More details have emerged regarding former WWE Superstar Zelina Vega’s recent release.

Zelina Vega’s refusal to adhere to WWE’s third-party mandate was recently discussed by Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio. He explained how Superstars were informed they would need to “get rid of” their accounts. Vega, however, not only did not delete her accounts, she also opened an OnlyFans account.

According to Meltzer, “[…] there are a couple of women that are making more money with their social media than they are making with WWE and they are gonna be real interesting and one of those was Zelina Vega.”

He added how Vega was making a lot of money via her Twitch account. “[…] I think she made her choice and they had to fire her and then right before it got out that she was fired she made a tweet about how she supports unionization which she has said before. I mean it’s not like that’s the first time she said that and that did play into some of it.”

WWE Mandate Resentment

It was noted that there is some internal resentment within WWE. Meltzer explained how Superstars were begrudging the fact they are currently only working once a week. They are reportedly unhappy at having the means to make additional money during this time taken away.

Playing Devil’s Advocate, Meltzer shared how he understood WWE’s standpoint on the matter. He highlighted how WWE is intending to strike up a Twitch deal and want to capitalize directly on the platform.

WWE recently hit the news again with their ongoing ‘third party’ edicts and are under pressure regarding the independent contractor statuses of on-screen talent. This maelstrom was caused by the release of Zelina Vega this weekend, confirmed around the time that she tweeted “I support unionization.”

Although the reason for Vega’s ‘firing’ is not publicly confirmed, it is likely to be linked to her own use of Twitch and the OnlyFans platforms; with Thea Trinidad/Zelina Vega unwilling to hand over her own personal accounts and continuing to stream on Twitch.

Several names in the pro wrestling industry have offered their support for the former manager of Andrade and wife of Aleister Black. One notable name was former WWE on screen personality Renee Young/Paquette.

The former Renee Young has made some (low level) disparaging and sarcastic remarks regarding WWE in the past few months. This of course since she ‘quit’ the company. Just a few days ago, Renee wrote this on Twitter: “I’m trying to watch the east coast feed of Raw, but my @USA_Network app won’t work. Has @LanaWWE gone through a table again? @NiaJaxWWE can you confirm?”

• WWE Posting Job Adverts for Twitch Expansion

Renee Paquette wrote the following on Twitter today praising Zelina Vega. “We have all become very familiar with the talents and drive of @Zelina_VegaWWE . Despite a pain in the ass setback? I have no doubt she will wind up doing something incredible in a matter of time. You can’t steal someone’s magic.”

There’s currently no confirmation on what Zelina Vega’s next move will be outside of WWE.

WWE recently hit the news again with their ongoing ‘third party’ edicts and are under pressure regarding the independent contractor statuses of on-screen talent. This maelstrom was caused by the release of Zelina Vega this weekend, confirmed around the time that she tweeted “I support unionization.”

WWE also has a job posting advertised online for their own expansion on the Twitch platform. The company are looking for a GFX Motion Designer, to help “create motion graphics, animation and content optimized for Twitch.”

You can check out the full job listing below:

GFX Motion Designer, Twitch

WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The Advanced Media Group is responsible for the company’s social platforms, original short form digital series and the OTT subscription service, the WWE Network.

The Role

We are seeking an enthusiastic, detail-oriented Motion Graphics Designer. To work within WWE’s growing Advanced Media Group, specifically for Twitch. This position will create motion graphics, animation and content optimized for Twitch and digital/social media platforms. Candidate will see projects from concept to finish.

