Stephanie Vaquer Reveals Illness Before Wrestlepalooza — Still Captures WWE Women’s World Championship

Stephanie Vaquer’s rise in WWE has been nothing short of remarkable, and her performance at Wrestlepalooza proved why the company has so much faith in her. But what fans didn’t know until now is just how much she was battling behind the curtain.

Why Vaquer Missed Raw

On September 8, Vaquer was scheduled to appear on WWE Raw for a contract signing segment with IYO SKY ahead of their Wrestlepalooza clash. However, she was absent from the show, sparking speculation. In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Vaquer revealed the truth: she was very ill in the lead-up to the event.

“To be honest, the last three weeks I was no good. I was sick. My body [does] not feel like a hundred percent,” Vaquer admitted. “I feel a little weak. I could not train really good the last month, but when I [was] back last Monday, I really feel the people and I really feel everything and really forget everything about that.”

Vaquer returned to action the following week and managed to compete on both Raw and SmackDown, fighting through the sickness to prepare for her biggest match to date.

Triple H Confirms on Post-Show

During the Wrestlepalooza Post-Show, WWE CCO Paul “Triple H” Levesque addressed Vaquer’s condition. “To be honest,” he told the panel, “Stephanie’s been quite ill with a flu-type situation. I won’t go into detail, but she pushed through. She wasn’t 100% out there, but she still gave everything she had.”

That detail puts her title win into even greater perspective.

A Career Milestone

At Wrestlepalooza, Vaquer defeated IYO SKY in a grueling match to capture the WWE Women’s World Championship—her first major title on the main roster. It came just 14 months after signing with WWE in July 2024, following her international success, including a high-profile bout with Mercedes Moné at Forbidden Door.

After her victory, Vaquer reflected on social media:

“They call us dreamers, but we’re the ones who don’t sleep. I dreamed of this my whole life. Today I become the WWE World Champion, the first Latin American woman to achieve it. Thank you to everyone who has believed in me.”

Read More: Vaquer Crowned Women’s World Champ in Emotional Showdown

🗣️ Wrestling.news | Backstage Take

Stephanie Vaquer’s performance at Wrestlepalooza deserves extra credit when you factor in her health. You could see subtle moments—her facial expressions, her pacing—where she wasn’t at 100%. But rather than show weakness, she used it as fuel, digging deep to deliver one of the most emotional performances of the night. To walk out sick, exhausted, and still become WWE Women’s World Champion? That’s the mark of a true superstar.

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