Lena Yada

---

title: "Lena Yada" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1978-births", "punahou-school-alumni", "actresses-from-honolulu", "female-models-from-hawaii", "american-female-professional-wrestlers", "american-models-of-japanese-descent", "american-people-of-japanese-descent", "sportspeople-of-japanese-descent", "living-people", "professional-wrestling-dancers", "professional-wrestling-managers-and-valets", "wwe-diva-search-contestants", "21st-century-american-women", "21st-century-female-professional-wrestlers", "21st-century-american-professional-wrestlers"] description: "America model and professional wrestler" topic_path: "technology/web" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lena_Yada" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary America model and professional wrestler ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox professional wrestler"]

Field	Value
name	Lena Yada
image	Lena Yada.jpg
caption	Yada in 2009
names	Lena
Lena Yada
Ninja Yada
height
weight	108 lb
birth_date
birth_place	Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
children	1
spouse
billed	Los Angeles, California
trainer	Ultimate Pro Wrestling
Florida Championship Wrestling
Jesse Hernandez
debut	January 4, 2008
retired	2009
::

|name = Lena Yada |image = Lena Yada.jpg |caption = Yada in 2009 |names = Lena Lena Yada Ninja Yada |height = |weight = 108 lb |birth_date = |birth_place = Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. |death_date = |children = 1 |spouse = |death_place = |billed = Los Angeles, California |trainer = Ultimate Pro Wrestling Florida Championship Wrestling Jesse Hernandez |debut = January 4, 2008 |retired = 2009 Lena Yada-Draiman, born November 12 1978, is an American model, actress, surfer and former professional wrestler. She is best known for her time with the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), where she took part in the WWE 2007 Diva Search and was a member of the ECW brand.

Modeling career

Yada was the runner-up in the 2002 Ms. Venus Swimwear international pageant, she was also Miss Hawaiian Tropic Japan. She appeared in multiple magazines. She modeled for Bench Warmer trading cards, posing in the 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2009 trading sets. She took part in the 2005 Lingerie Bowl playing for the Dallas Desires.

Yada under the stage name of Reina featured in multiple softcore, fetish videos between the years of 2003-2011.

Yada was one of Sprite's campaign models when they changed their logo, featuring in official commercials and online advertisements. That same year and following year, she was the campaign model for Sheiki Jeans and for Western Star. In 2010 she featured in the music video for Disturbed's single, The Animal.

Surfing career

Yada competed in the quarter finals of the 2007 World Title of Tandem Surfing, placing thirteenth overall. In March 2008, she and her surfing partner, Jason Lusk, placed fourteenth overall for the World Title. She was ranked the eighth overall surfer in the world, in Tandem surfing.

Professional wrestling career

World Wrestling Entertainment (2007-2008)

Yada first auditioned for the WWE 2005 Diva Search as a fan of professional wrestling, making it to the top 30 finalists before being cut. She auditioned again in 2007 making the final 8 contestants, where she placed third overall. Despite being eliminated from the competition on the October 22 2007 episode of RAW, she was signed to a WWE contract on November 10 2007 and began training at WWE's developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling. Yada made her official WWE debut on the January 4 2008 episode of Smackdown! as a backstage interviewer, interviewing Big Daddy V and Matt Striker.

After appearing once on Smackdown! on the January 8 2008 episode of ECW she was transferred to the brand, as the new backstage interviewer of ECW. Yada hosted a Diva Dance Off competition between Kelly Kelly and Layla, only to include herself and declare herself the winner of the contest. She later competed in a best body contest against Kelly Kelly and Layla, turning heel in the process joining forces with Layla to attack Kelly Kelly who won the competition. Yada then became the valet of Layla and Victoria, accompanying them to their matches on both ECW and Smackdown! while continuing as the backstage interviewer for ECW. During her time on the ECW brand she coined the nickname "The Asian Sensation".

On the June 16 2008 episode of RAW she competed in a bikini contest, which was won by Maria. In August 2008 she teamed with the UncoverTheCure charity and WWE, running in L.A.'s Underwear Affair, raising $600. Yada competed in the WWE 2008 Cyber Sunday, Divas annual Halloween Costume Contest, where she dressed as a Ninja, losing to Mickie James who was dressed as Lara Croft. On the November 3 2008, 800th special episode of RAW, Yada won her in-ring debut in a 16-diva tag team match, when Beth Phoenix pinned Mae Young; despite this being Yada's in-ring debut she was never tagged in to the match. On November 10 2008, Yada was released from her WWE contract just one week after her in-ring debut after she declined to move to Tampa, Florida as requested by the company due to her father falling ill. Her second and final match with the company was for FCW in a 6-diva tag team match where she teamed with Alicia Fox and Roucka, losing to the team of Angela, Eve Torres and Jenny Quinn.

