Chelsea Green

Early life and career beginnings

Chelsea Anne Green was born on April 4, 1991. She lived in the United Kingdom for just over a year as a child, attending a primary school in Devon. Her mother's side is British, and Green stated in 2024 that she holds a British passport. Her inspiration to become a professional wrestler came from watching WWE performer Kelly Kelly. Green began her training and debuted on the Canadian independent circuit in 2014 under the ring name Jaida for Elite Canadian Championship Wrestling (ECCW). Her first professional match occurred on May 31, 2014, at the ECCW Better Than You event, where she teamed with Brady Malibu and MR2 in a losing six-person tag match against Billy Suede, Kenny Lush and Nicole Matthews. Later that year, she entered a women's title tournament, winning her first-round match against Kaitlin Diamond before advancing to the semi-finals, where she defeated Kate Carney on December 8, 2014, at ECCW Payoff. Her early career also included a non-wrestling appearance on the August 11, 2014 episode of WWE Raw, where she portrayed Megan Miller, a character who falsely claimed an affair with Daniel Bryan during an angle with Brie Bella and Stephanie McMahon.

Touring and early major promotions (2015 to 2018)

Green's career expanded rapidly with international tours and stints in major American promotions. In 2015, she competed on the sixth season of WWE's Tough Enough reality competition, finishing in fourth place among the female contestants. The following year, she began extensive tours with World Wonder Ring Stardom in Japan. Her first tour in 2016 lasted three months but was cut short when she suffered a broken collarbone while wrestling in India. She returned to Japan for a second tour in late 2016, teaming with Santana Garrett in the 2016 Goddesses of Stardom Tag League. During this tour, she challenged Wonder of Stardom Champion Kairi Hojo, which resulted in her first singles loss in Japan after an undefeated streak. On the North American independent circuit, Green, performing as Laurel Van Ness, won the Queens of Combat (QOC) Tag Team Championship with Taeler Hendrix on February 18, 2017. They defeated The Lucha Sisters (Leva Bates and Mia Yim) in the tournament finals to become the inaugural champions. In September 2018, she performed on the landmark All In pay-per-view, wrestling Britt Baker, Madison Rayne, and Tessa Blanchard in a four-corner survival match at an event that drew over 10,000 live fans.

Impact Wrestling tenure and Knockouts Championship

Green signed with Impact Wrestling in June 2016 and debuted on television under the new ring name Laurel Van Ness on the September 29 episode of Impact Wrestling, defeating Madison Rayne. She developed a notable heel character that evolved dramatically over two years. In late 2016, she formed an on-screen relationship with Braxton Sutter, which culminated in a wedding angle on February 23, 2017, where Sutter rejected her at the altar. Following this, Van Ness adopted a maniacal gimmick, appearing with a dishevelled wedding dress, chaotic makeup, barefoot, and carrying a wine bottle to the ring. This character later involved campaigning for a husband in the crowd. A brief face turn occurred in August 2017 when a cleaned-up Van Ness proposed to Grado, but she reverted to her chaotic heel persona after he called off the wedding upon learning she was Canadian. The character work culminated in a tournament for the vacant Impact Knockouts Championship. On a episode taped November 8, 2017, and airing December 14, Van Ness defeated Rosemary in the finals to win the title, returning to normal ring gear while keeping her dramatic persona. She successfully defended the championship against Allie at Genesis and against Kiera Hogan on the February 8, 2018 episode of Impact. Behind the scenes, Green had intended to leave the company upon her contract's expiration, but producers crowned her champion before she informed them of her plans. She requested a release while champion, which management refused. To facilitate her departure, Green completed her scheduled television tapings, losing the Knockouts Title to Allie on January 15, 2018, to ensure storyline continuity before her official release.

First WWE tenure, injury setbacks and independent return

After participating in a WWE tryout, Green signed with the company on August 3, 2018, and reported to the WWE Performance Center on October 8. She made her NXT in-ring debut at a live event on October 26, 2018. Her progress was immediately hampered by significant injuries. During her first televised match for NXT on March 13, 2019, she suffered a broken wrist and underwent surgery the following day. She returned to action at a live event on June 29, 2019. In early 2020, she aligned with manager Robert Stone and qualified for a ladder match to determine the number one contender for the NXT Women's Championship by defeating Shotzi Blackheart on March 4, 2020. The ladder match, moved to the April 8 episode of NXT due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was won by Io Shirai. Following the end of her partnership with Stone, plans to call her up to Raw were scrapped after executive director Paul Heyman left his position. Green was called up to SmackDown in November 2020. In her debut match on November 13, a fatal four-way qualifier for Survivor Series, she broke her wrist again, forcing a last-minute change to the planned finish which originally had her winning. After months of inactivity, WWE released Green from her contract on April 15, 2021. She quickly resurfaced, making a surprise debut at Ring of Honor's Best in the World pay-per-view on July 11, 2021, introduced by Maria Kanellis-Bennett. An arm fracture prevented her from competing in the ROH Women's World Championship tournament, so she served as a commentator for the first-round matches instead.

