Zelina Vega experienced a whirlwind of emotions last Friday night, April 25th, capturing her first singles championship in WWE while also witnessing the return of her husband, Aleister Black, to the company. During an appearance on Busted Open Radio, Vega shared insights into her Women’s United States Title win, her unusual mindset that night, and the significance of Black’s comeback.
Winning the championship from Chelsea Green was a moment Vega described as surreal. “I think it was more shock and disbelief than anything else because it didn’t feel real until I heard the bell ring,” she explained, noting the unpredictable nature of wrestling where plans can change last minute. Once the win was official, the emotion hit her, comparing it to her tearful reaction at Backlash in Puerto Rico. “It’s funny because I hate crying,” she admitted, “but the two moments where I just allowed myself to be in the moment were the ones where I was kind of like the most raw… I felt like my eight year old self just kind of popped out and was living in that moment.”
Vega perceived that her victory genuinely surprised many, including fans who she felt might have lost faith after nearly a year without a significant win. “I felt like the crowd kind of gave up on me, if I’m being honest… like, ‘Okay, this is just another match, and then she’s gonna lose’…” she confessed. “But everybody in the arena was shocked, like everybody. Even people backstage.” Despite this perception, Vega typically feels immense pre-match nerves, but revealed an unusual calm heading into the title bout.
She directly attributed this rare sense of ease to her husband’s return happening the same evening. “I’m usually super, super nervous… but that day, because of obviously my husband coming back, I was at such an ease. It was crazy. That never, ever happens to me, so it was nice to feel kind of at ease,” Vega shared. Regarding how the title change came about, Vega suggested it might have stemmed from collaborative pitching with Green (“Chelsea and I coming together and wanting to do this together… we think that this is a really cool idea”), though she noted the final decision came “late in the day.” She also praised Green, saying, “I had a lot of fun with her… loved being in the ring with her.”
The combination of her championship win and Black’s return made the night feel incredibly significant. “It really just felt like the fairy tale ending to that,” Vega said, comparing the feeling of closure to when she and Andrade left NXT. “It felt like after everything that both him and I had been through, it felt like, okay, that chapter of the crazy is done, and now we can start this new chapter… I think he was so ready for that. He was so ready to return home.”
While seeing Black perform again was gratifying, Vega highlighted a specific backstage moment as particularly meaningful. “Honestly, my favorite part was, obviously seeing him go out there and do what he does, but Hunter hugging him afterwards and saying, ‘Welcome home’ was really, really nice,” she concluded.
Vega shared these comments on Busted Open Radio, which airs daily on SiriusXM Fight Nation, with podcast versions available.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Busted Open Radio with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
