Thea Trinidad
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Thea Megan Trinidad Büdgen (born December 27, 1990) is an American
professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
and
actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a Character (arts), character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek ...
. She is currently signed to
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
, where she performs on the
SmackDown ''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes simulc ...
brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...
under the
ring name A ring name is a type of stage name used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or projecting ...
Zelina Vega, and is a member of
Legado Del Fantasma Legado Del Fantasma is a professional wrestling stable composed of leader Santos Escobar, Joaquin Wilde, Cruz Del Toro and Zelina Vega currently performing in WWE on the SmackDown brand. The trio was formed in 2020 when El Hijo del Fantasma tur ...
. She is a former
WWE Women's Tag Team Champion The WWE Women's Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling women's tag team championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE. It is the only women's tag team championship for WWE's main roster, thus is defended across both ...
and the Inaugural
Queens Crown The Queen's Crown (Polish: "korona królowych" or "korona Jadwigi kaliskiej") was a part of the Polish Crown Jewels until it was destroyed in 1809. It was mentioned for the first time in the inventory of the Wawel Royal Treasury in the 15th century ...
winner. Trinidad is also the first out of three women to win the WWE and Impact/TNA Knockouts World Tag Team Championship (the two others being The
IInspiration The IIconics are an Australian professional wrestling tag team consisting of Billie Kay, Jessie McKay and Peyton Royce, Cassie Lee. They are best known for their time in WWE as The Iconic Duo and later The IIconics, under the individual names o ...
(
Jessie McKay Jessica McKay (born 23 June 1989) is an Australian professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE, where she performed under the ring name Billie Kay and for her time in Impact Wrestling, where she competed as Jessie McKay. In J ...
and Cassie Lee)). She is also known for her time in
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling Impact Wrestling (stylized as ''IMPACT! Wrestling''), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment. Founded by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett in 2002, the promot ...
(TNA) as Rosita, where she was a one-time
TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champion The Impact Knockouts World Tag Team Championship is a women's professional wrestling tag team championship owned by the professional wrestling promotion Impact Wrestling. It is contested for mainly by teams consisting of two female wrestlers in I ...
with Sarita, and for various
independent promotions In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indie circuit is the collective name of independent professional wrestling promotions which are smaller than major televised promotions. It is roughly analogous to a minor league for pro wres ...
under her real name. She debuted in
WWE NXT ''WWE NXT'', also known as ''NXT'', is an American professional wrestling television program. It is produced by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, featuring performers from the promotion's NXT brand division. The show currently ...
in 2017 under the ring name Zelina Vega, where she predominantly served as the
manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities o ...
of Andrade "Cien" Almas. After being released from WWE in November 2020, Trinidad resigned with the WWE in May 2021. After winning the inaugural
Queen's Crown tournament The Queen's Crown tournament is a women's professional wrestling single-elimination tournament held by WWE, a Connecticut-based professional wrestling promotion. Established in 2021, the prize for winning the tournament is earning the moniker of ...
in
2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
, her ring name was changed to Queen Zelina. Trinidad portrayed fellow professional wrestler
AJ Lee April Jeanette Mendez (born March 19, 1987) is an American author and retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE under the ring name AJ Lee. She is currently an executive producer and color commentator for WOW – Wom ...
in the 2019 biographical film ''
Fighting with My Family ''Fighting with My Family'' is a 2019 biographical sports comedy-drama film written and directed by Stephen Merchant. Based on the 2012 documentary ''The Wrestlers: Fighting with My Family'' by Max Fisher, it depicts the career of English profes ...
''.


