Raquel Rodriguez On Liv Morgan, WWE Tag Team Champs, Judgement Day

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Raquel Rodriguez (@RaquelWWE) is a professional wrestler currently signed to WWE and one-half of the Women's Tag Team Champions with Liv Morgan. She sits down with Chris Van Vliet in Toronto, Ontario to discuss becoming a champion once again, how she was paired up with Liv Morgan, comparisons to Shawn Michaels and Diesel, taking time away to battle illness, why her finisher got renamed, her viral Walmart announcement, working with Ronda Rousey and more!

Quote I'm thinking about: “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” - Winston Churchill

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On being a 3 time Women’s Tag Team Champion with Liv Morgan:

"Well, not just me, but greatest. Well yeah, me and Liv are the greatest female tag team ever. I mean, you can't deny it. We're the first three time. Look at us work like a team. I mean, the past two matches, we've had tag matches with Dakota and Iyo, banger, the one we just had the other day when we won these bad boys back, banger, we can't help it."

On whether wrestling was always the plan:

"I think it was, for sure. So it's funny, I talk about this pretty frequently but my dad was actually out wrestling the night I was born. He was at the hospital with my mom, but then the doctors told him, 'Oh, she's going to be a minute. So if you have to go to work...' because he had a booking already, and his tag partner was with him, he's like, Dude, we have time, let's go. So my mom was like, It's okay. They left and I think the second he left I was born."

Did he think he could leave, do the match and come back in time?

"For sure. He came back after the match, 1991 was the year I was born, so I don't think cell phones were super huge for my parents then, they’re not texting or calling each other. That was the big Zack Morris phone. So I understand that he came back and he was like, she's here. Where is she? It's funny, everyone in my family, my mom, my dad and my sister were all born kind of small and bald, and I came out with a full head of black hair, really, really tan, and big. I was like 10 pounds when I was born. So at first my mom thought I was gonna be a boy and she's like that's a girl, that's not my baby. Then my dad, when he came back, him and his partner went to go look at me in the little viewing area. He was like, 'Well, which one is it?' And she was like, 'This is her, the giant one over there.' His partner at the time, he has a very southern accent. He's like, 'Whoa, that's a huge baby.' And I'm like I think I was just born to be with my dad and his tag team partner, because that's what I love doing when we were younger, and we used to go on these road trips. I loved staying at the arena, watching my dad work, watching him do the business, and being a part of it. My sister and my mom would want to go explore the town, or go to the Corpus Mall or whatever, and I'm like I don't really want to shop. I want to be here and I want to hang out. I want to see what's going on. So I always wanted to do it for sure."

On her father being a wrestler:

"Yeah, his name was Rick Desperado Gonzalez. He went by Speedy Gonzales for a little bit. He mostly worked the territories down in South Texas, Mexico, Oklahoma, Louisiana. He came up to Ohio a little bit. But yeah, that's what his main area was, like the NWA era."

On if her father had the opportunity to work in WCW or WWE:

"Not with WCW and not with WWE, but he did work with Shawn Michaels when he opened up his school TWA in San Antonio, Texas. And then he did do a few things with a lot of WWE Superstars. So I've seen videos of him because he went under a mask pretty frequently, and he would work as a luchador to be an extra or help Booker T and his brother when they were starting out, so him and his tag buddy actually helped them when they were starting out as well, and giving them their first matches and all of that stuff. The Godfather, I remember seeing him at a few shows too when I was younger, and so I thought that was so cool." 

On getting scouted by WWE:

"So Instagram was just starting out at this point too, it was starting to get its rise. So social media wasn't a huge thing and I think WWE was looking at people on social media, but not really. They were going to fitness competitions and looking for athletes and I was already done with basketball. So I was like what do I need to do to get seen? What do I have to do to put myself out there? Tough Enough was starting back up that year so I was like okay. I did broadcast journalism, I could edit a video, and I made a little video and I submitted it for Tough Enough. I didn't make it to the finals, but I think that helped a little bit in getting me seen, just like a hint. When I got the news that I wasn't making it to the finals I was like well, what else can I do? I just tried to stay in the know. I was like, where are they gonna be at? Where could I go to get seen by someone? The try-outs came out at the Arnold Classic in Ohio and I was like, You know what? I had a good job after college that was really keeping me by and helping, letting me train and do all these things. So I was in a good position. I was working in student housing. I just think it's so funny. So I started working in student housing while I was still playing basketball to help pay for my apartment with my sister, and it was a part-time job. So it was fun, because we planned the events at the apartments, and it's mostly college students, because you're in a college town. But as I kept doing it after college, I was like I can’t do this forever, I cannot be around college students this much or parents that much, either. But it was fun, and it was a really good position for me, but it showed me that an office job is not what I was meant to do." 

