Shaul Guerrero Discusses Not Using Guerrero Name In NXT, Paying Tribute To Her Mom
As the daughter of Eddie and Vickie Guerrero, Shaul and promoters had the opportunity to use her last name as a way to boost interest.
But when she joined WWE in 2010, she performed under the name Raquel Diaz.
Speaking to Spencer Love, Shaul discussed WWE’s decision to give her a different name and not capitalizing on the Guerrero legacy.
“Honestly, when I was there, I was under the impression that I would be wrestling under Guerrero. Because like, I mean, let’s be real. That’s what got me the opportunity. But, I was told I had to earn my last name. And so I was like, holy shit!’ Honestly, it’s like a layered – there’s a lot of layers to how I was feeling, because I was like, you know, I’m in WWE! I was like, ‘you know what, just shut up and do whatever they want. Do whatever they want, you know what I mean? And then, there was also a part of me that understood that’s a very old school mentality. You know what I mean? Where it’s ‘you’ve got to earn the name, you’ve got to earn the name.’ I grew up with that mentality, whether it was doing my chores, my grades in school, or now wrestling, so yeah, I guess I always was understanding of that. And then, on a personal note, me taking it personally, I was like, I already earned the name Guerrero when I went through all that shit with my dad and our family. I was like, I am a motherfucking Guerrero!” she exclaimed. “But honestly, I, strictly speaking in wrestling, like I understood, but I feel like – I don’t know, now I’m so excited to not necessarily be tied to anything. I’m going to go into wrestling doing what I want. I’m going under my name, I’m going to be like – if I shit the bed, I shit the bed, and I’m gonna go down, I’m gonna go down swinging, but whether it’s a good match, or whether it’s a great match, I’m going to be giving you guys everything I have. I’m going to be paying homage to my dad and my mom all the time and my entire family. So people can say whether I’ve earned my last name or not, but I have to go in there knowing I’m a Guerrero, because that’s the energy you have to bring.”
Outside of WWE, Shaul has performed under her real name, most notably as a ring announcer for AEW during the AEW Women’s Tag Team Cup Tournament. Her mom Vickie is currently signed with AEW as a manager for Nyla Rose.
When asked if Shaul would pay tribute to her mom by breaking out “Excuse Me!” she replied, “She actually has that trademarked! I can’t legally! Which I’m like, that’s a boss. My mom is a boss-ass bitch, and I’m just like, and she’s – you know what, I could never do it like my mom. Honestly, the thing I’m really excited about, even though I will be, I think I’ll be paying homage to my mom in a different, surprising, unexpected way that – it was kind of manifesting itself in NXT. I had this crazy, evil laugh that would happen in the ring. It was like a cackle. I don’t even know where it came from and like, it keeps happening when I’m training and like when I’m in matches. I was like, you know what, I think that is kind of like my little homage to my mom. Because it’s a vocal, it makes everyone be like ‘ugh,’ everyone just like recoils a little bit. I’m like, this is good! I think this is my little homage to my mom.”
After her stint as a ring announcer in AEW, Shaul told Alicia Atout that she was inspired to get back in the ring and was in talks with multiple promotions. You can find her full comments by clicking here.
You can listen to the full interview with Shaul in the video above or by clicking here.
