Zelina Vega Talks Pursuing a Wrestling Title in Her Father’s Memory

In a recent appearance with Busted Open, WWE’s Zelina Vega shared her thoughts about honoring the memory of her father, who she lost in the 9/11 attacks, and how her title pursuit is motivated by his legacy (per Fightful). Vega also discussed the support of the audience in her efforts to take a WWE title. You can find a few highlights from Vega and listen to the complete podcast below.

On not challenging for a title in WWE on September 11 this year: “I’d like to think that maybe part of it has to do with the fact that they wouldn’t want to do it just to do it because of the day. I think either way, you’re gonna get, ‘Oh, they only gave it to her because it’s 9/11 and they wanted to throw her a bone after blah-blah-blah happened at MSG,’ or ‘They just gave it to her in Puerto Rico because she’s from there.’ I’d like to think that they’d want to give it to me because I deserve it. That’s what I’m looking for. I don’t want to be thrown a bone because this is a sympathy bone that you get on the day. As much as it would be literally everything I could have wanted, I want to get it because I deserve it.”

On the audience support for her matches and title hunt to date: “I genuinely believe that it has to [happen]. There’s no reason that it shouldn’t. I had a dark match this past Friday, and whether it was the dark match Friday, the live events on Saturday and Sunday, the crowd was so, obviously it wasn’t like Puerto Rico high, but they were so high for me. I feel like a part of it was because of that, but it was also just them showing them that they loved me for me. There’s just so much you can ignore the people, and what they want. I feel like if this continues that way, a decision’s gonna have to be forced at some point. So it’s just on me to keep doing what I’m doing because there’s nothing else I can do. I’m gonna do it for him.”

On carrying her father’s legacy into the future: “I think a part of it definitely is feeling unfulfilled in this way. Because I started it because of him. I started because I made a promise, and even when I did get let go in 2020, I felt unfulfilled. I felt like I didn’t complete my promise, and I still don’t feel like I have until that’s complete. I think because I genuinely feel like it will happen, I still keep going. I have that, I have my husband, who supports me so much, and my family that do. I feel like I have so many reasons to look forward that I don’t feel like it’s complete yet. One of the things that happened that really made me feel like, ‘Wow, this is real’ was when Dwayne [Johnson] went to the 9/11 memorial with Simone. When they went there and took a picture and I said his name, knowing that that was his favorite wrestler, I felt like that was such a ‘wow’ moment, I’m like,’I have to keep doing this. I have to keep pushing forward.’ I know, it’s just something in me that just feels it has to. It has to. There’s no reason why, like why not?”