WWE Tough Enough: Путь к вершине рестлинга

Professional wrestling television series

WWE Tough Enough is an American professional wrestling reality competition series that was produced by WWE, wherein participants undergo professional wrestling training and compete for a contract with WWE. There were two winners per season for the first three seasons, all of which aired on MTV. A fourth competition was held in 2004, with only a single winner, who was integrated into (at the time) UPN's SmackDown!. As revealed in October 2010, the USA Network, revived Tough Enough to air it immediately prior to Raw, starting on April 4, 2011, a day after WrestleMania XXVII. The first three seasons were co produced with MTV, while the revival is a co production with Shed Media. Reruns of the 2011 season were broadcast on Universal HD, Oxygen and G4. Past episodes of Tough Enough are available for streaming on the WWE Network.

The idea of the show originally came from a deal the then WWF made with MTV in spring of 2000. One part of a deal was to create a reality series where contestants compete to win a WWE contract, the winner being one male and one female.

Maven Huffman and Nidia Guenard won the first season of Tough Enough. Only two contestants were actually cut from the competition; the others eliminated voluntarily exited. Of the final five contestants, four would eventually join the WWE. Nidia was released from WWE on November 3, 2004, while Maven was released on July 5, 2005. The first season of Tough Enough was released on DVD in 2002, along with its soundtrack. This season became available for viewing on the WWE Network on January 12, 2015.

# Title Original airdate 1 "Casting Special" June 21, 2001 With more than 4,000 tapes sent into the company, 230 hopefuls came to The World to audition for the show, but only 13 were selected to make the trip to Stamford, Connecticut, to find out who is tough enough. 2 "Welcome to the Jungle" June 28, 2001 The group meets Al Snow, Jacqueline, and Tori and begin their training. They also meet Tazz, who comes to their house unannounced one morning and forces them to wrestle in the mud and jog behind him while he rides in a Hummer. 3 "Jason Crumbles" July 5, 2001 Triple H lectures the group about the reality and the integrity of the wrestling business—a reality that Jason decides he is not willing to be a part of and respects too much to waste. 4 "If You Can't Stand the Heat" July 12, 2001Bobbie Jo and Victoria decide that they do not belong in the wrestling business. When Maven and Josh kid around the house, a fire breaks out. Stephanie McMahon takes the girls out to lunch. When Al has to wrestle on SmackDown!, the group scores front row tickets to the show. 5 "Dispatching Darryl" July 19, 2001 Darryl can't catch a break when he loses a bet in a game of darts to "Big", Josh, Greg, and Maven, and aggravates Chris Nowinski when he asks him for more money to cook dinner for Pat Patterson. Meanwhile, the trainers are not keen on his performance, either in the ring or out of it. 6 "Tears Idle Tears" July 26, 2001 After a hard day in the ring, the group realizes that either Shadrick or Chris Nifong are going to be cut. Meanwhile, the kids visit a restaurant staffed entirely by Drag Artists, who quickly bring Maven, Greg, and Chris Nowinski on stage. 7 "A No Win Ski Situation" August 2, 2001 After Kurt Angle visits the group and tells of how he broke into the wrestling business, the kids take a trip to the Bahamas where Chris Nowinski begins to annoy Josh, and Paulina suffers a knee injury which forces her to make a tough decision. 8 "Dropping Like Flies" August 9, 2001 The Hardy Boyz and Lita visit the group. Meanwhile, Nidia and Josh injure themselves in the ring, while Greg aggravates an old back injury that puts his future in the competition in jeopardy. 9 "The Vicious Circle" August 16, 2001 With the troupe feeling bruised and banged up, Al takes their mind off it by introducing them to "the circle game" and bets Chris Nowinski that he can beat him three times with it. After he loses, he must go to Yale University proclaiming that "Harvard Sucks." Meanwhile, Greg's doctor advises him that continuing to wrestle may be detrimental to his health. 10 "Timing is Everything" August 23, 2001 When Maven learns that his mother's cancer has gotten worse, he leaves the house for a few days to care for her in the hospital. With Maven away, Josh begins to get lonely and contemplates leaving the competition. Meanwhile, Chris Nifong, having earned the nickname "Career Killer", decides that it might not be his time to be a professional wrestler after Mick Foley talks to the group. 11 "The Rules of the Road" August 30, 2001 Al takes the kids on a three day trip to Backlash, Raw is War, and SmackDown! in order for them to experience what life as a WWF superstar on the road is like where they get a crash course in cutting promos from The Brooklyn Brawler. 12 "No Hill Too Tall, Nor Water Too Deep" September 20, 2001 As the competition nears its end, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Debra visit the kids at home, "Big" holds one more physical challenge for the group at a rock quarry, and Josh must overcome his self doubt in order to successfully execute a moonsault. 13 "That's Not the Story" September 27, 2001 The kids wrestle against each other as Vince McMahon watches from ringside. The chairman has more in store for the troupe as they are called into his office at WWF headquarters. 14 "The Beginning" September 27, 2001 After nine weeks together, through thick and thin, the kids have one final match against their trainers before returning to WWF New York to find out who has earned a WWF contract.

Maven Huffman would go on to become a three time WWF Hardcore Champion. He was released by WWE in July 2005 and would later work for Impact Wrestling. Also he appeared on the sixth season of The Surreal Life. Nidia Guenard would go on to manage Jamie Noble and compete in the women's division. She was released by WWE in November 2004 and retired shortly afterwards. Christopher Nowinski would eventually make the main roster, where he was a two time WWE Hardcore Champion. He would retire from wrestling in 2003, becoming an advocate for concussion awareness. Josh Lomberger would be hired as a commentator and backstage interviewer under the name "Josh Mathews". He was released in 2014 and go on to work for Impact Wrestling as a commentator and senior producer, where he is also a one time Impact Grand Champion. Greg Whitmoyer would become a wrestler as Greg Matthews working for Combat Zone Wrestling and independent circuit until retiring in 2010.

