WWE star Zelina Vega reveals Vince McMahon’s apology phone call after she was cut from emotional 9/11 Smackdown match
WWE star Zelina Vega revealed Vince McMahon personally apologised on the phone after her emotional 9/11 Smackdown match was cut.
Vega’s father Michael Trinidad tragically died in the 2001 attacks while working in one of the twin towers before it was struck by a plane full of passengers.
Zelina Vega father Michael Trinidad tragically died in the tragic 9/11 attacks[/caption] Vince McMahon personally apologised on the phone after Zelina Vega’s 9/11 match was cut[/caption]WWE this year staged a show at Madison Square Garden in New York on the 20 year anniversary of the attacks.
Vega was set to compete in her hometown, paying tribute to her late father, who passed away when she was just 10.
But, at the last minute, Vega’s match was axed and McMahon went out of his way to say sorry to the WWE superstar.
Vega, 30, told talkSPORT: “A lot of people were really upset, but I felt like a lot of the anger was misguided.
“I was disappointed, but I also knew it wasn’t a personal thing.
“If you knew, and obviously a lot of the fans don’t know that the show goes in an order, the way that it went timewise, it got too close and they had to cut it.
Vega – real name
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“When it got cut, Vince called me and apologised because he wanted to make sure that I knew ‘listen, this wasn’t done to you personally or anything, it was literally just this [the time], I had to make that call and I’m so sorry.’
“And people don’t know that side either. I love and appreciate my fans so, so much. I wish I could just squish their little faces.
“Because sometimes people can feel like they’re part of the machine and it’s no big deal and the fans probably don’t give a crap, but the outpouring of love I felt that day – and a bunch of other days to – is incredible.
“Without the fans we’d literally be nowhere. Just know it wasn’t something done personally to me.
“To have a boss to care enough to call you and go ‘look I’m sorry’, that’s important.”
Vega – real name Thea Megan Trinidad – joined the WWE in 2016, debuting in NXT and by 2018 joined the main roster.
But in 2020, it was announced she had been cut, believed to be due to her refusal to close down her OnlyFans account.
However, after only eight months later, she returned in July and has since won the inaugural Queen’s Crown tournament.