Early life

Thea Megan Trinidad Büdgen was born in the
Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...
borough of
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
on December 27, 1990, and is of Puerto Rican descent. She grew up watching
professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
with her father Michael and younger brother Timothy, and was inspired by
Rey Mysterio Óscar Gutiérrez (born December 11, 1974), better known by his ring name Rey Mysterio, is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand. Widely regarded as one of the greatest profes ...
and Lita. Her parents divorced when she and her brother were young, though they remained friends. She practiced swimming and baseball at school. When she was 10 years old, her father was killed in the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...
; he had worked as a telecom analyst for
Cantor Fitzgerald Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P. is an American financial services firm that was founded in 1945. It specializes in institutional equity, fixed income sales and trading, and serving the middle market with investment banking services, prime brokerage, an ...
at the
World Trade Center World Trade Centers are sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association. World Trade Center may refer to: Buildings * List of World Trade Centers * World Trade Center (2001–present), a building complex that includes five skyscrapers, a ...
, and was on the 103rd floor of the North Tower when it collapsed. Her mother, Monique Ferrer, approached
StoryCorps StoryCorps is an American non-profit organization whose mission is to record, preserve, and share the stories of Americans from all backgrounds and beliefs. StoryCorps grew out of Sound Portraits Productions as a project founded in 2003 by radio ...
with the story of how she and her husband had met and what she experienced on the day of the attacks with his death, which StoryCorps used to create a short cartoon titled ''Always a Family'' as a way of honoring his memory. She has said it was because of her father that made her enter the wrestling business. She was featured in an
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
special, titled ''Children of 9/11'', on September 5, 2011. Growing up, she also worked as a counselor on a camp for children that had lost parents on 9/11 and also participated in charitable causes such as
Habitat for Humanity Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI), generally referred to as Habitat for Humanity or Habitat, is a US non-governmental, and nonprofit organization which was founded in 1976 by couple Millard and Linda Fuller. Habitat for Humanity is a Ch ...
with Tuesday's Children after
Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
.


Professional wrestling career


Early career (2010–2011)

At the age of 17, Trinidad began training under Javi-Air, Azrieal, and
T. J. Perkins Theodore James Perkins (born September 3, 1984) is an American professional wrestler of Filipino descent, better known by the ring name T. J. Perkins (or simply TJP) currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling where he is a member of the Unite ...
. Trinidad made her professional wrestling debut under the ring name Divina Fly for National Wrestling Superstars (NWS) on February 20, 2010, in
Bloomfield, New Jersey Bloomfield is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the township's population was 53,105. It surrounds the Bloomfield Green Historic District. History The initial patent for the land that w ...
, where she competed against
Brittney Savage Brittney Savage (born April 29, 1987) is an American professional wrestler. She is best known for her time with wrestling promotions such as American Championship Entertainment, National Wrestling Superstars, World Xtreme Wrestling and Women Supe ...
in a losing effort. On the August 21 NWS event, Fly competed against Niya in a losing effort. On October 1 at an NWS event, Trinidad, now under the ring name Snookie Fly, teamed up with Judas Young and Mike Dennis in a losing effort to Brittney Savage and Team Supreme (Corvis Fear and Nicky Oceans) in a mixed-tag-team match. On February 20, 2010, she made her debut for
Women Superstars Uncensored Women Superstars United (WSU; formerly ''Women Superstars Uncensored'') is an American, New Jersey based women's professional wrestling promotion which held its first event in 2006. Shows combine wrestling interspersed with both serious and c ...
(WSU), under the ring name Divina Fly in a losing effort against Brittney Savage. On June 26, 2010, Divina Fly and Niya, collectively known as The Fly Girls, competed for the
WSU Tag Team Championship The WSU Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team championship in Women Superstars United (WSU). It is competed for in Women Superstars United, and has been defended on shows of sister promotion National Wrestling Superstars. Cham ...
s but lost to the reigning champions, Cindy Rogers and Jana. On September 11, 2010, Divina Fly won a match against newcomer Candy Cartwright with a Fly Cutter.


Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2011–2013)

