During the post-show press conference following WWE Wrestlepalooza, WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque provided a behind-the-scenes update on the new Women’s World Champion, Stephanie Vaquer. He revealed that Vaquer had been dealing with a significant illness in the weeks leading up to the event, which explained her recent absence from WWE television.
Levesque addressed the situation directly when asked about the lead-up to the championship match, offering an explanation for why the build felt different from other major matches on the card.
“I’ll let everybody in on a behind-the-scenes secret with Stephanie,” Triple H said. “In the last few weeks, Stephanie has been very sick. I don’t know all the details of what the flu-type thing going on, but she was very sick. It’s why she missed TV and why there was an odd build to it. She was able to feel well enough and get cleared medically to compete tonight.”
Despite the recent illness, Vaquer competed as scheduled at Wrestlepalooza in Indianapolis. She faced IYO SKY for the vacant Women’s World Championship and won the match, securing her first major singles title on the main roster.
Vaquer’s championship victory is the latest milestone in a period of rapid advancement for the superstar since she joined the main roster. After winning a number one contender’s opportunity at the Evolution premium live event, she was positioned for a championship match, which ultimately took place at tonight’s event. Her win places her at the top of the Raw women’s division.
The comments from Levesque provide an explanation for what he described as an “odd build” to the title match. Vaquer’s absence from television in the final weeks before Wrestlepalooza prevented any on-screen interactions with her opponent, IYO SKY. The confirmation of her illness provides real-world context for the on-screen storyline.
Moving forward, Vaquer has Rhea Ripley waiting in line for her title shot. Last week in a backstage segment, Ripley said she planned to come for the champion.
