Returning to its original purpose as an out-&-out developmental brand, NXT has refreshed its ranks with a litany of exciting up-&-comers, across every division. The NXT Breakout Tournament has been a method of earmarking talent for future greatness... & 2022 saw the 1st edition of the contest for the women's roster. The winner, Roxanne Perez, has all the potential to attain stardom.
There was a reason Perez's signing was so newsworthy, earlier this year. The 20-year-old had a significant raise in her stock in 2021, quickly ascending onto the national stage & grabbing the attention of the wrestling world. Already boasting an impressive resume, Roxanne could be the next major female star in the WWE.
Though among the youngest members of the NXT 2.0 locker room, Perez has been training for several years, having 1st attended wrestling school when she was only 13 years old. Later in her teens, Roxanne began to train with WWE Hall of Famer Booker T, joining his Reality of Wrestling promotion. It was there that she made her in-ring debut under the name Rok-C, taking her talents to other Texas independents & claiming championships early in her career.
The next big step in her career came with her 1st professional contract, signing with Ring of Honor in September of 2021. There, Roxanne progressed through a tournament, for the vacant ROH Women's World Championship, defeating former champion & joshi veteran Sumie Sakai... fellow upstart Quinn McKay... & TNA Knockouts icon Angelina Love. The final took place during Death Before Dishonor XVIII, with Rok-C defeating Miranda Alize, becoming the inaugural ROH Women's World Champion during her 19th revolution around the Sun. I'm still flummoxed about the ROH Women of Honor title just... sort of... disappearing?
Unfortunately, it wasn't long after that, that Ring Of Honor announced their hiatus, freeing all of their talent from their contracts, following the Final Battle pay-per-view. Retaining against Willow Nightingale during that event, Rok-C was confronted by the reigning AAA Reina de Reinas Champion Deonna Purrazzo. Among her last matches before signing with WWE, Perez went title-for-title with the Virtuosa in IMPACT Wrestling, losing the bout, but adding another milestone in her young career.
With the news of the contract surrounding ROH's hiatus, Roxanne's potential had fans speculating where she was going to take her talents. The Prodigy opted to join the redesigned NXT 2.0 & made her debut on an April episode of NXT Level Up {with former opponent Quinn McKay, now under the McMahonopolis moniker of Kelly Kincaid, serving as ring announcer!} She has clearly been impressing higher-ups within the brand, seeing as she has been thrown right into the mix on television. Just months into her WWE tenure, Perez has already won the NXT Breakout Tournament, earning a title shot of her choosing, in addition to winning the NXT Women's Tag Team Championships during the recent Great American Bash, alongside now-former friend Cora Jade.
It doesn't take much viewing of Roxanne Perez's work, to see the potential she possesses. In the ring, she moves & performs with true grace, the result of plenty of time put towards mastering her craft & bettering herself. Added to this, the former Rok-C also has a natural charisma that can make or break whether a superstar's set to succeed in the wrestling business. It's incredibly easy to root for her, from her mannerisms & presentation of her character as The Prodigy, to her impressive in-ring ability making each of her matches a joy to watch.
Source: the Sportster