Kay Lee Ray

2.1. Birth and Background

Kayleigh Rae was born on August 11, 1992, in Paisley, Scotland. She stands at 69 in ^{(174 cm)} tall and weighs 112 lb ^{(51 kg)}. Her early life in Scotland laid the foundation for her eventual foray into the world of professional wrestling, where she would begin her training and make her debut.

3.1. Independent Circuit (2009-2019)

Rae commenced her wrestling journey on the British independent circuit in 2009. She was trained by Kid Fite and made her debut at SWA Battlezone on May 30, 2009, in a Battlezone Rumble match. Over the next decade, she would compete in numerous promotions across the UK, Europe, America, and Japan, establishing herself as a formidable competitor.

On August 9, 2014, Ray defeated Martin Kirby to win the SWE Speed King Championship. Her success in Southside Wrestling Entertainment (SWE) continued on February 28, 2015, when she won the SWE Queen of Southside Championship by defeating Candice LeRae, Nixon Newell, and Saraya Knight in a four-way match. However, she lost this championship to Newell on October 24 in a tag team match. On December 27, she was defeated by El Ligero in a "Loser Leaves Southside" match. She regained the Queen of Southside Championship on August 7, 2016, in a three-way match against Alex Windsor and Jade, but lost it to Melina Perez two months later. At WCPW Built to Destroy on June 16, 2017, Ray captured the WCPW Women's Championship from Viper, who had replaced Bea Priestley in the match. She also participated in the 2015 ChickFight Tournament.

3.1.4. World Wonder Ring Stardom (International Appearances)

Kay Lee Ray also gained significant international experience, competing in the American independent circuit for Shimmer Women Athletes and making impactful appearances in Japan for World Wonder Ring Stardom. Her debut in Stardom in January 2016 saw her team with Kairi Hojo in a tag match that ended in a time-limit draw against Kelly Skater and Evie. On January 17, 2016, at Korakuen Hall, she challenged Mayu Iwatani for the High-Speed Championship but was unsuccessful.

In addition to her matches, Ray participated in the Stardom 5Star Grand Prix Tournament and was recognized for her in-ring prowess. In 2016, she received the prestigious 5★Star GP Technique Award (技能賞_Ginō-shō^Japanese), highlighting her technical skill and innovative approach to wrestling.

3.2. WWE (2015-present)

Kayleigh Rae's journey into WWE began with several appearances before she officially signed with the company. Her career trajectory within WWE has seen her evolve across different brands, achieve championship success, and adopt a new persona.

3.2.2. NXT UK Women's Champion (2019-2021)

Kay Lee Ray officially signed with WWE in January 2019, making her first contractual agreement with the company. She made her debut for the NXT UK brand on March 13, portraying a villainess, and defeating Candy Floss. On the June 19 episode of NXT UK, Ray won a battle royal, earning a future opportunity to challenge NXT UK Women's Championship Toni Storm.

She announced her intention to face Storm at NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff, where, on August 31, 2019, she defeated Toni Storm to win the NXT UK Women's Championship. This victory made her the first British-born wrestler to hold the title. Ray's reign as champion was historic, lasting an unprecedented 649 days, marking the longest reign for any WWE women's championship.

During her time as NXT UK Women's Champion, Ray also made appearances on the main NXT brand. On the November 13, 2019, episode of NXT, she interfered in a "WarGames Advantage" ladder match between Io Shirai and Rhea Ripley's team members, helping Shirai secure the win and revealing herself as the fourth member of Shayna Baszler's team for the first-ever Women's WarGames Match at NXT TakeOver: WarGames. Despite her involvement, Ripley's team ultimately won the WarGames match.

Ray continued her dominant reign, defending her title against numerous challengers. On January 12, 2020, at NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool II, she retained her title in a triple threat match against Toni Storm and Piper Niven. On February 27, she successfully defended against Storm in an "I Quit" match where Storm was stipulated to be unable to challenge her again for the title during that reign. This match led to a feud with Piper Niven, which included a tag team match where Ray and Jinny defeated Niven and Dani Luna, and a successful title defense against Niven on September 24. Their feud escalated into a Falls Count Anywhere Match on November 19, where Ray retained the championship with interference from Jinny.

In 2021, Ray successfully defended her title against Jinny on January 21 and against Meiko Satomura on March 4. However, her record-setting reign came to an end on June 10, when she lost the NXT UK Women's Championship to Meiko Satomura in what would be her final appearance for the brand.

4.1. Signature and Finishing Moves

Kayleigh Kerr's primary finishing maneuver, known as the KLR Bomb or Gory Bomb, involves hoisting her opponent into a Gory Special position before dropping them face-first onto the mat. Another devastating finishing move in her arsenal is the Swanton Bomb, a high-flying senton bomb delivered from the top rope.

As part of the tag team The Unholy Union with Isla Dawn, they utilized combined finishing moves, including a **double knee backbreaker** by Isla followed by Alba's **Swanton Bomb**, and a combination of Alba's **KLR Bomb** with Isla's **reverse STO**.

Her wide array of signature moves showcases her versatility:

• Strikes: Elbow and back elbow strikes, forceful slaps (ビンタ_Binta^Japanese), big boots, and powerful superkicks. She also incorporates an Arm twist followed by a heel kick, Running front dropkicks, and Side kicks.
• Throws and Submissions: Various suplexes, including a Gourdbuster (a brainbuster where the opponent is dropped forward onto their face), German suplexes, and hurricanranas. She also employs a reverse STO that transitions into a koji clutch submission.
• Aerial Maneuvers: A Diving corkscrew plancha, a Diving moonsault, and daring Suicide dives.
• Other techniques: A rolling snapmare, a "Shotgun Stunner" (a vertical suplex stunner), and a tornado DDT.
• Tag Team Maneuvers with Isla Dawn: These include a **double side kick** and a combination of Alba's **inverted suplex slam** with Isla's **double knee gutbuster**.

4.2. Nicknames and Entrance Themes

Throughout her career, Kayleigh Kerr has been known by several evocative nicknames that reflect her resilient and aggressive style. These include "The Hardcore Daredevil" and "The KLR in Killer." In South Korea, due to her ring name "Alba" (meaning "part-time job" in Korean), she colloquially earned the nickname "Albamonn".

She has used various entrance themes during her time in different promotions:

• "Domination" by Chris Mitchell & David Grimason (used in Insane Championship Wrestling; 2011-2019)
• "Want You Bad" by The Offspring (used in World Wonder Ring Stardom; 2016-2018)
• "Venom" by William Arnett (used in WWE NXT UK/WWE NXT; 2019-2022)
• "Dare Devil" by Def Rebel (her current theme, used in WWE NXT/WWE; 2022-present)

5.1. Marriage and Family

In July 2021, Kayleigh Rae married fellow professional wrestler Stephen Kerr, better known by his ring name Stevie Boy, after a 13-year relationship.

However, her personal life faced a tragic turn on May 17, 2024, when her parents, Bridgeen Mitchell and Ronnie, were struck by a car in Orlando, Florida, while visiting her. Her mother, Bridgeen Mitchell, died shortly after the incident at the age of 51, while her step-father, Ronnie, survived.