Rising WWE Star Receives Major Backstage Praise

One of WWE’s rising stars has made a good impression on both talent and backstage officials.

Zoey Stark has been wrestling since 2013, and in 2021, she signed a contract with WWE. Making her debut on a January episode of 205 Live, Stark quickly found herself a fixture in NXT and even won tag team gold alongside IYO SKY (then known as Io Shirai) the following July at Great American Bash.

Stark suffered a major setback in October of 2021 when she tore her MCL and meniscus at Halloween Havoc. She was written off television with an attack from Jacy Jayne and Gigi Dolin, finally making her return the following July.

After making her main roster debut in the 2023 Royal Rumble, Stark was officially drafted to the red brand in April, making her Raw debut on the May 8th episode. At Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia, Stark shocked the world when she helped Trish Stratus defeat Becky Lynch, aligning herself with the WWE Hall of Famer.

In the following months, Stark would continue to come to Stratus’ aid in her ongoing feud with Becky Lynch. However, at Payback on September 2nd, Stratus attacked Stark after she failed to defeat Becky Lynch inside a steel cage. Not one to be disrespected, Stark hit her Z-360 finisher on Stratus and ripped off her “Thank you Trish” shirt, ending their alliance for good.

Zoey Stark Receiving Heavy Praise Backstage In WWE

According to a new report from Fightful Select, Stark has been getting “great reviews” from talent she’s worked with on the main roster as well as from those backstage. She’s been praised for how she handled her call-up to the main roster and all the responsibilities associated with that.

In addition, Stark was praised for her resilience through her knee injury and for not missing a beat in-ring upon her return to action. This led to WWE officials wanting to get a good look at her on Main Event, where she competed in multiple matches prior to her Royal Rumble appearance and eventual call-up to Raw. NXT was told to wrap up her storylines back in March as she was slated to be called up to the red brand soon.