Both WWE and AEW have been very active in the free agency market throughout 2024, with wrestling’s top two promotions sometimes battling for the services of the most coveted talents. Such was the case with Stephanie Vaquer, who ultimately chose to sign with the Stamford-based company.
Vaquer made her AEW debut on May 29, 2024, to set up a short rivalry with TBS Champion Mercedes Mone. She competed twice for the promotion, with her last appearance being an unsuccessful challenge for the TBS Title at Forbidden Door 2024. The 31-year-old signed with WWE less than two weeks later.
Stephanie Vaquer recently told TVN Chile that she had signed with the sports entertainment juggernaut because it had always been her dream. She also mentioned that she had received a “very juicy” offer, presumably from All Elite Wrestling, but ultimately turned it down:
“I’ll be very honest. Since I was a child, my dream was to sign for WWE. But you grow up, you can’t be guided by the dreams you had when you were 9 years old. When I did what I did in Mexico and Japan, I had already fulfilled a dream. I was missing this extra. Not everything is money. I received another very juicy offer financially. To be a complete wrestler, I was missing being in WWE. I came to NXT because it was the best women’s division in existence,” she said. [H/T: Fightful]
AEW star Thunder Rosa reacts to Stephanie Vaquer in NXT
Stephanie Vaquer now competes in NXT, where she is undefeated thus far. She’s teamed up with fellow blockbuster signee Giulia, and the two defeated Roxanne Perez and Cora Jade at the Halloween Havoc Premium Live Event last month.
Vaquer had half her face painted for the match, and many fans noticed the similarity to AEW star Thunder Rosa’s face paint. Following the event, Rosa took to X/Twitter to show some love for the 31-year-old:
“Nothing beats getting some love from your friends in other promotions!” she wrote.
The wrestling industry is currently thriving, and while WWE and AEW have snapped up many of the top stars in free agency this year, many more young wrestlers are working their way up and hoping for an opportunity. Whether the next batch of signees will prove greater than the last remains to be seen.