Victoria Gonzalez (January 12, 1991) is an American female professional wrestler currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) on the Raw brand under the ring name Raquel Rodriguez.
Early life[]
Victoria grew up with professional wrestling as her father Ricky Gonzalez, known in the ring as "Desperado" was a professional wrestler in Texas. Gonzalez played basketball for Texas A&M, on a scholarship for a career in journalism. After graduating in 2013, she revealed to her father her interest in pursuing a professional wrestling career instead.
Professional wrestling career[]
Victoria first trained at America's Academy of Pro Wrestling and made her debut in September 2014.
World Wrestling Entertainment[]
NXT (2017-2022)[]
It was reported during May 2016, Victoria signed a contract with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) to begin training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. She had previously tried out for the Tough Enough competition. She made her NXT debut on January 20, 2017 taking part in a 12-woman battle royal won by Aliyah and Ember Moon. On NXT's March 3 episode, Victoria teamed with Ember Moon and Ruby Riot to defeat Kimberly Frankele, Mandy Rose & MaryKate in a in a three-on-three elimination tag team match. On April 19, she wrestled in a Number One Contendership Battle Royal for the NXT Women's Championship but lost to Aliyah. On July 13, Gonzalez participated in the 2017 Mae Young Classic, where she was eliminated during the first round by Nicole Savoy. Throughout the following months, Gonzalez wrestled mostly in battle royals and tag team matches including on October 4 in an NXT Women's Title Qualifying Battle Royal, but was defeated by Nikki Cross. Three days later on October 7, she wrestled a lost another battle royal, losing to Vanessa Borne. Three weeks later on October 27, Gonzalez participated in a Halloween Costume Battle Royal won by Shayna Baszler. She finished the year on December 16 teaming with Sage Beckett, in a tag team match won by Dakota Kai & Rhea Ripley.
Gonzalez returned in 2018 on January 5, teaming with Sage Beckett in a tag match lost to Abbey Laith & Taynara Conti. The next day, Gonzalez and Beckett lost a tag match to Abbey Laith & Jessie Elaban. She did however win her first singles match of the new year on January 13, defeating Abbey Laith. She finished the month on January 18 with a singles match loss to Shayna Baszler. She spent February in two matches teaming with Sage Beckett and Bianca Belair in tag matches lost to the teams including Jessie Elaban & Kairi Sane and Aliyah & Candice LeRae. Her final two matches of the month included a singles match lost to Dakota Kai on February 9 followed fifteen days later by a singles victory on February 24, defeating Abbey Laith. Between her singles matches during the course of March, Gonzalez joined six-person tag matches including a mixed tag match on March 3, teaming with The Forgotten Sons (Steve Cutler & Wesley Blake) against team SAnitY (Alexander Wolfe, Killian Dain & Nikki Cross). Five days later on March, Gonzalez teamed with Shayna Baszler & Vanessa Borne against Candice LeRae, Jessie Elaban & Kairi Sane. In her singles matches during the month, Gonzalez wrestled against opponents including Ember Moon, Dakota Kai, Candice LeRae and Xia Li. During the following month of April, Gonzalez teamed with Vanessa Borne in tag matches against Dakota Kai & Steffanie Newell. In singles competition, she scored victories against Kacy Catanzaro, Jessie Elaban and Rhea Ripley. During the following month of May, Gonzalez would often team with Taynara Conti in tag matches. During her tag matches Gonzalez would face varying team combinations involving Dakota Kai, Kacy Catanzaro, Steffanie Newell, Nikki Cross and Kairi Sane. On June 1, she began the month teaming with Taynara Conti in a tag match lost to Dakota Kai & Steffanie Newell. She returned on June 22 to team with Taynara Conti in a tag match lost to Kacy Catanzaro & Kairi Sane. Gonzalez wrestled her first and only singles match of the month, during the June 28 live event, losing to Candice LeRae. She finished the month on June 29, teaming with Aliyah in a tag match lost to Jessie Elaban & Kacy Catanzaro. On July 20, Gonzalez joined a Number One Contendership Battle Royal won by Candice LeRae. Six days later, she defeated Xia Li. The next day, she lost to Nikki Cross in her final match of the month. The following month on August 8, Gonzales competed in the second annual Mae Young Classic, where she was eliminated in the first round by rookie Kacy Catanzaro. During the August 9 Mae Young Classic Tapings she teamed with Allysin Kay & Vanessa Kraven in a tag match lost to Jessie Elaban, MJ Jenkins & Xia Brookside. During the next day's house show, Gonzalez teamed with Rhea Ripley in a tag match lost to Nikki Cross & Xia Li. Gonzalez finished the month on August 25 teaming with Taynara Conti in a tag match lost to Kacy Catanzaro & Lacey Lane. She returned for the September 6 live event, teaming with Kavita Devi in a tag match lost to Jessie Elaban & MJ Jenkins. The next day, she wrestled and lost to her tag team partner Taynara Conti in singles competition. During the September 13 and September 15 house shows, she defeated Jessie Elaban and Xia Li in singles matches.
