thai style of kickboxing and has competed professionally in the full-contact K1 tournament under the alias 'Venus'.

Initially in the kickboxing world, some were sceptical as to her actual ability and saw her as an individual merely flaunting her looks to draw the fans in, but it soon became apparent that she could hold her own in a bout. She has defeated several notable opponents, but is by no means unbeatable. Despite not having a perfect victory record, her achievement is still impressive when considered in the context of the WWE. Her K1 fights are the real thing unlike the pre-determined matches of the WWE. If Marzolla has been able to succeed in the real world of fighting, then she undoubtedly would have prospered in the WWE. Trish Stratus is evidence of how a model can transform into an impressive wrestler, and with Marzolla's obvious strength of character and determination, it would not have been surprising if she had surpassed Stratus had the WWE invited her back after she had recovered from her injury.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and although I don't know what reawakened the interest in her on the wrestling forum, it would be good if the WWE took another long, hard look at her and offered her an opportunity to shine in the WWE. She's got the looks and more than proven that she's got the ability and desire to succeed, so her addition to the roster would be a good choice. The odds of that happening are slim though as Marzolla may also have lost interest in the WWE. We can live in hope though.