After being discovered by
Tommy Dreamer Thomas James Laughlin (born February 13, 1971), is an American professional wrestler and promoter better known by the ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is signed to Impact Wrestling and is the owner and promoter of the House of Hardcore (HOH) promo ...
, Trinidad wrestled in a tryout
dark match Professional wrestling has accrued a considerable amount of jargon throughout its existence. Much of it stems from the industry's origins in the days of carnivals and circuses. In the past, professional wrestlers used such terms in the presence ...
at
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling Impact Wrestling (stylized as ''IMPACT! Wrestling''), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment. Founded by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett in 2002, the promot ...
's (TNA) '' Impact!'' television tapings on January 11, 2011, losing to
Angelina Love Lauren Williams (born September 13, 1981) is a Canadian professional wrestler She is best known for her time in TNA/Impact Wrestling under the ring name Angelina Love. She is currently signed with National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). Between ROH ...
. On January 27 it was reported that Trinidad had signed a contract with the promotion. On the February 10 episode of ''Impact!'', Trinidad, under the ring name Rosita debuted as the storyline cousin of Sarita in an eight
knockout A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, a ...
tag team match, where the two of them teamed with
Madison Rayne Ashley Nichole Lomberger (née Simmons; born February 5, 1986) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling under the ring name Madison Rayne, where she is also the coach of the women's division. She is best known ...
and Tara and defeated Angelina Love,
Mickie James Mickie Laree James (born August 31, 1979) Additional January 6, 2017. is an American professional wrestler and country singer. She is currently signed to Impact Wrestling. She has also had tenures in WWE and the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA ...
,
Velvet Sky Jamie Lynn Szantyr (born June 2, 1981) is an American color commentator and retired professional wrestler, currently signed to NWA. She is best known for her time in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) under the ring name Velvet Sky. She is a ...
and
Winter Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultures ...
, when Rosita pinned Sky. In February 2011, Rosita and Sarita defeated Angelina Love and Velvet Sky to earn a shot at Love's and Winter's
TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship The Impact Knockouts World Tag Team Championship is a women's professional wrestling tag team championship owned by the professional wrestling promotion Impact Wrestling. It is contested for mainly by teams consisting of two female wrestlers in I ...
. On March 13 at Victory Road, Rosita and Sarita defeated Love and Winter to win the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship, with Sarita proclaiming that their victory would start a Mexican takeover of TNA. On the following episode of ''Impact!'', the alliance of Rosita, Sarita and Hernandez was named Mexican America. The three of them were then defeated in a six-person street fight by Love, Winter and
Matt Morgan Matthew Thomas Morgan (born September 10, 1976) is an American politician, actor and retired professional wrestler. He is a current City Commissioner in Longwood, Florida. He is known for his time in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is ...
. On March 24, the three were joined by Anarquia. In the following weeks Rosita and Sarita successfully defended the Knockouts Tag Team Championship first against The Beautiful People (Angelina Love and Velvet Sky) and then against Madison Rayne and Tara. They made their third successful defense on the June 16 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', defeating Velvet Sky and Ms. Tessmacher, following outside interference from
ODB ODB may refer to: People * Ol' Dirty Bastard (1968–2004), American rapper and founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan * ODB (wrestler) (born 1978), Stage name of American professional wrestler Jessica Kresa * Original David Baker (born 1972), a monik ...
. Rosita and Sarita lost the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship to Ms. Tessmacher and Tara on July 12 at the tapings of the July 21 episode of ''Impact Wrestling''. They received a rematch on August 7 at
Hardcore Justice Hardcore Justice, originally known as Hard Justice, is an annual professional wrestling Impact Plus event produced by Impact Wrestling. It was originally introduced as a pay-per-view (PPV) event held by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) in 20 ...
, but were defeated by Tessmacher and Tara. On the March 22, 2012, episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Rosita and Sarita again failed to recapture the Knockouts Tag Team Championship, when they were defeated by Eric Young and ODB. On April 19 episode of TNA ''Impact'', Rosita and Sarita teamed up with Madison Rayne and
Gail Kim Gail Kim-Irvine (born February 20, 1977) is a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler, currently signed to Impact Wrestling, where she serves as a producer. In Impact Wrestling she was the inaugural and record setting seven-time Knockou ...
in a losing effort to Brooke Tessmacher, Tara, Velvet Sky and Mickie James. Rosita and Sarita were given another title opportunity on April 15 at
Lockdown A lockdown is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks (such as COVID-19) that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely. The term is used for a prison ...
, but were once again defeated by Eric Young and ODB, this time in a
steel cage match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
. Afterwards, both Rosita and Sarita went inactive from TNA, while Anarquia left the promotion and Hernandez turned
face The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may aff ...
, effectively ending Mexican America. After months of inactivity, it was reported on January 9, 2013, that Trinidad's contract with TNA had expired and she had parted ways with the promotion.