• Design & animate on-air graphics packages (titles, lower thirds, transitions, etc.)
• Create corresponding style guides and AE templates
• Work closely with video producers and creative leads to meet video calendar
• Fulfill requests from social media producers to solve daily video graphics needs
• Report to Senior Motion Art Director

Qualifications

• 4+ years of motion graphics for digital platforms
• Accustom to the speed of daily, video production for the internet, second screen appearances
• Experience with news & entertainment graphics for digital videos
• Excellent typography skills
• Sense of screen layout, image cropping and photo/video selection
• Knowledge of current web motion design best practices and emerging trends
• Comfortable with a multi-disciplinary environment of creative, tech and product
• Mature; respectful of business needs, shipping dates and “real world” challenges
• Work within various video formats and platforms (Twitch, IG, Facebook, Snapchat, etc.)
• Adobe After Effects & Creative Suite required; Cinema 4D and modeling tools helpful
• Entertainment brand experience preferred
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Portfolio must be submitted with application

Zelina Vega is no longer working with WWE as the company announced on Friday, November 13, that she has been released from her contract.

Before WWE’s announcement of Vega’s departure, she sent out an interesting tweet about her support for unionization. Only ten minutes after posting her message, WWE’s announcement was released.

This lead many to believe that WWE immediately fired Vega merely minutes after her statement of support for unionization.

That was reportedly not the case, as it was noted Vega was already informed that she would be released.

Related: Zelina Vega Issues Statement After WWE Release

After the news of her departure, Vega received support from the President of SAG-AFTRA labor union, Gabrielle Carteris on Twitter.

SAG-AFTRA (The Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) is a labor union that represents approximately 160,000 professionals working in different fields of film and television.

The President of the union Carteris thanked Vega for standing up against WWE’s edict and said that she supported her. She also shared her email address with Vega.

The official Twitter page of SAG-AFTRA also voiced support for Vega by saying that they also stand with her in support for unionization.

It was reported earlier that several talents on the roster had a meeting with Vince McMahon regarding the Twitch ban but they were unable to persuade him to change his stance. Several Twitch accounts belonging to names like AJ Styles, Mia Yim, Aleister Black and Zelina Vega shut down in October after WWE passed the edict to shut down third-party activities on platforms like Twitch and Cameo.

Zelina Vega further commented on her departure from WWE when she made her return to Twitch. 

On Friday, WWE announced that they had released Vega from her contract. It’s been reported that this release was due to the fallout from the recent edict from Vince McMahon about talent using third-party platforms such as Twitch and Cameo. 

“I don’t know how to start this at all. I wouldn’t have the success that I have if it wasn’t for you guys, if it wasn’t for WWE. If it wasn’t for the people that believed in me from the start.”

She named people like Andrade, Norman Smiley, Terry Taylor, Tommy Dreamer, The Rock, Triple H, and Stephanie McMahon. Vega continued by noting that all she ever wanted was to be a WWE star and this was something that her late father wanted as well. 

“Thanks to WWE, I was able to do it. For my match with Asuka, I had his name [on my gear]. I’m not mad at anyone. I’m not saying anything bad. I’m thankful. This is all I wanted to do … I’m sad. I’m completely heartbroken. Obviously, this isn’t the last you will see of me. I love you all and I’m thankful for every single one of you. If I go down as someone that stood up for themselves, so be it.”

Vega also sent out this tweet: 

WWE made the call to release her this afternoon. Shortly thereafter, Vega noted that she supported unionization. 

Latest On Why Zelina Vega Was Released By WWE

In a surprising move, WWE announced the release of Zelina Vega on Friday evening. 

Pwinsider.com has a report as to why she has been released from her contract. It was noted that this move was the fallout from the recent edict from Vince McMahon which prevents talents from continuing activity on third-party platforms such as Twitch and Cameo. 

WWE is looking to spearheading those relationships and use talents under the umbrella of the company on these platforms as a part of their contractual duties.

Vega was told about the departure this afternoon and will be on the sidelines for a few months as she’s under the traditional 90-day non-compete clause. This will prevent her from working for any promotion with TV distribution through mid-February 2021.

It was said that her departure was not a result of her tweet in support of unionization. Instead, the word going around WWE is the departure was made before the twee was sent out. 

The report states Vega had been extremely vocal about maintaining her Twitch account after the edict was issued last month.

Some people in WWE are speculating if Vega was released to “send a message” to others in the company in order for them to follow the third-party platform edict. 

Zelina Vega Released By WWE

Zelina Vega is no longer under contract with WWE. 

The company announced on Friday that they have decided to release Vega from her contract. WWE issued the following statement on her departure:

“WWE has come to terms on the release of Zelina Vega. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors.”

As of this writing, there’s no word yet on why she was exactly released by the company, but she did send out this interesting message on her Twitter account about unionization before WWE announced her departure:  

While not to speculate about the reason she was released, it could be due to WWE’s ban on wrestlers using third-party platforms such as Twitch and Cameo. Vega is part of these platforms as she has a big following on them 

Paige also summoned up what a lot of people thought of this decision: 

Vega signed a full-time deal with WWE in 2017 where she was later paired up with Andrade as his manager. He became an NXT and United States Champion during this time. 

WWE split up the duo this past September and Vegas was later sent to SmackDown. 

Zelina Vega Reflects On Being Rejected By WWE Multiple Times

SmackDown Superstar Zelina Vega has opened up about being rejected by WWE in the past.

Speaking with Lilian Garcia on Garcia’s Chasing Glory podcast, Vega shared how being rejected was a “hard moment” for her. She highlighted how she suffered numerous rejections over the years despite her efforts to continually showcase her commitment to pro wrestling and WWE:

“I was 18 or 19 when I had my first tryout,” Vega said. “I got turned down every year since 2010, except for 2011 – 2012, but every year after that. And then, like, around 2017, I said, ‘ok, I’m out.’ They had me as a Rosebud for, like, six months. So I was driving from New York to, like, everywhere, just to prove to them how much this meant to me.”

Vega shared how she doesn’t think most people know what the process is like anymore. According to her, most don’t have any idea what “paying your dues” is really like. Despite her setbacks, however, Vega knew she had to follow through as she believed wrestling was what she was “meant to do.”

Zelina Vega recently competed for a Survivor Series spot on Team SmackDown in a Triple Threat matchup. She was unsuccessful, with Ruby Riott going on to join the team.

SmackDown Superstar Zelina Vega has opened up about her marriage to fellow WWE Superstar Aleister Black. She recently joined Lilian Garcia for her podcast Chasing Glory. During their conversation, Vega explained why she wanted to keep the marriage a secret. She also shared how she felt after word leaked.

Vega explained how they still don’t know who leaked the fact the two are married. She noted how there were a few people they had to tell, including Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, who she claimed they view like parents. Vega was quick to add how neither herself nor Black believe they were behind the leak as she reflected on Triple H’s reaction.

“We call Triple H Papa H and Steph, Mama Steph. I remember when I first told Hunter, he said, ‘You guys are together?’ I said, ‘yea, we are getting married.’ He was so confused. He said, ‘you fooled me.’ He was so happy and supportive,” Vega said.

“At that point, we had just told them and then a few days after, it slipped out in front of a few friends. Later, we told my Mom. Terry Taylor came to the wedding. At the wedding, we said, ‘I know you guys are taking pictures. I’m glad you are here and having fun but please don’t post anything on social media. We want to keep this here.'”

Vega speculated that the information could have been procured by websites as “[…] marriage certificates are made available for public reasons.” She believes this is how news of their marriage was first discovered.

Zelina Vega On Keeping Their Marriage A Secret

Zelina Vega then explained her reasons behind wanting to keep her marriage to Black a secret. She discussed her alliance with Andrade, noting how she didn’t want conspiracies suggesting Andrade lost the NXT Championship to Black because of their relationship.

“They would say she jumped on him and he did the Black Mass and she was with him the whole time,” Vega said. “I had seen a few times in history where real life bleeds into storylines and it can get a little messy. So I didn’t want any of that and Aleister didn’t want it either.”

Aleister Black and Zelina Vega were recently drafted to SmackDown following the WWE Draft.

Aleister Black spoke with Sportskeeda about a wide range of topics. 

During the chat, he was asked if he ever sees his real-life wife, Zelina Vega, manage him in WWE. 

