Jazz (wrestler) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jazz
Jazz in 2019
Birth name	Carlene Denise Moore
Born	(1972-08-27) August 27, 1972 (age 52) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Spouse(s)	Rodney Mack ​ (m. 2008)​
Children	2
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Jazz Jazzmine
Billed height	5 ft 4 in (163 cm)
Billed from	New Orleans, Louisiana
Trained by	Rod Price
Debut	1998
Retired	April 10, 2021

Carlene Denise Moore-Begnaud (born August 27, 1972) is a retired American professional wrestler and manager. She is famous by her ring name Jazz. She is well-known for her time in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). There, she won the WWF/WWE Women's Championship two times. She also competed for the National Wrestling Alliance. She held the NWA World Women's Championship for over 900 days. Today, she works as a producer and leads the women's division for NWA.

Jazz also wrestled in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and Impact Wrestling. She retired from wrestling matches while at Impact Wrestling.

Jazz's Wrestling Journey

Starting Out in ECW (1999–2000)

After leaving college, Carlene was asked to become a professional wrestler. She joined a wrestling school in Louisiana. She was inspired to wrestle after seeing Jacqueline Moore perform. Carlene trained for several months and then had her first match against Jacqueline Moore.

She used the name Jazzmine and joined a group called the Impact Players in Extreme Championship Wrestling. This group included wrestlers like Jason Knight and Lance Storm. Jazz later had a rivalry with Jason and beat him at a show called Heat Wave in 1999. She wrestled for ECW on and off before the company closed down.

Joining WWE (2001-2004)

Training and First Matches (2001)

In late 2001, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) became interested in Carlene. She trained for six months at Ohio Valley Wrestling. She then signed a two-year contract with WWF, using the new ring name Jazz. She first appeared as a villain at the Survivor Series event. She competed in a match for the WWF Women's Championship. Trish Stratus won that match and the championship.

Becoming Women's Champion (2002)

After her debut, Jazz started a rivalry with the Women's Champion, Trish Stratus. On January 14, 2002, Jazz defeated Jacqueline to earn a chance to challenge Trish. Jazz faced Trish at the Royal Rumble event but did not win the title. However, on February 4, 2002, Jazz defeated Trish Stratus on Raw to win the Women's Championship for the first time!

At WrestleMania X8 on March 17, Jazz successfully defended her title. She won against Lita and Trish Stratus in a triple–threat match.

On May 6, 2002, the World Wrestling Federation changed its name to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). This meant Jazz was the last person to hold the Women's title under the WWF name and the first to hold it under the WWE name. Due to a knee injury, Jazz later lost her title to Trish Stratus.

Wrestling on Her Own (2005–2006)

Starting in 2005, Jazz began wrestling for different companies. She appeared at an ECW reunion show called Hardcore Homecoming. In late 2005, Jazz and her husband, Rodney Mack, opened their own wrestling company in Louisiana. It was called Dirtysouth Championship Wrestling.

Jazz also wrestled in Women's Extreme Wrestling. She won their World Heavyweight Championship in May 2005. In June 2005, she won the NWA Cyberspace Women's Championship. In 2006, Jazz and Mack renamed their company to Downsouth Championship Wrestling. Jazz won her company's Louisiana State Championship.

Brief WWE Return (2006)

In 2006, Jazz returned to WWE for a short time. She was part of the new ECW brand. She wrestled Mickie James on June 7, but she did not win. Jazz only made a few more appearances at ECW live shows. On January 18, 2007, Jazz left WWE again.

Women Superstars Uncensored (2007–2011)

In May 2007, Jazz wrestled in France. In late 2009, Jazz started wrestling for Women Superstars Uncensored (WSU) in New Jersey. On March 6, 2010, Jazz was honored and added to the WSU Hall of Fame.

In 2010, Jazz won a special match called the Uncensored Rumble. This earned her a chance to challenge Mercedes Martinez for the WSU Championship, but she did not win. In March 2011, Jazz teamed up with Marti Belle. They won the WSU Tag Team Championships, which was Jazz's first tag team title.

Shine Wrestling (2012–2014)

On July 21, 2012, Jazz took part in the first Shine Wrestling event. She received a special "Legacy Award" for her career. At this event, Jazz defeated Sara Del Rey. Jazz continued to wrestle for Shine, facing wrestlers like Mercedes Martinez and Rain.

