Interview: WWE Superstar Raquel Rodriguez

Raquel Rodriguez has spent years establishing herself as one of the most powerful women in WWE.

Now she has the championship to prove it.

The current WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion has reached another level in a career that has taken her from college basketball to NXT, The Judgment Day and championship success on WWE’s main roster.

During a recent interview with ReviewSTL, Rodriguez reflected on that journey, the experiences that prepared her for WWE and how much more confident she has become since beginning her career.

For Rodriguez, that may be one of the biggest differences between the wrestler who first arrived in WWE and the champion fans see today.

She is more comfortable with herself and more confident in her abilities.

Long before Rodriguez was throwing opponents around a WWE ring, she was competing on the basketball court.

Rodriguez played college basketball at Texas A&M-Kingsville, and during her conversation with ReviewSTL, she credited that experience with helping prepare her for the demands she would eventually face in WWE.

Playing at the collegiate level required discipline, conditioning and the ability to perform as part of a team. It also introduced her to the pressures that come with competing at a higher level.

“Basketball was such a huge part of my life and I learned so much about discipline, competition and teamwork from the game,” Rodriguez said. ““I learned the importance of hard work.”

Those lessons followed her into wrestling.

Basketball also helped Rodriguez become comfortable using the size and athleticism that would eventually distinguish her from many of her opponents.

Rodriguez also had another valuable resource when she entered professional wrestling.

Her father was a wrestler himself.

Rodriguez credited her father with being instrumental in her career, particularly when she needed advice from someone who understood what life inside the wrestling business could be like.

“My dad was always there to give me advice,” she said. “He was actually reluctant to see me go into wrestling at first, he knew how tough the struggle to succeed could be.”

His experience gave Rodriguez someone she could turn to as she navigated the challenges that come with learning the profession and eventually performing on WWE’s biggest stages.

That combination of her athletic background, her father’s guidance and her own experience helped prepare Rodriguez for what was ahead.

Rodriguez’s résumé has grown considerably since those early days.

She captured the NXT Women’s Championship in 2021 and became a two-time NXT Women’s Tag Team Champion. Alongside Dakota Kai, Rodriguez also won the inaugural Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.

Success followed her to WWE’s main roster, where Rodriguez became a multiple-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion. Her debut SmackDown match was against UFC Hall of Famer and former WWE Women’s champion, Ronda Rousey. 

When asked if there was a particular moment when she realized she belonged at that level, Rodriguez said there have been many.

“There are so many,” she said. “Winning the Intercontinental Championship from Sol Ruca is definitely one. I guess another that stands out was working with former UFC champion and WWE Superstar Ronda Rousey.”

Rodriguez said working with Rousey taught her a great deal about herself and helped her become more confident in using her strength inside the ring.

Rodriguez added another major accomplishment to her résumé this summer.

On July 27, Rodriguez defeated Sol Ruca on Monday Night Raw to capture the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship.

It represented another milestone for Rodriguez, but perhaps more importantly, gave her the opportunity to establish herself as a singles champion on WWE’s main roster.

Rodriguez has since successfully defended the championship, including a rematch against Ruca on Aug. 31.

The title also places Rodriguez in a prominent position during an exciting period for WWE’s women’s division.

And she doesn’t take that position lightly.

Rodriguez’s championship reign is also unfolding while she is surrounded by some of WWE’s most recognizable personalities in The Judgment Day.

Her career has become closely intertwined with Liv Morgan, Roxanne Perez and “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio.

Rodriguez and Morgan have enjoyed considerable success together, with their partnership becoming one of the defining relationships of Rodriguez’s main-roster career.

Perez has brought another dynamic to the group and was one of the wrestlers Rodriguez mentioned when discussing the depth of talent in WWE’s women’s division.

Then there is Mysterio, whose personality and ability to draw a reaction from WWE audiences have made him one of The Judgment Day’s most visible members.

“We all have such great chemistry together, Rodriguez said. “We have a lot of fun and really feed off each other when we are out there in the ring. I think each of us brings something different to the table and when you add it all up you get one of the best factions in WWE.”

Within that collection of personalities, Rodriguez has carved out an unmistakable role.

She is the powerhouse, and now she carries championship gold.

Rodriguez has had a front-row seat for the continued evolution of women’s wrestling in WWE.

She described the progression as amazing and pointed to the amount of talent throughout the company, mentioning performers ranging from Morgan and Perez to up-and-comers like Ruca, Vice and Kelani Jordan.

“Liv is going to get her title back from (Stephanie) Vaquer, and we will see Roxanne get her Money in the Bank qualifier soon,” Rodriguez added. “Jordan looked awesome in our match the other night and I can’t wait to see what she does next.”

One name Rodriguez mentioned was Sol Ruca, the woman she defeated to become Women’s Intercontinental Champion.

She also pointed to Lola Vice as someone fans should watch. Vice provided a recent example of why when she scored a pinfall over Rodriguez during a Money in the Bank qualifying match on Raw.

With established stars and younger performers continually emerging, Rodriguez believes there is plenty of room for WWE’s women’s division to continue growing.

Rodriguez’s journey has also included times when wrestling was taken away from her.

Injuries and well-publicized health issues have forced her away from competition.

Those experiences changed the way she views being able to perform.

“That definitely made me appreciate being inside a WWE ring even more,” she said. “When something that consumes so much of your life is suddenly unavailable, simply being able to compete again takes on greater meaning.”

Today, Rodriguez is not simply back in the ring.

She is a champion.

When asked if she could wrestle any competitor past or present, Rodriguez’ eyes lit up. 

“There’s so many! But, I guess one would be Medusa,” she said. “I had a chance to meet and talk with Alundra Blayze and she was so nice and just gave me some great advice. She was such a pioneer for the women performers today.”

Her other choice would create one heck of a battle between two powerhouses.

Chyna.

“The Ninth Wonder of the World” broke barriers with a combination of strength and physical presence rarely seen in WWE at the time. A match between Chyna and Rodriguez would have provided an opportunity for two generations of WWE powerhouses to collide.

“I mean, she’s the OG,” Rodriguez said. She broke down barriers for women in the business.”

For now, Rodriguez is looking ahead to WWE’s return to St. Louis on Oct. 5 and what she expects to be another memorable night for WWE fans.

“It’s going to be an exciting night,” Rodriguez said. “We are still on the road to Money in the Bank and Survivor Series is right around the corner.” 

And this time, Rodriguez arrives in St. Louis with something particularly important around her waist.

The WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship.