Tammy Lynn Sytch

WWE appearances and Hall of Fame (2007, 2009, 2011)

On December 10, 2007, Sytch made a surprise appearance during the 15th anniversary of Raw. She was involved in a segment with Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, Shane McMahon, Triple H, Hornswoggle, Melina and WWE Hall of Famer Mae Young. During this time, she was officially recognized as WWE's original Diva. Sunny, once again, listed as one of the returning legends, participated at WrestleMania XXV on April 5, 2009, in the 25-Diva battle royal for the crown of "Miss WrestleMania", but was eliminated by Beth Phoenix. This was her only official WWE match. Sytch then returned on March 19, 2011, in a house show that took place at Madison Square Garden, where she served as the special guest referee between The Bella Twins against Kelly Kelly and then-Divas Champion Eve Torres. She was inducted into the 2011 class of the WWE Hall of Fame by the entire roster of WWE Divas on April 2, 2011.

Adult entertainment Sytch has claimed that, in 1997, Playboy had approached her and offered a six-figure sum to pose nude for the magazine. Sytch stated that she declined the offer because she didn't feel that she was emotionally ready to do something like that. Rena "Sable" Mero, with whom Sytch had real-life animosity,

From 2001 to 2003, however, Sytch regularly posed nude for Missy Hyatt's adult website Wrestling Vixxxens. In later years, Sytch said she regretted taking part in the website due to money she claimed she never received as well as the sexual actions some of the other models performed in their own photo and video shoots.

In 2016, Vivid Entertainment released a pornographic film featuring Sytch titled Sunny Side Up: In Through the Backdoor.

After being released from prison in 2020, Sytch created an OnlyFans account to upload adult-oriented content.

Personal life Sytch attended high school at the same time as her long-time boyfriend, Chris Candido, who would later introduce her to the professional wrestling industry. By 2007, she was once again in school, studying Medical Technology. Sytch was also friends with Bret Hart and would entertain his children whenever they followed him on tour. On one episode of Raw in mid-1997, Michaels accused Hart of having an affair with Sytch; the "sunny days" promo would contribute greatly to the real-life animosity between the two men, to the point where they would eventually have a fight backstage several weeks later. Sytch would walk out of WWE on the night after Survivor Series that year, after WWF owner Vince McMahon double-crossed Hartwho was imminently due to leave for main competitor WCWand cost Hart the WWF Championship in an unscripted real life incident known as the Montreal Screwjob.

She released an autobiography, A Star Shattered: The Rise & Fall & Rise of Wrestling Diva Tammy "Sunny" Sytch, on February 4, 2016.

Legal issues In 2012, Sytch was arrested five times in a four-week span, for disorderly conduct, third-degree burglary, and three counts of violating a protective order. She was arrested a sixth time in January 2013, also for violating a protective order. Sytch served 114 days in a Connecticut jail and was released in May 2013.

On May 30, 2015, Sytch was stopped in Mahoning Township, Pennsylvania for driving erratically into a Wal-Mart parking lot. After a blood alcohol content test result showed 0.253 percent, Sytch was arrested. Two days later, on June 1, 2015, Sytch was pulled over and arrested in Lehighton, Pennsylvania after her car crossed the solid center yellow line several times. Sytch was unable to provide proof of insurance or a driver's license and the Pennsylvania State Trooper that pulled her over reported that Sytch's eyes were bloodshot and glassy and that she smelled like alcohol. An open container of beer was found on the passenger side of the vehicle as well as an additional eleven unopened containers. The cap to the open container was found on the passenger's side floor and Sytch's blood alcohol content was 0.3 percent. A judge sentenced her to 90 days in jail on August 18, but counted her 97 days in rehab as time served. However, she was charged with violating her parole that September and remained in jail until February 3, 2017.

