Rena Marlette Lesnar (née Greek, formerly Mero; born August 8, 1967), better known as Sable, is an American model, actress, and retired professional wrestler. She is primarily known for her time in WWE, where she began working in 1996. As Sable, she gained considerable popularity. Outside of wrestling, Mero has been featured on the cover of Playboy three times, and is considered a sex symbol.
This article delves into Sable's on-screen appearances, showcasing her journey from the wrestling ring to various film and television projects.
Wrestling Career Highlights
Sable gained popularity during the beginnings of the Attitude Era. After feuding with Luna Vachon and Jacqueline, Sable became the second WWF Women's Champion after the title was reinstated into the company.
She made her World Wrestling Federation debut as Sable at WrestleMania XII in March 1996, escorting Hunter Hearst Helmsley to the ring as he took on the returning Ultimate Warrior. Sable's first major angle involved her then real-life husband, who debuted at WrestleMania XII as "Wildman" Marc Mero. The storyline started when Marc Mero witnessed Sable being mistreated by Helmsley backstage, so Mero attacked Helmsley and took Sable as his manager. She remained Mero's manager until his injury in February 1997, with Sable becoming wildly popular on her own whilst Mero was off TV.
When Marc Mero returned in October 1997, his gimmick transitioned. Dubbing himself "Marvelous" Marc Mero, a jealous Mero refused to let Sable get any of the spotlight, and mistreated her. The duo entered into a feud with Luna Vachon and The Artist Formerly Known as Goldust, which climaxed in a match at WrestleMania XIV in March 1998. Sable delivered a superkick to Goldust and executed a "Sable Bomb", a release powerbomb, on Luna. After Marc's interference at Unforgiven, Sable came to the ring and challenged Marc to a match. Sable then kicked him in the groin and delivered a Sable Bomb to get revenge.
Read also: Sable's Marital History
Sable eventually broke away from "Marvelous" Marc Mero, who debuted Jacqueline as his new manager, resulting in a storyline feud between the two women. The two met in a bikini contest in July 1998 at Fully Loaded. Sable, only wearing impressions of hands painted on her exposed breasts, won the contest after receiving the most cheers from the audience.
The next night on Raw however, Vince McMahon disqualified Sable from the previous night's contest since she did not actually wear a bikini, and the trophy was then awarded to Jacqueline. Sable and Jacqueline faced off for the newly reinstated WWF Women's Title on the edition of September 21, 1998, of Raw.
In December 1998, as part of a new storyline, Sable was attacked by a masked villainess named Spider Lady, who turned out to be Luna Vachon. Sable defeated Luna in a Strap match at the Royal Rumble after an assist from a planted female Sable fan, WWF newcomer Tori. Tori's debut signified a change in Sable's persona. Sable went on with Bass making Bass do all of her dirty work.
Sable continued to hold the championship for almost six months, but on May 10, 1999, Debra won the Women's Championship from Sable in an Evening Gown match. Normally in an Evening Gown match, the winner is the woman who forcibly removes her opponent's dress, which Sable did. As part of the storyline, WWF Commissioner Shawn Michaels, however, ruled that the woman who had lost her dress was the winner, making Debra the new Women's Champion.
Rena Mero returned to the WWF, which is now known as World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) on April 3, 2003, episode of SmackDown!, reprising her role as Sable. Sable continued portraying a villainess and spent several months in a storyline with new Playboy cover girl Torrie Wilson. During their angle, the evil Sable followed Wilson down to her matches, talked with her backstage, and on one occasion, she left Wilson in a tag match alone to fend for herself. Sable eventually challenged Wilson to a showdown bikini contest at Judgment Day. After Sable got the bigger applause, Wilson removed her underwear to reveal an even smaller bikini underneath, and Special Guest Referee Tazz declared Wilson the winner. After the match, Wilson went up to Sable and kissed her before exiting the ring.
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Sable then feuded with Stephanie McMahon in a storyline in which she was Vince McMahon's mistress. Vince appointed Sable as Stephanie's personal assistant against Stephanie's will, sparking the feud between the duo. During the feud, they competed in several catfights, a food fight, a parking lot brawl in which Sable's bra was ripped off, revealing both her breasts on live television, and a match in which Sable smacked a clipboard over Stephanie's head. At Vengeance, Sable defeated Stephanie after interference by her new ally, A-Train. At SummerSlam, Sable accompanied A-Train in his match against The Undertaker, which he lost. After the match, The Undertaker held Sable so that Stephanie could use a Spear attack on her.
After SummerSlam, Vince and Sable focused on getting rid of Stephanie for good, so Vince made an "I Quit" match at No Mercy. Sable briefly became a face again when she appeared on the cover of Playboy magazine (March 2004 issue) for the third time in her career. On the cover, she appeared with fellow diva Torrie Wilson, making them the first WWE Divas to pose in Playboy together. Surrounding the release of the cover, the duo feuded with Raw divas Stacy Keibler and Miss Jackie, even though all four women were faces at the time. The two teams squared off at WrestleMania XX in an Interpromotional Tag Team Evening Gown match, but the divas started the match in their underwear, making it more of a lingerie match.
