Raquel Gonzalez Discusses Winning NXT Women’s Title, ‘Powerhouses’ Taking Over WWE Women’s Division

In a recent interview with DAZN, new NXT Women’s Champion Raquel Gonzalez discussed winning the NXT Women’s title, ‘powerhouses’ taking over the WWE women’s division, and much more. Here are some of the highlights:

Raquel Gonzalez on winning the NXT Women’s title: “It feels amazing. It’s such an honor to know that they (WWE) looked at me and said this is someone that we can trust, and someone that we believe can lead this locker room and lead this division into the next chapter of NXT. NXT is known for being not only the third brand of WWE but for being innovative, for being creative, and a little different style from RAW and Smackdown. That’s something that I know they’re looking to me to continue to deliver, to continue to bring eyes and new eyes to the women’s division. NXT is forever growing, forever changing, and forever developing and evolving into something bigger and newer it feels like every month, but I know time flies by.”

On ‘powerhouse’ athletes moving into the forefront of the WWE women’s division: “Yeah. I would say it’s not even so much just the new athlete, but I think it’s the new powerhouses. I think the women’s division has always had maybe one or two women that are considered powerhouse athletes, powerhouse sports entertainers. Now you have multiple ones but powerhouses that are different in their own styles as well because Bianca as we know is very agile, and she can flip, and she can jump. She’s strong, she’s powerful, and she can throw. Then you have Rhea Ripley, and she’s quick, she’s swift, she’s vicious, and she’s brutal with everything that she does.

“Then you have someone like me who’s taller, strong, and developing a more big man type of style. But at the same time, we all find our similarities amongst each other. I think that’s what pushes us to be the new kind of athlete, like you said, of the women’s division in WWE because we all came into the Performance Center it was something that was more unspoken, but it’s something that you develop when you’re a part of a team, and that is you push each other in a good way, you push each other to work harder, you push each other to make the other person want to work harder for themselves by being your best, but you also want to see them succeed. I think that’s what all three of us have in common is that we kind of share that as a group and as family and as friends.”

On watching WrestleMania 37 and envisioning herself in a featured spot: “This weekend, I was definitely watching the performances. I will say for some of the other matches, I did envision myself. But because I do know Bianca and I do know Rhea, I mentally wanted to put myself in a position where I could enjoy their work, where I could enjoy what they were doing and enjoy it to the point of where I felt like I was celebrating with them at the end of both of their matches. I felt like I was up there with them. But I definitely will say that sitting at WrestleMania this year, I was envisioning myself being there one day as well and envisioning myself reaching new heights, new limits then and telling myself that I’ve come this far in four years since signing with the WWE and just expecting the unexpected for the next year to come especially because next year’s WrestleMania will be in Dallas with your precious Cowboys.”

On the support she’s received from Dakota Kai in NXT: “Dakota Kai has helped me so much. I say this all the time. I would not be in the position I am if it wasn’t for her because we’ve shared not only travel stories but memories together and working with each other as a tag (team) to winning the first Women’s Dusty Classic and being the first NXT Women’s Tag (Team) champions to both of us having our own stories with her to me with Rhea. It’s been constant support from her and having her there and (having) someone you can confide and trust in such a crazy time. It’s very rare to have that and to have that in a tag partner and to know that we both have the same mindset when it comes to anything that we do for NXT. We support each other. We appreciate each other’s criticism and opinions. She comes with so much experience. You can’t top that. I was put in such a blessed situation to have Dakota on my side.”