Zelina Vega Says There's A Lot Of Pressure On Her Heading Into Title Match At WWE Backlash
When Zelina Vega returned to WWE programming last November, she did so as a member of Legado Del Fantasma, a move that raised doubts about her future as an in-ring competitor. Upon becoming the mouthpiece of Santos Escobar's faction, Vega was barely featured in any matches, with her only taste of in-ring action coming in the form of 6-person intergender bouts at WWE house shows.
Despite wrestling so seldomly on television, Vega finds herself the new #1 contender for Rhea Ripley's "SmackDown" Women's Championship and will challenge for the title at the upcoming Backlash pay-per-view. The match was set up on last week's "SmackDown" where Vega, who is of Puerto Rican descent, asked Adam Pearce for an opportunity to prove herself against the top champion on the blue brand.
In a recent interview with "WWE's The Bump," Vega detailed the amount of pressure she was feeling going into the match at Backlash, which will be held in Puerto Rico.
"There's no combination of words that describe how I feel," an emotional Vega began. "I'm not just going to be representing my family, but also everyone rooting for me in Puerto Rico, my family that hasn't seen me wrestle yet in Puerto Rico, and other girls just like me. I am so happy to carry the pressure, to be able to say that I'm walking into Puerto Rico...yes, it is against Rhea Ripley, and I understand what comes with that to defeat her.
"However, the last time I wrestled her in a singles match, I did beat her in 45 seconds. So, I'm feeling good! There's a lot of pressure, but I'm ready for it."
'I'm shaking just thinking about it'
The match Vega was referring to was held on the December 13, 2021, episode of "WWE Raw" where she shockingly defeated Ripley in under a minute thanks to outside interference from Carmella. However, a lot has transpired since that night. While Ripley has continued her domination of the women's division, Vega has been used sparingly as an in-ring competitor. Vega has not wrestled any singles matches on television since returning to WWE last November.
Despite her lack of in-ring time, Vega isn't feeling any rust going into her first-ever match in Puerto Rico.
"There are a lot of firsts here," Vega stressed. "I'm shaking just thinking about it. I'm nervous, but the excitement has taken over me. I don't think I've ever shown this level of vulnerability as far as how much this means to me, and how nervous I am. It's a good nervous, but I feel like I'm bringing everyone with me, and that's a crazy thing for me."
The match on May 6 will mark only Vega's third singles championship match in WWE, her first title shot since she challenged Asuka for the "Raw" Women's Championship in September 2020.
"It's not easy for me to get these opportunities," Vega admitted. "When I do get them, I put every ounce of me into it. With these opportunities, you also get put up against the best, so you have to train, think and prepare differently. I think more than anything, it's about getting yourself uncomfortable, making yourself get to the point of complete frustration, and finding your calm in that. This is where I've had my struggles."
Zega is hopeful that her family and friends in Puerto Rico will help her get to her desired state of mind.