WWE SmackDown star receiving backstage praise - Reports

A WWE SmackDown star is receiving backstage praise for a recent performance on the blue brand.

The Latino World Order had a ton of momentum heading into WWE Crown Jewel 2023 but that all has come crashing down. Rey Mysterio put the United States Championship on the line against Logan Paul at the premium live event. However, the LWO's Santos Escobar made his way ringside.

In the closing stages of the encounter, instead of removing brass knuckles that The Maverick's associate brought to the ring, Escobar instead left the weapon on the ring apron. Logan Paul used them to his advantage and knocked out Mysterio to become the new champion.

Santos Escobar unleashed a brutal attack on Mysterio this past Friday on SmackDown and warned him not to come back after undergoing successful knee surgery. Zelina Vega was overwhelmed with anger and emotion following Escobar's attack on her stablemate.

According to a new report from PW Insider (via Ringside News) "quite a few people internally" raved about Zelina Vega's emotional performance on SmackDown last week. The report added that Vega had done some acting work before joining the company.

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Zelina Vega reveals she wants to manage Randy Orton in WWE

LWO's Zelina Vegna recently disclosed that she would like the opportunity to manage Randy Orton on WWE television.

Randy Orton has been out of action since last May, but many fans are expecting The Viper to finally make his return at WWE Survivor Series on November 25. In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling's Thomas Crack ahead of Money in the Bank, Vega stated that she would like to manage The Legend Killer because they have a lot in common.

"Randy Orton. Yeah, I think him and I have a lot in common. I think that when it comes to just mentally, we have a lot in common, you know, common goals and things. So, definitely Randy Orton." [From 0:47 onwards]

You can check out the full video below:

Zelina Vega competed in the biggest match of her career earlier this year at Backlash when she challenged Rhea Ripley for the SmackDown Women's Championship. Despite coming up short, Zelina Vega proved that she is a viable contender and it will be interesting to see when the SmackDown star gets another opportunity at a title.

Were you impressed with Zelina Vega's performance on this past Friday's episode of WWE SmackDown? Have you enjoyed the rivalry between Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar so far? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.