Raquel Rodriguez recently made one thing clear that next week's six-woman number one contender's match for the Women's Intercontinental Championship is her only path to WrestleMania.
She sat down with Sam Roberts and Megan Morant on WWE Now's Raw Recap following Elimination Chamber 2026, and said:
This is the absolute last opportunity I have to have a WrestleMania moment for myself. If I don't get ahold of that IC title, what am I gonna do at WrestleMania? What title can I defend? What title can I go after? We're six weeks away from WrestleMania. That's really not a lot of time, especially not in WWE world. So we gotta make things happen.
With the Women's Championship picture locked up following the Elimination Chamber, Rodriguez finds herself in a crowded field alongside Bayley, Lyra Valkyria, Asuka, IYO SKY, and Ivy Nile — all competing for the right to face AJ Lee at the Grandest Stage of Them All.
Coming Off a Signature Chamber Performance
While Rodriguez did not win the Elimination Chamber match, she left Chicago with significant momentum. A highlight of the night was her simultaneous double powerbomb, stacking two opponents for a double elimination. It's a feat the hosts noted had previously only been seen from Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 37. Rodriguez said:
You see what a double pin can do for someone. I am on my rise right now. No one is getting in front of the Big Sexy train, that's for sure. Because if you do, you're gonna get run over.
Rodriguez also addressed the loaded contender's field with characteristic confidence:
Those women, whoever they are, that think they're strong enough to step up to Big Sexy — good luck. And if you didn't see what happened in Elimination Chamber, then I really feel sorry for you. But that's okay, because maybe when these fists hit your face, it'll just be a really fun surprise for you.
The Target: AJ Lee and WrestleMania
Should Rodriguez win the contendership, she will face AJ Lee, who captured the Women's Intercontinental Championship at Elimination Chamber by submitting Becky Lynch. Rodriguez views a potential title match with Lee as a career-defining opportunity against a legend — and one she believes will end with her raising gold at WrestleMania 42.
It would just put a stamp on the fact that Big Sexy is taking over. If I have another opportunity to get a title in my hands — to be at WrestleMania with Liv Morgan — that would be great.
WrestleMania 42 takes place April 18-19 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The six-woman number one contender's match airs on the next episode of WWE Raw on Netflix.
