WWE NXT's Raquel Gonzalez Addresses Possibility of Move to Raw or SmackDown
WWE NXT's Raquel Gonzalez is set to team up with Io Shirai, Kay Lee Ray, and Cora Jade at NXT WarGames, where they will do battle with Dakota Kai and Toxic Attraction's Mandy Rose, Jacy Jayne, and Gigi Dolin. It's a little bit of black & gold vs 2.0 energy, but some are also looking at what happens after WarGames, as there is also always the looming possibility of some stars leaving NXT to head to Raw or SmackDown. We had the chance to talk to Gonzalez on the most recent episode of ComicBook Nation, and asked if she has thought about the possibility of moving to either of those two brands.
"Honestly, going to Raw and SmackDown is always on my mind, but I also try to focus on what's in front of me right now, and what's in front of me right now is I'm at NXT 2.0, and I'm here to solidify and to remind everyone who Big Mami Cool is and what I do, and that's kind of where my focus is at the moment," Gonzalez said. "When the opportunities do arise, then yes, I would definitely focus on Raw or SmackDown or what the next step is, but to have a rematch with Mandy is definitely on my list, to get revenge on Dakota, definitely at the top of the list. There's still a lot of talent that I feel like I want to work with and step into the ring with. So I'm excited for whatever's next for me, and I'm taking it day by day and just making sure that whatever it is, I'm going out there and I'm giving it 120%."
2.0 is Raquel's focus, but if she happened to be on Raw with a certain Rhea Ripley, she would be thrilled to reunite their powerful team of R&R.
"Oh, I would totally be up for it. I love Rhea Ripley. I feel like her and I, what we do since day one when we've met here at the performance center is we make each other better. We push each other and I think that's a relationship that you keep near and dear to you because they support you no matter what, no matter where you are," Gonzalez said. "No matter what you're doing, that person is your person in the world that you're in, and it's so hard to find those kinds of people these days that are always positive and always there for you and have your back and can help you take your mind off of things or push you to the next limit."
"When you're trying to be at the gym or go to the gym every day, and sometimes that motivation is just so hard to find, having someone like her in my life has always been a blessing and a great motivation for me," Gonzalez said. "We actually got to work a little bit together at the WrestleMania pre-sale party at the AT&T stadium in Dallas and just having her and having that moment and being able to celebrate that with her, it took me back to the coconut shows when we first started together. It was really nice to celebrate like that together. It was probably one of the best moments I've had this year."
You can find the full card for NXT WarGames below:
Men's WarGames Match: Team Tommaso Ciampa, Johnny Gargano, Pete Dunne, and LA Knight vs Bron Breakker, Carmelo Hayes, Tony D'Angelo, and Grayson Waller
Women's WarGames Match: Team Raquel Gonzalez, Io Shirai, Cora Jade, and Kay Lee Ray vs Toxic Attraction's Mandy Rose, Gigi Dolin, Jacy Jayne, and Dakota Kai
NXT Cruiserweight Championship: Champion Roderick Strong vs Joe Gacy
Hair vs Hair Match: Duke Hudson vs Cameron Grimes
NXT Tag Team Championship: Champions Imperium vs Kyle O'Reilly and Von Wagner
NXT WarGames streams live on Peacock this Sunday with the Pre-show starting at 7:30 PM EST. The main show kicks off at 8 PM EST.
If Gonzalez were to head to Raw or SmackDown, which one would you want to see her jump to? Let us know in the comments or as always you can tall things wrestling with me on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!