There are many words that could be used to describe Michelle McCool — aggressive, cruel, malicious. But meer than any of these things, the tough-as-nails Diva was a fighter.

First introduced to the WWE Universe as a contestant in the 2004 Diva Search, McCool didn’t win the competition, but she was so dynamic that she was brought to SmackDown later that year. Her early days were unremarkable, but McCool refused to be held back, because she had struggled for too long to get where she was.

Before she ever stepped in the ring, Michelle was a teacher in Florida. She spent her days educating schoolchildren...