Independent circuit (2011–2017)

In late August 2011, Rosita traveled to Mexico to attend an event held by the
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre Co., Ltd. (CMLL; , "World Wrestling Council") is a ''lucha libre'' professional wrestling promotion based in Mexico City. The promotion was previously known as ''Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre'' (''EMLL'') (''Mexi ...
(CMLL) promotion, for which Sarita regularly works under the ring name Dark Angel. During Rosita's stay in Mexico, she was trained by CMLL trainers,
Arturo Beristain Arturo Beristain (born September 5, 1949) is a retired Mexican professional wrestler, or ''Luchador'' in Spanish, who works as a wrestling trainer at the Mexican professional wrestling promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre's (CMLL) gym in Mexi ...
and
Tony Salazar Antonio Salazar Gómez, (born January 15, 1949) is a retired Mexican ''luchador'', or professional wrestler who works as the ring announcer for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre's (CMLL) Sunday shows in ''Arena Coliseo''. He is best known under the ...
, and was eventually offered a contract with the promotion, which she, however, could not sign due to TNA's working relationship with rival promotion
AAA AAA, Triple A, or Triple-A is a three-letter initialism or abbreviation which may refer to: Airports * Anaa Airport in French Polynesia (IATA airport code AAA) * Logan County Airport (Illinois) (FAA airport code AAA) Arts, entertainment, and me ...
. Just days later, Rosita appeared on AAA's television program, ''Sin Límite'', promoting a storyline, where wrestlers from TNA were invading the promotion. On May 14, 2011, Rosita made her in-ring debut for
Family Wrestling Entertainment Family Wrestling Entertainment, also known as FWE, was an independent professional wrestling promotion. The company was based and ran shows in New York. They hosted a show about every four months. All of their shows are available on iPPV and also ...
(FWE) at the ''Meltdown'' pay-per-view, losing to fellow knockout Winter with
Christy Hemme Christina Lee Hemme ( ; born October 28, 1980) is an American former professional wrestler, singer and model. She is best known for her time in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (now known as Impact Wrestling) as a ring announcer and one of the or ...
as the special guest referee. Rosita and Winter had three rematches, first on August 20 at ''Empire City Showdown'', the second on November 15 at ''Fallout'' and the third on December 17 at ''Haastility''; all were won by Winter. Rosita made her return to the promotion on March 24, 2012, at the ''Welcome to the Rumble'' pay-per-view, where she unsuccessfully challenged
Maria Kanellis Mary Louis "Maria" Kanellis-Bennett (born February 25, 1982) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, Manager (professional wrestling), professional wrestling manager, actress, model and former singer, She is best known for h ...
for FWE Women's Championship in a three-way match, after Winter pinned her to become the new champion. On May 6, 2015,
Global Force Wrestling Global Force Wrestling was an American professional wrestling promotion founded in 2014 by Jeff Jarrett, the co-founder and former President of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (now known as Impact Wrestling), and his wife Karen Jarrett. It is ow ...
(GFW) announced Trinidad as part of their roster. She debuted for the promotion on June 12, 2015, where she defeated
Lei'D Tapa Seini Draughn (née Tonga, born 27 November 1982) is a German-born Tongan American professional wrestler, professional wrestling valet, model, mixed martial artist and former women's American football player. Having been previously working for t ...
at the first show of the GFW Grand Slam Tour in
Jackson, Tennessee Jackson is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Tennessee, United States. Located east of Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis, it is a regional center of trade for West Tennessee. Its total population was 68,205 as of the 2020 United States ...
. On August 20, 2015, her profile was removed from GFW website. On July 17, 2015, Trinidad made her debut in
Ring of Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011, when the promotion was so ...
(ROH), managing
Austin Aries Daniel Healy Solwold Jr. (born April 15, 1978), better known by his ring name Austin Aries, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to the Control Your Narrative wrestling promotion. He is best known for his time with Impact Wrest ...
. On September 2, 2016, she joined
Shine Wrestling Shine Wrestling (stylized as SHINE Wrestling and often referred to simply as SHINE) is an American, New York based independent women's professional wrestling promotion. It is the sister promotion to Shimmer Women Athletes and airs events on Int ...
, debuting on Shine 37, which she ended up defeating Stormie Lee. On September 20, 2016, she made her debut in
World Wonder Ring Stardom World Wonder Ring Stardom (スターダム 女子プロレス), often referred to simply as Stardom (stylized as ST★RDOM), is a Japanese '' joshi puroresu'' or women's professional wrestling promotion based in Tokyo, Japan. Stardom was founded i ...
, defeating
Kris Wolf Kris Hernandez (born August 12, 1984) is an American retired professional wrestler, best known by the ring name Kris Wolf. She wrestled for World Wonder Ring Stardom in Japan, where she is a former High Speed Champion, as well as a founding member ...
.


