Top WWE Star Was Worried Chants Would Drown Out Huge Backlash Moment

WWE

WWE Backlash in Puerto Rico took place last weekend, and there were many big moments on the show.

One of which saw Zelina Vega challenge Rhea Ripley for the SmackDown Women’s Championship, with Vega getting the biggest moment of her career despite losing the match.

Vega’s reaction was an emotional moment, with her receiving a standing ovation after the match.

Speaking to Peter Rosenberg on Cheap Heat, Rhea discussed the moment, and how she was worried that Vega’s moment would be drowned out by chants of ‘Mami’.

She said:

“I was honestly living in that moment. We had the press conference earlier that day and I heard the reaction Zelina got when she went out there, it was loud. I was very excited for her, but then I went out there and it all turned into mami chants and I was like, ‘Oh.’ It’s cool to hear, don’t get me wrong, but I was thinking about later that night and I was like ‘Oh no, hopefully Mami chants don’t drown anything out’, because I know how special this event is to her because I know how special it would be for me to be able to perform in Australia, so I can relate to that. Especially since she’s never had that big opportunity that she’s worked so hard for, this was like her WrestleMania moment in a way.

“When I went out there first and I got the mami chants, I was [worried] but wanted to see what happened when her music hit. The crowd just like turned on me instantly, I had to like sort of talk to myself like ‘Yo, they are so hot for her right now, I can only imagine the emotions that she’s feeling right now’ and then seeing her walk out with the flag, go to her family, hug them, get in the ring and get so emotional live on camera when I know that she’s not a very emotional showing person, it was hard for me to play off it in a way that Rhea Ripley would because [I felt it personally]. I wanted to smile with her, but I wouldn’t.

“I’m very happy she got that moment and she got that opportunity, and I know it’s gonna be something that she’s not gonna forget for the rest of her life. I’m glad that I could be the person in the ring with her to help her get to the point where everyone is just like believing in her in an established way.”

WWE has uploaded an emotional backstage video of Vega from Backlash in Puerto Rico, which can be seen here.

Rhea Ripley seemingly set up her next championship match against Natalya on this week’s episode of Raw.

Here’s a recap of what happened on the May 8 episode of WWE Raw:

Seth ‘Freakin’ Rollins def. Damian Priest, Shinsuke Nakamura in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship tournament

Mustafa Ali def. Otis when Chad Gable and Maxxine Dupri argued and distracted Otis

Finn Balor def. Cody Rhodes, The Miz in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship tournament

Brock Lesnar, who had cost Cody Rhodes the aforementioned three-way, attacked Rhodes and demanded a rematch from Backlash at Night of Champions, which Rhodes later accepted

Rhea Ripley def. Dana Brooke and was then confronted by Natalya

Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn def. Giovanni Vinci & Ludwig Kaiser

Johnny Gargano, Candice LeRae, Indi Hartwell and Dexter Lumis reunited The Way backstage, and Gargano hinted at someone else returning soon which could be Tommaso Ciampa

Zoey Stark def. Nikki Cross

Becky Lynch returned and confronted Trish Stratus

Dominik Mysterio def. Xavier Woods

Seth Rollins def. Finn Balor in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship tournament

transcription via Fightful

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• backlash
• Zelina Vega
• rhea ripley
• wwe

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