Stephanie Vaquer now holds not one, but two championships. Toni Storm and Mariah May have a Hollywood Ending at AEW Revolution. Queen of the Ring hits theaters. Johnnie Robbie chats with WrestleZone and more!
Let’s break it all down in this week’s Women’s Wrestling Wrap-Up!
Stephanie Vaquer Dethrones Giulia At WWE NXT Roadblock
There’s a new champion in WWE NXT and her name is Stephanie Vaquer.
In the main event of NXT Roadblock, Giulia battled NXT Women’s North American Champion Stephanie Vaquer in a title-for-title match. This came after both competitors declared their desire to prove themselves as the best. Given the eventual outcome, it appears that Vaquer has solidified herself as such.
In the match’s closing moments, Giulia locked Vaquer in the Rings of Saturn submission, which the latter broke by reaching the bottom rope with her foot. When Vaquer then rolled up her for a two count, Giulia responded with a big knee strike. As Giulia looked to finish off Vaquer with a Northern Lights Bomb, “La Primera” countered with a pair of superkicks and package backbreakers for the win. With it, Vaquer now holds both the NXT Women’s and NXT Women’s North American Championships.
Hard work always leads to rewards,” Vaquer wrote on X following her victory. “We made history at Madison Square Garden. NXT WOMEN’S CHAMPION, NXT NORTH AMERICAN WOMEN’S CHAMPION.”
Vaquer previously won the NXT Women’s North American Championship by defeating Fallon Henley at NXT Vengeance Day.
RELATED: Stephanie Vaquer Shares Why She Turned Down WWE’s Offer To Start On The Main Roster
Toni Storm & Mariah May Have Their Hollywood Ending at AEW Revolution
In November 2023, Mariah May joined All Elite Wrestling, asserting herself as an admirer of AEW Women’s Champion Toni Storm. Of course, this claim turned out to be a ruse, as May later betrayed Storm after gradually gaining her trust. From there, May dethroned the “Timeless” performer at AEW All In. This caused Storm to take an extended leave of absence from AEW.
In her reign as AEW Women’s Champion, May successfully defended the title against the likes of Mina Shirakawa, Yuka Sakazaki, Anna Jay, Willow Nightingale and Nyla Rose. In February, however, May finally met her match against Storm, who retransformed into her “Timeless” self and defeated May at Grand Slam Australia to regain the title. At AEW Revolution, May and Storm agreed to meet one more time in a title match dubbed the “Hollywood Ending.”
With no countouts, no disqualifications, and falls counting everywhere, May and Storm brought out all the stops in their rubber match. At one point, they both dipped their tape-wrapped hands in a bucket of glass. This allowed Storm to impale May with shards in her forehead and chest. Similarly, May struck May with glass to her legs. The ending saw Storm repeatedly hit May in the head with her bloody shoe. Storm then sent May crashing through a table with a Storm Zero to retain the AEW Women’s Championship.
RELATED: Toni Storm: Nobody Swings Like Toni Storm, Let’s Get This Orgy Started
‘Queen of the Ring’ Released In Theaters
Last week,Queen of the Ring, a biopic chronicling the career and life of women’s wrestling pioneer Mildred Burke, hit theaters in the United States. The movie initially made the rounds across various film festivals late last year. Now, wrestling fans can see it on their local screens.
Canadian actress Emily Bett Rickards portrays Burke, a trailblazer in the ring from the 1930s until the mid-1950s. A number of current wrestlers portray figures integral to Burke’s story, such as June Byers, Ethel Johnson, Clara Mortensen, Fabulous Moolah, and Debbie Nichols. WrestleZone Managing Editor Bill Pritchard recently spoke with Kailey Farmer (aka AEW’s Kamille) about an important message to take away from the film, in which she plays June Byers.
“I would say this applies to both males and females, but especially with this movie coming out around International Women’s Day or weekend. I’m sure you understand, that in wrestling and the dirt sheets, they want the clickbait titles, the drama, the gossip, and everything happening in the locker room. But this movie shows that women, especially when they’re going through hard times in life like we all have—not necessarily the exact same struggles—but in this movie, wrestling itself, life itself, is hard enough,” Kamille explained.
“These women, instead of looking at each other as competition and trying to one-up each other, they banded together. You’ll see that in so many scenes where they have each other’s back and are there for one another,” Kamille continued. “That’s how they got through all the crap that wrestling throws at them. And that’s not just in wrestling—that’s in life in general. If you come together, everything won’t be easy, but at least you won’t be alone.”
RELATED: Mercedes Moné Was Asked To Be Part of ‘Queen of the Ring’, Reveals Why She Couldn’t
INTERVIEWS
NJPW STRONG star Johnnie Robbie spoke with WrestleZone’s Ella Jay about her comeback from a near-career ending neck injury, teaming with AEW, STARDOM, and ROH talents at NJPW Battle in the Valley, taking advice from the veteran Sumie Sakai, wrestling Mina Shirakawa (and wanting to again), her skydiving experience, recent return to CMLL, training at the NJPW academy, and more.
Kailey Latimer (aka Kamille) and Damaris Lewis appeared on Casual Conversations with The Classic to talk about the “Queen of the Ring” film, s their initial reactions to the script, why this film is important, the impact of their specific characters, how the wrestlers and actors complement each other and more.
Former WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James chatted with Gabby AF about her role in “Queen of the Ring,” being a part of the first women’s Elimination Chamber, her new music and video with The Goldy Locks Band, the returns of Trish Stratus and Charlotte Flair at the Royal Rumble, and more.
Former WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Natalya appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show to discuss the current state of her WWE career, working with WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H, her thoughts on John Cena’s heel turn, the upcoming release of her new book, and more!
Indie star Jae-Lynn Hill joined Straight Talk Wrestling to talk about her pro wrestling career thus far, support she’s received from her family, facing the veteran Kylie Rae, being a student of the game, and more.
Former WWE star Maria Kanellis joined the Adult Conversations Podcast to discuss the importance of humor in the wrestling industry, Michelle McCool entering the WWE Hall of Fame in 2025, the significance of appreciating the present moment, the impact of community and support on personal growth, future aspirations in wrestling, and more.
