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Since arriving on WWE's main roster, Chilean born star Stephanie Vaquer has enraptured and energized audiences watching WWE worldwide.
Now the reigning WWE Women’s World Champion, Vaquer has had a year unlike any other. From overcoming illness before the biggest match of her life to becoming the first Chilean to hold WWE gold, Vaquer’s rise to superstardom is a story of perseverance, passion, and pure heart.
And now, with her first WrestleMania appearance on the horizon, set for a return to Las Vegas, and her Australian debut at Crown Jewel: Perth, her whirlwind journey shows no signs of slowing down.
For Vaquer, the dream is about to get even bigger.
“First, I’m excited to return to Las Vegas. I love Las Vegas,” Vaquer said with a smile. “It’s always a big show there. For me, for my career, Wrestlemania is… it’s Wrestlemania! I’m excited for that reason. I enjoy it a lot. I was there last Wrestlemania just watching, but now I want to be there and have a great match.”
The road to the Showcase of the Immortals, however, will take her across the globe, first to Perth, Australia, where she faces Tiffany Stratton at Crown Jewel.
“Tiffany is amazing,” Vaquer said. “So I’m excited for this match. It’s my first time in Australia, but everyone says Australia has a really nice energy, so I’m excited to be there. I know it’s a big match, and I love winning new titles, so I know it’s a big challenge. My eyes are on the Crown Jewel Championship.”
Vaquer’s path to the top was not without recent struggles. Before winning the WWE Women’s World Championship from Iyo Sky at WrestlePalooza, she faced a fight outside the ring, battling a severe illness that nearly kept her from competing.
“I was sick for three weeks before my match, but really sick,” she recalled. “I had a bacteria in my throat. Something really weird. I couldn’t eat or drink anything for three days. I felt so weak, so bad, but all the WWE medical team helped me and supported me a lot.”
The match, the climax of a lifetime journey that had already taken Vaquer across the world and back again, was almost canceled. But Vaquer refused to back down.
“They almost canceled my match because the medical team said, ‘You’re not cleared yet,’” she said. “But I told them, ‘Please, I promise I’m ready.’ Maybe I didn’t really feel good. My body felt weak, but I said, ‘I need to do this match. I need to make history.’ Sometimes you need to fight with your heart, not with your body.”
That heart carried her through the match, already celebrated as the best of WWE'S ESPN debut during WrestlePalooza, and elevated her to an even bigger fan favorite on a worldwide stage.
“It’s not just the dream of my life, not just winning a championship,” Vaquer said. “Wrestling is my life. It’s everything for me. Iyo is amazing, so winning the title with one of the best in the world is ‘Wow.’ We made history. WWE, ESPN, and the first WrestlePalooza ever. My dad was there too, so for me it’s amazing. The crowd could feel everything with me.”
The love from the audience fuels her every day. “People always support me, and that gives me motivation,” Vaquer added. “Everything I can do in the ring is because people really support me. I know they can feel everything when I wrestle.”
Becoming the first Chilean and first Latina to hold the WWE Women’s World Championship is a milestone Vaquer carries with pride.
“Yeah, I’m the first Latina and WWE Women’s World Champion, and I’m so proud,” she said. “Many people told me, ‘You can’t because you’re a woman. You can’t because you don’t speak English. You can’t because you don’t know WWE.’ Many reasons. But now I say: nothing is impossible. Nothing. Nothing.
Vaquer’s career has taken her from Chile to Mexico, Japan, and finally the United States. But every success in life is accompanied by sacrifice.
“Before WWE, I moved from my country to Mexico. I went to Japan many times. Every place has a different culture, a different language. It’s hard because I had to change my life completely,” she said. “My family is in Chile, and I’ve been away from home for twelve years. I miss them every day. It’s really hard, but it’s the sacrifice for my passion, my wrestling.”
Even with a top title strapped around her waist and firmly entrenched as a centerpiece of Raw, Vaquer’s hunger for challenges hasn’t faded.
“I always want more,” she said. “I love challenges. I love learning more and doing more. I had a really good experience in Madison Square Garden when I won both titles in NXT, so I’m so happy to keep making history. I’ll be there again [this November].”
And as for Crown Jewel? “This match is a big challenge because Tiffany is really good,” she said. “She’s been champion for a long time, and I’m excited for this match. The Crown Jewel Championship is my next goal.”
Not that Vaquer is looking past Australia, but there is already a dream match opponent on her horizon.
“I think everyone in the WWE Women’s Division is amazing,” she said. “But I really want to wrestle Rhea Ripley. She’s amazing. She's amazing and I love her because she is amazing person too. I always watched her on TV and said she's amazing, but now I know she's amazing person too. She has a really nice style and she has a really big experience in WWE, so I I'm sure I'd learn a lot about her if we had a match."
Despite the grind of constant travel, Vaquer’s love for her new home shines through.
“The best part is the support, the support people give me,” she said. “Wherever I go, people are really nice to me. I can visit other places, see more of America. I really love living here. I want to live here forever. "
“Traveling with my coworkers is like being with family,” she added. “We travel a lot together, and I love visiting new cities. It’s amazing.”
As her journey continues toward Crown Jewel and WrestleMania 42, Vaquer remains deeply grateful to the fans who helped her get here.
“Thank you so much. Thank you so much everyone,” she said. “You always support me, and that gives me motivation. Because of that, I can make more history. I really appreciate everything."
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