Released Former WWE Champion Admits Not Liking Title Reign

It’s uncommon for a wrestler to dislike their title run; after all, gold is what makes champions and legacies.

However, one WWE superstar has come out and claimed that their title reign was unlike anything they had imagined.

On Friday, Zelina Vega was one of the 23 talents released from the Stamford promotion along with her real-life husband, Aleister Black. Both Vega and Black had multiple stints with the wrestling company.

While speaking on her Twitch stream, the 35-year-old revealed that she did not get a call from WWE regarding her release but rather from TKO Group.

In doing so, she noted that the situation was “very telling.”

When people call me from there, usually it would say Stamford calling you. That’s when your heart is like, ‘Oh, f**k.’ But this time it said TKO, which sounds like, ‘Ah, very telling.’ 5:09 pm is when I found out.

During the stream, the former WWE star also lashed out at journalist Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful for breaking the news of her release.

I was so shocked. But yeah, I also would have appreciated if Sean Ross Sapp or whoever the f**k announced it could have at least given me the decency to like let me do it myself first. But f**k you, dude.

Zelina Vega Hated Her WWE United States Championship Reign

Zelina held the Women’s United States Championship between April and June last year for 63 days.

On the April 25, 2025, episode of WWE SmackDown, she defeated Chelsea Green for the title, ending Green’s first singles title reign in the promotion.

In a rematch, she defeated the Canadian wrestler at Saturday Night’s Main Event before losing it to Giulia the following month on the blue brand.

Vega addressed her title run on her Twitch stream, sharing that she pitched various ideas to the creative team, only for them to be shot down.

Do I think my run with the US Title was good? Actually, I didn’t like it—I didn’t like it. Because I wanted to do so much more with that. I asked, begged, pleaded, and screamed—I wanted that title to be the workhorse title.

She then revealed the different goals that she wanted to accomplish while holding the US Championship.

I wanted to take that title to Japan, whether Marigold or STARDOM. I wanted to take it to AAA in Mexico. I wanted to actually defend it and just, obviously, get it more seen and known and have this title be what it’s supposed to be. But unfortunately, that never happened. So yeah, no—I didn’t like that. [H/T: Fightful]

Zelina Vega talks about her reign as WWE Women’s United States Champion pic.twitter.com/o4cZEDOR8V

— Wrestle Movement (@wrestlemovement) April 25, 2026

It is easy to understand Zelina’s frustrations with holding a championship but not getting to defend it often because that was the issue with Giulia, too. The Japanese wrestler held the title twice for a combined 245 days, defending it only 5 times.

On Friday, Giulia dropped the title to Tiffany Stratton, who is a former Women’s Champion.

As for Zelina, it remains to be seen what turns up as her next wrestling destination.