Stephanie Vaquer: La Primera makes history in WWE and seeks more titles

Stephanie Vaquer: Meteoric Rise to the WWE Women’s World Championship

Chilean wrestler Stephanie Vaquer has conquered the pinnacle of professional wrestling. At the Wrestlepalooza event, held on September 20th in Indianapolis, Vaquer defeated Iyo Sky, obtaining the WWE Women’s World Championship. This historic achievement makes her the first South American woman to win a WWE championship, marking a milestone in her career. Vaquer’s path to glory has been dizzying. She debuted in NXT, WWE’s developmental brand, in October 2024. In March, she became the first double champion in NXT, and in June, she made her debut on WWE’s main roster, culminating in her victory at Wrestlepalooza.

“It was the best [fight] of my career so far, and the result of the fight was the dream of my life,” Vaquer stated in an interview.

Stephanie Vaquer

The match against Iyo Sky, considered to be of high quality, demonstrated the skill of both wrestlers. Vaquer expressed her pride in competing against Sky, whom she has admired for years, and for showing in the ring why both are among the best in the world. The victory at Wrestlepalooza was an especially emotional moment for Vaquer, as his father, Héctor Vaquer Alvera, was able to witness it live for the first time on American soil. After the match, Vaquer ran towards his father, who was in the front row, and gave him the championship belt, a gesture that moved everyone present. Vaquer revealed that he bought a plane ticket for his father just a week before Wrestlepalooza, which gave him extra motivation to perform at his best. “I told my father, ‘I did it, I did it'”, Vaquer recalled. This triumph represents a new milestone in Vaquer’s career, who has already made history in the world of wrestling. Nicknamed “La Primera”, she has been the first South American woman to excel in various promotions, from New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) to the Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) in Mexico, and in NXT. The nickname “La Primera” (The First) came from a Mexican journalist who presented her as “the first South American in Japan, the first South American in Mexico, the first South American… in short, La Primera”.

Stephanie Vaquer won the WWE Women’s World Championship at Wrestlepalooza on September 20th in Indianapolis, Indiana.Vaquer’s path to the top was not easy. At 19, he left Chile to seek opportunities in Mexico, where the culture of wrestling would help him achieve his goal. However, he faced challenges, including a broken nose that kept him away from the ring for more than a year. During her stay in Mexico, Vaquer had the support of a restaurant owner who offered her lodging and food in exchange for work as a waitress. She lived in the restaurant kitchen for several months, and only had access to a shower once a week. After debuting with CMLL in 2019, Vaquer had a successful run in NJPW, where she became a champion on multiple occasions. She also competed in other international arenas before arriving at NXT and finally at WWE. Currently, at 32 years old, Vaquer is a consolidated star in WWE, where he has received great support from the company. Stephanie McMahon, former wrestler and former co-CEO of WWE, was the one who raised Vaquer’s hand after his victory at WWE Evolution, assuring him the opportunity for the title at Wrestlepalooza. WWE’s Chief Content Officer, Paul Michael Levesque (Triple H), highlighted the importance of Vaquer’s victory, noting that the WWE landscape and the women’s division changed with her coronation as champion. Vaquer and Stratton are part of a talented group of female wrestlers who are carrying on the legacy of stars like Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and Bayley. Vaquer is ready to continue elevating women’s wrestling. Now, Vaquer is preparing for a new challenge: facing Tiffany Stratton in a champion vs. champion match at Crown Jewel. Furthermore, he has his sights set on WrestleMania, where he could achieve another historic milestone. Description of the Instagram post: A post shared by WWE (@wwe)