Raquel Gonzalez is the face of NXT’s women’s division right now. She won the NXT Women’s Championship at the NXT TakeOver: Stand and Deliver event. Io Shirai defended her title against Raquel that night. However, Io could not retain her championship as Raquel seized the gold. This was the first time Raquel became the NXT Women’s Champion.
Prior to this, Raquel had captured the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championships. She won the belts with Dakota Kai. They were the first tag team to be named the WWE NXT Women’s Tag Team Championships. However, their reign was not so long. Now that Raquel Gonzalez is at the top of the women’s division, here are some interesting things you need to know about the American professional wrestler.
1. The real name of Raquel Gonzalez
Often, the WWE fans would have noted that the Superstars do not use the same name in the in-ring competition as their real life. However, WWE has kept the last name of Raquel Gonzalez the same. Her birth name is Victoria Gonzalez. She was born on January 12, 1991. Earlier this year, she celebrated her 30th birthday.
Raquel is a second generational talent. Her father Rick Gonzalez was also a professional wrestler. She has carried the legacy of her family ahead. Having won the NXT Women’s title, the only way for Raquel is up. It will be exciting to see when she receives her main roster call-up.
2. Raquel Gonzalez signed with WWE in 2016
Five years is a long time in WWE. Many Superstars have taken the careers to the next level in a duration of five years. The same is the case with Raquel Gonzalez. She signed with the biggest professional wrestling promotion in the world, WWE, back in 2016. Earlier, she wrestled under the name of Reina Gonzalez. She earned a place in the first-ever Mae Young Classic.
Unfortunately, Gonzalez could not make it big in the competition. She suffered a first-round defeat at the hands of Nicole Savoy. However, that loss only helped Raquel get better. She is now atop the NXT Women’s division. The fans expect to stay at the helm for an extended period.
3. Her first title reign lasted less than an hour
While Raquel Gonzalez has dominated the NXT Women’s division, her first title reign in WWE did not last long. As mentioned ahead, she won the tag titles with Dakota Kai. However, the pair put the titles on the line the same night they received them. Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart defeated the duo for the gold. It was a title reign of only 56 minutes.
Every champion wants to have a memorable title reign. However, not everyone succeeds in it. Losing the NXT tag titles proved to be a stepping stone for Gonzalez. She did not lose confidence and went after the singles title. Eventually, she beat Io to become the champion.
4. Braun Strowman made a bold prediction for her in December 2020
Braun Strowman is a former Universal Champion. He weighs 385 lbs. Recently, he beat Drew McIntyre on RAW to earn a place in the main event of WrestleMania Backlash. Braun is a good friend of Raquel. Back in December 2020, he made a tweet about Raquel.
In that tweet, Braun mentioned that she was the future of WWE. Just a few months later, Raquel is now the NXT Women’s Champion. She also became the inaugural NXT Women’s Tag Team Champion. So, things have looked good for Raquel. Braun’s bold prediction indeed proved to be true.