In October 2012, Jazz challenged Saraya Knight for the Shimmer Championship but lost. In April 2013, Jazz won a qualifying match for the Shine Championship tournament. However, she did not enter the tournament. Her last match for Shine was in April 2014, where she challenged Ivelisse for the Shine Championship but did not win.

Chikara (2016)

On September 2, 2016, Jazz made her debut for Chikara. She joined a team called Team Original Divas Revolution with Victoria and Mickie James. They won their first match in the 2016 King of Trios tournament. The next day, their team was eliminated from the tournament.

National Wrestling Alliance (2016–2019)

On September 16, 2016, Jazz won the NWA World Women's Championship from Amber Gallows. This was a very important title. On October 21, 2018, at the NWA 70th Anniversary Show, Jazz successfully defended her championship against Penelope Ford.

During her time as champion, Jazz defended her title against many challengers. These included Allie, Jordynne Grace, and Thunder Rosa. Jazz held the title for an amazing 948 days! This is one of the longest reigns in the company's history. She later had to give up the title in April 2019 due to medical and personal reasons.

All Elite Wrestling (2019)

On August 31, 2019, Jazz took part in a big match called the Casino Battle Royal at All Elite Wrestling's All Out event. She was eliminated by ODB and did not win.

SWE Fury (2020)

Jazz held the SWE Fury Women's Title until August 2020. She then lost the title to Miranda Gordy. In September, she officially retired from wrestling in SWE Fury. She became the very first person to be added to the SWE Fury Hall of Fame.

Impact Wrestling (2020–2021)

Even though she had retired, Jazz made her debut on Impact Wrestling on November 24, 2020. She teamed up with Jordynne Grace in a tournament for the Impact Knockouts Tag Team Championship. They won their first match but were eliminated in the second round.

Jazz had her final wrestling match with Impact Wrestling at Hardcore Justice. She faced Deonna Purrazzo for the Impact Knockouts Championship. It was a "title vs. career" match, meaning if Jazz lost, her wrestling career would end. Jazz lost the match, and her career as a wrestler came to an end. After a farewell moment, she started working as a manager for Jordynne Grace and her new partner, Rachael Ellering.

Return to NWA (2021–Present)

After retiring from wrestling matches, Jazz announced in April 2021 that she would return to NWA as an agent. An agent helps wrestlers plan their matches and performances. She later worked as a producer for NWA's big events, like When Our Shadows Fall and EmPowerrr. In February 2024, Jazz became the head of the women's division for NWA. This means she helps lead and guide the women wrestlers in the company.

Jazz's Life Outside the Ring

In high school, Carlene was a talented basketball player. She even received a scholarship to play basketball in college. However, a knee injury ended her basketball career. She later left college to work.

Carlene is married to Rodney Begnaud, who is also a professional wrestler known as Rodney Mack. They live together in Lafayette, Louisiana. They welcomed twin girls, Summer and Skye, in November 2008.

Jazz owns a fitness gym. She says her goal for the gym is to "keep the youth off the streets and keep them positive." She also runs a wrestling school with her husband called The Dog Pound.

Awards and Achievements

Jazz (left) and Marti Belle as the WSU Tag Team Champions in March 2011

• Cauliflower Alley Club
  • Women's Wrestling Award (2020)
• Downsouth Championship Wrestling
  • DCW Louisiana State Championship (1 time)
• Heavy on Wrestling
  • HOW Women's Championship (1 time)
• National Wrestling Alliance
  • NWA World Women's Championship (1 time)
• NWA Cyberspace
  • NWA Cyberspace Women's Championship (1 time)
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • Ranked No. 13 of the top 50 female wrestlers in the PWI Female 50 in 2012
• Southwest Wrestling Entertainment
  • SWE Women's Championship (1 time)
  • Hall of Fame (Class of 2020)
• Texas Wrestling Hall of Fame
  • Class of 2012
• Women Superstars Uncensored
  • WSU Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Marti Belle
  • WSU Hall of Fame (Class of 2010)
• Women's Extreme Wrestling
  • WEW World Championship (1 time)
• Women's Wrestling Hall of Fame
  • Class of 2023
• World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment
  • WWF/E Women's Championship (2 times)

Final Match Record

See also

In Spanish: Jazz (luchadora) para niños