WWE


Managerial role (2017–2020)

On March 4, 2013, Trinidad took part in a tryout for
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
. She made several brief appearances in the promotion in 2014, including as one of
Adam Rose Raymond John Leppan (born 20 July 1979) is a South African retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in WWE under the ring name Adam Rose. Making his debut on the South African independent circuit in 1995, Leppan signed with ...
's "rosebuds", and lost a match against
NXT Women's Champion The NXT Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE. It is defended on the NXT brand division, the promotion's developmental territory. Introduced on April 5, 2013, t ...
Asuka Asuka may refer to: People * Asuka (name), a list of people * Asuka (wrestler), professional wrestler * Asuka (wrestler, born 1998), professional wrestler also known as Veny outside of Japan Places In Japan * , an area in Yamato Province (now ...
on the October 26, 2016 episode of ''
NXT NXT may refer to: Professional wrestling * ''WWE NXT'', a professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that began in 2010 ** NXT (WWE brand), WWE's Florida-based brand and former developmental territory * ''NXT UK'', the British spin- ...
''. By June 2017, Trinidad had signed a contract with WWE and began training at the
WWE Performance Center The WWE Performance Center is the official professional wrestling school system of the American professional wrestling promotion WWE. The promotion currently operates two Performance Center locations, which serve as training facilities for WWE wre ...
. She started appearing on ''NXT'' with the June 9 episode, where she confronted Andrade "Cien" Almas about his behavior and slapped him. On the July 19 episode of ''NXT'', she accompanied Almas as he attacked
Cezar Bononi Cezar Bononi (born June 15, 1986) is a Brazilian professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling. He is also known for his time in WWE NXT from October 2015 to April 2020. Early life Prior to his wrestling career Bononi played Amer ...
and retreated from No Way Jose. Under the name Zelina Vega, she was established as the
heel The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower Human leg, leg. Structure To distribute the compressive for ...
manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities o ...
of Almas, who defeated No Way Jose on August 9 episode of ''NXT''. At NXT TakeOver: WarGames on November 18, Vega accompanied Almas to a match against
Drew McIntyre Andrew McLean Galloway IV (born 6 June 1985) is a Scottish professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Drew McIntyre. McIntyre is a two-time WWE Champion, one-time WWE Int ...
for the
NXT Championship The NXT Championship is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE. It is defended as the top championship of the NXT brand division, the promotion's developmental territory. In ...
, where she interfered by attempting to perform a
hurricanrana Professional wrestling throws are the application of professional wrestling techniques that involve lifting the opponent up and throwing or slamming them down. They are sometimes also called "power" maneuvers, as they are meant to emphasize a wrest ...
on McIntyre, failing on the first attempt, but managed to perform a hurricanrana driver on him later in the match before Almas captured the title. On January 27, 2018, at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia, during Almas' title defense against
Johnny Gargano John Anthony Nicholas Gargano (born August 14, 1987) is an American professional wrestler best known under the ring name Johnny Gargano. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. He is best known for his time in NXT, wh ...
, Vega interfered and performed a diving hurricanrana on Gargano, resulting in her being attacked by Gargano's wife,
Candice LeRae Candice LeRae Gargano (''née'' Dawson; born September 29, 1985) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand. She is a former NXT Women's Tag Team Champion and was a member of The Way. LeRa ...
, while Almas eventually won the match. On January 28 at
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after the Royal Rumble match, a modified battle roya ...
, Vega made her first main roster appearance as she accompanied Almas in his entrance as number 7 during the
Royal Rumble match The Royal Rumble match is a professional wrestling match based on the classic Battle Royal match in which a number of wrestlers (traditionally 30) aim at eliminating their competitors by tossing them over the top rope, with both feet touching the ...