Following WrestleMania XX, Sable quickly turned heel again and engaged in another short feud with Torrie Wilson. The feud culminated at The Great American Bash, where Sable defeated Wilson despite the referee not noticing that one of Wilson's shoulders were not down. On the edition of July 1 of SmackDown, Sable was defeated by Wilson in a rematch. Sable's final appearance in WWE was on the August 5, 2004, episode of SmackDown! when she, Marie, and Wilson accompanied Eddie Guerrero to the ring in his lowrider, mocking Angle, turning face again.
"Sable Unleashed" (1998)
Sable Entrance Evolution (1996-2004)
"Sable Unleashed" (1998) is a direct-to-video release capitalizing on the fame of professional wrestler Rena Mero, better known under her ring name Sable.
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From her first appearance in the World Wrestling Federation there has been an air of mystery surrounding Sable. She narrates the story of her career from the beginning to the blinding fury of her split with Marc Mero. Plus, exclusive footage of Sable behind the scenes and in the gym as she goes through her extensive exercise routine. See Sable as you never have before.
| Aspect | Description |
|---|---|
| Plot | Sable, a famous wrestler, leads a double life as a masked vigilante. After witnessing a murder, she becomes entangled in a web of intrigue involving corrupt cops and a secret society. |
| Genre | Action |
| Style | The film leans heavily into the tropes of late '90s action flicks. The plot is filled with cheesy dialogue, over-the-top fight scenes, and gratuitous displays of Sable's physique. |
| Audience | Those seeking nuanced characters or a complex narrative won't find it here. |
Other Notable Appearances
During this time, she made appearances on The Howard Stern Show and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. She also made appearances on television shows such as Relic Hunter and First Wave and in the films Corky Romano as a female bouncer and Ariana's Quest. She released her autobiography, entitled Undefeated in August 2000.
Filmography
- 2020: WWE Ruthless Aggression (TV Series) as Sable
- 2017: WWE: Best of 1997 - Dawn of the Attitude as Sable
- 2016: UFC 200: Tate v Nunes as Self
- 2014: WWE: The Attitude Era - Vol. 2 as Sable
- 2014: The Monday Night War (TV Series) as Sable
- 2014: Ultimate Warrior: The Ultimate Collection as Sable
- 2012: Attitude Era as Sable
- 2011: WWE: OMG! - The Top 50 Incidents in WWE History as Sable
- 2007: WWE: John Cena - My Life as Sable
- 2006: WWE: McMahon as Sable
- 2004: WWE Great American Bash as Sable
- 2004: WWE Divas: South of the Border as Sable
- 2004: John Cena: Word Life as Sable
- 2004: WrestleMania XX as Sable
- 2004: WWE No Way Out as Sable
- 2003: WWE Armageddon as Sable
- 2003: WWE No Mercy as Sable
- 2003: Summerslam as Sable
- 2003: WWE Vengeance as Sable
- 2003: WWE Judgment Day as Sable
- 2003: WWE Backlash as Sable
- 2002: WWE Divas: Undressed as Sable
- 1999: Beyond the Mat as Sable
- 1999: Raw Attitude Vol. 2 as Sable
- 1999: Come Get Some: The Women of the WWF as Sable
- 1999: WWE SmackDown (TV Series) as Sable
- 1999: WrestleMania XV as Sable
- 1999: WWF Royal Rumble: No Chance in Hell as Sable
- 1998: Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows as Sable
- 1998: WWF Capital Carnage as Sable
- 1998: Survivor Series as Sable
- 1998: Summerslam as Sable
- 1998: Penn & Teller's Sin City Spectacular (TV Series) as Self
- 1998: WWE Heat (TV Series) as Sable
- 1998: Fully Loaded as Sable
- 1998: Best of Raw 10 as Sable
- 1998: WWF Over the Edge as Sable
- 1998: WWF Unforgiven as Sable
- 1998: WWF Mayhem in Manchester as Sable
- 1998: WrestleMania XIV as Sable
- 1998: No Way Out as Sable
- 1998: Royal Rumble as Sable
- 1997: WWF in Your House: D-Generation-X as Sable
- 1997: Survivor Series as Sable
- 1997: WWF Friday Night's Main Event (TV Series) as Sable
- 1997: Summerslam as Sable
- 1997: WWE Byte This! (TV Series) as Sable
- 1997: WWF: 'Cause Stone Cold Said So! as Sable
- 1997: WWF in Your House: Revenge of the Taker as Sable
- 1997: WWF Slammy Awards 1997 as Sable
- 1997: WWF in Your House: Final Four as Sable
- 1997: Royal Rumble as Sable
- 1997: Best of Raw 2 as Sable
- 1997: WWF: What Sunny Wants, Sunny Gets!