Zelina Vega’s emotional entrance and hard-fought match against Rhea Ripley at the 2023 Backlash event in Puerto Rico became one of the most memorable moments of the year. In a recent interview, Vega pulled back the curtain on that night, revealing that the match was originally planned to be much shorter and that the incredible reaction from the fans changed everything.
“A Love Letter to Puerto Rico”
Speaking on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Vega explained that the match was initially intended to be a quick, dominant first title defense for Rhea Ripley. However, the passionate support from the San Juan crowd for their hometown hero was so overwhelming that it forced a change in plans on the fly.
“That match wasn’t supposed to be about me. It was supposed to be about Rhea, and it was supposed to be like her first title defense, she’s gonna look like a monster, like that was the plan. I understood it. Everyone understood it… That match was supposed to be a lot shorter than what it was, very, very, very short… It’s funny that it wasn’t by anybody else’s doing, but the fans that they changed it like the fans had the power that, like those two nights, 1,000,000% the fans had the power because they changed everything… It was such a beautiful, like, love letter to Puerto Rico and all of its wrestlers. Like, I think that’s really what it was. It was like a love letter to them by the fans.”
“I Wanted To Be A Walking Puerto Rican Flag”
For Vega, the moment was the culmination of a lifelong dream to perform in front of her family on the island. She detailed her vision for the night, wanting every aspect of her presentation to be a tribute to her heritage.
“I want to be a walking Puerto Rican flag. Like, I’ve never gotten to wrestle in Puerto Rico. I never got to do it in front of, like, that specific part of my family that lives out there… From the hair to the nails to the shoes to the outfit I wanted everything… I remember feelings, like, I remember like, the lump in my throat, like the hole in my chest, like the sinking feeling in my stomach, and like, just not being able to breathe all the way because I was so nervous… I remember thinking, like, this is my WrestleMania. Like, this is this? Felt like WrestleMania, especially the second they panned out and you see everybody in the arena, and then just little me. I was like, holy s–t.”
The 2023 Backlash premium live event is widely considered one of WWE’s most successful international shows, largely due to the incredible energy of the Puerto Rican crowd that Vega was a central part of.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Chris Van Vliet with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