Independent circuit (2008-2009)

In the summer of 2008 Yada began training at the Ultimate Pro Wrestling facility, based in California. Yada made her singles match debut at Pro Wrestling Revolution, a part of ChickFight, on June 6 2009, where she defeated Christina Von Eerie with a schoolgirl roll-up. That same year she was in attendance at TNA's Bound For Glory pay-per-view as a friend of Tara; it was rumored by wrestling dirt sheets that she was set to debut for the company as the valet of Kevin Nash.

In 2021 Yada returned to wrestling for a one-night-only appearance at Ring of Honor as the official host of the ROH Women's Tournament Town Hall.

Personal life

On September 25 2011, Yada married David Draiman, the lead singer of heavy metal bands Disturbed and Device. Their son was born in September 2013. The couple divorced in 2023.

Filmography

::data[format=table title="Film and television"]

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2002	Son of the Beach	Nokia	1 episode
2004	Naked in the 21st Century	Self; model
2005	Casting Ripe Live!	Self; model
Lingerie Bowl	Dallas Desire
2007	VH1's The Shot	Red carpet model
I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry	Hooters Girl
WWE 2007 Diva Search	Self; contestant	3rd place, 8 episodes
2008	Squeegees	Bikini girl	TV film
::

::data[format=table title="Music videos"]

Year	Title	Artist	Role
2010	The Animal	Disturbed	Self
::

References

References

1. (2009). "[[WWE Encyclopedia]]". [[Dorling Kindersley]].
2. "Yada's official website". Lena-Yada.org.
3. "Lena Yada's profile". Online World of Wrestling.
4. (October 12, 2012}}{{Dead link). "Lena Yada-Draiman – Hottest Rockstar Wives". [[Loudwire]].
5. "News Archive – July – September 2001". Pageant News Bureau.
6. "To be or not to be (famous)". Pageant News Bureau.
7. "Diva Search Finalist Speaks On The Contest, Playboy, WWE & Much More". Canvas Chronicle.
8. "Hawaiian Tropic model Lena Yada".
9. "Archived copy".
10. "Archived copy".
11. "Celebrity Pictures, Entertainment News Photo Galleries and Videos | WireImage".
12. (2008-02-04). "Model Lena Yada poses with her Sheiki Jeans ad at the Playboy Mansion...".
13. "World Title of Tandem action hots up as final approaches". Surfers Village.
14. "2007 ISA Ranking".
15. [http://www.itsatandem.com/index.php?page=ratings&sousPage=wtt&annee=08 WTT 2008]. ITSA Tandem. Retrieved on March 9, 2008.
16. "Contestants". [[WWE]].
17. "Lena Yada {{!}} WWE".
18. (January 4, 2008). "SmackDown! results". Online World of Wrestling.
19. (January 8, 2008). "ECW results". Online World of Wrestling.
20. (January 22, 2008). "ECW results". Online World of Wrestling.
21. "Lena Yada: Photos {{!}} WWE".
22. "Lena Yada runs in L.A.'s Underwear Affair {{!}} WWE".
23. "WWE Cyber Sunday".
24. (November 3, 2008). "Raw results". Online World of Wrestling.
25. (November 10, 2009). "Kenny Dykstra, Elijah Burke and Lena Yada released". [[World Wrestling Entertainment]].
26. Hart, Danny. (2023-11-21). "Former WWE Diva explains why she left after only one TV match".
27. Russell, Skylar. (2023-11-22). "Lena Yada Discusses Her Release From WWE In 2008, Says It Was 'Bittersweet'".
28. Melanie. (2008-11-13). "Story Behind Lena Yada's Release".
29. Thompson, Andrew. (2023-11-03). "Lena Yada looks back at her WWE release, says commitment to company was questioned but she understands why".
30. "Daddy's little girl: Lena Yada {{!}} WWE".
31. "Matches « Lena Yada « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database".
32. "Lena Yada: Profile & Match Listing - Internet Wrestling Database (IWD)".
33. "Former WWE Diva, Lena Yada takes on Christina Von Eerie in San Francisco".
34. "411MANIA".
35. Russell, Skylar. (2023-11-21). "Lena Yada Recalls 'Hitting It Off' With Victoria, 'I Felt At Home With Her, She Was Like A Sister'".
36. Melanie. (2009-10-20). "Lena Yada Coming to TNA for Kevin Nash's Valet Search?".
37. Wilkinson, Nick. (2021-07-29). "Miranda Alize promises that Alex Gracia knows none of her weaknesses; Lena Yada kicks off ROH Town Hall".
38. "Lena Yada got married". Online 24Wrestling.
39. Childers, Chad. (May 4, 2013). "David Draiman Announces Child on the Way, Calls for Unity in Metal World".
40. (August 20, 2015). "Disturbed's David Draiman: Still Angry After All These Years". Yahoo.
41. (April 15, 2023). "DISTURBED's DAVID DRAIMAN Opens up About His Recent Divorce: 'I Need the Music Right Now More Than I Ever Have'".
42. "The Shot | Show Cast, Episodes, Guides, Trailers, Web Exclusives, Previews | VH1.com".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::