“I personally think that it makes no sense to put me and her together because Aleister Black and Zelina Vega don’t have anything in common,” Black said. “Tom and Thea, who are married, have everything in common, but the characters have literally no alignment with each other. So am I saying never, never, never, never? No, but right now it’s zero to none. There’s nothing that’s going to happen that is going to put myself and Zelina Vega together.”

Black stated that he thinks WWE has wanted to focus on her in-ring work for a very long time and he thinks that’s right as she has proven to be a good manager and holds her on the microphone.

He stated that even when she was a manager, she would do some spots in the ring.

He said that Zelina has a few more matches than some of the people that were established Superstars on the brand before she made the transition. He added that she wants to focus on being an in-ring competitor.

The two stars have crossed paths in the past both NXT and on the main roster. Time will tell whether they will work together in the future. 

• Aleister Black On What Triple H Told Him When He Signed

In a controversial move, WWE is set to assume ownership of Twitch and Cameo accounts belonging to members of its roster soon.

Many WWE stars, such as Paige, Zelina Vega, Dakota Kai, and more have successful video game streaming accounts on Twitch and have been vocal about WWE’s new policy regarding 3rd party deals.

Paige teased on social media that she’s learned a lot about “unionism” recently on Monday. Fellow WWE Superstar Zelina Vega publicly acknowledged the tweet.

WWE’s Overreach

While no one on the WWE roster has come right out and spoken against the policy, many have issued comments on why they started their Twitch channels.

“Twitch is MY place what I built with my wonderful fans. A place where people can go and feel some positivity and little bit of normalcy. Fun. Interactive. Non judgemental. Charitable place. I’m proud of what I built with my fan base,” Paige Tweeted.

Andrew Yang has been quite vocal about his opposition to WWE’s policy of classifying talent as independent contractors. He has been especially outspoken on the matter lately due to the new policy on 3rd party agreements.

“A lot of it is that wrestlers are afraid to speak out, and I’ve had wrestlers past and present reach out to me and say that Vince has been getting away with exploitation of wrestlers calling them independent contractors while controlling their activities for years and years,” Yang said in an interview with Wrestling Inc. “A lot of it is just that they are a quasi-monopoly, and wrestlers fear that if they do try and unionize or organize in any way that Vince doesn’t like, that it will never work again.”

• Dakota Kai, Zelina Vega, Mia Yim & Others Comment On Twitch Relationship

WWE Superstar and RAW personality Zelina Vega recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. Vega appeared on the show to discuss her recent on-screen managerial role, and if she feels there can be more done to push herself and the group featuring Andrade, Angel Garza and formerly Austin Theory.

Zelina Vega on Scratching The Surface

“I do I feel that this is just scratching the surface” Vega began when describing the group. “When it came to me and Andrade in NXT? We were just, you know, it was like thunder happened and it was great together in NXT; but I think that shows where we can go and that we can even surpass that.”

Zelina Vega would elaborate further, saying “I feel that there’s so much more that can be done and we’re just finally getting the chance to show that. So do I feel like as a group we can be doing more? Absolutely. Do I feel by myself I can be doing more? Yeah, absolutely, you know, but it comes down to getting that opportunity to do that.”

Vega would finish by saying how she is constantly trying to prove herself on Monday nights. “Right now I feel like I’m constantly trying to prove myself. I’m totally okay with that because at the end of the day? It’s like ‘okay, who’s the one you know not striking out? Who’s the one who’s here constantly? Who’s the one who’s working hard and more than enough?’ My name is gonna keep coming up.”

Do you think that Zelina Vega’s group can be placed higher up on the card in WWE? Let us know in the comments

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Prior to being thrown off the top of WWE HQ’s roof during Sunday’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match, Aleister Black spoke with New York Post. During the interview, Black was asked if he would be interested in being managed by his real-life wife, Zelina Vega. 

Black stressed he has no interest in having Vega manage him at this time. He noted how “I don’t think she has to because it would be kind of cliché.”

