How Sol Ruca Really Ended Up In WWE
Everybody who gets into a WWE ring has a unique journey to get there, including NXT Women’s North American Champion Sol Ruca.
Sol Ruca is the 25-year-old WWE NXT Women’s North American Champion and the WWE Speed Champion. That’s impressive, considering she had never considered being a WWE superstar until she signed with the company in March 2022.
In just three years, Sol Ruca improved so much as a performer that she won the NXT Women’s North American Title at the Stand & Deliver PLE, which is NXT’s biggest show of the year.
What’s even more impressive about Ruca’s rise in WWE is that she lost nearly a year of in-ring action due to a torn ACL, which cost her most of 2023, before she returned to the ring in early 2024.
While speaking to Bubba Ray Dudley, aka Bully Ray, on Busted Open After Dark recently, Ruca revealed that she didn’t seek out WWE – they found her.
“I have, like, zero pro wrestling background… I honestly like being here now? I wish I would’ve known about it sooner because I think I would’ve been like ‘This is what I wanna do.’
At the time, I was living in Hawaii, I was doing social media full-time, with personal training. I was working with brands, I was – like – posting flips and tricks on the beach, that was kinda, like, my niche – like – little content that I would post and I would get sponsored by brands.”
A recruiter from WWE contacted Ruca via direct message after seeing her online.
“Got the DM, and I was like: I don’t know about this… Is this like UFC? – I thought it was, like, the same thing – I don’t know how to fight? I don’t want to do that!”
Sol Ruca Didn’t Know What A Promo Was
The term “promo” is used in pro wrestling when somebody speaks on a microphone or into the camera. At that point, the wrestler usually talks about wanting to beat their opponent in a match or simply bragging about how good they are.
As she continued discussing her journey to becoming a WWE superstar, Sol Ruca did research about it and also admitted she didn’t know about promos.
“And I, like, Googled, like, ‘former gymnast’ – like, someone who had the same background as me – and saw Kacy Catanzaro – Katana Chance – and I was like ‘Okay! Like, this is sick! Like, I’ll give it a try!’ It’s a free trip to Florida, like, might as well do it! If I don’t make it, it’s a hell of a story to tell people!”
Flew out here, and the first day was Promo Class. I was like: ‘I don’t even know what a promo is? What does that even mean?’
I go up there and it’s probably the worst promo they’ve ever seen.”
Bully Ray would go on to say that WWE officials likely realized Ruca had the “It Factor” and signed her to a deal because they knew what kind of potential she had. In present-day WWE, Sol is living up to that potential and then some.