Growing up she became a fan of her father's work and began showing an aptitude for sports, particularly soccer, as well as joining Palmdale High School's athletics and amateur wrestling team as one of only four girls.

[9] After gaining experience from ring side, Cheerleader Melissa eventually had her first proper match on her 17th birthday against Lexie Fyfe in a losing effort at an outdoor carnival event.

Under her reign it was renamed the Future Legends Championship, the title under which she lost it to Daizee Haze the following year before winning it back and retiring the belt.

[15] She made the final in the first two tournaments but exited the third in the first round after a double disqualification during a match with former rival Nikki, now under her better known name Sara Del Rey.

[20] The two had met years previously when her internet celebrity saw her invited to German Stampede Wrestling to face Wesna in a losing effort at International Impact I.

CF XI was originally slated to be a two out of three falls match to find a decisive victory until Anderson pulled out due to injury.

After her first loss in an NWA World Women's Championship match against MsChif,[25] (see below) she went on a winning streak under the gimmicks of both Cheerleader Melissa and Raisha Saeed.

This long series of wins led to her, under the Alissa Flash name, competing against the luchadora Lady Apache to crown the inaugural PWR Women's Champion on January 30, 2010.

[35] She lost the title to Ivelisse Vélez on April 21 at a pay-per-view held by the Puerto Rican World Wrestling League (WWL) promotion.

[38] On February 22, 2014, Melissa lost the PWR Women's Championship to Christina Von Eerie in a three-way match, which also included Savanah Riley.

[44] After Anderson had won her main event match, Lacey and Rain (The Minnesota Home Wrecking Crew), ambushed her with a beat down until MsChif ran out, saving her nemesis before leaving her to celebrate the victory.

[47] In May 2008 MsChif put her NWA World Women's Championship on the line during Pro Wrestling Revolution's debut show but Anderson did not win the belt.

[24][52] On April 10, 2010, at the tapings of Volume 29, Anderson and MsChif received a shot at the Shimmer Tag Team Championship, but were defeated by the defending champions Nicole Matthews and Portia Perez.

[60] On April 6, 2013, at the Volume 53 internet pay-per-view (iPPV) in Secaucus, New Jersey, Melissa defeated Knight in a steel cage match to win the Shimmer Championship for the second time.

[67] Later that same day, after another successful defense against Hiroyo Matsumoto on Volume 59, Melissa was again run off by LuFisto, who was, as a result, named the next challenger for her Shimmer Championship.

[70] On April 5 at the Volume 62 iPPV in New Orleans, Louisiana, Melissa successfully defended the Shimmer Championship against LuFisto in a two out of three falls match, following outside interference from Mercedes Martinez.

Anderson made her Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) debut as an unknown woman wearing a niqāb,[76] later named Raisha Saeed and billed from Syria.

[87] Through December Khan and Saeed were joined in their support for Kong by newcomer Sojourner Bolt; the group dubbed themselves the Kongtourage and took on ODB, Roxxi and Hemme in a losing effort during a Street Fight on January 15.

[99] On the edition of May 1, 2008 of Impact!, Anderson appeared as her signature Cheerleader Melissa gimmick and defeated Daizee Haze in a singles match that was billed as a "try-out" for both women.

[101] Flash's losing streak continued in the first round of the Knockouts Tag Team Championship tournament where she and Daffney lost to Sarita and Taylor Wilde.

[110][111] On March 17, 2013, Anderson made another one night return to TNA to take part in the taping of the Knockout Knockdown pay-per-view, where she, as Alissa Flash, was defeated by Gail Kim.

[112] As well as being a regular for APW, ChickFight, Shimmer and TNA, Melissa continues to tour the independent circuit working for a number of different promotions.

Enraged by interference, Anderson formed an impromptu tag team with Tiffany called Girls Gone Wrestling (GGW) and pinned Nattie after an Air Raid Crash.

GGW teamed up again to take Mac and his partner Ladies Choice in a Men vs Women tag match that Anderson won with a pin.

[117] In an attempt to build a strong women's division, Jersey All Pro Wrestling (JAPW) opened 2009 with January's Female Revolution.

It was during her Chikara debut in a tag team match, where she and Amazing Kong were defeated by Bruderschaft des Kreuzes (Haze and Del Rey).

[125] On February 4, 2012, Flash became River City Wrestling's first female Triple Crown Champion, when she defeated Rick David for the RCW International Championship.

[131] In December 2011, Anderson took part in TNA's Indian promotion Ring Ka King, performing as both Alissa Flash and Raisha Saeed.

[138] On October 29, 2015, it was announced that Melissa will star in the El Rey program Lucha Underground and would be making her debut in the upcoming tapings for the promotion's second season.

[3] Anderson's favorite opponents include Mariko Yoshida (who innovated the Air Raid Crash finishing move that Melissa herself also uses), Wesna and Tiffany.