WWE NXT star Sol Ruca readies for emotional match against Zaria at Stand & Deliver
Sol Ruca faces ex-partner Zaria at NXT Stand & Deliver
Sol Ruca faces former tag team partner Zaria in a personal grudge match at WWE NXT's Stand & Deliver on Saturday. The feud ignited when Zaria speared Ruca before her women's championship bout against Jacy Jayne on Feb. 3, 2026, at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. Ruca, who captured the Women’s Speed Championship and NXT Women’s North American Championship over the past year, spoke to Fox News Digital about the emotional stakes.
Ruca and Zaria formed the popular duo ZaRuca and appeared regularly together in NXT for over a year. As Ruca ascended toward title contention, Zaria fell short in her own pursuits, leading to jealousy and the partnership's dissolution. Ruca described forcing the initial friendship, their shared accomplishments, and Zaria's turn to resentment: "This match isn’t just a standard match. This is about us and our story – started off as best friends ... But somewhere along the way, jealousy got involved."
Ruca holds those titles after key victories, marking her rise in NXT while Zaria encountered setbacks. The breakup turned fans against the usual babyface Ruca, prompting boos despite her momentum. She questioned the shift: "I don’t see how someone who’s just trying to keep going with their momentum can be the heel in this sort of situation."
NXT Stand & Deliver takes place at The Factory in St. Louis, Missouri, starting at 7 p.m. ET on YouTube. Ruca anticipates a gritty contest where mutual familiarity could decide the outcome: "She knows me really, really well and I know her really, really well so it can go either way."
