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PWInsider.com is sad to report the passing of Melissa Coates, who worked for former WWE developmental territories OVW and Deep South Wrestling but is likely best known in recent years for accompanying former ECW World Champion Sabu to the ring as "Super Genie" in Impact Wrestling as well as countless other independent promotions. There is no word on the circumstances of Coates' passing as of this writing beyond that she passed earlier this afternoon. She was 50 at the time of her passing.
Before finding her way to professional wrestling, Coates had pursued both tennis and bodybuilding. She won or placed in several competitions in Canada before moving to Los Angeles, where she pursued bodybuilding (as a pro for IFBB), acting and modeling. She appeared on two seasons of The Game Show Network's Extreme Dodgeball.
Over the course of her pro wrestling career, Coates worked for New Jersey's WSU, Dory Funk Jr.'s Funking Conservatory promotion in Florida, Georgia's NWA Anarchy and many other groups. She was initially trained at Killer Kowalski's school in MA and also trained at Rick Bassman's UPW Academy.
Coates made a cameo during the 2005 Backlash PPV, where she, playing a woman coming out of the crowd, attempted to break out of Chris Masters' Masterlock Challenge, and obviously, failed to do so. She spent time in WWE's then-developmental territories OVW (where she was head of security for Kenny Bolin) and then Deep South Wrestling, where she performed as a "Bag Lady" character. She was not under contract to WWE at the time. After her time in WWE developmental, she began bouncing around the independents.
In late 2014, Coates began managing Sabu as Super Genie, which is likely her most known persona. At that point, she began mostly managing and had not wrestled since that year.
Coates was forced to undergo an amputation of her leg just below the knee in late 2020 after she began experiencing severe pain and doctors discovered several blood clots, according to a GoFundMe Campaign that was launched to assist her with medical expenses. Coates had appeared at several signings over the last year with Sabu.
PWInsider.com sends our deepest condolences to Sabu as well as Coates' family, friends and fans.
Thanks to Shannon Walsh for the assistance.
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