NEWNow you can listen to Pak Gazette articles!
Sol Ruca and Zaria were inseparable for over a year when the two became familiar faces on WWE NXT.
But as Ruca began to become a top contender for championship gold in NXT, Zaria would lose some opportunities to get a belt for herself. Ruca won the Women’s Speed ​​Championship and the NXT North American Women’s Championship over the past year. As one competitor rises, another must go down and the duo, affectionately known as ZaRuca, would eventually part ways.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PakGazette.Com
Zaria and Sol Ruca watch in the ring during NXT at the WWE Performance Center on February 3, 2026 in Orlando, Florida. (Conor Kvatek/WWE via Getty Images)
Zaria impaled Ruca before her women’s championship match against Jacy Jayne in February, ending the team and sparking a feud that will culminate in an emotional match Saturday at Stand & Deliver, the biggest show of the year for NXT.
Ruca told Pak Gazette Digital that there were some bittersweet feelings before the match, just knowing what the two had been through together.
“Yes, definitely. This match is not just a standard match. It’s about us and our story: we started as best friends,” he 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 evolved and we accomplished a lot of really cool things together. But at some point, jealousy got involved. And I can understand jealousy: it’s totally normal. Everyone deals with it. But I just can’t understand using that jealousy and letting it fester and turn into resentment and hate instead of using it to fuel your personal growth.
“And I’m not saying I was perfect at this, but I wasn’t the one who ran through my partner and hit that F5 in her championship opportunity. This is about jealousy. This is about resentment. Some people say I was selfish, and sure, maybe I was a little selfish. But this is us, and it’s not going to be a standard match. It’s going to be exciting. It’s going to have energy and courage. And I mean, hopefully, I’ll get the win, but she knows me. “Very, very well and I know her very, very well, so she can go in either direction, but I’m excited to put this behind me.”
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)
WWE LEGEND STEPHANIE MCMAHON SLAPS CODY RHODES ON HIS RETURN TO ‘MONDAY NIGHT RAW’
Ruca, who is usually a fan favorite, began to hear boos from the crowd.
He admitted that he didn’t understand exactly why he was receiving some of the ridicule.
“Again, I don’t see how someone who is just trying to maintain their momentum can be the heel in this type of situation,” he 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 stubborn and knows she’s not the best at communicating feelings like that in 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 wrong. I don’t know, I feel like it could go either way. Sure, she might have been a little 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.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE Pak Gazette APP
NXT Stand & Deliver will take place at The Factory in St. Louis, Missouri. The event will begin at 7 pm ET and can be viewed on YouTube.
