Zelina Vega beat Doudrop to win the first-ever Queen’s Crown tournament. She did an interview with Sports Illustrated to talk about it. Here are some of the highlights:
Vince McMahon’s reaction:
“Vince walked up to me after the match in the back and said, ‘You walked in here queen, and now it’s official,’ ” Vega says, speaking with Sports Illustrated moments after her victory. “I almost lost it.”
Winning the match:
“I was looking forward to this match the second I learned it was going to be against her. She is amazing, and she loves this so much. We had a match in 2019 at an NXT Worlds Collide show. That was our first time ever touching, and I thought it was hard-hitting and entertaining. I couldn’t wait to wrestle her again, and it’s amazing that I got to do it in Saudi Arabia in the finals of the Queen’s Crown tournament. This was a first-time-ever tournament, and we wanted to make history. To me, that’s incredibly special.”
Winning the match with Code Red, which was invented by her cousin, Amazing Red:
“That Code Red wasn’t just a move for the match,” Vega says. “And it wasn’t just about my journey in WWE. This is my journey in life, and up to this point, it is the greatest moment of my career. That Code Red wasn’t just a wrestling move; it was an exclamation point. It was me representing my family. That’s my cousin’s move. Amazing Red deserves so much credit for what he’s done, so that was for him. That was for my dad, too. And that was for me, to solidify my place and show that I belong here.”
The importance of the win.
“This is finally my time to show out to everyone who I am. I’m not in anyone’s shadow. This is my time to show why I am a star. Queen Zelina, it feels so incredible to say that,” Vega says. “I’m bringing it to Spanish, too—La Reina, that’s me. It feels absolutely right to say that. This is me, and it is mine. It’s been a hell of a journey, and I’m looking forward to continuing my story as Queen Zelina. Every time I step into the ring, I feel like I have to prove myself. I take this opportunity in WWE very seriously. This is my time, and it starts now.”