On the try-out:

"Yeah, bought plane tickets for me and my dad, and we went to the try-out. I showed up, I was in athletic wear, and I just walked straight up to the recruiter who was sitting at the WWE desk and I said, 'Hey, I'm here for the try-out. I'm ready to go. I've taken a couple of bumps and rolls. I feel super confident about this. I just want to be a part of this try-out. What do I need to do?' He got up from the table, he looked at my feet, and then he looked up at me, and he goes, Well, we kind of already have everybody for our try-out that we're doing here at the Arnold for the exhibition. So he gave me his card. He's like, send me some pictures and send me your stats and what you've done and stuff like that. So I did, and then literally within a couple of weeks later they replied, and they were like hey, we'd like to invite you to a try-out in Orlando at the Performance Center and that was in three months. So I was like, yes, they noticed me. So I went to the tryout, and I was in shock. I was expecting a lot more. I don't even know what I was expecting. I think I was expecting wrestlers. I was expecting more people who had knowledge about wrestling, but it was all football athletes coming from the NFL, coming from college, or fitness models, bikini models, just really beautiful women, and also coming from different sports backgrounds. But I was like, okay, I see what they're looking for here. So I stuck out for sure. I was this tall basketball-frame girl that was just super energetic and super passionate about it. I was like I'm gonna go out there and I'm gonna show them and I'm gonna scream every time they ask me something, and I'm just going to yell my name so they know who I am. I'm going to speak Spanish so they know that I have that in my back pocket, and I'm just going to do everything I need to do. I'm going to throw it all out there. I was so determined, oh my gosh. I know there was one part, and maybe Coach Bloom will admit to it if he remembers. But in my try-out he asked us a question after he had already said the answer. And he was like, 'What makes a good roll?' Me thinking everybody knows this answer. I was like, 'A quiet roll?' I was the only one who yelled. And I looked around, he goes, 'That's right.' And I was like, Okay, I think that really solidified for me that they saw something in me."

On Raquel and Liv being compared to Shawn Michaels and Diesel:

"I love it. I love it. I absolutely love it. I feel like Dakota and I had those comparisons in NXT too when we were tagging and so I was calling myself Big Mommy Cool for a while, because I love it. I don't know if Rhea Ripley's gonna like that. No it's really, really cool and what a comparison to be compared to Diesel. He was just known for his swag and his attitude and his confidence so I tried to bring that. Especially coming back from my illness. I was like I want to come back and I just want to exude confidence. I want to exude machismo to quote a little bit of WWE there with Razor Ramon. But machisma. So yeah, I love that comparison."

On battling illness:

"So I never really got a full diagnosis, to be honest with you. They said it was mast cell activation syndrome, but I got tested and that didn't come out positive. Mast cell activation syndrome, for people don't know, it just means your body is having a constant allergic reaction to everything, like things you were never allergic to before. Your body is just so confused from maybe stress, maybe trauma. It could be a lot of things, but now you just have a sensitive nervous system, and your body is just reacting to anything, like auto-immune. So I've always had eczema, even when I was younger, but it was very small areas right here, and so I think it was like 2023 I started seeing a little bit of eczema pop up on my face. I was like this is kind of weird. Maybe it could be some of the makeup because when I was little, makeup made me react. I was like it's fine, it would come and it would go, it shows up for like a day like today. I think just from having such a long day yesterday and my bag getting lost and a lack of sleep, my body's immune system is kind of lessened. So after last night's match, and the makeup and stuff like that I think I had a small reaction just under my eyes and on my neck, which is random, because I don't put makeup here. So honestly, it's a puzzle. I'm still trying to figure it out. I still don't know what it is. I still don't know what's triggering me. I think I have a little bit of mast cell, even though I wasn't tested for it. I think you can still have some sort of it, because my body just reacts at random times."

On taking time away:

"Well at the time that whole year I was actually like these reactions, I can deal with this. I can show up and I can be confident that I don't need to wear makeup today. I have some eyeliner on, some eyelashes, and that's about it, a little lipstick and I'm like that's okay. This is my life, and I want to be open about it. I want people to know who are allergic to makeup that you're beautiful and you don't have to wear it. But at the time, a year ago I was swelling up. It was to the point where I was unrecognizable to myself. I was looking in the mirror, and I was like, Who is she? Who is this person? I avoided mirrors, I avoided cameras, I avoided phones. I didn't want to know anything about the outside world, because I was just in such a dark place physically, and it was physically taxing, but I know that was taking such a big toll on me mentally. I told myself I cannot stay here, that this is right now but this isn't forever. I have to tell myself that it's gonna get better. I just kept telling myself that, and I think that really, really helps your mental state when you're in these conditions and you can't control it, because it's out of my control. But I just kept telling myself, this isn't forever. You're gonna get through this. And again, my family. I'm so, so blessed because I have such a strong family that was there for me. My six-year-old niece is praying for God to take the redness away. She doesn't have to do that, but she does that. She does that for me every night. I have amazing friends, Liv constantly checking on me, Jet from makeup always checking on me. Just really, really amazing people that wanted to come visit me, but it was something I had to get through by myself, for sure."