• May 31, 2014: Makes professional wrestling debut for ECCW in a six-person tag match.
• 2015: Competes on WWE Tough Enough, finishing fourth among female contestants.
• August 3, 2018: Signs with WWE following a tryout.
• March 13, 2019: Suffers broken wrist in first NXT television match.
• November 13, 2020: Makes SmackDown debut in a qualifying match, suffers another broken wrist.
• April 15, 2021: Released from WWE contract alongside other wrestlers.
• July 11, 2021: Debuts for Ring of Honor at the Best in the World pay-per-view.

Return to Impact Wrestling and tag team success

Green returned to Impact Wrestling at Slammiversary on July 17, 2021, performing under her real name alongside her real-life fiancé, Matt Cardona. They defeated Brian Myers and Tenille Dashwood in an intergender tag team match. In October 2021, she entered the tournament to crown the first Impact Digital Media Champion, defeating Madison Rayne in the first round before losing to Jordynne Grace in the finals at Bound for Glory. On January 8, 2022, at Hard to Kill, she participated in the inaugural Knockouts Ultimate X match, which was won by Tasha Steelz. Green turned heel on the March 24, 2022 episode of Impact Wrestling by attacking Mickie James after a match. She then formed a tag team with Deonna Purrazzo called VXT. On the July 21 episode of Impact!, VXT defeated Knockouts World Champion Jordynne Grace and Mia Yim. The duo went on to win the Impact Knockouts World Tag Team Championship on August 12, 2022, at the Emergence pre-show by defeating Rosemary and Taya Valkyrie. They held the titles for 56 days before losing them to The Death Dollz (Jessicka, Rosemary and Valkyrie) at Bound for Glory on October 7, 2022. Green's final match with the company was a loss to Mickie James on the November 11, 2022 episode of Impact, after which she left the promotion.

Triumphant WWE return and championship reigns (2023 to present)

Green made a surprise return to WWE at the 2023 Royal Rumble on January 28, entering the women's Royal Rumble match at number 20. She was eliminated by Rhea Ripley in five seconds, setting a record for the fastest elimination in the match's history. Assigned to the Raw brand, she adopted a character inspired by the 'Karen' stereotype. On the March 27 episode of Raw, she teamed with Sonya Deville to qualify for the Women's WrestleMania match, but they were unsuccessful at WrestleMania 39. After being drafted to Raw in the 2023 WWE Draft, Green and Deville won a tag team turmoil match on July 3 for a title opportunity. They defeated Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez on the July 17 episode of Raw to win the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship, Green's first title in WWE. After Deville suffered an ACL injury on August 7, Piper Niven was assigned as Green's new partner on August 14, with WWE recognizing the title reign as continuous. Green and Niven successfully defended the titles against Chase University (Thea Hail and Jacy Jayne) on the October 31 episode of NXT. They lost the championships to Kayden Carter and Katana Chance on the December 11, 2023 episode of Raw, ending their reign as a duo at 126 days and Green's individual reign at 154 days. They failed to regain the titles in a rematch on January 8, 2024.

In late 2024, Green entered the tournament to crown the inaugural WWE Women's United States Champion. On the November 22 episode of SmackDown, she defeated Blair Davenport and WWE Women's Tag Team Champion Bianca Belair in a triple threat preliminary match. After defeating Bayley in the semifinals, she advanced to the finals at Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 14, where she defeated Michin to become the inaugural champion. This victory made her and her husband Matt Cardona the first married couple to hold the women's and men's United States Championships. As champion, Green adopted a 'head of state' gimmick with Niven as her bodyguard in the 'Secret Hervice'. She successfully defended the title against Michin in a rematch on January 10, 2025, and again in a Philadelphia Street Fight on March 7, 2025, after interference from Alba Fyre, who joined the stable now called The Green Regime. Green also defended the title successfully against Sol Ruca on the March 18, 2025 episode of NXT. She lost the championship to Zelina Vega on the April 25, 2025 episode of SmackDown, ending her first reign at 132 days, and failed to regain it from Vega at Saturday Night's Main Event XXXIX on May 24, 2025.

Recent activities and The Green Regime

Following her first United States Championship loss, Green expanded her activities beyond SmackDown. She and Ethan Page, as The Green Regime, intervened in NXT storylines, aiding Page in his feud against Tavion Heights and Tyra Mae Steele. They won a mixed tag team match at NXT Heatwave. On November 2, 2025, at Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide's Day of the Dead event, Green and Page defeated La Hiedra and Mr. Iguana to win the AAA World Mixed Tag Team Championship. Just five days later, on the November 7, 2025 episode of SmackDown, Green defeated Giulia to win the WWE Women's United States Championship for a second time, making her a double champion. Her second US title reign ended on the January 2, 2026 episode of SmackDown when she lost the title back to Giulia after interference from Kiana James. On the February 7, 2026 episode of AAA on Fox, Green and Page lost the AAA World Mixed Tag Team Championship to Mr. Iguana and Lola Vice, ending their reign at 97 days. After the departure of Alba Fyre from WWE in April 2026 and the injury of Piper Niven in late 2025, Green formed a face alliance with Tiffany Stratton. This partnership preceded Green's capture of the WWE Women's Championship, her first reign with the company's top women's title, which began in 2026.

