WWE Confirms Signing of Stephanie Vaquer
Shawn Michaels welcomes Stephanie Vaquer to WWE and NXT
Earlier today it was revealed that CMLL World Women's Champion and former NJPW Strong Women's Champion Stephanie Vaquer was possibly departing the company and headed to WWE or AEW, and now the news is official. Not only were those initial reports true, but WWE then came out and outright confirmed it, with Shawn Michaels welcoming Vaquer to WWE on Twitter. Michaels tweeted, "Welcome to the WWE Family, @Steph_Vaquer. See you in Orlando!" That does indicate that Vaquer will be showing up on the gold brand before making appearances on Raw and SmackDown, and it's another big get for an already stacked NXT Women's Division. There's no timetable on when she will appear, but we'll keep you posted when we know more.
Moving to WWE
Vaquer's name has come up quite a bit after her feud with Mercedes Mone over the NJPW Strong Women's Championship, which took place at AEW Forbidden Door. The match was highly praised, and though Vaquer was on the losing end of the match, it wasn't long before reports indicated that both WWE and AEW had significant interest in recruiting her. It turns out there was a lot of truth to those reports, as now Vaquer is part of WWE and will likely debut in NXT soon.
As for when, that remains to be seen, but NXT has had a pattern with big signings. They often debut at a premium live event or a special episode of NXT first, appearing in the crowd so that WWE can highlight them on commentary and introduce fans to the fact that they are set to debut soon. Great American Bash is coming up not too long from now, which would be a great place for a debut, but having her appear ahead of that even would also allow her to have a match on the card depending on timing.
Saying Goodbye
In a tweeted statement, Vaquer announced her departure from CMLL and NJPW, saying that she was vacating the Championships while also apologizing for missing scheduled dates. She did highlight that it was simply due to terms between companies, and apologized for not being able to attend. Her full statement reads, "At this moment I stop belonging to the ranks of CMLL and NJPW. Clarify, I AM LEAVING THROUGH THE BIG DOOR, forever grateful to the WORLD WRESTLING COUNCIL AND NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING, and in the best terms. From today I vacate the CMLL World Women's Championship as well as the CMLL World Women's Couples Championship.
For which I offer an apology to the fans. For obvious reasons, I will not be present at the next shows and I hope you can understand that the terms between companies are what lead to this statement. With Mexico in my heart and with the commitment to represent Mexican wrestling wherever I go. Infinite thanks to SR Salvador Lutteroth for his good wishes and also to all the unconditional support of my people and my colleagues. THANK YOU"
Are you excited for Vaquer in WWE NXT? You can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb
