Raquel Rodriguez is aiming to reach the next level in WWE, as she recently got called up to the main roster. This move marked the end of her successful run in WWE NXT, and looking back on it, the newest member of the blue brand noted that her exit from NXT was a full circle.
In her final few days on the brand, Raquel Gonzalez, as she was then known, reunited with her former partner Dakota Kai and recaptured the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship. The duo previously won the inaugural Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic and held the Women’s Tag Team Championship. They later feuded after Gonzalez broke out on her own and captured the NXT Women’s Championship. Just a few days after their triumphant reunion, the pair lost the gold to Toxic Attraction in Gonzalez’s final match in NXT.
During an interview with Rick Ucchino of the Bleav in Pro Wrestling Podcast, Rodriguez reflected on the conclusion of her time in NXT and explained how it came full circle; she debuted in front of a big crowd in 2020, and she had to wait until NXT Stand & Deliver 2022 before she performed in front of a sizeable crowd again. This event, where she won the titles with Kai for the second time, was her penultimate match in NXT, and Rodriguez stated that she’s glad she got to share this special moment with Kai.
“Yeah I think it was a full circle for me because I realized that time at Stand & Deliver, too, that was only the second time I’ve ever performed in front of that many people and in an arena,” said Rodriguez. “The first time was my debut, when Dakota and I decided to join forces and that was in Portland in front of 3,000-plus people. And then right after that, we were off the road because of COVID and quarantine and everything that was happening. So I went from my first big stadium appearance in Portland, Oregon, to zero people in Orlando, Florida, to a couple hundred people in Orlando, Florida.
“And then to finally being back on the road again at Stand and Deliver in Dallas, Texas, my home state, in front of my family and my friends and my Raza and it was just really cool to have that moment with Dakota again because I love her so much, and she’s such a beast when it comes to everything that she does and she’s just so creative and amazing. And it was just really fun to have that moment with her, whether if it was for a couple hours like the first reign or three days like this past one. All I have to say is that we were the first-ever and the first two-time ever, so goal met.”
Moving forward, Rodriguez will focus on climbing to new heights on WWE SmackDown; given her impressive résumé, many fans are excited to see what her future holds.
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