Sol Ruca Didn’t Expect To Get A Pop When Making Main Roster Debut, Praises WWE For Integrating NXT Stars Onto Raw & SmackDown Ahead Of Being Called Up

WWE

Sol Ruca has praised WWE’s approach in integrating NXT stars onto the main roster ahead of their official call-ups to Raw or SmackDown.

Following WrestleMania 42, several WWE stars officially made the jump from NXT to Raw and SmackDown.

While Fatal Influence, Blake Monroe and Ricky Saints head to Friday Night SmackDown, Joe Hendry, Ethan Page and Sol Ruca made the move to WWE Raw, however, this was not the first time main roster fans had been introduced to many of these new faces.

Blake Monroe, Ricky Saints and Ethan Page had made cameos in the crowd during SmackDown in the past, Jacy Jayne competed at last year’s WWE Evolution PLE and Joe Hendry had high profile appearances at the 2025 Royal Rumble and WrestleMania 41.

Of the names called up however, arguably Sol Ruca had received the biggest push from WWE in the months proceeding her signing with Raw.

Not only did Ruca compete twice on SmackDown in 2025, but the former NXT Women’s North American Champion defeated Bayley at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event in Washington D.C. on December 13, and then one month later made it to the final three of the 2026 Women’s Royal Rumble Match in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

During an interview with Ringer Wrestling, Ruca praised WWE’s approach to introducing her to the main roster audience before being officially called up:

“They’ve definitely prepared us very very well. And I think in my case specifically, being able to go up to the main roster and do Raw and SmackDown and be in the Royal Rumble and stuff like that was a really good way for the fans to get to know me and to see me, and I think that has helped.”

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The importance of WWE NXT talent being seen on main roster TV, Ruca feels, is due to not every fan being familiar with the NXT product, and she admitted to being surprised when she received a pop in her main roster debut:

“I think they’re starting to do that more; get the NXT people on these bigger shows on the main roster to get the fans interested and invested, so that when we do get there, it’s not like starting all over.

“We still are, in a sense starting over, because not everyone watches every single show and has seen everything that I’ve done, but every time I go out, like even on my debut, I got a pop, which I was not expecting. But I definitely think that the way that they’re doing this and integrating NXT onto the main roster is going to be really, really beneficial for all of us coming up.”

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In what will be her third match on WWE Raw, Sol Ruca will take on Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch at tomorrow’s Saturday Night’s Main Event in a non-title match.

Ahead of the match, Ruca teased potentially having some special plans for hitting a Sol Snatcher on “The Man” – click here for full details.

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