Injury forces Ruca to relinquish her championship ahead of Halloween Havoc
Summary
– Sol Ruca vacated the NXT Women’s North American Championship due to injury
– Zaria will defend the title in her place against Blake Monroe at Halloween Havoc
– Ruca vowed to recover and reclaim her title once cleared to return
The October 21 episode of WWE NXT took an emotional turn when Sol Ruca officially vacated the NXT Women’s North American Championship. Walking on crutches, Ruca addressed the audience and confirmed that her latest injury would prevent her from competing at Halloween Havoc.
Earlier in the week, Ruca and her tag partner, Zaria, suffered a loss on SmackDown to Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair, with interference from Blake Monroe tipping the outcome. Following the match, Ruca was seen backstage, visibly upset and in pain. Before her segment on NXT, Zaria asked if she was “sure you want to do this,” setting the stage for a difficult moment ahead.
In her promo, Ruca revealed she didn’t know when she would be cleared to return but refused to hold up two divisions while injured, noting that her Women’s Speed Championship status would be discussed later. Fighting through tears, she promised to reclaim the North American Title once she’s healthy.
Blake Monroe interrupted, declaring herself the rightful successor and calling herself “the future of the title.” Zaria quickly stood up for her partner, telling Monroe that NXT doesn’t hand out championships and challenging her to fight for the gold at Halloween Havoc. General Manager Ava then turned to Ruca for approval, and through tears, she agreed to let Zaria defend the title in her honor.
This setback marks another tough chapter for Ruca, who previously endured a torn ACL in 2023 that sidelined her for nearly a year. Despite the uncertainty surrounding her recovery, the crowd’s support made it clear that Sol Ruca’s fighting spirit remains as strong as ever.
