10 Things WWE Fans Need To Know About Zelina Vega
Get to grips with Andrade Almas' high-flying manager.
Two years after first signing with WWE, Andrade 'Cien' Almas finally sits atop the company's developmental mountain. The former CMLL star took Drew McIntyre's NXT Championship at TakeOver: WarGames, completing a stunning career turnaround that wouldn't have been possible without his manager - Zelina Vega.
The Puerto Rican has helped transform 'Cien' from stranded midcarder to genuine NXT main eventer since arriving in July. Her charisma and personality synergise perfectly with Almas, who was always a world-class wrestler, but struggled with the more entertainment-based aspects of his performance. All of those old complaints have been invalidated by Vega, who has become one of NXT's brightest stars in less than six months.
She has only been in the business for a shade under seven years, but Zelina's story is far from boring. At the age of 26, she has competed all across the globe, crossing paths with several WWE Superstars past and present and overcoming considerable odds along the way. Beyond that, her backstory is as compelling as it is tragic, and understanding it makes it even easier to get behind her continued success.
Let's get to know NXT's hottest managerial commodity.
10. Rey Mysterio Inspired Her
Vega currently plays a managerial role in NXT, but while she has likely learned bucketloads from studying Paul Heyman, Bobby Heenan, and Sensational Sherri, such figures weren't among her earliest heroes.
Zelina originally had her sights set on following in the footsteps of a man generally regarded as the most influential luchador of all time, as revealed in a January 2014 interview with Black Hollywood Live:-
“Rey Mysterio was my inspiration when it came to that. He was someone that I looked at… He’s so small, but he can do so much… I want to be the female Rey Mysterio. Whether it’s with a mask or not, I want to be him."
This shouldn't come as a massive surprise to anyone who has seen her work. Rather than resorting to the usual slaps and distractions, Zelina interjects herself into Andrade Almas' matches with flips, dives, and Hurricanranas. This penchant for the spectacular is what sets her aside from anyone else in WWE's slim managerial pool, bringing a whole new dynamic to the NXT Champion's bouts, with Vega's involvement often as important as the wrestlers themselves.
We're yet to see Zelina flex the full extent of her lucha libre skills in a WWE ring, but perhaps that day will eventually come.