Stephanie Vaquer’s injury angle on Monday’s WWE Raw appears to have been built around a real injury, adding an unfortunate layer to what has already been a difficult stretch following her WrestleMania 42 title loss.
Bryan Alvarez reported that Vaquer’s shoulder injury is legitimate and is likely the sprain referenced on air by Michael Cole following the backstage attack. On Raw, Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez, acting alongside Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan, attacked Vaquer backstage in a segment that saw Perez ram an equipment box directly into Vaquer’s shoulder. Cole later announced on commentary that Vaquer had suffered a second-degree AC sprain as a result of the attack and would be out for a bit.
It is unclear where the injury was initially sustained, with Alvarez noting that the specific origin of the shoulder issue has not been confirmed. It is possible the injury predated the Raw angle and that the backstage attack was designed to write Vaquer off television in a way that could be addressed storyline-wise upon her return.
The timing is significant from a creative standpoint. Vaquer had just come off a Women’s World Championship loss to Morgan at WrestleMania 42 night one on April 18, a match that Bodyslam reported was kept shorter than planned because both Vaquer and Morgan were already dealing with physical issues heading into the show.
A second-degree AC sprain, which involves a partial tear of the acromioclavicular ligament in the shoulder, typically requires several weeks to a few months of recovery depending on severity and the demands placed on the joint during rehabilitation. We wish her a speedy recovery.
