NXT Women’s Champion Raquel Gonzalez continues to reign supreme on the black-and-gold brand.
But before her rapid rise to the top, Gonzalez made a strong impression as Dakota Kai’s enforcer. Right away, many fans compared Kai and Gonzalez to the pairing of Shawn Michaels and Kevin Nash, collectively called the Two Dynamite Dudes with Attitudes. These comparisons continue to this day, and in an interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling’s Rick Ucchino, Gonzalez explained that she feels honored by this connection.
“These are legends, these are icons, and to be compared to them and to hear it from their mouths as well, that they see a little bit of them in us is very humbling and it’s very rewarding,” said Gonzalez. “And it’s still very hard to believe, it’s surreal, you know? I think all of us growing up watching them, we always dreamed about working with them or getting to talk to them, or even just getting to meet them.
“And now we have the opportunity of not just learning from them, but even hearing from them that they’re proud of us and that they see a lot in us. It’s hard to put words to describe the feeling of it.”
Beyond the similarity of her dynamic with Kai, Gonzalez has also earned the nickname “Big Mami Cool,” a nod to Diesel’s “Big Daddy Cool” moniker. In the interview, Gonzalez shared her excitement about this nickname, but she wanted to make it her own.
“I love it,” said Gonzalez. “I don’t remember how it actually got started, I feel like someone just hashtagged it to me at the beginning of me and Dakota joining together, and they tagged it as ‘Big Mommy Cool,’ and I was like that’s cool, they’re making the comparison to Kevin Nash.
“But then I was like, I like this nickname, let me kind of put a little flair on it, let me twist it up a little bit to incorporate my Latin roots. And I was like let me put ‘Big Mami Cool’ because in real life, I really do not being like called mommy, it’s a pet peeve of mine.”
As seen with Michaels’ alliance with Diesel, there’s a solid probability that Gonzalez will at least face her partner, Kai in a title match. “Big Mami Cool” made it clear that she’d be happy to give Kai a chance at her championship, but she stated together, they can keep running the women’s division in NXT.
“Dakota, like I said, if it wasn’t for Dakota, my confidence wouldn’t be where it is, I wouldn’t be standing in the position that I am, and I owe so much to her, and I respect her very, very much,” said Gonzalez. “If she wants a shot at the title, and she’s willing to tell me that, then yes of course I would. But I think we both know that whoever’s holding it, we’re both still on top. So it’s a win-win either way.”
