About
April Hunter was born September 24, 1976, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and first burst onto TV screens as a statuesque red‑haired valet for World Championship Wrestling in 1999. Since then, she has worn many hats—pro‑wrestler, fitness and glamour model, actress, comic‑book muse, author, blogger, and, these days, a regular at pop‑culture conventions where she cosplays her favorite superheroes. Despite retiring from the ring in 2014 after decades of persistent injuries, Hunter never actually slowed down; she now does fiction and reflective essays on mental illness, appears on podcasts, and regularly discusses issues with her followers using a combination of humor, honesty, and life counsel.
Before Fame
Hunter’s childhood was divided between Philadelphia and Enterprise, Alabama, after her parents divorced. Raised largely by her father, she poured energy into sports and eventually fitness modeling, placing in regional contests such as Ms. Fitness Philadelphia. A 1998 Playboy pictorial caught WCW’s eye, and the company quickly signed her as one of the striking valets for the nWo faction. Determined to do more than simply accompany wrestlers, she enrolled at Killer Kowalski’s legendary Boston school, the lone woman in the class, and learned the craft from the mat up—an early sign of the grit that would define her career.
Trivia
- Trailblazer in tag gold: Teaming with Slyck Wagner Brown, Hunter became the first woman on record to hold a traditionally male tag‑team championship, breaking a barrier many fans didn’t know existed.
- Comic‑book inspiration: She stars in her own indie series, Code Red, and served as the real‑life model for “Agony” in George Pérez’s Sirens, cementing her place in geek culture.
- Fitness stage regular: After wrestling, she tried figure competitions, cracking the top three at an NPC event only months after beginning serious training.
- Mental‑health advocate: On her long‑running blog, Hunter writes unfiltered pieces about living with bipolar disorder, turning painful experiences into frank, helpful conversations.
- “Part‑time superhero”: Her convention resume includes Phoenix, Black Widow, and even a gender‑flipped Punisher—costumes she crafts by hand between writing sessions.
Family Life
Hunter is of German, Scottish, and Italian ancestry. Her bond with her father strengthened after the family split, while her mother’s later battle with cancer inspired Hunter’s brief return to wrestling in 2009 to help with medical bills. In August 2006, she married Canadian wrestler Jordan Danyluk (J.D. Maverick) during a Las Vegas ceremony; the pair later divorced but remain on friendly terms. Today, she calls the Gulf Coast of Florida home—an area publication profiled her in July 2025—and shares her house with a famously spoiled corgi she jokingly calls the “Mother of Chickens.”
Associated With
Throughout her career, Hunter has shared locker rooms—and sometimes storylines—with big names like Rob Van Dam, Booker T, Scott Steiner, Sid Vicious, and the high‑flying Sarita. On the independent circuit, she formed “The Killer Babes” tag unit with fellow Kowalski graduate Nikki Roxx, and later managed the Valkyrie faction in SHINE Wrestling, mentoring future stars Allysin Kay and Taylor Made. Outside the squared circle, she collaborated with iconic comic artist George Pérez and has guested on countless podcasts alongside journalists and mental‑health experts, using each appearance to champion creativity, resilience, and self‑acceptance.