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Ohio Valley Wrestling's Cat Cardoza was the local competitor who faced Raquel Rodriguez on her debut during WWE SmackDown.
Before the match officially commenced, Cardoza started throwing punches at Rodriguez. When the bell rang, Raquel hit Cat with a powerful clothesline. The former NXT Women's Champion displayed immense power, lifting Cardoza and hitting a couple of Fallaway Slams. Towards the end, Raquel hit the Chingona Bomb and pinned Cardoza to win.
Cat Cardoza was formerly associated with AEW, where she participated under the ring name Leila Grey. She's also the current OVW Women's Champion, winning the title two weeks ago. Cardoza will defend her title against Freya The Slaya at the upcoming OVW Derby City Destruction event.
Following her appearance on SmackDown, Cardoza tweeted to share her excitement and gratitude:
Cat Cardoza is known for her work across various local promotions like Game Changer Wrestling (GCW), Coastal Championship Wrestling (CCW), and Pro Wrestling 2.0.
Check out the results from the latest episode of SmackDown here.
Raquel Rodriguez opens up after her SmackDown debut
Following her recent appearances on the main roster, Raquel Rodriguez (formerly known as Raquel González) made her in-ring debut on the latest episode of the blue brand against OVW's Cat Cardoza.
The former NXT Women's Champion signed with WWE in 2016. Rodriguez was the winner of the inaugural Women's Dusty Rhodes Classic alongside Dakota Kai.
In April of last year, Rodriguez defeated Io Shirai at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver to win the women's title. She's also a two-time women's tag team champion in NXT.
In a WWE Digital Exclusive, Raquel Rodriguez said she was overwhelmed with her debut on the blue brand, and it was a dream come true:
"Words can't even describe it, all I can say is for the past years that I've started at NXT and been with WWE, I've literally dreamed of this moment. I've dreamed of this match, I've dreamed of walking through that curtain hearing my music, looking around in a giant colosseum and thousands of people and seeing them just smile and cheer for me. I looked in the mirror before walking out and I was, like, 'You did this, you got here, Raquel. You are here because of you and because you never quit. Never say never.' It's so freakin awesome." (from 00:14 to 00:51)
The 31-year-old superstar had an impressive NXT run, and her debut on SmackDown showcased why she's such a valued talent in WWE. It remains to be seen how Raquel Rodriguez will be booked in the coming months.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit WWE Digital Exclusive and add a H/T to Sportskeeda.
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