Franki Carissa Strefling (born July 13, 1999) is an American professional wrestler and former professional volleyball player. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs under the ring name Izzi Dame on the NXT brand.
| Izzi Dame | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Franki Carissa Strefling[1] |
| Born | July 13, 1999 Buchanan, Michigan, U.S.[2] |
| Alma mater | Eastern Michigan University |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Franki Carissa[3] Izzi Dame[4] |
| Billed height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)[5] |
| Billed weight | 143 lb (65 kg)[6] |
| Billed from | Buchanan, Michigan[4] |
| Trained by | WWE Performance Center |
| Debut | May 19, 2023 |
Early life
editStrefling attended Eastern Michigan University and graduated with a bachelor's degree in business management. She also played on the volleyball team as part of the Eastern Michigan Eagles.[7]
Professional wrestling career
editOn November 10, 2022, Strefling was announced as having signed with WWE as part of the WWE Performance Center Fall 2022 Rookie Class.[8] She made her in-ring debut on the May 19, 2023 NXT live event, losing to Lola Vice.[3] On the July 21 episode of NXT Level Up, now under the ring name Izzi Dame, she made her televised in-ring debut losing to Dani Palmer.[9][10]
In September, Dame was announced as an entrant in the NXT Women's Breakout Tournament. She was defeated in the first round by Kelani Jordan on the October 3 episode of NXT.[11][12] On the November 28 episode of NXT, Dame would defend Kiana James in an argument with Roxanne Perez backstage and shoved Perez which led to Perez striking her and a brawl ensuing. At NXT Deadline, she would help James defeat Perez in a Steel Cage match, forming an alliance with James and establishing herself as a heel.[13][14]
At NXT Vengeance Day, Dame and James revealed their intentions of targeting Kelani Jordan. Dame would pick her first singles win on the February 16, 2024 episode of Level Up by defeating Gigi Dolin with assistance from James. On the February 20 episode of NXT, Dame and James attempted to launch a sneak attack on Jordan but Jordan outsmarted them. The following week, Dame helped James defeat Jordan in a singles match. On the March 12 episode of NXT, Dame and James defeated Thea Hail and Fallon Henley after Henley replaced Jordan who was found laid out backstage.[15][16][17][18][19] At Stand & Deliver 2024, Dame and James teamed with Jacy Jayne against Henley, Hail, and Jordan in a losing effort.[20] In the 2024 WWE Draft, James was drafted to the Raw brand while Dame remained on NXT, thus ending their alliance.
On the July 11, 2024 episode of TNA Impact!, Dame made a surprise appearance challenging the TNA Knockouts World Champion Jordynne Grace for the title in a losing effort.[21]
Personal life
editStrefling is in a relationship with fellow professional wrestler, Bronson Rechsteiner, professionally known as Bron Breakker.[22]
References
edit- ^ "Franki Strefling Profile". Eastern Athletics. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
- ^ "Franki Strefling Profile". Eastern Michigan University Athletics. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
- ^ a b Rumsey, Connel (May 20, 2023). "WWE Talent Makes In-Ring Debut". WrestleTalk. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ a b "Izzi Dame". WWE. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ "Izzi Dame Cagematch". Cagematch. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
- ^ "Izzi Dame Cagematch". Cagematch. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
- ^ "Franki Strefling Profile". Eastern Michigan University Athletics. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
- ^ "Meet the WWE Performance Center Fall 2022 Rookie Class". WWE.com. November 10, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
- ^ "WWE NXT Live Results: May 19, 2023". Cagematch. May 19, 2023. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
- ^ "WWE NXT Level Up Results: July 21, 2023". WWE.com. July 21, 2023. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
- ^ "The 2023 NXT Women's Breakout Tournament begins TONIGHT!". WWE.com. October 2, 2023. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- ^ "WWE NXT Results: October 3, 2023". WWE.com. October 3, 2023. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
- ^ "WWE NXT Results: November 28, 2023". WWE.com. November 28, 2023. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
- ^ "Full NXT Deadline 2023 Results". WWE.com. December 9, 2023. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- ^ "WWE NXT Vengeance Day (2/4/2024) Results: Ilja Dragunov vs Trick Williams, Dusty Cup Finals, More". WWE.com. February 4, 2024. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
James told Dame to keep an eye on Kelani Jordan to stop the future from becoming a reality.
- ^ "WWE NXT Level Up Results: February 16, 2024". WWE.com. February 16, 2024. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
- ^ "WWE NXT Results: February 20, 2024". WWE.com. February 20, 2024. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
- ^ "WWE NXT Results: February 27, 2024". WWE.com. February 27, 2024. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
- ^ "WWE NXT Results: March 12, 2024". WWE.com. March 12, 2024. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
- ^ Moore, John (April 8, 2023). "NXT Stand & Deliver results: Moore's live review of Trick Williams vs. Carmelo Hayes, Ilja Dragunov vs. Tony D'Angelo for the NXT Title, Lyra Valkyria vs. Roxanne Perez for the NXT Women's Title". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
- ^ LAMBERT, JEREMY (July 11, 2024). "Izzi Dame Answers Jordynne Grace's Open Challenge On 7/11 TNA iMPACT!". Fightful. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
- ^ Mukherjee, Subhojeet (July 14, 2024). "BRON BREAKKER GOES PUBLIC WITH NEW RELATIONSHIP AFTER CORA JADE BREAKUP". Ringside News. Retrieved July 14, 2024.