Stephanie Vaquer’s appearance on WWE Raw raised immediate concern regarding the legitimate injury status of the reigning WWE Women’s World Champion.
But the situation behind the scenes may not be as serious as initially feared.
The “La Primera” appeared on Monday night’s show wearing a walking boot and delivered an emotional in-ring promo that gave the impression she could be stepping away from television for a period of time. Those fears were further amplified when Raquel Rodriguez attacked Vaquer later in the segment, a moment many viewed as a possible storyline write-off.
However, there appears to be some reassurance regarding Vaquer’s status.
According to one source, while Vaquer’s ankle injury is legitimate and the walking boot is not a prop, the belief is that the injury will not keep her sidelined long-term. The report noted that the issue is considered minor enough that WWE does not anticipate needing to strip Vaquer of the WWE Women’s World Championship.
Additional context surrounding her condition also points toward a more optimistic outlook. Vaquer was seen engaging in limited physicality on Raw, and the fact that she is wearing a walking boot rather than a hard cast is being viewed as a positive sign that a serious injury was avoided.
With the Royal Rumble approaching, WWE has flexibility in how Vaquer is used moving forward. The company could opt to keep her out of matches temporarily while allowing her title reign to continue, potentially stretching plans toward Elimination Chamber depending on how her recovery progresses.
For now, while Vaquer’s Raw appearance suggested uncertainty, all indications are that her championship reign is not in immediate jeopardy.
(H/T: PWInsider Elite and Fightful Select)