Personal life and wrestling style

Chelsea Green married fellow professional wrestler Matt Cardona, known in WWE as Zack Ryder, in 2021. The couple often collaborates on-screen, as seen during Green's 2021 Impact run and their historic parallel United States Championship victories in 2024. Green holds a British passport through her mother's side of the family. Throughout her career, Green has overcome multiple serious injuries, including several broken wrists and a broken collarbone. Her in-ring style and character work have evolved significantly from her beginnings. She started as a technical wrestler on the independents before developing the emotionally chaotic 'Laurel Van Ness' persona in Impact, complete with a ruined wedding dress and wine bottle. In WWE, she has successfully portrayed the entitled 'Karen' character and the regal 'head of state' gimmick as United States Champion. This character versatility has allowed her to succeed as both a villain and a hero in different promotions and storylines.

Championships and accomplishments

Across multiple promotions, Chelsea Green has won numerous championships, establishing her as a consistent titleholder. In WWE, she has won the Women's Championship, the Women's United States Championship twice as the inaugural holder, and the Women's Tag Team Championship. In Impact Wrestling, she is a former Knockouts Champion and a former Knockouts World Tag Team Champion with Deonna Purrazzo. On the independent circuit, she won the QOC Tag Team Championship with Taeler Hendrix. Internationally, she captured the AAA World Mixed Tag Team Championship with Ethan Page in Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide. Her specific championship victories detail a career of winning major titles in every major promotion she has been a part of.

• WWE: WWE Women's Champion (1 time), WWE Women's United States Champion (2 times, inaugural), WWE Women's Tag Team Champion (1 time).
• Impact Wrestling: Impact Knockouts Champion (1 time), Impact Knockouts World Tag Team Champion (1 time), with Deonna Purrazzo.
• Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA): AAA World Mixed Tag Team Champion (1 time), with Ethan Page.
• Queens of Combat (QOC): QOC Tag Team Champion (1 time), with Taeler Hendrix.
• Other Accomplishments: First husband-wife duo to hold WWE United States Championships (with Matt Cardona). Fastest elimination in a Women's Royal Rumble match (5 seconds in 2023).

Questions about Chelsea Green

What other major wrestling promotions has Chelsea Green worked for?

Beyond WWE, Chelsea Green has had significant runs in several major wrestling promotions. She is a former Impact Knockouts Champion and Knockouts Tag Team Champion in Impact Wrestling. She has also performed for Ring of Honor (ROH), World Wonder Ring Stardom in Japan, and Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide in Mexico, where she won the AAA World Mixed Tag Team Championship. She also appeared on the notable independent pay-per-view All In in 2018.

Why was Chelsea Green released from WWE in 2021?

Chelsea Green was released from her WWE contract on April 15, 2021, following a period of inactivity due to injury. She had broken her wrist during her SmackDown debut match in November 2020, which required surgery and a lengthy recovery. This injury occurred just as she was being called up to the main roster, and the combination of her unavailability and WWE's broader roster cuts at the time led to her release. She returned to the company less than two years later.

What is The Green Regime in WWE?

The Green Regime was a villainous stable formed by Chelsea Green during her second Women's United States Championship reign in late 2024 and early 2025. It began with Green adopting a 'head of state' gimmick, with Piper Niven acting as her bodyguard in the 'Secret Hervice'. The faction expanded when Alba Fyre joined after interfering to help Green retain her title. The group was involved in storylines on both SmackDown and NXT before dissolving due to Fyre's departure from WWE and Niven's injury.

What is Chelsea Green's real name?

Chelsea Green's real name is Chelsea Anne Cardona. She was born Chelsea Anne Green on April 4, 1991. She is a Canadian professional wrestler currently signed to WWE. She performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Chelsea Green. Her husband is fellow wrestler Matt Cardona, whom she married in 2021, leading to her legal surname change to Cardona.

Is Chelsea Green married to another wrestler?

Yes, Chelsea Green is married to fellow professional wrestler Matt Cardona. Cardona previously performed in WWE under the ring name Zack Ryder. The couple teamed together in Impact Wrestling in 2021. They also made history in WWE by becoming the first husband and wife duo to win the women's and men's United States Championships after Green's inaugural Women's United States Title win in December 2024.

Sources and further reading

• Chelsea Green (Wikipedia)
• Chelsea Green (wwe.com)

Checked by the Garbutt Disposal desk. Last updated 2026-10-20.