Zelina Vega Reflects On WWE Backlash – “My Life Changed Forever”
Zelina Vega may have lost her match at WWE Backlash, but the LWO member called it a life-changing experience.
At WWE Backlash on Saturday night in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Zelina Vega walked into the Smackdown Women’s Title match against Rhea Ripley as a huge underdog. However, Vega also had a very supportive crowd behind her.
Even though Zelina Vega grew up in Queens, New York, her family is Puerto Rico, so when she got to perform at Backlash, she brought her family with her and had support from her mother, stepfather and son at ringside. It was a homecoming for Vega, who was dressed in Puerto Rican colors and had a big coat with the flag on it.
There was one point in the match when Zelina Vega got a nearfall after a Meteora off the ropes, but Ripley was able to kick out of that. Shortly after that, Ripley hit her Riptide slam for the pinfall win.
On Instagram, Zelina Vega wrote a lengthy message talking about how much of an emotional night it was for her. She would thank the fans in Puerto Rico, her family, her husband Malakai Black of AEW (formerly Aleister Black in WWE) and a final word for her late father too.
Yo soy Boricua…pa’que tu lo sepas!!! 👏🏽 🎶
I woke up this morning with happy tears rolling down my face and PRAAAAYING that it wasn’t a dream like it always was.I wish I could hug every. single. one of you in the audience and everyone sending their love from home. You have NO IDEA how much this meant to me. This weekend.. my life changed forever. I’m so honored.. so grateful and feel incredibly blessed to have had the support I had last night.. from the fans, my beautiful family, my hero’s, to my coworkers.. to finally hearing HHH say “I’m so proud of you.” …and he was talking to me this time 🥲
I’m crying even typing this. To represent my people IN Puerto Rico.. man, I’ll never ever forget this.. neither will my family.. and I promise, you’ll get all of me EVERY TIME. This is not over, this is just the beginning.. someday I will become @wwe Women’s Champion.
“A hero is not one who never falls, it’s the one who gets up again and again.. never losing sight of their dreams.” – Rock Lee
MASSIVE THANK YOU to the village that created the masterpiece I wore yesterday. @herhandstyles stayed with me every step of the way making sure my hair was on point! #teamNOsleep @usamaishtay worked so hard on the whole outfit AND BEAUTIFUL FLAG.. I felt like a super hero, a princess and rockstar all at once! #LaReina @bfabulous1 slayed my make up and made sure that no matter how hard I cried, I’d still glitter like gold! @mache275 them crystals bruh!!! 🤩 insanely iconic kicks! @tansby_lp for getting my tan just right and accentuating my abs 😂I’m SO LUCKY to have you all 🙏🏽
Puerto Rico.. I love you!! #LWO mi familia.. I’m honored to stand alongside all of you. Thank you for having my back and inspiring me to keep fighting. @619iamlucha @escobarwwe @joaquinwilde_ @deltoro_wwe @badbunnypr @iambeckyg
And now, I get to be the arms of my 7 fur babies & my incredibly supportive and loving husband @malakaiblxck .. I wouldn’t be where I am personally or professionally without him. Have to say, hitting the 619 for Rey, shimmying for Eddie Guerrero and then dropping Rhea with a meteora for my husband was the coolest thing ever.
Daddy, I love you. 🇵🇷❤️
The message by Zelina Vega to her father at the end is because he passed away on September 11, 2011 (aka 9/11) when she was just ten years old.
Congratulations to Zelina Vega for having a moment in WWE that she’ll never forget.