Vaquer Overcomes Throat Infection to Win WWE Women's World Title

Stephanie Vaquer said she nearly missed the marquee match that launched her to the top of WWE after battling a severe throat infection in the weeks before WrestlePalooza, where she defeated IYO SKY to win the vacant WWE Womens World Championship. Vaquer described the illness as a bacterial infection that left her unable to eat or drink for days and so weak she was unsure she would be cleared to compete.

"I was sick for three weeks before my match, but really sick," Vaquer said in a recent interview. "I had a bacteria in my throat. Something really weird. I couldn't eat or drink anything for three days. I felt so weak, so bad, but all the WWE medical team helped me and supported me a lot." Vaquer said the medical team had not cleared her at one point and that she pleaded to be allowed to perform. Ultimately she wrestled and won the title at the live event.

The victory at WrestlePalooza marked Vaquer's first singles win on a main-roster premium live event and, she said, the best match of her career to date. "It was the best match of my career so far, and the result of the match was the dream of my life," she said, adding that competing against IYO SKY, whom she called one of the...