Sytch was arrested for two counts of fugitive from justice and six counts of contempt of court on February 27, 2018. She was detained within Monmouth County Correctional Institution and charged for failure to appear in court warrants for both Aberdeen Township, New Jersey and Knowlton Township, New Jersey. Both charges stemmed from DUI citations on both January 23 and February 2, 2018. An additional citation for fleeing the scene of accident was given for the February 2 incident. Her initial bail charge was set at $2,500. The bond on the Aberdeen Township charge was later set to $5,000 while the Knowlton Township bond was set at $1,000 for a total of $6,000. Sytch was extradited back to Carbon County, Pennsylvania due to a bench warrant issued as a result of her probation being revoked for multiple parole violations on August 22, 2017. Sytch faced five years in prison on the Pennsylvania charge after previously being issued a zero-tolerance ultimatum for future probation violations by Judge Joseph J. Matika. Sytch was subsequently extradited to Pennsylvania on March 23 and remained at the Carbon County Correctional Facility in Nesquehoning until she was paroled on October 9, 2018.

A bench warrant was issued for Sytch in Pennsylvania on February 15, 2019, and the Carbon County Probation Department filed a motion to revoke Sytch's October 2018 parole. She was arrested in Seaside Heights, New Jersey later that month for DUI and other driving offenses and subsequently released into the custody of the Holmdel Police Department after it was discovered that she had outstanding warrants in both Holmdel Township and Knowlton Township, New Jersey. She was charged with contempt of court on both warrants. On March 20, Sytch was extradited from Monmouth County back to Carbon County Correctional Facility to address her Pennsylvania charges. After over a year in prison, Sytch was released on February 25, 2020.

Sytch was arrested on July 13, 2020, for allegedly eluding a police officer, contempt/violation of a domestic violence restraining order, and operating a motor vehicle during a second license suspension. She was held at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution, and was released on June 9, 2021, due to a court order.

Sytch was once again arrested on January 13, 2022, in Keansburg, New Jersey, for unlawfully possessing a weapon and making terroristic threats. If convicted, Sytch faces 11 years in prison. She was arrested again a month later in Keansburg and charged with 11 driving offences, including DUI. In May 2022, Sytch was arrested on DUI and manslaughter-related charges after toxicology reports found that her blood alcohol content was about 3.5 times the legal limit during the fatal car crash. After initially being released after posting a $227,500 bond, a judge deemed her to be a danger to the community, revoked her bond six days later and returned her to jail. On August 16, 2023, Sytch pleaded no contest to the charges. She was sentenced to seventeen and a half years in prison and eight years probation on November 27, 2023 with credit for her 566 days already spent in jail. Her tentative release date is December 2039. Sytch was transferred from Central Florida Reception Center in Orlando to Lowell Correctional Institution in Marion County in February 2024.

Legacy Sytch became known as WWE's first Diva after her run in the 1990s. During this time, her 1996 bikini issue of Raw Magazine made a record number of sales. Her popularity expanded beyond professional wrestling, as America Online deemed her the most downloaded woman that same year. According to Slam! Wrestling, Sytch's pairings with the Smokin' Gunns and the Godwins made her a "loathed villain, but one of the hottest personalities in WWE."

WWE describe her as "the person who redefined the role of women in WWE", adding: "She wasn't just a brainless bikini model or a vivacious valet at ringside. She was a pinup, a fast-talking manager and could throw down when she needed to. In short, she was sexy, smart and powerful." In 2007, WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley called Sunny "the pioneer," noting that "a bunch of people [are] walking down the path that she paved." Likewise, in 2011 Natalya Neidhart called her "a trailblazer," in line with Miss Elizabeth, Sensational Sherri and The Fabulous Moolah. For her contributions to the promotion, she was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011. That same year, WWE ranked her as the 12th greatest manager of all time, while Ranker listed her as the 11th greatest valet in WWE history.

The Post and Courier columnist Mike Mooneyham described Sytch as having "captivated audiences during her time in the business", but that "substance abuse and backstage drama, and later legal and personal problems, have plagued her over the years." Booker T, who is also a WWE Hall of Famer, objected to this and said that removing her from the Hall of Fame would not actually achieve anything.

Sytch and Candido were featured in a 2023 episode of Dark Side of the Ring. During the episode, Jim Cornette described Sytch's legacy as "a meteoric rise and a meteoric fall".

Filmography

Championships and accomplishments America Online AOL Most Downloaded Celebrity (1996) Cauliflower Alley Club Other honoree (1996) New England Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2013 Pro Wrestling Illustrated PWI Manager of the Year (1996) World Wrestling Federation / WWE Slammy Award (2 times) Best Buns (1996) "Minds Behind the Mayhem" for Manager of the Year (1996) WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2011)