Raquel Rodriguez reflects on her WWE journey, special bond w/ Liv Morgan and father's influence

SAN DIEGO — As Money in the Bank came to an end on October 10th, Raquel Rodriguez's Saturday night was far from over. She still had to make the five-hour drive from New Orleans to Bossier City, Louisiana.

That's when her father, Rick González, stepped in.

“I’ll drive you,” she recalled.

The two jumped into a car, and what started as another trip between WWE events turned into something resembling a ride in a DeLorean, transporting Rodriguez back to her childhood.

“It almost feels like you know those road trips that we have going from New Orleans to Bossier City are the same road trips that we had going from Harlingen, Texas, to Corpus Christi to watch my dad wrestle, and that's something so beautiful,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez became emotional while talking about her father, who has been her rock throughout her life and wrestling career.

González competed on the South Texas wrestling circuit during the 1980s and 1990s under the names Ricky "Desperado" González and Speedy González. Sometimes, his wrestling schedule kept him away from home. Other times, he would load up the family and bring them along to watch him compete.

Now, the roles have reversed, with González traveling alongside his daughter as she continues building her own wrestling legacy.

“It’s an amazing connection that I have with my dad, and I'm so grateful that I get to experience that with him,” Rodriguez said.

After Rodriguez graduated from college and her basketball career came to an end, González encouraged her to follow in his footsteps and step inside the wrestling ring.

Before her WWE tryout, her father took her to Laredo, Texas, for a practice match to help prepare her for the next chapter of her life.

A decade later, Rodriguez has established herself as one of WWE's top female wrestlers, with her father supporting her every step of the way.

“That's another reason that I'm able to wake up grateful,” Rodriguez said. “Because I can take my dad slash my driver slash my security with me on a lot of trips.”

Gratitude was a recurring theme throughout the interview as Rodriguez sat with the Women's Intercontinental Championship resting on her right shoulder.

Rodriguez has held the championship for 84 days after defeating Sol Ruca on Monday Night Raw on July 27. She was struck in the nose earlier in the match but continued competing despite blood dripping from her face, knowing that a little spilled blood was nothing compared to the opportunity to capture her first singles championship in WWE.

“Thankfully, I didn't break my nose. I just bled a lot,” Rodriguez said. “But in the moment, once I knew that I was okay and it was just blood, I was like, ‘no, this is not over. This is not taking me out. Not for this title. Not for my first singles title on the main roster,’ so it was it was a big moment for me. I really had to push through, and I'm glad that everything went the way it went.”

She is grateful to be the first Mexican woman to hold the championship, to travel around the world and to be part of The Judgment Day, one of WWE's longest-running factions.

The Judgment Day has undergone several transformations since its original lineup featured Edge, Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley. The faction now consists of Rodriguez, Dominik Mysterio, Liv Morgan, JD McDonagh and Roxanne Perez.

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The five Superstars consider themselves a family. They accompany each other to the ring, interfere on one another's behalf during matches and support each other through the highs and lows of their careers.

Rodriguez's connection to The Judgment Day began with Morgan, the current WWE Women's World Champion.

Their partnership dates back to WrestleMania 39, when they competed against Becky Lynch and Trish Stratus. The two later captured the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship for the first time and have since enjoyed four championship reigns together.

“Fifth time coming soon,” Rodriguez said,

What began as a tag team partnership eventually blossomed into a friendship that Rodriguez considers a sisterhood.

“I think like things just started to click for us,” Rodriguez explained. “She's like the yin to my yang. She's a Gemini. She has so much energy and these two sides to her and then I'm more of a Capricorn. I'm more like I need to be organized and grounded, and we need to have a plan set. But like those two things together, I think we just bonded and in a way that I I don't even know how to explain it, but like we've never fought, we've never argued in the like five four years or five years that we've been sisters, friends, best friends.”

Their bond extends well beyond the wrestling ring.

They celebrate each other's birthdays, know each other's families and frequently travel together.

Whether Rodriguez is celebrating her first singles championship or Morgan is capturing another title, the two have consistently been there to support one another.

Rodriguez recently accompanied Morgan to Tokyo, Japan, for the premiere of her movie, Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo.

“There's no one else I think in this entire company that I would rather be loyal to and have their back and be there for them to support them as much as live,” Rodriguez said. “I'm so proud of her and her accomplishments in her career, and even growing outside of the WWE with her movie career. It's so great to be present and to be able to like experience that with her and to go on this road with her and this journey with her. And so I just I'm so grateful that I have someone I can call my actual sister in and outside of the ring, and that's Liv Morgan for sure.”

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Another member of The Judgment Day with a special connection to Rodriguez is Perez, whom she has known longer than anyone else in the faction.

The two first met during Rodriguez's practice match in Laredo, Texas, before her WWE tryout. They have since become tag team champions together, with Perez now embracing something of a little-sister role within the group.

At just 24 years old, Perez has a promising future ahead of her, and Rodriguez is excited to witness her continued growth.

“She definitely has an amazing career ahead of her, and I can't wait to see where that takes her,” Rodriguez said. “I’m just so grateful that Liv and I get to be a part of a little bit of that for her because honestly, this little blip of the couple of years that we're together in Judgment Day is just something tiny in her entire span of her entire career that she's already started as a 13-year-old.”

One of the unique aspects of The Judgment Day is its Latino representation.

Three members of The Judgment Day have Latino backgrounds, with Rodriguez and Mysterio having Mexican roots and Perez having both Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage.