He explained how the idea she would manage him because of their relationship falls in line with expectations, which is something he doesn’t want. 

“I don’t think that I necessarily need my wife or my wife needs me on screen because clearly my wife is doing a phenomenal job. She’s basically been the head of Raw for the last two, three weeks.”

Aleister Black revealed how he’d prefer to carve out his own path as Vega continues to flourish on her own merits. That being said, it appears Black isn’t completely closed to the idea: 

“Maybe in the future, you know, if they come up with something good and something we would both agree on, who knows. I’ll never say never, but as I’m looking at it right now, no.”

Although unsuccessful in claiming the briefcase during Sunday’s pay-per-view, Aleister Black did defeat Bobby Lashley during last month’s WrestleMania 36. He teamed last night with Rey Mysterio against the pair of Seth Rollins and Murphy. 

Zelina Vega portrayed former WWE Divas Champion AJ Lee for the film Fighting With My Family. Speaking with the Cheap Heat Podcast, Vega recalled the experience of playing Lee. She also opened up about whether she ever thought she’d become a part of the WWE roster. 

“At one point when we recorded Fighting with My Family at the Staples Center it was an incredible feeling and I loved it but I was playing AJ Lee and I wanted it to be me,” Vega confessed. “I was grateful for the opportunity. If that was all I was going to ever do with the WWE I was incredibly happy to do but deep down inside I knew I had to keep fighting to do this.”

She explained, “It’s pretty wild to say that I wanted this since I was a kid and to be in this spot here. We did WrestleMania, even Madison Square Garden, seeing the exact spot where I sat with my parents and with my brother it’s been wild for me.”

Vega remembered getting the call from Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, informing her that he had a part for her in the movie. Not only that, but that it would be as AJ Lee. 

“When he told me that I was going to be playing the Divas Champion, of course, I wasn’t processing any of this yet, and then he said AJ Lee. I was like, oh my God, I can do this. I know I can do this. But you never really know until you step into that person’s shoes. He really showed me how to separate Thea Trinidad and step into AJ Lee.”

She credited Johnson with helping her adapt and really understand how her character might be feeling in a particular moment, and why. Vega noted that she would talk to people who were working with Lee during that time and ask what her mindset was in order to really hone in on her portrayal. 

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Zelina Vega lost her father on September 11th, 2001. Vega spoke to Renee Young for a video posted to social media about losing her father that day.

“I think he’d be happy about it, I think he’d be super proud of it,” Vega said when asked what her father would think of her being in WWE.

“Part of this has to do with doing it for him,” she continued.

Zelina Vega Honors Her Father

Last year on 9/11, Zelina spoke to Lillian Garcia on her podcast about her father and how he helped shape her love of wrestling. He even took her to an ECW show when she was little.

• Zelina Vega Talks Losing Her Father In 9/11 Attacks

“He took me to ECW and that scared the hell out of me as a kid,” Vega recalled. “We didn’t have a lot of money but we were always at the events.”

She spoke about how her father was an amateur wrestler and a big wrestling fan on Garcia’s podcast. When Zelina told her father she wanted to be a wrestler, he was supportive. Vega said she knew from the time she was 4-years old she wanted to be a wrestler and her father played a big role in that.

Between her WWE tryouts in 2013 and her signing in 2017, Zelina Vega struggled to make a mark on the independent circuit and there was even a time when she thought about quitting on her dream of becoming a WWE Superstar.

Vega recently appeared on the Busted Open Radio where she talked about a number of things including the biggest lesson she has learned in WWE, the difference between NXT and main roster and more.

While discussing her struggles, Vega revealed the time she had started thinking of quitting. According to her, there was a time when she had gotten another no from WWE and a no from the audition of Spider-Man.

The former NXT Star claimed that she was at the end of her rope there and she was going to give up so she texted Dwyane ‘The Rock’ Johnson and asked him for some advice.

In response, The Rock told her to wait for a couple of days because he was working on something and then Vega got the role of AJ Lee in the Fighting With My Family movie, produced by the former World Champion.

