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Sol Ruca and Zaria were inseparable for over a year as the two became household names in WWE NXT.
However, as Ruca began to become a top contender for championship gold in NXT, Zaria would miss a few opportunities to claim a belt for herself. Ruca won the Women’s Speed Championship and the NXT Women’s North American Championship over the past year. When a competitor rises, one must sink, and the duo, affectionately known as ZaRuca, would eventually break up.
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Zaria and Sol Ruca look on in the ring during NXT at the WWE Performance Center on February 3, 2026 in Orlando, Florida. (Conor Kvatek/WWE via Getty Image)
Zaria fronted Ruca before her Women’s Championship match against Jacy Jayne in February, ending the tag team and sparking a feud that will culminate in an emotional match Saturday at Stand & Deliver – NXT’s biggest show of the year.
Ruca told Pakinomist Digital that there were a few bittersweet emotions going into the fight, just knowing what the two have been through together.
“Yes, definitely. This match is not just a standard match. It’s about us and our history – started as best friends,” she said. “I mean, to be honest, I forced her to be my friend because she didn’t really want to be my friend to begin with, but yeah, it progressed and we accomplished a lot of really, really, cool things together. But somewhere along the way, jealousy got involved. And I can understand jealousy—it’s perfectly normal. But anyone who uses it can just understand it and celebratory. turns into anger and hatred instead of using it to fuel your personal growth.
“And I’m not saying I was perfect in this, but I’m not the one who put my partner in the lead and hit that F5 on her championship opportunity. This is about jealousy. This is about anger. Some people say I was selfish, and yes, maybe I was a little selfish. But this is us and it’s not going to be a standard fight. It’s got to go and I want it. I mean, hopefully I pull out the win, but she knows me really, really well, and I know her really, really well, so it could go either way, but I’m excited to just get this over with.
Sol Ruca looks on in the ring during NXT at the WWE Performance Center on February 3, 2026 in Orlando, Florida. (Matt Pendleton/WWE via Getty Images)
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Ruca, usually the fan favorite, has started to hear boos from the crowd.
She admitted she couldn’t quite see why she was on the receiving end of some of the taunts.
“Again, I don’t see how somebody who’s just trying to continue their momentum can be the heel in this kind of situation,” she said. “It’s like having a friend and saying, “Hey, you’re doing really well at your job. You need to stop because I want to do really well at my job.” You know? I don’t know, I don’t feel like that’s normal or healthy. So, I mean, sure, I could have taken the time to sit down with her and ask her how she feels about everything, but she’s pretty hard-headed, and she knows she’s not the best at communicating emotions that way.
Sol Ruca enters the ring during NXT at the WWE Performance Center on June 17, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. (Kevin Sabitus/WWE via Getty Images)
“I don’t think I’m necessarily wrong. I don’t think she…I mean she’s a little bit wrong. I don’t know, I feel like it could go either way. Sure, I could have been a little bit selfish, but I’d rather be selfish than someone who’s jealous of their best friend. That’s all I have to say about that.”
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NXT Stand & Deliver takes place at The Factory in St. Louis, Missouri. The event begins at 7pm ET and can be viewed on YouTube.
