WWE star Zelina Vega has hinted at her interest in competing for the vacant Women’s World Championship, following Rhea Ripley's announcement of relinquishing the title due to injury. Vega, who has never held a singles championship title, retweeted WWE's announcement of the upcoming title match and captioned it with a thinking emoji. With the WWE Draft approaching, potential roster changes could impact Vega's pursuit of the championship, as she currently competes on the SmackDown roster while the title is typically defended on Raw.
This week's collection of entertaining tweets includes Steve Austin singing, Zelina Vega kickboxing, Hikaru Shida's cat invading her personal space, and Matt Cardona jokingly unbooking someone from a wrestling event.
Rumors suggest that WWE may be considering holding WrestleMania in London to compete with AEW's successful ticket sales, and there are discussions about not having Roman Reigns pinned before losing the title. Plans for Brock Lesnar's return changed, and Zelina Vega's Money in the Bank spot was not seriously considered for Charlotte Flair. Triple H met with potential signees, and there are plans for a personality shift for Jade Cargill in AEW.
Zelina Vega and IYO SKY will face each other in a Women's Money in the Bank qualifying match on next week's WWE SmackDown. The show will also feature a Gauntlet match to determine the new #1 contenders to Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions, Scarlett and Karrion Kross vs. Mia Yim and AJ Styles in mixed tag team action, and an appearance by Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns to address recent happenings within The Bloodline.
Santos Escobar is determined to win the Money in the Bank briefcase at the upcoming WWE premium live event in London, England, and vows to make Latinos proud. He will face LA Knight, Shinsuke Nakamura, Butch, Ricochet, and either Matt Riddle or Damian Priest for a shot at the career-defining briefcase. Zelina Vega, another LWO member, has also qualified for the women's Money in the Bank ladder match. Escobar's run as a main roster superstar has gained significant momentum since he aligned himself with Rey Mysterio.
Lacey Evans wore a militaristic ring gear on WWE SmackDown that resembled Sgt. Slaughter's attire, prompting his daughter to call her out on Twitter. Evans responded by praising the Hall of Famer before challenging his daughter to a fight. Evans also discussed having unfinished business with Zelina Vega and demanded a rematch.
Lacey Evans was criticized by Sgt. Slaughter's daughter on Twitter for copying her father's look during her recent appearance on Smackdown. Evans lost a Money In The Bank qualifier match against Zelina Vega and was seen wearing a camouflage jacket and hat similar to Sgt. Slaughter's attire. Fans hope that Evans will find success in WWE soon.
Zelina Vega and LA Knight have qualified for the Money in the Bank ladder matches, joining Ricochet and Shinsuke Nakamura on the men's side. Vega defeated Lacey Evans, while Knight defeated Montez Ford with the help of the ropes. The updated line-ups for both matches are now set.
Bad Bunny and Zelina Vega represented Puerto Rico in WWE's Backlash event in San Juan, with Bunny winning his match against Damian Priest and Vega putting on a stunning performance in her match against Rhea Ripley. Both expressed their gratitude to the fans and their pride in representing their roots in Puerto Rico.
Zelina Vega issues a public statement on Instagram expressing her gratitude for the support she received during her match at WWE Backlash, where she represented Puerto Rico. She thanks her fans, family, coworkers, and the team who helped create her outfit. Vega promises to keep fighting and someday become the WWE Women's Champion. She also thanks her husband and dedicates her performance to her father.
Rhea Ripley retains her SmackDown Women's Title against Zelina Vega in her hometown of San Juan, Puerto Rico, despite Vega's emotional entrance with a giant Puerto Rican flag and a chancla from her mother. Ripley's power proved too much for Vega, who managed to hit a 619 and a second-rope Meteora before being defeated by a Riptide. Vega received a standing ovation from the crowd after the match.
Dutch Mantell criticized the segment between Rhea Ripley and Zelina Vega on WWE SmackDown, stating that the roles should've been reversed, with Vega remaining in the ring and Ripley escaping after taking the DDT. Meanwhile, Freddie Prinze Jr. suggested that Vega should get some help if she wants to dethrone Ripley at Backlash.
WWE SmackDown featured the first night of the WWE Draft, with 16 draft picks announced for both Raw and SmackDown. Undisputed Tag Team Champions Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens defended their title against The Usos, while Zelina Vega faced Sonya Deville before challenging Rhea Ripley for the SmackDown Women's Championship at WWE Backlash. The Street Profits won a triple threat match against Ricochet and Braun Strowman and LWO, and Bad Bunny and Damian Priest's San Juan Street Fight at WWE Backlash was recapped.
