González is a second generation professional wrestler, following her father Rick González. After training at Americas Academy of Pro Wrestling under George de la Isla in 2013, she competed on theindependent circuit. In October 2016, she signed with WWE, performing under her real name, and debuted for the company'sdevelopmental brand,NXT, in early 2017. Her ring name was changed to Reina González later that year, before it again changed to Raquel González in early 2020. In early 2021, she and Dakota Kai won theinaugural Women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, then becoming the inaugural NXT Women's Tag Team Champions, a title they won again in early 2022 for a record-tying second time.[a] She moved to the main roster on theSmackDown brand in April 2022, with her ring name changed to Raquel Rodriguez, and then moved to Raw the next year. While on the main roster, she won the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship once withAliyah, four times withLiv Morgan, and once withRoxanne Perez, giving her a record-setting six reigns with the title as an individual. She also holds the record for most title reigns as a tag teamalongside Morgan.
Victoria González was born on January 12, 1991, inLa Feria, Texas, and grew up inLower Rio Grande Valley.[6][7] She’s ofMexican descent.[8] She graduated fromHidalgo High School as part of the class of 2009. In her time at Hidalgo, she finished her career with 2,470 points and 2,018 rebounds. As a senior, she averaged 22.2 points and 12.3 rebounds, and was named District 32-3A MVP, The Monitor's All Valley MVP, and was invited to play in the TABC and TGCA all-star games. She was also aNational Honor Society member.[9] A fan ofprofessional wrestling growing up, she citesMadusa,Lita, and her father Rick, who wrestled as Desperado, as her inspirations.[6][10] Throughout high school and college, González played college basketball for theTexas A&M–Kingsville Javelinas, where she played two years for the Javelinas, leading the team in shooting percentage and blocked shots and averaged 7.4 minutes per game.[9] She transferred toSam Houston in 2012, where she continued her collegiate basketball career, averaging 1 point per game, 1.3 rebounds per game, and 0.3 assists in 16 games played before she was cut from the team at the end of the year.[9] She would remain at Sam Houston for her senior year, where she earned herbachelor's degree inmass communication.[8][10] In her senior year, González balanced a job at an apartment complex with an internship at a news station inCollege Station.[5]
González performing aBoston Crab on Delilah Doom in 2016.
Following her graduation in 2013, González moved toAustin to train for a professional wrestling career under George de la Isla at Americas Academy of Pro Wrestling.[10] She spent the next few years wrestling on theindependent circuit, and due to her size, she was often paired against smaller opponents.[5] Her last independent circuit match was on June 3, 2016, in atag team match at a River City Wrestling (RCW) event, where she teamed with Claudia del Solis in a losing effort against Baby D and Delilah Doom.[11]
On October 25, 2016, González signed a contract withWWE, where she reported to theWWE Performance Center.[4] She made her in-ring debut at anNXTlive event on January 20, 2017, under her birth name, where she was unsuccessful in winning a 12-womanbattle royal.[12] On the May 3 episode ofNXT, González made her televised debut, where she was eliminated in a battle royal to determine the number one contender for theNXT Women's Championship.[13] Under the ring nameReina González, she competed in the inauguralMae Young Classic tournament, where she was eliminated in the first round byNicole Savoy, which aired on August 28.[3] In September 2018, González competed in the following year's tournament, but was eliminated in the first round byKacy Catanzaro.[14]
Kai and González took part in theinaugural Women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, defeating Blackheart and Moon in the finals atVengeance Day on February 14, to win the tournament.[22] With this win, they received aWWE Women's Tag Team Championship match against championsNia Jax andShayna Baszler on March 3; the match ended in controversy, with Jax and Baszler retaining after Baszlersubmitted Kai, despite Kai not being the legal competitor.[23] The following week, González and Kai were awarded the newly createdNXT Women's Tag Team Championship, the first title in González's career. However, later that night, they lost the titles to Blackheart and Moon in their first title defense.[24]
At Night 1 ofNXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver on April 7, González defeated Shirai to win the NXT Women's Championship.[25] On the May 11 episode ofNXT, she made her first successful title defense againstMercedes Martinez.[26] AtNXT TakeOver: In Your House on June 13, González defeated Moon to retain the title.[27] On the July 27 episode ofNXT, González was attacked by Kai, turningface and ending their alliance.[28] AtNXT TakeOver 36 on August 22, González successfully defended the title against Kai, and was confronted byKay Lee Ray after the match.[29]
On the September 28 episode ofNXT, after retaining the title againstFranky Monet, González was attacked byToxic Attraction (Mandy Rose,Gigi Dolin, andJacy Jayne).[30] ASpin the Wheel, Make the Deal match between González and Rose for the title was scheduled forHalloween Havoc on October 26, where González lost the NXT Women's Championship to Rose in a Trick or Street Fight, due to the returning Kai's interference, ending her reign at 202 days.[31][32] On December 5 atNXT WarGames, González,Cora Jade, Kay Lee Ray and Shirai defeated Kai and Toxic Attraction in a WarGames match.[33] AtNew Year's Evil on January 4, 2022, González failed to regain the title in atriple threat match also involving Jade, who Rose pinned to retain the title.[34] González and Jade took part in the Women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, but lost to Kai andWendy Choo in the semi-finals on March 8 atRoadblock.[35] On the March 29 episode ofNXT, González assisted Kai in attacking Toxic Attraction, with the two embracing afterwards.[36] At theNXT Stand & Deliver pre-show on April 2, González and Kai defeated Dolin and Jayne to win the NXT Women's Tag Team Championship.[37] They lost the titles in a rematch on the following episode ofNXT, after interference from Rose; this was González's final appearance in NXT.[38]
