Raquel Rodriguez reveals her reaction to WWE changing her name on SmackDown

Former NXT Women's Champion Raquel Rodriguez
Former NXT Women's Champion Raquel Rodriguez

Raquel Rodriguez has opened up about WWE changing her ring name after being called up to the main roster.

Rodriguez was previously known as Raquel González on NXT, where she held the NXT Women's Championship and women's tag team title. She is now a part of the SmackDown roster and joins several other stars, including Butch and Ludwig Kaiser, to undergo a name change on the blue brand.

During a recent interview with Comic Book, Raquel Rodriguez stated that she didn't mind the name change and that she was open to getting a new moniker on the main roster.

"I didn't know what the change was going to be but I was open to any changes that were going to happen because I've seen from the past call ups and other people who have been on RAW and SmackDown from NXT, how things have changed for them or those who have kind of stayed the same. But honestly, it's not something that I was phased by too much. It's a last name, it's Rodriguez and I joked with Rhea [Ripley] because she was there last Friday, that now both of us have the same initials, we're both R and R," said Rodriguez.

Raquel Rodriguez on being a part of the SmackDown brand

Several NXT stars have recently been called up to the main roster, with Gunther, Tomasso Ciampa, and Raquel being a part of the list. She made her SmackDown debut on the April 8th edition of the show.

During the interview, Raquel Rodriguez spoke about being a part of the blue brand, stating that it has been seamless for her.

"I feel like it moves pretty... It's a TV show and it's a live TV show and I feel like that's what NXT does is they prepare us for everything that is live," Rodriguez said. "Everything that is going to happen on RAW and on SmackDown, and so making the move up there and going live with promos or doing pre-tapes is something that I feel comfortable with and I've already known from NXT."

Raquel Rodriguez had a successful run in NXT, and there are many things available for her to accomplish on SmackDown. There are also plenty of names she could face. It'll be interesting to see what WWE has in store for her as a part of the blue brand.


Do you think Rodriguez will win the SmackDown Women's Championship in the future? Let us know in the comments section below.

Quick Links