Raquel Rodriguez Was Nervous Before Facing Top WWE Star

Raquel Rodriguez has been on WWE's main roster since April. Before that, she wrestled her last match in "NXT" on the kickoff show before the Stand and Deliver event during WrestleMania 38 weekend. The match saw her and Dakota Kai lose the "NXT" Women's Tag Team Championship to Toxic Attraction's Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne.

Since moving up to WWE's main roster, Rodriguez has been a dominant force, and in only her second match on "SmackDown," she received a match against Ronda Rousey for the "SmackDown" Women's Champion, a match won by Rousey in about six minutes. Speaking with "NBC Sports Boston," Rodriguez reflected on her feelings prior to the match.

"It was one of the most nerve-racking days, I would say I've had in a very, very long time," Rodriguez said. "From the beginning of the day when I woke up until the end of the night, I was just on pins and needles, just excited ... I was looking across the ring, you know, telling Ronda Rousey, 'My name is Raquel Rodriguez,' I was like, 'Holy caca. This is the baddest woman on the planet and I'm about to go toe-to-toe with her ... I could not have been prouder, I could not have been happier with everything that I gave in that match."

Although Rodriguez did not walk away with the win on the night, her quest for gold was only halted temporarily, as she, alongside Aliyah, went on to become the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions, defeating Damage CTRL in the final of a tournament for the vacant titles. However, 14 days later in a rematch on "Raw," Damage CTRL would take the titles.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "NBC Sports Boston" with an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.