. On the April 18 episode of ''NXT'', Vega was accompanied by Almas during her first televised match in which she was defeated by Candice LeRae. This turned out to be Vega's and Almas' last appearances in NXT. On April 17 during the Superstar Shake-up, Vega and Almas were both drafted to the
SmackDown ''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes simulc ...
brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...
. Vega made her debut for the brand on May 15, accompanying Almas in a match against a local wrestler. On the July 31 episode of ''
SmackDown ''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes simulc ...
'', Vega had her first match on the brand, defeating
Lana Lana may refer to: *Lana (given name) *Francesco Lana de Terzi (1631–1687), Italian Jesuit priest and scientist *Lana (wrestler), professional wrestler and pro wrestling manager *''Wild Energy. Lana'', a 2006 Ukrainian fantasy novel Sciences *L ...
. She and Almas defeated Lana and Rusev at
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
on August 19. At
Evolution Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation ...
on October 28, Vega competed in a battle royal for a future women's championship match, but was eliminated by eventual winner
Nia Jax Savelina Fanene (born May 29, 1984) is an Australian-born American professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE, where she performed under the ring name Nia Jax from 2014 to 2021 and became a one-time Raw Women's Champion and two- ...
. At
WrestleMania 35 WrestleMania 35 was the 35th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and 205 Live brand divisions. The event took place on A ...
on April 7, she participated in the Women's Battle Royal but failed to win. During the 2019 WWE Superstar Shake-up, both Zelina and Andrade were drafted to the
Raw Raw is an adjective usually describing: * Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made * Raw food, uncooked food Raw or RAW may also refer to: Computing and electronics * .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
brand. On April 22 however, Zelina was moved back to the SmackDown brand. As part of the 2019 Draft in October, Vega and Almas (now renamed Andrade) were drafted to the ''Raw'' brand. Vega assisted Andrade most of the times and helped him retain the United States Championship on various occasions. Vega participated in the women's
Royal Rumble match The Royal Rumble match is a professional wrestling match based on the classic Battle Royal match in which a number of wrestlers (traditionally 30) aim at eliminating their competitors by tossing them over the top rope, with both feet touching the ...
at the namesake pay-per-view on January 26 at #25 but was eliminated by
Shayna Baszler Shayna Andrea Baszler ( ; born August 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, kickboxer and former mixed martial artist. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand. Baszler is a former two-time and longest ...
. With Andrade and new tag team partner
Angel Garza Humberto Garza Solano (born September 23, 1992) is a Mexican professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Angel (shortened from his previous ring name Angel Garza). He is a th ...
arguing and fighting each other constantly, Vega appeared to end her association with her clients on the September 14 edition of ''Raw'', interrupting and confronting Asuka after she defeated Mickie James, initiating a feud. The following week, Vega defeated James to earn a title match against Asuka for the
Raw Women's Championship The WWE Raw Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the Raw brand division. It is one of two women's world titles for WWE's main roster, along ...
at
Clash of Champions ''Clash of the Champions'' is an American series of professional wrestling television specials that were produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP) in conjunction with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). ...
on September 27, which she lost via submission. As part of the 2020 Draft in October, Vega was drafted to the ''SmackDown'' brand. On November 13, 2020, WWE announced that they had released Trinidad from her contract. That same day, Trinidad had tweeted her support for
unionization The organizing model, as the term refers to trade unions (and sometimes other social-movement organizations), is a broad conception of how those organizations should recruit, operate, and advance the interests of their members, though the specific ...
in professional wrestling. It was later reported that the release was due to Trinidad's opposition to WWE "requiring talents to acquiesce control" of their accounts on third-party platforms.


