Zelina Vega still glowing from title win on same night her husband, Aleister Black, made his return to WWE

Zelina Vega and Aleister Black couldn’t script a more perfect reunion. Black’s WWE return would always be a monumental occasion for them. After four years separated by professional wrestling’s borders, the married couple were back on the road together. But neither anticipated how pivotal April 25 would be to both of their careers.

Vega walked into Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas with one plan — to cheer on her husband’s WWE return. Black was set to make his first WWE appearance after being released in 2021. Despite his cold, calculated presence, Black had the same swirling thoughts every returning superstar has: Will they remember me? 

What Vega thought would be a supporting role turned out to be one of the most important nights of her career. Vega was informed she’d be winning the women’s United States championship on three hours’ notice. Her first singles title after 15 years as a professional wrestler and eight as a WWE superstar.

“I guess I was more in shock,” Vega told CBS Sports before letting her charming, unapologetic anime fandom creep in. “The very first thing I thought was like, ‘Damn.’ I always had in my head that if I won the United States Championship, I wanted to be wearing my gear from ‘My Hero Academia.'”

Vega was unusually calm when informed of an opportunity she’d waited her life for. It’s entirely due to her husband’s presence. WWE is a high-pressure environment. Superstars work together, but success is often reaped individually. Having Black with her — driving to venues, listening to City & Colour and watching their favorite shows — gave Vega renewed peace.

“I felt this ease that I hadn’t felt in a very long time,” Vega said. “And then all of a sudden, that happened. And I wasn’t nervous, surprisingly. Normally, I have hawks in my stomach. I get very, very nervous. But I wasn’t.

“I think that added to it, because I was like, ‘OK, this is meant to be,’ because there was no fighting it. I didn’t feel any kind of nerves. It was just finally peace. I felt like everything was right in the world.”

The moment’s significance didn’t sink in until the closing bell rang. Vega rolled up the former women’s U.S. champion Chelsea Green with a Code Red, a move innovated by Vega’s cousin, Amazing Red. The crowd, seemingly as shocked as Vega was, roared with approval.

“It was crazy, because I didn’t let myself feel it or get excited about it until I heard the bell ring and heard, ‘And new!’ That’s when you can see it on my face.” Vega said. “Like, ‘Oh, this is real. This is it.'”

Vega was in a dream state, walking up the ramp with the women’s U.S. title slung around her shoulder. Black would have missed the celebration on any other day in the last five years. That evening, he was the first person to greet her backstage.

“I’m my emotional self coming up the ramp. And then when I get to the back, I see him,” Vega said. “He’s the first person I see. And I get to have that moment with him, being happy.”

Vega exited as Black prepared for his entrance. There stood Vega — the first Queen of the Ring and second women’s U.S. champion — snapping photos with two-time Hall of Famer Paul “Triple H” Levesque while watching her husband’s long-anticipated return.

“Usually, I dream of these kinds of moments, but then I always wake up,” Vega said. “And this time, I just didn’t. It was so nice to feel like, ‘Wow, this is my reality.’ It’s no longer a dream.

“And then him coming back, seeing him and Triple H hug and say, ‘Welcome home,’ it was such a good feeling, such a good day overall. That’s what I’ve been holding onto. That feeling, that day, for a good two weeks now.”

Winning the women’s U.S. championship was an overdue opportunity. Vega, 34, had struggled with the possibility that she wouldn’t be in WWE’s plans. In May 2023, Vega showed out for her fellow Puerto Ricans. Vega unsuccessfully challenged Rhea Ripley for the SmackDown women’s title at Backlash, but thought the performance was her launching pad.

“I genuinely thought that was my rise, that something was coming next,” Vega said. “So I’m like, ‘OK, this is happening now.’ And then it didn’t. And then it didn’t… Is there something I’m doing wrong? Is there something I’m missing? Besides my height, which I can do nothing about. What else is there that I can control?

“I always felt so close to the world title so many times that I felt like something was coming…They had their vision of what they wanted for whatever reason, and I just wasn’t a part of that for a while.”

Check out the full interview with Zelina Vega below.

Vega waited a long time to prove she has championship mettle. She knows her reign can’t last forever. She’s determined to make the most of it and set the standard for a champion’s ferocity. That means defending the title against top talent like Asuka, Stephanie Vaquer, Giulia and Iyo Sky. It means defending the title across WWE’s three television shows, and taking the U.S. title worldwide to Mexico’s AAA and Japan’s Stardom promotions.

“I need to prove what kind of competitor I can be as a champion. Because they’ve seen me fight for something, but now it’s like, work to get in, work to stay in,” Vega said. “I don’t think they’ve seen me be the kind of aggressor that I need to be to keep it.

“I want to make my impression on this. I want to make my mark. Because it’s going to live on without me at some point. Years down the line, you still want people to say, ‘Man, that match was really great.'”