Rena Marlette Lesnar (née Greek, formerly Mero), famously known as Sable, is an American retired model, actress, and retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE; formerly WWF) from 1996 to 1999, and again from 2003 to 2004. However, even she hit a rocky patch in her previous relationships before finding true love.
Early Life and Career
Rena Greek was born in Jacksonville, Florida. She was active in her youth and was interested in activities such as gymnastics, horseback riding, and softball. Sable gained popularity during the beginnings of the Attitude Era, feuding with Luna Vachon and Jacqueline, Sable became the second WWF Women's Champion after the title was reinstated into the company.
Sable 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.
Marriage to Marc Mero
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.
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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. 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.
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Marc Mero was first married to Sable for nearly a decade before the couple got divorced in 2004. After parting ways with her in real life, the former Boxer married Darlene Spezzi in 2009. Unfortunately, his second marriage also didn't work out as they got separated in 2019. A few months ago, Marc Mero announced that he and Malissa were married in a private ceremony.
Marc Mero's Marriages:
- Sable: Married for nearly a decade, divorced in 2004.
- Darlene Spezzi: Married in 2009, separated in 2019.
- Malissa: Married in a private ceremony.
Second WWE Run
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.
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.
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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. In the July 22, 2004, episode of SmackDown! she competed in a Fatal-4-Way lingerie match, against Wilson, Dawn Marie, and Miss Jackie; but Kurt Angle (in his kayfabe role as WWE’s General Manager) fired all four of them, however all four were re-signed after Angle was fired as General Manager of SmackDown! by Vince McMahon. 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 made her video game debut in the WWE game WWF Attitude, and appears in WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain and WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw. Her appearance in the Game Boy Color version of WWF Attitude made her the first playable female wrestler in a handheld WWF game, and the only one until the release of WWE Smackdown! vs. Raw 2006 for the Sony PSP.
Marriage to Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar and Sable: A Love Story for the Ages
Wrestling legend Brock Lesnar is all bluster and bravado inside and out of the ring. However, in his personal life, and when speaking about his wife, Rena "Sable" Lesnar, he shows a more emotional side. Known as "Sable" to WWE fans, Rena Lesnar was a force in the ring herself. According to People, Brock Lesnar married his wife in 2006.
A 2011 profile on Brock Lesnar in Sports Illustrated described his comeback from injuries (12 inches of intestine removed) and also discussed his marriage.
"I don't think another woman would have lasted with me. We've been together for eight, nine years," he told SI. "...Me and her, we're level, you know? We get it. I'm not so into communication sometimes, and she understands that. But she doesn't let me take the easy way out. She's a solid rock in my life. I can't imagine coming home to someone different."
“I don’t think my wife has ever regretted saying yes. I can tell you, I’ve never regretted it for a single moment.
Sable's Marriages:
- Wayne W. Richardson: Married in 1987, widowed in 1991.
- Marc Mero: Married in 1994, divorced in 2004.
- Brock Lesnar: Married in 2006.
Legacy
"Today's women of WWE owe Sable a lot of gratitude. After all, she defined what it means to be a woman in the rough world of WWE," her bio on the WWE site says.
"Whether she is remembered as the Diva of WWE Divas or a magazine cover girl, one thing is certain: Sable was a pioneer who broke new ground for the ladies of the ring. That may be her greatest legacy," the bio says.