Raquel Rodriguez Names Surprising WWE Hall Of Famer She Is Inspired By

Almost every wrestler grows up emulating somebody in the business, taking aspects from those who came before them, and WWE's Raquel Rodriguez is no different. The former "NXT" Women's Champion revealed to "Under The Ring," that she would "watch a lot of the bigger men, and the bigger women" including Chyna and Big Show, but she was also inspired by a more surprising name.

"I loved Stan Hansen because he was just so wild and unruly, and at the time too I had the cowbell, and he was like, 'I am a strong Texan personality,' and I wanted to use the lariat as my finisher too," she said. "I still use the lariat with of course the opposite arm from what everyone else uses the clothesline. It's something that you develop over time, and you find those characters that you really like are drawn to, and Stan Hansen was one of those for me, I loved how unruly he was, how crazy he was, he was just out of control, and I fed off of that."

Right now, Rodriguez is working as a popular babyface, but in "NXT" she showcased a more aggressive side.

"I am just this young girl coming in, my dreams come true. I have signed with the Performance Center so I am elated to walk into the building, I am constantly smiling ... It's so hard for me sometimes to not smile," she said. "Walking around the Performance Center like that they're like, 'Come on, you've got to toughen up, stop smiling.' Stan Hansen really helped me transform into that scary, badass, 'I'm gonna rip your head off' kind of personality."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Under The Ring" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.