Zelina Vega Explains What Led to Her 2020 WWE Release

Zelina Vega says a lack of communication led to WWE releasing her in 2020.

By Connor Casey

Zelina Vega was initially released by the WWE back in November 2020 over reported disputes regarding her Twitch channel. At the time, WWE was attempting to clamp down on any third-party deals its wrestlers had with companies like Twitch, though three years later the two companies would launch a multi-year partnership. Vega returned to the company in July 2021 and is now a prominent member of the Latino World Order, all while continuing her successful Twitch Channel with more than 88,000 subscribers. She explained in a recent interview with WrestlingNews.co that her initial split with the company boiled down to communication issues. 

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"It (the channel) grew into this massive thing," Vega explained (h/t Fightful). "I'm so big on being authentic, if you're authentic, people are going to recognize that. You can't just stick anybody in my position with a kitty headset and say, 'blah blah blah about this episode' and they have no idea what they're talking about, because they'll see right through that. That was one of the major things that I told WWE initially. 'I didn't know this was going to blow up as much as it did, but I feel there is an audience that we're missing here,' especially with everything going digital now, this is where the kids are and where we're going to get them. There is a way to blend the worlds. Once they kind of figured out what I meant by that, that's really what was missing, the communication there, once we talked it out and figured out, 'this is how we can work together,' that's why I'm back and why I'm back on Twitch and everything worked out. 

"It's crazy how a conversation can change a lot of things," she continued. "I find it funny that it took so much and now it's become something like me and Xavier Woods just presented an award at the Streamy's. She goes from 2020 that was kind of a hard time, to now. It's crazy to see how it's evolved."

WWE Payback 2023 Results

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  • Women's World Championship: Rhea Ripley def. Raquel Rodriguez
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