Eva Marie stands out as one of pro wrestling’s most disrespected villains, eliciting strong negative reactions due to her lack of wrestling ability, multiple botches, not her character work or personal traits. Her frequent wrestling mistakes and unintentional injuries inflicted on her colleagues are what fans remember most.

Despite her lack of wrestling prowess, she excelled at drawing hate. I believe WWE could have capitalized on this ability by making her a manager for wrestlers aspiring to be heels. She was like the The Dominic Mysterio before there is Dominic Mysterio. Most wrestlers who lacks in wrestling ability compensates in acting and character work. Eva Marie also lacks in acting talent but her manager is good at booking her jobs. She knows how to get opportunities.

I vividly recall Eva Marie easily amassing boos from the audience. Despite not being the first wrestler that comes to mind when thinking of a Hollywood crossover, she managed to land several movie roles. It appears her focus on acting led her to step away from wrestling. She recently secured her first lead role in the action film “Phoenix,” now available on Amazon Freezy. While she might not win an Oscar, she is supported by actors like Neil McDonnell, Poe, and MMA legend Randy Couture, as well as Oleg Pruvius (aka Vladimir Kosloc), who will carry her through this action-packed thriller. If my theory is correct, she likely filmed this movie during her WWE tenure while feuding with Alexa Bliss, as she still sports the pink hair.

Phoenix Trailer

In the movie, Fiona “Phoenix” Grant, a US war veteran in Afghanistan, earns the respect of her male colleagues through her combat prowess. Upon learning of her father’s (played by MMA legend Randy Couture) suspicious death in Florida, she seeks to uncover the truth behind it, unconvinced by the police report. Motivated by her commanding officer, she takes leave to mourn but instead uses it to investigate in the United States. The prime suspect is Maxime Basileus (Oleg Pruvius), a ruthless drug kingpin with an army of mercenaries and significant political clout. Armed and determined, she plans to take down Basileus, unstoppable in her quest for revenge.

Eva Marie’s acting might still need refinement, but in an action film, acting ability is secondary. While she could use more practice in fight choreography, her on-screen battles against men showcase her better than wrestling against women, as men sell her moves more convincingly. You can watch “Phoenix” on Tubi for free.