WWE Hall of Famer JBL has weighed in on Stephanie Vaquer’s Women’s World Championship victory at Wrestlepalooza, praising the decision and holding up the new champion as a prime example for other wrestlers to follow. Speaking on the Something To Wrestle podcast, JBL argued that Vaquer’s success is a direct result of her ability to build herself into a brand, particularly through her strong social media presence, and urged other talent to do more than simply “wait on creative” to get over with the audience.
JBL called Vaquer’s championship win a “terrific move,” explaining that she had already built the momentum and brand identity necessary to be a top star. “She’s incredibly popular, and her social media presence is awesome. So I think it makes perfect sense. The direction we’re headed is people that can be brands, and she can be a brand, and she already is developing as a brand,” JBL said.
He continued by pointing to her success as a lesson for the locker room. “So I think it’s a terrific move to go ahead and let her go to the higher level, because she was already getting there. Which I think is a sign to a lot of guys out there – you’ve gotta do more than just wait on creative. You’ve gotta create yourself on social media. I rag on these guys so much for being on their phones, but there’s a reason sometimes that you are, because of social media”.
Stephanie Vaquer captured the vacant Women’s World Championship this past Saturday at the inaugural WWE Wrestlepalooza premium live event, defeating Iyo Sky in a highly praised match. The victory marked her first championship on the WWE main roster and was a highlight of the show that kicked off WWE’s new five-year partnership with ESPN. Her first official appearance as the new champion is scheduled for this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw.
Before signing with WWE, the Chilean-born Vaquer was already a highly decorated and respected international star. She made a name for herself in CMLL and was a frequent performer for New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s NJPW STRONG brand. She held multiple titles, including the CMLL World Women’s Championship and the NJPW STRONG Women’s Championship simultaneously.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit Something to Wrestle With with an h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