The second season winners were Linda Miles and Jackie Gayda. The result offended members of the male finalists, who claimed that when they signed forms to compete on Tough Enough, the forms spoke of one male winner and one female winner. Eventually, Linda and Jackie were released on November 12, 2004 and July 5, 2005, respectively. Gayda later married wrestler Charlie Haas, but would later divorce in 2020. Shad Gaspard, who would later become a member of the WWE tag team Cryme Tyme, was chosen to be one of the final 13 contestants on the show but, according to the show, failed a physical; he was subsequently replaced by Danny. Eventual season 3 winner John Hennigan (who went on to compete for the WWE as John Morrison) auditioned and survived the first cut down to 25 contestants, but, despite displaying well tuned athletic ability, Hennigan's arrogance irritated the judges. It would be another year before Hennigan would make the show. There were several other well known faces in the crowd who didn't make the cut, but, eventually made a name for themselves in the business, including Shelly Martinez (known as Ariel in the WWE and as Salinas in TNA), Kia Stevens (known as Awesome Kong in TNA and as Kharma in WWE), former fitness model Kim Nielsen (who was known by her real name in WWE and as Desire in TNA, and who competed on season 13 of The Biggest Loser), Jaxson Ryker and Ken Anderson (known as Mr. Kennedy in WWE) (both of whom later returned to WWE).

Both winners Jackie Gayda and Linda Miles would go on to work on the main roster as managers. Gayda would manage future husband Charlie Haas and Rico under her real name, while Miles would manage the Basham Brothers as their dominatrix Shaniqua. Jessie Ward would work as a stage manager for WWE between 2002 and 2004. In September 2013, she married future NXT Superstar Tommaso Ciampa. Kenny Layne would later find success wrestling for Impact Wrestling and Ring of Honor under the ring name "Kenny King". Matt Morgan would work on the main roster in October 2003 until January 2004. He would return to OVW. In April 2005, Morgan returned to the main roster teaming with Carlito. He was released by WWE in July 2005. Later appear in the 2008 revival of American Gladiators as the gladiator "Beast". Morgan found success in Impact Wrestling, where he is a two time TNA World Tag Team Champion. Hawk Younkins would compete in one MMA match on September 18, 2004.

The third season was won by John Hennigan and Matt Cappotelli. Melina Perez tried out for Tough Enough III and made it to the final 25, but was cut from the competition. During the tryouts she met John Hennigan, and they began a romantic relationship. Perez eventually received a WWE contract and worked as Melina on the Smackdown (WWE brand) and Raw (WWE brand) shows. She went on to become the first Tough Enough contestant to win the WWE Women's Championship and the WWE Divas Championship, which she held respectively three and two times, making her the most successful female Tough Enough contestant to enter WWE. Perez was eventually released from WWE on August 5, 2011. Both Shawn Daivari and Daniel Puder are seen on film during audition episode. Both made it to the final 75, but were cut before they could make it to the training facility. Daivari was later hired by WWE to team with Muhammad Hassan, while Puder was able to join and eventually win the fourth season of Tough Enough. Hardcore Holly made a controversial guest appearance on one episode of the show, where he stiffed Cappotelli during a training match, leaving him brutalized, bleeding, crying and requesting to leave the program; the incident was discussed on February 8, 2003 episode of WWE Confidential.

Hennigan, who wrestled for WWE under the names Johnny Nitro and John Morrison, would go on win various championships, including the ECW World Championship, three Intercontinental Championships, and the WWE, SmackDown, and World Tag Team Championships once each. Hennigan left WWE in November 2011 and also found success outside of WWE in other promotions such as Impact Wrestling, Lucha Underground and Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide between 2012 and 2019. Cappotelli was developing his talent further in WWE development territory Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), but was diagnosed with a brain tumor in December 2005, forcing him to step away from wrestling and relinquish his OVW Heavyweight Championship. The tumor was removed in 2007, and it was unknown whether Cappotelli would ever return to professional wrestling. In July 2017, Cappotelli announced that he was diagnosed with grade IV glioblastoma multiforme. He died on June 29, 2018, at the age of 38.

In the cover story from the October 5, 2002 issue of the Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter, it was revealed that contestant "Lisa" was removed from the show after what was referred to as a "psychotic breakdown." After being left at the house while the other contestants went out to dinner, she began throwing herself against the walls of the house, eventually breaking into the hidden MTV control room and working her way onto the roof. After being talked down by producers, she was committed to a hospital facility to receive psychiatric treatment. Her parents flew in from New Mexico to pick her up, but she physically attacked them, claiming she did not know them. She then escaped custody inside LAX, shutting down a wing of the airport until she was located. Again, she was hospitalized, but she was able to check herself out shortly after. She then contacted Tough Enough producers, claiming she was ready to return to the show. Producers informed her she had been removed from the competition due to her actions. The other contestants (and, subsequently, the audience) were initially told that Lisa simply decided wrestling "wasn't the right career for her." Lisa then reemerged in Louisville, Kentucky, at the Ohio Valley Wrestling training center, claiming that trainer Al Snow and producer John "Big" Gaburick had sent her for additional training, both in the ring and to learn further about the structure of the developmental territory system. At a series of shows in California in September 2002, she managed to talk her way backstage and was even allowed to assist with the pyrotechnics for the wrestlers' entrances at a TV taping. One source claimed that she had a face to face conversation with Vince McMahon, who was apparently unaware of her status with the Tough Enough program. Soon after, her photograph was circulated to security personnel, and she was barred from any backstage areas.