Zelina Vega has revealed the sweet message she received from Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson after her emotional night at WWE Backlash.
The WWE superstar faced Rhea Ripley for the SmackDown Women’s Championship in front of a passionate crowd in Puerto Rico back in May, and she broke down in tears as she soaked up the loved from the fans, eventually getting to really take it in the next morning.
She exclusively told Metro.co.uk: ‘I just remember the next day, I woke up and I was like, “Wait, was that real?” I had to go back and watch it on my phone and I was like, I can’t believe that this is real.
‘I woke up to the sweetest texts from The Rock. He was like, “Think about the moment when I first met you, you were an extra as a Rosebud and you were just wanting a chance, an opportunity. And now to this moment you had in Puerto Rico – such a crazy journey!” It’s amazing!’
The inaugural Queen’s Crown winner admitted she normally tries to hold back the tears, but she felt a profound connection to the fans when she finally let herself go.
‘I am so not a crier – I hate doing it! So when I just finally let go, I stopped fighting it and I was allowing myself to be vulnerable, that’s when I felt the most connected to the WWE fans,’ she added. ‘There are no words for that.’
Zelina, who played AJ Lee in the Hollywood heavyweight’s movie Fighting With My Family about fellow wrestler Paige, has become friends with the wrestling legend turned Hollywood superstar over the years.
She even called him for advice before she returned to the company in 2021, and the decision to come back has paid off as she finds herself heading into a huge Money In The Bank Ladder Match tonight at The O2 in London.
‘I’ve ben watching a lot of old Jeff Hardy stuff, Rey Mysterio, making sure that the “wow” moment belongs to me,’ she said of her preparation heading into the match.
‘I feel like if I can just get inside their heads and see where they were in those moments, it helps me. I talk to Rey every week, you know? It’s crazy that he’s become such a father figure to me. It’s so, so cool!’
There’s a lot at stake this evening, with the woman grabbing the briefcase earning a world championship match at any point in the next 12 months, while there’s a chance to define a career with a standout performance.
‘Oh my gosh, I’m looking forward to it but it; a bit of nerves, but also it’s such a historic pay per view – you get giddy thinking about it,’ she admitted.
‘For me, you have to delve in it completely. If you’re gonna do it, you might as well overdo it! We’re gonna do something crazy!’