Her movie role turned out to be the door for her entry in WWE as she began filming the movie in early-2017 and she was signed by WWE to a development contract by mid-2017.

WWE’s Superstar Shakeup took place last week, but three Superstars who were moved to the Raw brand are now officially back on SmackDown.

Aleister Black is now a member of the SmackDown roster, effectively disbanding his tag team partnership with Ricochet. Black’s Superstar bio on WWE.com has been updated to reflect the change.

Andrade and Zelina Vegas have returned to SmackDown after 1 week on Raw. According to PWInsider, the FOX network requested that WWE shift the duo to SmackDown in part because they felt the show lacked Latino stars.

When SmackDown Live moves to FOX this October, there are plans to spotlight WWE’s Latino talent on the FOX Deportes Spanish language station.

Another positive aspect of these changes is that two WWE couples will be reunited on the road. Aleister Black is married to Zelina Vega, while Andrade is dating Charlotte Flair.

Despite both Superstars being featured on WWE’s main product, recently married couple, Aleister Black and Zelina Vega, are set to depart on their honeymoon. The couple were wed back in November 2018.

Zelina took to Twitter in order to share the news. She mentioned that they would be honeymooning in Black’s native Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

“A bit late but finally going on 1/2 of our honeymoon. Amsterdam here we come! ….aaand being off the grid for a little will be nice ;) *cue angry tweets*”

https://twitter.com/Zelina_VegaWWE/status/1106260870391312384

Zelina Vega is featured on SmackDown Live, where she can be seen managing Andrade in his current feud with Rey Mysterio. She does occasionally compete in-ring.

Aleister Black, who only recently moved up to the main roster, has appeared on pretty much every WWE brand. RAW, SmackDown, and NXT have all seen Black compete in recent weeks.

This past Wednesday, he and his new tag team partner, Ricochet, were successful in moving forward in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. The duo advanced on NXT TV to the finals of the tournament where they will face The Forgotten Sons.

The finals are scheduled for Wednesday, March 27th and will air on NXT. The show itself will be streamed via the WWE Network.

The new biopic, ‘Fighting With My Family,’ releases nationwide on Friday. Promotion for the movie has featured on WWE programming for the past few weeks.

Sitting down with Kayla Braxton for WWE, Zelina Vega spoke about her role in the movie. She also recalled the audition process that she encountered.

Vega discussed the connection she had with AJ Lee’s character. She credited their mutual love of video games and nerd culture.

“Well, I play AJ Lee, the Divas Champion, and it was something that I really found a connection with her because we both were into video games, we’re both a little bit of, y’know, some nerds,” she said.

“So, it was really easy to just really submerge myself into her, and become her for that moment.”

“I Want You To Be My Divas Champion”

Insofar as auditioning for the role, it turns out Vega was able to bypass this step. She explained that she has known Dwayne Johnson for 5 years and, whilst struggling, she reached out to him. His response was an offer of the role of AJ Lee.

“Well actually, I’ve known Dwayne Johnson for around 5 years now, and I was going through a period of time where I was trying to get to WWE and it was…it wasn’t easy. It took me around 8 years to get here,” she explained.

“But at a time where I was struggling to become a WWE Superstar and struggling to become an actress, I texted him one day and I was like, ‘I’m at the end of my rope here, what do you suggest I do? Please give me some guidance,'” she confessed.

“He’s like, ‘Actually I’ve been working on something for the past few days now, give me a little bit and I’ll call you.’ And I was like, ‘OK’ and I didn’t think anything of it. And he called me and he said, ‘So I have this project that we’re working and it’s based on this documentary on Paige, and her family, and her life in wrestling and I would love for you to be involved.

So I was like, ‘OK, sweet.’ I’ll probably just get a little scene in the background and that’d be great.’ And he said, ‘No, I want you to be champion. I want you to be my Divas Champion, and you don’t even have to audition for the role, it’s yours. I know you can do it.’ Of course, the waterworks and all that came afterwards, but it was pretty incredible because he’s somebody that’s believed in me from the start.”