Queen Zelina (2021–2022)

Nearly eight months after her initial release, Vega returned on the July 2, 2021 episode of ''SmackDown'', where it was announced that she would be competing in the 2021 Women’s Money in the Bank ladder match; she made her in-ring return the same night in a loss to
Liv Morgan Gionna Jene Daddio (born June 8, 1994) is an American professional wrestler and actress. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Liv Morgan. She is a former SmackDown Women's Champion. In 20 ...
. At the event on July 18, she failed to win the match. On the August 27 episode of ''SmackDown'', she competed in a fatal four-way elimination match to determine the #1 contender for the
SmackDown Women's Championship The WWE SmackDown Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the SmackDown brand division. It is one of two women's world titles for WWE's main rost ...
, which was won by
Bianca Belair Bianca Blair Crawford (born Bianca Nicole Blair; April 9, 1989) is an American professional wrestler and a fitness and figure competitor. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Bianca Belair, and ...
. As part of the 2021 Draft, Vega was drafted to the ''Raw'' brand, which took effect on October 22. Before that, Vega entered the inaugural
Queen's Crown tournament The Queen's Crown tournament is a women's professional wrestling single-elimination tournament held by WWE, a Connecticut-based professional wrestling promotion. Established in 2021, the prize for winning the tournament is earning the moniker of ...
, representing SmackDown, where she defeated
Toni Storm Toni Rossall (born 19 October 1995), better known by the ring name Toni Storm, is a New Zealand-Australian professional wrestler. She is currently signed to AEW, where she is a former AEW Women's World Champion. She previously worked for WWE ...
in the first round and
Carmella Carmella is a female given name. Notable people with the name include: People * Carmella DeCesare Carmella Danielle DeCesare Garcia (born July 1, 1982) is an American model who was ''Playboy'' magazine's Miss April 2003 and Playmate of t ...
in the semi-finals. At Crown Jewel on October 21, Vega defeated Raw's
Doudrop Kimberly Benson (born 6 May 1991) is a Scottish professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Doudrop. Benson began her career on the independent circuit under the name Viper; aft ...
in the finals to win the tournament and be crowned "Queen"; her first accolade in WWE. On the following episode of ''Raw'', now officially a member of the ''Raw'' brand, Vega had a coronation for her victory, where she was adorned with a crown, cape, and scepter, and her ring name was changed to Queen Zelina; she defeated Doudrop in a rematch using her scepter. On the November 8 episode of ''Raw'', she competed in a fatal five-way match to determine the #1 contender to the Raw Women's Championship, which was won by Liv Morgan. She participated in the 5 on 5
Survivor Series elimination match The Survivor Series match is a professional wrestling tag team elimination match held in WWE. The match typically sees two teams pitted against each other and members of the teams are eliminated one-by-one until one entire team is eliminated. Membe ...
at
Survivor Series Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the sec ...
on November 21, but was eliminated by
Toni Storm Toni Rossall (born 19 October 1995), better known by the ring name Toni Storm, is a New Zealand-Australian professional wrestler. She is currently signed to AEW, where she is a former AEW Women's World Champion. She previously worked for WWE ...
. On the following episode of ''Raw'', Queen Zelina and
Carmella Carmella is a female given name. Notable people with the name include: People * Carmella DeCesare Carmella Danielle DeCesare Garcia (born July 1, 1982) is an American model who was ''Playboy'' magazine's Miss April 2003 and Playmate of t ...
defeated
Rhea Ripley Demi Bennett (born 11 October 1996) is an Australian professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Rhea Ripley and is a member of The Judgment Day. She was also the inaugural N ...
and Nikki A.S.H to win the
WWE Women's Tag Team Championship The WWE Women's Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling women's tag team championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE. It is the only women's tag team championship for WWE's main roster, thus is defended across bot ...
, marking Queen Zelina's first title in WWE. On the January 3. 2022 episode of ''Raw'', they retained the titles against Ripley and A.S.H. in a rematch. At
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after the Royal Rumble match, a modified battle roya ...
on January 29, she entered at #7, eliminating
Sasha Banks Mercedes Justine Kaestner-Varnado (born January 26, 1992) is an American professional wrestler and actress. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Sasha Banks. Banks previously wrestled on ...
before she was eliminated by Ripley. On the second night of
WrestleMania 38 WrestleMania 38 was the 38th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event was held as a two-night event ...
on April 3, Queen Zelina and Carmella lost the titles in a fatal four-way tag team match to
Sasha Banks and Naomi Sasha Banks and Naomi, originally known as Team B.A.D., were an American professional wrestling tag team that performed in WWE, where they are former WWE Women's Tag Team Champions. The inceptive variation of the team began and ended as a duo ...
, which also involved Liv Morgan and Rhea Ripley and
Natalya Natalya (russian: Наталья) is the Russian form of the female given name Natalia. The name Natasha (russian: link=no, Наташа), being originally a diminutive form of Natalya, became an independent name outside the Russian-speaking state ...
and
Shayna Baszler Shayna Andrea Baszler ( ; born August 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, kickboxer and former mixed martial artist. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand. Baszler is a former two-time and longest ...
, ending their reign at 131 days. In May, it was reported that she was out of action due to an in-ring injury which required surgery.


Legado Del Fantasma (2022-present)

After a seven-month hiatus, Vega returned on the October 7 episode of ''SmackDown'', aligning herself with
Legado Del Fantasma Legado Del Fantasma is a professional wrestling stable composed of leader Santos Escobar, Joaquin Wilde, Cruz Del Toro and Zelina Vega currently performing in WWE on the SmackDown brand. The trio was formed in 2020 when El Hijo del Fantasma tur ...
and attacking
Hit Row Hit Row is an American professional wrestling stable consisting of Ashante "Thee" Adonis, Top Dolla, and B-Fab. The stable is currently performing in WWE on the SmackDown brand. They previously performed on the NXT brand. After their release fr ...
.


