Former WWE NXT star Karissa Rivera — known to fans as Elektra Lopez — recently revealed a surprising behind-the-scenes role she played at AEW’s very first event.
Appearing on the “Muscle Memory” YouTube channel, Rivera shared that before her WWE days, she was part of AEW’s 2019 Double or Nothing debut show — but not in the ring. She said,
“I actually, for the first show of AEW, was there as well. I didn’t wrestle, but I actually rang the bell ringside. So funny.”
At the time, Rivera was active on the independent scene and picking up extra work with promotions like Ring of Honor and Impact Wrestling.
Rivera would later sign with WWE, where she adopted the persona of “La Madrina” Elektra Lopez, serving as the powerhouse of Legado Del Fantasma in NXT. She made a short stint on the main roster before being released earlier this year.
During a recent edition of his “Kliq This” podcast, Kevin Nash discussed the recent events regarding Ron Killings/R-Truth’s shocking departure from WWE, followed by his return at Money In The Bank 2025.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On if the recent situation involving R-Truth being released by WWE only to be brought back was a pre-planned creative decision or an audible made in reaction to fan support: “You tell me when a guy comes out to work with Cena and he’s been there for, is what, 17 years, I guess he was, and he’s dressed as Cena and but his shirt says, R-Truth, you’ll never see you won’t see me again…..And then he comes out on Monday, cuts his fu*king braids off, and he says, R-Truth is dead. Ron Killings is back. So number one, some people will say, you know, I heard Mark Henry say, last time is now. Yeah, after this, you won’t see me.”
On what Triple H told him: “Paul [Triple H] told me not to get involved in this. So I don’t want to ruin the story for anybody. So just hope…just enjoy the show. That’s what Paul said.”
On the history of guaranteed money in wrestling contracts: “There was no guarantee in wrestling… No, we got a flat-out guarantee. Vince [McMahon] then came back with the guarantees. And then once WCW went out of order, there was no way of going — you couldn’t put the f**king genie back in the bottle. There was no way anybody was gonna go back to f**king $1,500 guarantees.”
On his first WCW contract and subsequent raises: “That was like the first deal we got [somewhere around $1 million]. And then that changed within as soon as they pulled that stupid f**king Diesel and Razor look-alike, we got a f**king big bump on that. We were making some — we got longer time, and we’re making seven figures. And then somebody came in and we got a favored nations… and then somebody else. I think we got an idea of what Hulk was actually making. So we went in and asked for more. We were always — along with Barry Bloom, we were always in the process of renegotiating our deals.”
Former two-time WWE Women’s Champion Jazz is set to return to the WWE Performance Center next month for another guest coaching stint, according to a report from Pwinsider.
Sources within NXT have confirmed that Jazz will once again be working hands-on with the brand’s developmental talent. Her previous appearance as a guest coach received high praise from both talent and staff, with “very good feedback” leading to her being invited back for another round.
