Stephanie Vaquer is one of the fastest-rising WWE talents ever. However, she almost missed a major WWE event last year due to illness, which could have possibly changed her career trajectory.
Vaquer recently shared that a serious illness nearly stopped her from competing against IYO SKY at WrestlePalooza 2025. At the time, she was dealing with a bad throat infection caused by bacteria in the weeks before the event. It got so serious that she couldn’t eat or drink for three days. Because of this, WWE’s medical team didn’t clear her to compete at first.
Stephanie Vaquer says she nearly missed a major WWE event
Things were already tough for her. Just weeks earlier, she lost another big chance when her Women’s World Championship match at Clash in Paris was canceled. That match came after Naomi gave up the title due to maternity leave, and Vaquer was heartbroken to miss out.
WWE then gave her another chance at WrestlePalooza, but bad luck struck again. She was even pulled from an episode of WWE RAW after not being medically cleared.
“This is amazing, because that’s a long story. Before Wrestlepalooza, supposed to be I go for Clash in Paris.,. I was really, really sick, so they cancel my participation in Clash in Paris. I’m so, so sad. Wrestlepalooza is a big event. It’s the first Wrestlepalooza, so I’m excited. One week before, I get sick again, I feel sick again. So medical say, ‘Okay, I’m sorry, but you can’t go to Wrestlepalooza.’ I already have the ticket, the flight for my dad and everything and like that. That was so hard in that moment,” Vaquer said during her recent appearance on INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet.
However, the WWE star didn’t give up. She kept pushing and waited for clearance. Finally, on the morning of the event, after more tests, she was cleared to compete.
“I talked with Triple H. I sent a message to Triple H and I talk with many people in WWE and say, ‘No, I’m ready. I’m not sick. I feel good. I can do that. Please just let me go, I can do that.’ Finally, I was there, and it was amazing, because it’s not just Wrestlepalooza, big event with IYO SKY, and my dad there and my dream that Women’s World Champion,” Vaquer said.
Even after going through all that, Vaquer delivered. In front of the crowd and her father, she defeated IYO SKY and won the Women’s World Championship.
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