On continued struggles with the condition:

"I think that's what really crushed me at first too, because this was my dream job, I worked so hard to get here. I did everything possible, and I felt like it was getting taken away from me. I was like, no way I could be a wrestler with red skin all the time. We watched Elimination Chamber from last year, and as Liv and I are doing the commentary, watching it back and stuff my entrance happens and I just started bawling again. Because I remember being in that moment and being in Australia with my face swollen, having to take a steroid shot and having to stay in my hotel, because I didn't want people to see me that way, and I didn't want my coworkers to see me that way. I just felt weak, I just felt so helpless and so weak. So it was a really tough re-watch for me to watch Elimination Chamber again last year. But I know everyone's like, no you should be so proud. You were so brave going out there, like red and with no makeup. But deep down, it was really, really hard for me."

On being an inspiration:

"Oh, thanks. Yeah I really, really hope so, because I know that there's so many young people out there that are going through this too, and I know how it affected me when I was younger and tried to wear makeup, and I would get reactions on my face. I just hope it really shows younger people that you're beautiful the way you are. You don't need to change anything. This is how God made you and just embrace it."

On becoming a part of The Judgment Day:

"I had my connection with Liv, of course. So I had that beautiful connection with Liv. So when I was getting healthy and coming back, we talked a little bit and she was like, I think this is something that would be beneficial for the Judgment Day, especially just having her at the forefront with Dominik and I think it just brought another element to the Judgment Day. So it really wasn't hard for me. I think I was just born in."

On her Walmart announcement:

"You know what's funny is they put that meet and greet on us last minute. So Liv and I got up early, and we're like just around. We're just having our little fun morning, and we go to do this meet and greet, we're waiting, we're just being us, having fun, getting ready, and we're excited. We walk out to the Walmart through the back door where they have the table and everything set up, and I see the phone with the intercom, and the guy's like, 'Hey, I think I'm gonna make an announcement just so people in the store know we're about to start the meet and greet.' I was just like, 'Can I do it?' I don't know why, what came over me, but I was like, Can I do it? I just wanted to be on a Walmart intercom. So I was like, this seems like a prime opportunity. And also I don't think I was on that meet and greet with Liv. I think I just showed up with her because I was staying with her. I was like, I have nothing else to do, let's go together. So we did, and I wanted to introduce her, and I got to introduce her as the greatest women's world champion of all time. I got to introduce her as the first-ever Crown Jewel champion. And we had a really good little meet and greet." 

On how Liv and Raquel were paired up:

"I have no clue to be honest with you, no clue. They put us together when I had just gotten called up, I was still pretty new to the main roster and we were getting ready for WrestleMania. They were talking about an eight woman tag, and I think they needed tags at the time. There weren't too many actual tag teams. So I think we just were in a random match together and we had really good chemistry. To be honest, we weren't even really good friends then, she had her friends and her crew that she kind of hung out with, and I had mine, so we worked together and we did really well together and things just kind of like grew from there. Then Mania happened in LA, that was my first Mania and I got to tag with Liv, and we had the cool Powerbomb move. I think that was something that opened people's eyes to what we were able to do. Then the Monday after Mania they were like, You guys are tagging again. It's funny, because that Monday too, I remember we were in completely opposite matches, she was in a triple threat with two other people, and I was in a triple triple threat with two other people. Literally as the show's about to start, the doors are opening, people are coming into the arena they're like, scratch that, putting you guys into tag. So it just kind of went from there. I think what makes Liv and I work really well too is that we want to really elevate the tag division, we want to elevate any match that we're in together, and we want to elevate each other. So when we talk about what we want to accomplish that night, or what we want to do with these tag titles, it's always being on the same page with each other. So that comes with building a relationship with each other too. Because if we want to show people how good our chemistry is in the ring, we should have that outside too. So we really took the time to bond and become friends and yeah, it's been so much fun ever since, because we really are good friends. Sometimes you have people who aren't friends that are tag teams, and they're great, and you'd still never know. But Liv and I, we really just got along, and we had a lot of the same values and beliefs, and it just worked. And so it was really, really fun getting to tag with her the first year, the second time we won it in London at Money in the Bank. Yeah, it's been amazing."

On working with Ronda Rousey:

"When I first got called up to main roster to work with Ronda, I was like I felt the pressure, for sure, and when I talked to people about being able to work with her and how amazing she is, it's always mind blowing to me still that I got that opportunity to be in the ring with her and work with her and know her and put on what was a really good match. It was a really good mix up that we had."

Where do you go from here? 

"It's tough. I definitely think I go to WrestleMania as Tag Team Champions, and me and Liv retain whoever it is that we will face. Then after that, I think we hold on to these bad boys for as long as we can, and we become the longest reigning, three-time greatest ever World breaking Women's Tag Team Champions. And then possibly, who knows? If Liv gets a singles opportunity, and she gets to be Liv two belts, maybe there's an opportunity for me to also be Raquel two belts and get a singles opportunity. You know, that Intercontinental title looks really pretty, and so does Chelsea's United States Championship. Since I've been visiting SmackDown more, I've been admiring it a little bit more from afar." 

What is Raquel Rodriguez grateful for?

"My health, my family and for the position that I'm in to be able to shed light onto so many things that we deal with in this world that we never talk about."