Debra Marshall (born March 2, 1960) is an American retired professional wrestler and professional wrestling manager. She is notable for her appearances with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) between 1995 and 1998 and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) between 1998 and 2002.
She began her career in professional wrestling in WCW in late-1995 and early-1996, making occasional unnamed appearances as an audience plant, and as part of a group of valets. In April 1996, she began appearing regularly as a valet for her husband, professional football player and WCW announcer Steve "Mongo" McMichael, as he transitioned to competing as a wrestler. Debra took on the role of a beauty-pageant queen character, giving herself the nickname "The Queen of WCW." At The Great American Bash 1996, McMichael and his partner, fellow professional football player Kevin Greene competed against two of the The Four Horsemen (Ric Flair and Arn Anderson). Flair won the match after Mongo and Debra turned on Greene by hitting him with a steel briefcase, joining the Horsemen. At Bash at the Beach 1997, Debra turned on Mongo during his WCW United States Heavyweight Championship match against Jeff Jarrett by handing Jarrett the steel briefcase, which he then used to knock Mongo out and win the match, after which she became Jarrett's manager.
After her divorce from McMichael, Debra joined the WWF in 1998, where she managed the tag team of Jarrett and Owen Hart, up until the evening of Hart's in-ring death in May 1999. She won the WWF Women's Championship from Sable in an Evening Gown match in 1999, played the role of Lieutenant Commissioner (assistant) of Commissioner Mick Foley, and later appeared on-screen with her second husband "Stone Cold" Steve Austin until 2002, when the duo left the company.
Tropes related to Debra Marshall:
- Beauty Contest: Her gimmick in WCW had her having the title of "Queen of WCW."
- Boob-Based Gag: On the February 1, 1999 Raw, Mankind (Mick Foley) gave her a sweater, saying, "I didn't want you to catch a chest cold, which in your case could be fatal..."
- Buxom Beauty Standard: She's not the one who had the term "puppies" coined for no reason.note
- Cat Fight: If she ever got into the ring with someone, this was what usually ensued.
- Defeat by Modesty: Subverted. Sable defeated her in an evening gown match for the Women's Championship, but Shawn Michaels ruled that in his eyes, the woman who lost her dress was the true winner - and awarded the title to Debra.
- First-Name Basis: She was initially called Debra McMichael or Debra Marshall, but eventually just Debra.
- Lady in a Power Suit: Her standard outfit in the WWF consisted of business suits (or, after taking a liking to stripping off, sometimes just a suit jacket over a bikini) up until she was paired with her husband "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, at which point she started wearing attire similar to his.
- Lethal Chef: Well, lethal may be too strong a word, but, there was something of a Running Gag in 2001 about her being a bad cook. Her cookies were dreaded.
- Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal: After being mistreated by Jeff Jarrett one too many times, she interfered in his Intercontinental title match against Chyna and hit him over the head with his guitar.
- Ms. Fanservice: After the success of Sable, she was explicitly brought in to provide fanservice as Jeff Jarrett's manager.
- Never a Self-Made Woman: Lampshaded when she appeared on a version of The Weakest Link.Debra: I'm famous for being Steve [Austin]'s wife.Anne Robinson: So you're a real feminist then.
- Non-Action Guy: She was a manager first and foremost rather than a wrestler. Her reign as Women's Champion is a telltale example; she was awarded the title on a technicality and lost it in her very first defense.
- No Shirt, Long Jacket: A rare female example; after she found a liking to having to strip her clothes off, instead of her usual business suits, she would for a while appear wearing only a suit jacket over a bikini.
- Power Stable: The Four Horsemen in WCW; The Alliance in WWF.
- Punny Name: It's purely a coincidence, since it is, in fact, her real name, but the fact that she's a well-endowed woman named "Debra" gave fans a lot of ammo for "de-bra Debra" jokes.
- Red Baron: In WCW, "The Queen of WCW."
- Reluctant Fanservice Girl: Debra was required to take her clothes off after Jeff Jarrett lost a match to Goldust, per the match's stipulation. Debra was embarrassed... at first, before getting really into it.
- Sexy Secretary: As the Lieutenant Commissioner of Commissioner Mick Foley, she was basically his secretary. She also evoked this when she first appeared as Jeff Jarrett's valet - in her sexy business suits.
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Spiritual Successor: Lana is thought to be a modern successor to Debra, since they're both blonde valets to heel wrestlers and dress in sexy business suits. - Visual Pun: She appeared at Survivor Series 1999 wearing ring gear that had paw prints on it. As in puppy paw prints.
- Wrestling Family: Ex-wife to Steve "Mongo" McMichael and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.
- You Can Leave Your Hat On: After Jeff Jarrett lost a match to Goldust, Debra was required to strip by the stipulation. At first she was embarrassed...before getting really into it.