This week’s SmackDown Live was apparently meant to further the feud between Andrade and Rey Mysterio. For those that may have missed it, however, the two Superstars did not appear on last night’s show.

However, utilizing their social media, WWE uploaded a backstage video showcasing an altercation between Andrade, Zelina Vega, and Rey Mysterio.

Zelina Vega took the lead after being asked to comment on Mysterio and the on-going feud that has been stealing the show for the past few weeks.

“Well, after a long day of collecting intel, I’ve decided to give Andrade the night off. Because I myself, have my movie ‘Fighting with My Family’ coming out next week, that the critics are already raving about — no doubt due to my performance, of course. But Andrade will be watching Elimination Chamber very closely because it seems to me that Rey Mysterio is just getting—”

Andrade would take that moment to interrupt his manager, insulting Mysterio by calling him a “coward.” He complained that, despite confronting and sending a “message” to Mysterio in the ring last week, Rey continues to hide from him.

Vega would listen to her client’s concerns before pitching him a new game plan:

“Maybe, just maybe, attacking Rey physically isn’t enough. Hear me out. I say we expand. We expand and hit Rey where it really hurts. Because I don’t think it’s a coincidence, Rey, that all of a sudden now is when you decide to call upon the power of your mentor. We will use what Rey considers strength as weakness and destroy him from the inside out.”

In case you were wondering where @AndradeCienWWE & @Zelina_VegaWWE are tonight, they’re laser focused on the next step of their path to the top! #SDLive pic.twitter.com/s5Yym41148

— WWE (@WWE) February 13, 2019

There appear to be some rumors going around suggesting that SmackDown Live star Zelina Vega is dealing with an injury. More specifically, a concussion. Vega took to Twitter to shut those reports down:

“Guys.. this is exactly why you should take everything you read on the internet with a grain of salt: I am not concussed, I am very healthy. See you all tonight on #SmackdownLive !”

https://twitter.com/Zelina_VegaWWE/status/1080137788178210817

These reports were likely going around considering the history Vega has with concussions. This past November, Vega missed an episode of SmackDown Live due to a concussion. The injury was sustained during the WWE’s first-ever all-female pay-per-view (PPV), Evolution. Vega hit the floor harder than expected after being eliminated from a Battle Royal by Nia Jax.

She has since recovered, however, and remains at the side of former NXT Champion Andrade “Cien” Almas.

Vega and Black

For those of you who missed it, Vega and current NXT star Aleister Black were recently married. Details regarding where and when the ceremony happened have not been made available. Vega was previously dating former WWE Cruiserweight Austin Aries. However, she has since acknowledged their relationship has ended and she no longer wishes to be associated with him.

She had this to say about her relationship with Aries in a Tweet that has since been deleted:

“I am going to say this once: We (Vega and Aries) are NOT together and have not been together for a very long time. We were certainly NEVER married or engaged. I’ve moved on a long time ago and do not wish to be associated with him.”

Former NXT Champion, Aleister Black, was recently married to Zelina Vega. Multiple sources are now confirming the two have tied the knot, though details regarding where and when are not available.

Little is known about when the two became linked. Black did appear in an Instagram training video along with Vega recently, however.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BqgbpqbjWhs/?utm_source=ig_embed

Vega had also been linked to Austin Aries while both were in WWE developmental. She has since stated the relationship is over and no longer wishes to be associated with Aries, however.

In a since-deleted Tweet, Vega mentioned, “I am going to say this once:
We are NOT together and have not been together for a very long time. We were certainly NEVER married or engaged. I’ve moved on a long time ago and do not wish to be associated with him.”

Zelina Vega’s Emotional 9/11 Story

Vega was a guest on Lillian Garcia’s podcast earlier this fall. During the course of the show, Vega shared the emotional story of losing her father in the September 11th, 2001 attacks. She overheard her father tell her step-father to raise her as if she was his own.