After months of house shows, Gonzalez made a televised appearance during the December 12 episode of NXT. There she competed in a match qualifier for the Number One Contender status to the NXT Women's title, but lost to recent NXT recruit Mia Yim. Gonzalez received a title match during a November 29 live event, but lost against the reigning NXT UK Women's Champion Rhea Ripley.
The following year, Gonzalez made her televised return during the May 22, 2019 episode of NXT. During the program, Gonzalez lost a singles match against Candice LeRae.
Personal life[]
It was revealed as early as October 2, 2021 that Victoria is in a relationship with professional wrestler Braun Strowman.
In wrestling[]
- Finishing moves
- Tejana bomb
- Signature moves
- Corner Corkscrew Elbow drop
- Big Boot
- Fallaway Slam
- Nicknames
- "Big Mami Cool"
- Managers and valets
- Tag teams and stables
- Entrance music
- Rocky Road + Mud Fever (underscore) by APM Music + Jingle Punks (2017)
- Bad Ass Billy (A) by APM Music (2018)
- Bad Fish (A) by APM Music
Championships and accomplishments[]
- NXT
- NXT Women's Championship (1 time)
- Women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic (2021, inaugural) – with Dakota Kai
- NXT Women's Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Dakota Kai
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI ranked her #10 in the 2021 PWI Top 150 Females
- PWI ranked her #85 in the 2022 PWI Top 150 Females
- PWI ranked her #59 in the 2023 PWI Top 250 Females
- World Wrestling Entertainment
- WWE Women's Tag Team Championship (3 times) with Aliyah (1) and Liv Morgan (2)
External links[]
| WWE Mae Young Classic 2017 contestants |
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Abbey Laith • Ayesha Ray • Bianca Belair • Candice LeRae • Dakota Kai • Jazzy Gabert • Kairi Sane • Kavita Devi • Kay Lee Ray • Lacey Evans • Marti Belle • Mercedes Martinez • Mia Yim • Miranda Salinas • Nicole Savoy • Piper Niven • Princesa Sugehit • Rachel Evers • Reina Gonzalez • Renee Michelle • Rhea Ripley • Sage Beckett • Santana Garrett • Sarah Logan • Serena Deeb • Shayna Baszler • Taynara Conti • Tessa Blanchard • Toni Storm • Vanessa Borne • Xia Li • Zeda |
| Mae Young Classic 2018 contestants |
|---|
| Aerial Monroe • Allysin Kay • Ashley Rayne • Deonna Purrazzo • Hiroyo Matsumoto • Io Shirai • Isla Dawn • Jinny • Kacy Catanzaro • Jessica Elaban • Kaitlyn • Karen Q • Kavita Devi • Killer Kelly • Lacey Lane • Meiko Satomura • Mercedes Martinez • Mia Yim • MJ Jenkins • Nicole Matthews • Priscilla Kelly • Rachel Evers • Reina Gonzalez • Rhea Ripley • Taynara Conti • Tegan Nox • Toni Storm • Vanessa Kraven • Xia Brookside • Xia Li • Zatara • Zeuxis |
