Raquel Rodriguez Missed Weeks Of WWE Because Of Scary Diagnosis
John Castro Quick Links
Highlights
- Raquel Rodriguez made a triumphant return to WWE by winning a Last Chance Battle Royal.
- She will compete in the Women's Elimination Chamber Match at the upcoming event.
- Raquel's victory means she has the opportunity to challenge for the WWE World Women's Championship.
Raquel Rodriguez became one of WWE's fastest rising stars in the women's division throughout 2023. She had various challenges throughout the last year, climbing the ranks of the women's division, becoming a WWE Women's Tag Team Champion on two separate occasions with Aliyah and Liv Morgan. She also had a very successful stint with NXT prior to her main roster move. Her biggest challenge came from an unexpected opponent that hit Raquel from out of nowhere faster than an RKO. Raquel was diagnosed with a deadly disorder called Mast Cell Activation Syndrome [MCAS]. This left her out of action for quite some time and left her future in WWE in doubt.
Raquel Rodriguez | Facts & Stats |
|---|---|
Height: | 6'1" |
Weight: | N/A |
Billed From: | Rio Grande Valley, Texas |
Debut: | June 3, 2016 |
Finisher: | Tejana Bomb |
Raw Winners And Losers: Cody Cuts a Fire Promo, Lynch vs. Jax
This week's Raw effectively added to the build-up for WrestleMania 40, featuring a wild promo by Cody Rhodes.Raquel Rodriguez Quickly Rose To The Top Of WWE's Women's Division
Raquel Rodriguez Had A Successful NXT Run
Raquel Rodriguez made her main roster debut in 2022 after a successful reign as NXT Women's Champion and had a great showing for that brand. She immediately went after then-WWE SmackDown Women's Champion, Ronda Rousey, answering an open challenge with an impressive showing, but failed to win the title that night. Later on, she would team up with Aliyah to compete in the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship Tournament, where the duo ended up winning the titles by defeating Damage CTRL in the finals. They dropped the tag titles two weeks later to Damage CTRL in a rematch on Raw.
Beginning in 2023, Raquel teamed with Liv Morgan, as the duo regained the WWE Women's Tag Titles by defeating Becky Lynch and Trish Stratus on Raw. However, Raquel had to vacate the titles after over a month due to Liv Morgan suffering an unexpected injury. Her focus shifted over to climbing the ranks of the Women's Division in the meantime. However, she and the returning Liv Morgan did regain the Women's Tag Team Titles, defeating Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler at Money in the Bank. After holding the titles for a little more than two weeks, they dropped them to Sonya Deville and Chelsea Green on Raw.
Raquel began her quest for the WWE World Women's Championship, as she challenged Rhea Ripley numerous times and failed to win the championship on various episodes of Monday Night Raw and, most notably, at Crown Jewel. Her last match with WWE was on December 3, 2023, at a WWE live event, as she suffered a loss to Nia Jax. By the end of the year, Raquel was noticeably absent from WWE television.
Raquel Rodriguez Sharing Scary Journey Through Mast Cell Activation Syndrome
WWE's Raquel Rodriguez shares her battle with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, urging kindness and resilience in 2024.Raquel Rodriguez Was Diagnosed With A Deadly Disorder That Kept Her Out Of Action
Raquel Rodriguez Has Mast Cell Activation Syndrome
On January 2, 2024, Raquel posted a video to her Instagram page revealing that she had been diagnosed with a disease called "Mast Cell Activation Syndrome" [MCAS], which resulted in redness and swelling throughout her body that kept her from traveling and doing all the things she loved.
"What's up guys. Happy New Year. So long story short. Last year I posted a video about being a WWE superstar with eczema. And in the month of December, it got progressively worse and I have been diagnosed with something called Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. Basically, I was red, swollen, there was a lot happening in this area physically. It kept me from doing the things that I love, like travelling, going to the gym and wrestling." (H/T: SEScoops)
Patients suffering with MCAS can experience symptoms such as swelling, hives, low blood pressure, and shortness of breath. This could result in death in the most rare and serious cases of MCAS. To that end, Raquel was taken off WWE television until she was able to recover and eventually make her return.
Raquel continued with a message to her fans and those suffering with MCAS:
1:40"So to anyone who has 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 and I know they feel like they're gonna last forever, but I promise they're not. This is going to 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 going to happen this year."
Raquel Rodriguez: Age, Height, Relationship Status & More Things To Know About Her
There is plenty to know about both Raquel Rodriguez's life inside the ring and outside of it!Raquel Rodriguez Made A Surprise Return To WWE Raw
Raquel Rodriguez Will Be In The Women's Elimination Chamber Match
Raquel Rodriguez made her shocking return to WWE on the February 19, 2024 edition of Monday Night Raw as the mystery entrant in the "Last Chance Battle Royal", with the winner earning the final spot in the Women's Elimination Chamber Match at the Elimination Chamber event this Saturday in Perth, Australia.
Raquel came in and dominated the match, eliminating seven women in total, last eliminating Chelsea Green to win the battle royal. Raquel will join Naomi, Tiffany Straton, Becky Lynch, Liv Morgan, and Bianca Belair. The winner of this Elimination Chamber match will move on to challenge Rhea Ripley for the WWE World Women's Championship at WrestleMania 40.
Raquel Rodriguez Shared A Video Of Her Struggle
Rodriguez Still Struggles With It Today
Rodriguez has now also shared a video to X showing the various parts of her body with MCAS. She noted the following:
The journey is far from over. I finally got some answers as to what caused this but it’s going to be a while til I can get it fully under control. I know one thing. I’m blessed to have an amazing support system. Family, friends, I love you all Keep pushing through the pain!
It remains to be seen whether this will affect her long-term WWE career, but it is worthy of praise that Rodriguez has managed to deal with this and return to television as she did.
