The first match of this week’s “WWE NXT” was somewhat of an upset, with the recently returned Shotzi scoring a victory over high-profile signee Stephanie Vaquer. The number one contender’s match caught the attention of the co-hosts of “Broken open radio” with former WWE star Tommy Dreamer expressing surprise at the result.
“I thought we would have built into a Giulia-Stephanie match (but) obviously not,” Dreamer said. “Anything can happen in NXT. It was shocking, maybe that’s why.”
Dreamer co-host Thunder Rosa acknowledged it was a surprising ending, but also said she was happy to see Shotzi get the victory after missing most of 2024 due to ‘an injury. Shotzi made her return to “NXT” last month, but this week’s episode marked her first singles match in nearly a year. Dreamer believes the victory over Vaquer signals big things for Shotzi’s immediate future.
“Shotzi is loved…by the NXT audience,” Dreamer continued. “She gets incredible reactions when she goes, and I can’t even say there was a disconnect in the main roster. They liked her too, but especially in NXT, she’s someone that ‘They really, really like it.’
While Shotzi has now earned a shot at the WWE NXT Women’s Championship, neither Dreamer nor her co-hosts had any clear ideas on what was next for Vaquer. However, the group was confident that their popularity would not suffer long-term damage due to this loss. Tuesday’s bout was Vaquer’s first singles loss since joining WWE last summer.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Busted Open Radio” with ah/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
