Francine Fournier, better known simply as Francine, was a popular valet and manager in the professional wrestling promotion Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Francine was known for her beauty, her sharp tongue, and her willingness to get involved in the often-violent storylines of ECW.
The Queen of Extreme has recently been in the news, with her refusal to allow Lita to use the moniker that she became famous for in ECW.
With renewed interest from fans, over two decades after the downfall of ECW, we’ll look at what happened to ECW’s Francine, and what she is doing now.
What Happened To Francine From ECW?
After ECW declared bankruptcy in 2001, Francine continued to make occasional appearances on the independent wrestling circuit.
Francine made appearances with Major League Wrestling in 2003 as Michael Shane’s manager and was later involved with the Women’s Extreme Wrestling and Hottest Ladies of Wrestling promotions.
She was also a part of the first ever TNA pay per view, taking part in a Lingerie Battle Royal.
Francine became best friends with Daffney during this time in TNA, with their rivalry being one of the highlights of the early days of Jeff Jarrett’s promotion.
WWE signed her in 2005 on a short-term deal, to appear at the ECW reunion show, called ECW One Night Stand.
At the event, Francine returned to the side of the Dudley Boys, as she attacked Tommy Dreamer and Sandman in the main event.
She was later rehired in 2006, to take part in the new ECW show that WWE produced. She was hired as a valet to Balls Mahoney, and also competed in “bikini contests” with Kelly Kelly on the house show circuit.
She wrestled one match, an Extreme Catfight against Ariel on ECW, although that match ended in a no-contest. She was released from her WWE contract on October 12, 2006.
She also worked as a trainer and promoter for women’s wrestling events. In 2006, Francine made a brief appearance in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where she managed the tag team of America’s Most Wanted.
Where Is Francine Now?
In recent years, Francine has largely retired from the wrestling business. She has focused on her personal life, raising her two children and enjoying time with her husband. In interviews,
Francine has expressed gratitude for the opportunities she had in ECW and for the fans who supported her throughout her career. She has appeared at a number of reunion shows for the company over the years, including TNA’s Hardcore Homecoming event.
She recently appeared in a video call with Brian Myers (Curt Hawkins in WWE) in Impact Wrestling in 2021, and also had a shoot interview with WSI, where she talked about the late Daffney (also from ECW and TNA).