On the August 29 episode ofRaw, Rodriguez andAliyah defeatedDamage CTRL (Dakota Kai andIyo Sky) in atournament final to win the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship, making Rodriguez the first woman to have held the NXT Women's and WWE Women's Tag Team Championships.[43] However, they lost the titles back to Kai and Sky on the September 12 episode ofRaw, ending their reign at 14 days.[44] On the December 23 episode ofSmackDown, Rodriguez won agauntlet match to become the number one contender to the SmackDown Women's Championship, but failed to win the title from Rousey the following week, after interference from Shayna Baszler.[45][46]
As part of the2023 WWE Draft, Rodriguez was drafted to theRawbrand.[51] On the May 19 episode ofSmackDown, Rodriguez and Morgan vacated the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship, due to Morgan suffering an injury during their title defense against Kai andBayley the previous week, ending their first reign at 39 days.[52][53] She failed to win the vacant titles with her new tag team partner,Shotzi, on the May 29 episode ofRaw, which were won by Rousey and Baszler.[54] When Morgan returned from injury, she and Rodriguez regained the titles from Rousey and Baszler atMoney in the Bank on July 1, after Baszler turned on Rousey.[55][56] On the July 17 episode ofRaw, Rodriguez and Morgan were scheduled to defend their titles againstSonya Deville andChelsea Green, however, Ripley attacked Rodriguez and Morgan before the match, causing Rodriguez to sustain a left knee injury. Later that night, Rodriguez and Morgan lost the titles to Deville and Green, ending their second reign at 16 days.[57] Rodriguez unsuccessfully challenged Ripley for theWomen's World Championship atPayback on September 2, on the September 11 episode ofRaw, and in a fatal five-way match atCrown Jewel on November 4.[58][59][60]
In January 2024, Rodriguez revealed that she was diagnosed withmast cell activation syndrome, resulting in her absence from WWE programming.[61] After a two-month hiatus, she returned on the February 19 episode ofRaw, winning a Last Chance battle royal to earn the sixth and final spot in the women's Elimination Chamber match atElimination Chamber: Perth on February 24, where she was eliminated byBianca Belair.[62][63] On March 18, she was pulled from the active roster, after her mast cell activation syndrome flared up at Elimination Chamber: Perth.[64]
After a seven-month hiatus, Rodriguez returned atBad Blood on October 5, attacking Ripley and helping Morgan retain the Women's World Championship, turning heel for the first time on the main roster and becoming the newest member ofThe Judgment Day.[65] AtSurvivor Series WarGames on November 30, Rodriguez, Morgan, Jax,Tiffany Stratton andCandice LeRae lost to Ripley, Belair, Bayley, Iyo Sky andNaomi in a WarGames match.[66] On February 1, 2025, atRoyal Rumble, Rodriguez entered the titular match at number 26, but was eliminated by Jax.[67] On the February 24 episode ofRaw, Rodriguez and Morgan defeated Belair and Naomi to win the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship for a record-setting third time as a team (and record fourth for Rodriguez individually), after interference from"Dirty" Dominik Mysterio.[68] On the March 24 episode ofRaw, Rodriguez unsuccessfully challengedLyra Valkyria for theWWE Women's Intercontinental Championship.[69] On Night 2 ofWrestleMania 41 on April 20, Rodriguez and Morgan lost the titles to Valkyria and the returningBecky Lynch, ending their reign at 55 days,[70] but regained them in a rematch the next night onRaw, marking their record-setting fourth reign as a team and record fifth reign for Rodriguez individually.[71] The following night onNXT, Rodriguez and Morgan successfully defended the titles againstGigi Dolin andTatum Paxley.[72] AtNight of Champions on June 28, Rodriguez lost to Ripley in a Street Fight.[73]
On the June 30 episode ofRaw, due to a legitimate injury incurred by Morgan in mid-June,Roxanne Perez, who had been inserting herself into The Judgment Day, joined the group and officially replaced Morgan as Rodriguez's new tag partner. WWE considers this a separate reign for Rodriguez, ending her reign with Morgan at 70 days, and beginning a new reign with Perez, marking Rodriguez's record sixth reign with the title individually.[74] AtEvolution on July 13, Rodriguez and Perez successfully defended the titles againstThe Kabuki Warriors (Asuka andKairi Sane),Charlotte Flair andAlexa Bliss andSol Ruca andZaria in a fatal four-way tag team match.[75] On Night 1 ofSummerSlam on August 2, Rodriguez and Perez lost the titles to Flair and Bliss, ending their reign at 33 days.[76] They failed to regain the titles two nights later onRaw.[77]
^Garretson, Jordan (February 16, 2020)."Dakota Kai def. Tegan Nox (Street Fight)".WWE.Archived from the original on February 17, 2020. RetrievedFebruary 16, 2020.With Nox on the top rope perhaps looking to finish off not only the match, but maybe Kai's career, Gonzalez intervened and instead was the one who sent Nox crashing through the table.
^Melok, Bobby (August 22, 2020)."NXT Women's Champion Io Shirai def. Dakota Kai".WWE.Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. RetrievedNovember 16, 2022.After the bell, Gonzalez jumped Shirai from behind and continued to attack the champion, only for Rhea Ripley to emerge and confront Kai's towering associate.
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