Their cultural influence has rubbed off on Morgan and McDonagh, who have occasionally used some colorful Spanish language on WWE television.

During the buildup to WrestleMania 42, Morgan directed a particularly provocative Spanish remark toward Stephanie Vaquer, one that Spanish-speaking viewers immediately understood.

“We can't help that's what she hears, and that's what she picks up,” Rodriguez said laughing. “We can't help that that's how we talk. JD too. Oh my gosh, when you hear JD say these words as well, he's such a smart guy, so talented as well, and he's also honorary Latino. I think it's obviously beautiful.”

That cultural connection made WWE's September 14 episode of Monday Night Raw in Mexico City particularly meaningful for Rodriguez and her fellow Judgment Day members.

It marked Raw's first televised show in Mexico City since October 2011, and Rodriguez admitted that all five members experienced goosebumps during the event.

“The one thing I love about Mexico is they don't discriminate, they don't argue with where you're from, what you're doing,” Rodriguez said. “If you're out there and you're respectful to them and you're bringing them this amazing entertainment and these amazing characters, they just welcome you with open arms. I mean, look at Grande Americano.”

El Grande Americano, a German wrestler who adopted the persona of a masked luchador and learned to speak Spanish, has become a beloved character among Mexican wrestling fans. He has also captured the AAA Mega Championship.

“That guy got welcomed,” Rodriguez said. “Not only did he get welcomed, he got corridos. He got parades down to the angel statue in Mexico City. Are you kidding me? A part of me is a little bit jealous.”

While Rodriguez has embraced the cultural connections and friendships that come with WWE, she has also worked to evolve as an in-ring performer.

Standing 6 feet tall, Rodriguez towers over many of her opponents, with the women's roster averaging approximately 5 feet, 5 inches in height.

Her size and strength have become defining characteristics of her wrestling style, but they have also drawn criticism.

WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash previously expressed frustration with Rodriguez wrestling down to the level of smaller opponents rather than taking full advantage of her physical attributes.

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Instead of dismissing his comments, Rodriguez viewed them as an opportunity to improve.

She listened to Nash's criticism and decided to seek additional advice from him.

“I think there's something to be said when a former legend or someone is watching your game and they have something to say about what you're doing, whether it be positive or negative or however you want to take it,” she said. “I decided to take it as constructive criticism because to me, why wouldn't I take it as that?”

Nash established himself as one of WWE's most dominant big men by using his size and strength to overpower smaller opponents, an approach he believes Rodriguez can incorporate more effectively into her matches.

Another WWE legend Rodriguez has turned to for advice is The Undertaker, widely regarded as one of the greatest Superstars in professional wrestling history.

Like Nash, The Undertaker built his career around an imposing physical presence, combining size, strength and surprising athleticism to produce memorable matches against opponents of all sizes.

The Undertaker has also taken on a leadership role in AAA, giving Rodriguez another opportunity to learn from one of the industry's most accomplished performers.

“Being able to have another amazing big man who arguably is the best big man in the business at your show, and to not go up to him and to not ask him how you're doing or what he thinks of your work or has he seen your work, that's a big mistake on on your part as an athlete,” Rodriguez said. “I would definitely for any veteran that's at a show, it's respectful to go up to them, obviously, but it's also it shows encouragement in you as a talent and a future talent and a future champion of this company when you ask them for their feedback.”

Nash and The Undertaker are among the wrestlers Rodriguez grew up idolizing, along with Chyna and Beth Phoenix.

She has even embraced the nickname "Big Sexy," a nod to Nash's famous wrestling persona, and wears it as a badge of honor.

“He's really helped me up my game so much,” Rodriguez said. “So ‘Big Sexy’ is honestly, it just has meaning behind it, and that's probably one of my favorites right now.”

Rodriguez spent the weekend in Hawaii for WWE's live events before preparing to travel to San Diego for Monday Night Raw on Monday, October 19.

Even with the demanding travel schedule, she continues to find moments to appreciate the experiences wrestling has given her.

“Today I saw a double rainbow, and seeing that double rainbow, I was just like, “’Wow, like this is real life,’” Rodriguez explained. “It's cool that you can have that moment of like gratitude and blessings before you get back on the grind because it is a grind and it does take a lot of just self awareness and being able to keep pushing through all the hardships that we go through.”

San Diego is another destination that holds special meaning for The Judgment Day, particularly because of Mysterio's ties to the city.

For Rodriguez and the rest of the faction, returning to San Diego feels like a homecoming.

“It just feels like home, and we can't wait to be back,” she said. “I think like as being a part of the Judgment Day and Dom being from San Diego, I guess it's safe for all of us in the Judgment Day to say, as family, we are also coming home to San Diego.”

It has been quite a journey for Rodriguez.

Over the past decade, she has faced adversity, battled illness and dealt with criticism, but none of those challenges has diminished her appreciation for the life she has built.

From watching her father wrestle in South Texas to becoming a champion herself, Rodriguez has experienced the kind of full-circle moments that once seemed unimaginable.

And while she has already accomplished plenty in her first 10 years with WWE, there is still much more she hopes to experience alongside her family, friends and fellow Superstars.

It's a journey she refuses to take for granted.

“Every day, I'm grateful,” Rodriguez said. “I’m grateful to be the Intercontinental Champion right now. I'm grateful to be sitting here talking with you about these amazing experiences…There's so many things to be grateful for even coming to San Diego, I love San Diego. It's like a mini Hawaii down there. The weather's always beautiful, so I can't wait.”