Marshall first entered WWE as a contestant in the 2005 Raw Diva Search, in which she eventually finished fourth.[7] Despite not winning the Diva Search contract, Marshall was signed to a development deal soon after the contest finished and sent to Deep South Wrestling, WWE newest "farm territory" at that time.[8][1] In December 2005, she joined the SmackDown! roster as a backstage correspondent,[9] 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 her debut match—a "Divas Uncovered" match—on the March 10, 2006, episode of SmackDown.[10] On June 2, 2006, Kristal was defeated by Jillian Hall but was later comforted by the turned heel Michelle McCool. When Diva Search winner Ashley Massaro joined the SmackDown! brand, Marshall was turnedheel and put into an angle where she was jealous of Massaro's Diva Search win.[11] She was aligned with McCool and the two feuded with Massaro and then-babyface, Jillian Hall,[12] leading to a Fatal Four-WayBra and Panties match at The Great American Bash,[13] during which Marshall was legitimately injured,[14] though she did not miss any time. In September, the next years Diva Search winner, then-babyface, Layla El, arrived on the brand, and Marshall was put into a feud with her.[15] This one had Marshall aligned with Mike "The Miz" Mizanin against Layla and the Boogeyman.[16]
In February 2007, Marshall became a face again and began a storyline which had her as a close friend of then-babyface, Vickie Guerrero, who was mysteriously planning something,[17] and then flirting with SmackDown! General ManagerTheodore Long.[18] After Marshall confessed her love for Long,[19] she convinced him to hire Guerrero as his assistant,[20][21] leaving her in charge of the show on occasion.[22] Eventually Long proposed marriage, which Kristal accepted[23] On August 26 at SummerSlam, Kristal participated in a battle royal to determine the No. 1 contender for the WWE Women's Championship, however, she was eliminated by McCool. On the September 21 episode of SmackDown!, during Kristal and Long's in-ring wedding, Long suffered a heart attack as part of the storyline. She was released from her WWE contract a few weeks later.[24]
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2009–2010)
On October 18, 2009, at Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's Bound for Glory Marshall debuted as a member of the crowd cheering on Bobby Lashley during his match with Samoa Joe. Renamed Kristal Lashley, she was portrayed as the wife of her real-life boyfriend.[25] She then started an angle with Scott Steiner where Steiner kept harassing her in the crowd during his and Lashley's matches.[26][27] On the November 5 edition of TNA Impact! Marshall 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.[28] She made her 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.[29] This storyline did not last, as Bobby Lashley was released from TNA in February to focus more on his MMA career.[30]
Independent circuit (2013)
On April 19, 2013, at Top Rope Promotions (TRP), Kristal made her in-ring return when she teamed with Kong, as the two defeated Jillian Hall and Kasey Ray, in what would be Kristal last match to date.[31]
In June 2007, she posed for her first magazine cover, the September issue of African Americans on Wheels.[34]
Personal life
Marshall dated Bobby Lashley from 2007 until 2010, and they have two children. In April 2010, Kristal confirmed on Twitter that she and Lashley had split.[35]
^ abc"Diva Dish: Lost and not-so-found". WWE. Retrieved June 26, 2007. Kristal, originally a Los Angeles girl, admitted to Diva Dish she's a New York virgin, but she's excited for the new adventure.
^"Great American Bash 2006 results". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved April 12, 2007. Editor's Note: Kristal Marshall was hospitalized after the match but the nature of the injury is unknown..
^"SmackDown! results - February 23, 2007". WWE. Retrieved April 12, 2007. Finally, Vickie Guerrero told her friend Kristal that the "little thing that needed to be taken care of, I took care of earlier tonight."
^"SmackDown! results - March 29, 2007". WWE. Retrieved April 12, 2007. Finally, General Manager Theodore Long has planned a romantic rendezvous with SmackDown Diva Kristal.
