At the WWE Wrestlepalooza post-show press conference, WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque gave fans a rare behind-the-scenes update on new Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer, revealing that she had been battling a significant illness in the weeks before the event.
Levesque explained why the Wrestlepalooza build for Vaquer’s title match against IYO SKY felt unusual compared to other major bouts:
“I’ll let everybody in on a behind-the-scenes secret with Stephanie. In the last few weeks, Stephanie has been very sick. I don’t know all the details of what the flu-type thing going on, but she was very sick. It’s why she missed TV and why there was an odd build to it. She was able to feel well enough and get cleared medically to compete tonight.”
Despite the illness, Vaquer not only competed but also defeated SKY to capture her first major singles title on the main roster, becoming the new Women’s World Champion.
Her victory caps off a meteoric rise since joining the main roster, which included winning a No. 1 contender’s opportunity at Evolution PLE and being fast-tracked into a championship match. While her absence from TV limited storyline interactions with SKY, her performance at Wrestlepalooza solidified her position at the top of Raw’s women’s division.
Looking ahead, Vaquer already has a high-profile challenger waiting. Rhea Ripley made it clear last week that she intends to come for the title, setting up what could be Vaquer’s first major defense.
