WWE Superstar Zelina Vega recently shared an entertaining behind-the-scenes story involving her 2021 Queen’s Crown run — and how she had to educate none other than Vince McMahon on anime in order to get a major part of her entrance theme approved.
Appearing on the Ring The Bell podcast, Vega recalled how she wanted to feature the voice of Neil Kaplan — a legendary anime voice actor best known for portraying the iconic Madara Uchiha in the English dub of Naruto — in her “Queen Zelina” entrance music.
But before it could happen, she had to pitch it to the boss — and explain what anime even was.
“I had to explain to Vince why I wanted him on the track. That was a whole interesting conversation,” Vega laughed. “I was literally like, ‘Okay, do you know, like, what Crunchyroll is?’ And he was like, ‘Yeah, it’s sushi.’ And I was like, ‘Of course, yeah.’”
Realizing she needed to translate the concept into Vince’s world, Vega got creative. “I was like, ‘Crunchyroll is kind of like the Netflix of anime.’ And he goes, ‘Okay, I get it,’” she continued. “Then I said, ‘Naruto is like the WWE of anime.’ And he’s like, ‘Okay.’”
Finally, to seal the deal, Vega made one last comparison. “I was like, ‘Madara [the character Kaplan voices] is kind of like what Paul Heyman is to Roman Reigns.’ He said, ‘Okay, we need it.’ I was like, ‘We do need it.’”
Thanks to Vega’s quick thinking, Kaplan’s now-famous “All Hail the Queen” voiceover was added to her entrance, giving “Queen Zelina” a dramatic and unique flair during her reign.
Vega also noted that she ran into similar hurdles when trying to explain her Todoroki-inspired hairstyle — referencing the My Hero Academia character — to McMahon during the same period.
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