“When he got onto the phone with my step-dad he said ‘honestly Kermit, I don’t think I’m going to make it out of here. I know you’re a great man I need you to be a father to my kids,” Vega said. “Love them like I would.”

Normally accompanying Andrade “Cien” Almas ringside, Zelina Vega had begun to transition to a more physical role before suffering an unfortunate injury that has kept her sidelined from competing inside the squared circle.

The good news, however, is that Zelina has been cleared to return by WWE Medical officials.

Speaking on PWInsider, Mike Johnson provided an update regarding Vega’s current health status, stating that “She is on the road. She is in St. Louis for SmackDown and she has been cleared to return to her active duties working alongside Andrade “Cien” Almas.”

A Mutually Beneficial Business Relationship

Zelina has been instrumental in Almas’ career resurgence, helping him to regain and maintain a focus that he had lost during his tenure in NXT.

Their relationship has been built solely on business and mutual financial gain. This unique approach has helped to separate the two from a number of other superstars with female management. Her skills would eventually lead Almas to NXT Championship gold.

There was concern within the WWE after October’s Evolution event after she took a bad bump post-elimination. The worry stemmed from a belief she may have suffered a concussion, so she was pulled from live events as a precaution.

Tuesday’s edition of WWE Smackdown Live from Manchester, England featured an exciting match between two of WWE’s top luchador performers in Rey Mysterio  and Andrade “Cien” Almas. Fans who tuned in may have noticed that Almas was without his valet, Zelina Vega.  According to a report at PWInsider, Vega is currently out of action with a concussion.

She addressed the Almas vs. Mysterio match on Twitter, vowing to be ringside whenever the rematch inevitably occurs.

https://twitter.com/Zelina_VegaWWE/status/1059998721897885697

Zelina Vega’s concussion was sustained last month at WWE’s all-women’s pay-per-view, Evolution. During a spot that involved Nia Jax eliminating Vega, she hit the floor harder than expected. WWE has yet to publicly acknowledge her injury, but she’s been kept off the road as a safety precaution.

Almas feuding with Rey Mysterio seems to be a dream scenario for Zelina Vega, as she has stated in numerous interviews that she idolized Rey Mysterio growing up. During a 2014 interview with Maria Menounos, Zelina Vega said, “Rey Mysterio was my inspiration … 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.”

Watch Rey Myssterio vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas from this week’s SmackDown:

SmackDown LIVE’s Zelina Vega has been added to the Women’s Battle Royal Match taking place this Sunday at WWE Evolution.

During Raw last night, a graphic for the bout was shown with Vega and all of the previously announced competitors.

THIS SUNDAY: A HUGE #BattleRoyal will determine a future #WomensChampionship challenger at #WWEEvolution! #RAW pic.twitter.com/POR7x6laIH

— WWE (@WWE) October 23, 2018

The official WWE website has also confirmed that Vega will be a participant in the Women’s Battle Royal Match. She is now featured on the graphic for the match, with WWE adding, “On Oct. 22, SmackDown LIVE’s Zelina Vega was added to the contest.”

Vega indicated earlier in the day that she would be wrestling at the show with this tweet saying she’s “ready for #Evolution.”

https://twitter.com/Zelina_VegaWWE/status/1054428754418774016

WWE announced on October 15 that the match would include Asuka, Naomi, Carmella, Nia Jax, Ember Moon, Alicia Fox, Dana Brooke, Lana, Billie Kay, Peyton Royce, Mandy Rose, Sonya Deville, Tamina, and former WWE star Torrie Wilson.

WWE added more past and present stars to the match last Friday: Inaugural Divas Champion (and two-time Women’s Champion) Michelle McCool, WWE Hall of Famers Alundra Blayze (aka Madusa) and Ivory, former Women’s and Hardcore Champion Molly Holly, former Divas Champion Kelly Kelly, and Maria Kanellis.

With the addition of the Vega, this brings the total number of participants in the Women’s Battle Royal Match to 21. The winner earns a future Women’s Championship Match.

• Is Zelina Vega dating a WWE NXT star?