WWE NXT Star Sol Ruca Names Celebrities She Watches, Tries To Be Like

In WWE, fans know Sol Ruca as the NXT Women's North American Champion with an affinity for surfing the ocean waves. Those same fans may be surprised to learn that some of her character inspiration actually comes from pop culture.

"[I find myself watching] Gwen Stefani," Ruca told "Busted Open After Dark." "I freaking love her. I think she's so cool. Her and Kesha are two people that looks-wise I'm kind of just trying to be a mix of them in myself. So like a surfer version of them pretty much."

Typically, Ruca dons wavy, blonde hair, similar to the style Kesha, a multi-time award winning pop singer, sported in the early years of her music career. The "Tik Tok" singer once dyed her ends blue as well — a look that Ruca showed off on her own hair via a TikTok video tuned to another one of Kesha's hit songs, "We R Who We R."

Ruca's father Paul Hampton is deeply immersed in the music world as he works as a songwriter, musician, and producer. Notably, he has collaborated with Angelo Moore, John Feldman, and Gwen Stefani. Stefani, of course, is a fellow blonde, famous for hits such as "The Sweet Escape" and "Hollaback Girl."

Wrestling-wise, Ruca looks to the work of Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley, both of whom are former world champions in WWE. "Obviously, the main roster girls are freaking incredible. I love Bianca, Rhea, just like the big powerhouse and strong athletic girls," Ruca said. "I'm just like 'I just want to be you one day.'"

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Busted Open After Dark" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.