After being a fixture of WWE television for much of 2023 fans, pundits, and even some wrestlers alike have been asking the same question: whatever happened to former WWE Women's Tag Team Champion Raquel Rodriguez?
Once upon a time, Rodriguez was positioned as quite possibly the biggest new babyface on the RAW roster, with a combination of power and fighting spirit that inspired Paul “Triple H” Levesque to push her to the moon despite having a less-than-white-hot reaction from fans outside of the south. And yet, despite having the appreciation of the booker man and a pretty good wrestling style to face off against the current top performers on RAW, Rhea Ripley and Nia Jax, Rodriguez hasn't wrestled a match on WWE television since November 20th and hasn't wrestled a match period since the first week in December.
Fortunately for worried fans, they now have their answer as to Rodriguez's whereabouts, as she took to social media to share a statement on her status and reveal a scary Mass Cell Activations Syndrome diagnosis.
“What’s up, guys? Happy New Year. So long story short, last year I posted a video about being a WWE superstar with eczema. In the month of December, it got progressively worse, and I have diagnosed with something called Mass Cell Activations Syndrome,” Raquel Rodriguez shared on Instagram via Fightful.
“Basically, I was red, swollen, there was a lot happening in this area [points to her face] physically. It kept me from doing the things that I love, like traveling, going to the gym and wrestling. I also didn’t want to be on camera. I didn’t want to look in the mirror. I understand that all of those things can mess with someone, both emotionally and mentally, but thank god I moved back to Texas when I did because I had the best support system in the world during the time, which is my family. I’m so grateful to them and for everything they have done for me, and to you guys as well, who have sent me kind messages and reminded me that I didn’t have to go through this alone. So to anyone who’s been struggling or had to celebrate the holiday season a little bit differently this year, I just wanted to say, remember to give yourself a little bit of compassion and grace for the things that you don’t understand and the things that you can’t control. Life can be really hard sometimes, and it can throw us these crazy curveballs. I know they feel like they’re gonna last forever, but I promise they’re not. This is gonna pass. So let’s go into 2024 remembering to give kindness to others and give kindness to ourselves. I can’t wait to see what’s gonna happen this year.”
Goodness, that is some seriously unfortunate news for Rodriguez, who was one of the true workhorses of the women's division in 2023, working 57 matches between television, Pay-Per-View, and house shows. While only time will tell what the future holds for the second-generation wrestler, when she returns to the ring, it will be all the more special.
wwe superstar raquel rodriguez on why she hasn’t been on wwe programming recently and what she has been going through 🤍#WWE #RaquelRodriguez pic.twitter.com/Il7XnRvLT5
— 𝓙𝓸𝓱𝓷 (@TwistedJohnX) January 2, 2024
WWE's Raquel Rodriguez moved back to Texas in December.
As you may have noticed in her social media post, Raquel Rodriguez actually moved home to Texas after spending the past seven years in Orlando, Florida. While it's impossible to know if this decision is related, it is incredibly interesting to read with the value of hindsight.
“7 years ago, my family squeezed into my Tacoma and drove me to Orlando, FL, to pursue my ambitions. Today, they’ve come back to Florida to take me Home,” Raquel Rodriguez shared on Instagram. “I’m grateful to all the lessons, experiences, and people I call family in Florida, especially Olesia who was there for me at my lowest. I will always have a special place in my heart for Florida but I’m ready to get back to my roots. To everyone I’ve met and loved in Florida, I still love yall, and I’ll be back to visit don’t worry. Today, I’m most grateful for my life, my blessings, and especially the people I call mi gente! Happy Turkey Day to everyone and there loved ones I pray we all find some sort of peace in this chaos we call life everyday! Thank you to my lord and savior. I hope everyone has a blessed day.”
Regardless of whether or not Rodriguez moved back to Texas because of her diagnosis or the two are unrelated, it's nice to know the former champ has been afforded a chance to go through this difficult time with her friends and family around her.
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