Other media

Trinidad appeared in the 2012 film ''
Dorothy and the Witches of Oz ''Dorothy and the Witches of Oz'' is a 2012 film directed by Leigh Scott, based on the early 20th century novels ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', ''Ozma of Oz'', ''The Road to Oz'' and ''The Magic of Oz'' by L. Frank Baum. The film stars Paulie Red ...
''. She appeared in the documentary ''Children of 9/11'', and on the first and twentieth anniversaries of the September 11 Memorial Ceremony, she participated in the reading of victim names. She portrayed professional wrestler
AJ Lee April Jeanette Mendez (born March 19, 1987) is an American author and retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE under the ring name AJ Lee. She is currently an executive producer and color commentator for WOW – Wom ...
in the sports drama film ''
Fighting with My Family ''Fighting with My Family'' is a 2019 biographical sports comedy-drama film written and directed by Stephen Merchant. Based on the 2012 documentary ''The Wrestlers: Fighting with My Family'' by Max Fisher, it depicts the career of English profes ...
''. She has said that
Dwayne Johnson Dwayne Douglas Johnson (born May 2, 1972), also known by his ring name The Rock, is an American actor and former professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he was integral to the developm ...
inspired her to act in films. Trinidad appears as a non-playable manager in ''
WWE 2K19 ''WWE 2K19'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K Sports. It was released worldwide on October 9, 2018, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It is the twentieth overall game in the ''WW ...
'' and then as a playable character in ''
WWE 2K20 ''WWE 2K20'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K Sports. It was released worldwide on October 22, 2019, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It is the twenty-first installment of ...
''.


Personal life

In 2018, Trinidad married Dutch professional wrestler Tom Büdgen, also known as Malakai Black (formerly known as Aleister Black in WWE). She resides in
Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...
. On the 10th anniversary of the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...
, Trinidad spoke about her father who died as a result of the terrorist attack in an out-of-character interview on TNA's
No Surrender No Surrender may refer to: Politics * "No Surrender!", a British Unionist slogan originating from Siege of Derry now used in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and England *No Surrender (to the IRA), a political chant since used by England football fans ...
pay-per-view. She appeared at the 20th anniversary of the
9/11 The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial ...
attacks, and honoured her father as she read out his name just after 09:00 that morning, barely 10 minutes after
United Airlines flight 175 United Airlines Flight 175 was a domestic passenger flight that was hijacked by five al-Qaeda terrorists on September 11, 2001, as part of the September 11 attacks. The flight's scheduled plan was from Logan International Airport, in Boston, M ...
crashed into the South Tower. She was accompanied by another woman, who lost her loved one, Phillip Miller that day.


Championships and accomplishments

*''
Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publish ...
'' ** Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (2011) **Ranked No. 31 of the top 50 female wrestlers in the ''
PWI Female 50 ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publis ...
'' in 2011 * ''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...
'' ** Ranked No. 30 in the top 30 female wrestlers in 2018 *
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling Impact Wrestling (stylized as ''IMPACT! Wrestling''), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment. Founded by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett in 2002, the promot ...
**
TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship The Impact Knockouts World Tag Team Championship is a women's professional wrestling tag team championship owned by the professional wrestling promotion Impact Wrestling. It is contested for mainly by teams consisting of two female wrestlers in I ...
( 1 time) – with Sarita *
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
**
WWE Women's Tag Team Championship The WWE Women's Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling women's tag team championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE. It is the only women's tag team championship for WWE's main roster, thus is defended across bot ...
( 1 time) – with
Carmella Carmella is a female given name. Notable people with the name include: People * Carmella DeCesare Carmella Danielle DeCesare Garcia (born July 1, 1982) is an American model who was ''Playboy'' magazine's Miss April 2003 and Playmate of t ...
** Queen's Crown (
2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
)


References


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Vega, Zelina 1990 births 21st-century American actresses 21st-century professional wrestlers Actresses from New York City American exercise instructors American female YouTubers American film actresses American people of Puerto Rican descent American sportspeople of Puerto Rican descent American television actresses American YouTubers Cosplayers Expatriate professional wrestlers in Japan Female models from New York (state) Living people People associated with the September 11 attacks Professional wrestlers from New York (state) Professional wrestlers from New York City Professional wrestling managers and valets Puerto Rican female professional wrestlers Sportspeople from Queens, New York Twitch (service) streamers TNA/Impact Knockouts World Tag Team Champions WWE Women's Tag Team Champions