The team of Sol Ruca and Zaria were great friends, winning matches and having a good time as partners. But over time, Zaria had growing resentment over Ruca’s success. She was stuck on the sidelines, watching her friend become NXT North American Champion and WWE Women’s Speed Champion.
The breaking point was when Ruca faced Jacy Jayne for the NXT Women’s Championship. Before the match, she attacked Ruca, allowing Jayne to retain easily. That kicked off an intense rivalry, which culminated in her winning a Last Woman Standing match during Night 2 of NXT Revenge.
Ruca left for Monday Night Raw, where she is the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion. Meanwhile, Zaria is still on NXT, looking for that first title. On the June 2, 2026 episode of NXT, she beat Lizzy Rain to become the number one contender for Tatum Paxley’s NXT North American Championship. Will she capture her first-ever championship in WWE, or would Paxley’s innovative offense help her retain her title?
Zaria Will Use Ruca’s Recent Success as Motivation
Many fans desperately wanted Ruca and Zaria to stop their fighting and make up like loving friends. However, that didn’t happen for a very good reason. Just like Saquon Shugars to Dion Lennox in DarkState, she was jealous of her partner’s success, and that contributed to their breakup.
It’s no coincidence that she gets this title opportunity just days after Ruca won her first title on the main roster. She’s probably still mad that she’s stuck in NXT, while Ruca has immediate success on Raw.
That anger inside of her will motivate her to become the new NXT North American Champion. Even though they’re on different brands, there’s no question that Zaria still checks up on Ruca now and then to see what she’s up to. She wants to win for herself to show everyone, including Ruca, that she has what it takes to become a champion in WWE. Now that she isn’t a sidekick anymore, she’s more than ready to win her first WWE title.
Rain Could Stop Her to Allow Paxley to Retain
Rain has only participated in four televised matches so far in NXT, and three of them have involved Paxley and Zaria. Two weeks ago, she lost to Paxley in a great fight for the NXT North American Championship. She didn’t get the chance at a rematch, as Zaria won that opportunity.
However, that doesn’t mean that she can’t interfere. If she has hard feelings against Zaria for winning that match, she can easily cost her the title. That way, they both have justification for a triple threat match.
Rain can say that Zaria took her second chance at the NXT North American Championship. Zaria can say that Rain cost her the match if she was really close to beating Paxley. With NXT Great American Bash in less than a month, that’s an easy way to book the first match of the PLE. If Rain is that desperate for a title opportunity, she can easily cost Zaria the win to make the PLE match a triple threat.
What Will Happen Next Tuesday?
The two women both have extensive histories with Paxley, who holds the championship they both want. Zaria won the number one contender’s match, so she’ll face her for the title for the very first time. Rain had already lost to Paxley, but clearly wanted another chance to win.
Zaria is clearly focused on the match next week, as she’ll get her very first WWE title if she wins. Her determination and the fact that Ruca’s having immediate success on the main roster could be enough to guide her to victory.
However, Rain can easily derail the match, causing her to lose and wait even longer for her first title. NXT Great American Bash is only three weeks away, with matches probably becoming official in the next two weeks. Having Rain cost Zaria the win could be an easy way to make a triple threat match. No matter what happens, Zaria will definitely give it her all in pursuit of the NXT North American Championship.
