| Cori Simmons | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Corinne Iman Simmons (born September 15, 1989), better known by her ring name Cori Simmons, is an American journalist and model currently signed to Omega Wrestling Alliance, where she appears on the promotion's Kingdom brand as its backstage correspondent.
Early Life[]
Simmons was raised in Hartford's low-income Blue Hills neighborhood, the second of four children born to Floyd Simmons, a construction worker, and Beth Denmore, a secretary and receptionist. Simmons' father was born in the Bahamas, and moved with his family to Orlando and Baltimore before eventually settling in Hartford. Her mother is Irish-American, and often worked two or more jobs to support Simmons and her siblings after she and Simmons' father divorced. She went on to graduate from Weaver High School as salutatorian in 2007. Simmons then attended the University of Connecticut, where she graduated with a degree in broadcast journalism in 2011.
Journalism Career[]
As a student at UConn, Simmons acted as a sideline reporter for football, baseball, and men's and women's basketball games. Following her graduation, she accepted her first assignment as a traffic reporter on the morning broadcasts of Hartford's CBS affiliate, WFSB 3. She remained there until 2016.
Professional Wrestling Career[]
Elite Answers Wrestling (2016 - 2018)[]
NEO (2016 - 2017)[]
In March 2016, it was reported that Simmons had signed a deal with Elite Answers Wrestling. After reporting to the Performance Center in April, she was placed on the company's developmental brand, NEO, as a backstage interviewer under the name Cori Simmons. She also acted as an occasional ring announcer at live events. Simmons remained in NEO until December 2017.
Empire (2017 - 2018)[]
Simmons was called up to the main roster in December in order to replace former correspondent Monica Vaughan, who had stepped down from the position. She made her debut on the December 21 episode of Empire. Simmons went on to depart from the promotion in March 2018.
Omega Wrestling Alliance (2018 - present)[]
Kingdom (2018 - present) []
Simmons signed with OWA in April 2018, subsequently being assigned as the primary backstage interviewer on Kingdom.
Modeling Career[]
Simmons' first foray into modeling came when she appeared in a campus calendar while studying at UConn. While employed at WFSB, she also appeared in promotional material for the station. She eventually signed with Elite Model Management in January 2017, and has since appeared in publications such as ESPN The Magazine, Ebony and Connecticut Magazine.
Personal Life[]
Simmons currently resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She refers to herself as "a shopaholic", with shoes and handbags being her "vices of choice". She is still an avid follower of UConn athletics, and also follows the New York Knicks, New York Giants, and New York Yankees.