Lola Vice’s first NXT Women’s Championship victory was more than a milestone in her WWE career. For Vice, it represented the realization of a goal she had carried through periods of uncertainty, self-doubt and a determination to prove that she belonged at the top of the NXT women’s division.
Vice captured the NXT Women’s Championship from Jacy Jayne at Stand & Deliver in April, securing the first singles title of her career. Her reign lasted 85 days and included championship defenses against Jaida Parker and Izzi Dame. Looking back on the moment she was informed that she would be winning the title, Vice described an intensely personal reaction.
“When I originally got told I was winning the title, I am very emotional so I just went to the bathroom and I just cried,” Vice said. “I cried because — I know it’s cringey to cry but for me, I’m so passionate about what I do.”
The emotion was rooted in the meaning of the NXT Women’s Championship to Vice. She said that the title had long been the central objective of her time in NXT, and that she had consistently believed her work and character could support a run as champion. However, that confidence was tested when the opportunity did not arrive as quickly as she hoped.
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“So like in NXT, my goal was always that title,” Vice said. “I felt like I could do it and my character was worth it. I always had that goal in mind and when it finally happened for me — at one point, I thought, I don’t think this is ever going to happen for me. You start doubting yourself and losing trust in yourself.”
That internal struggle is familiar to many wrestlers developing their identities in a competitive environment. NXT has long placed a premium on growth, adaptability and consistency, while its championship scene often features a deep list of performers pursuing limited opportunities. For Vice, the journey was not simply about waiting for the right match or the right event. She identified her decision to work in AAA as an important component of making progress toward the title she wanted.
Vice said that competing in AAA gave her another platform on which to demonstrate her work ethic. In her view, the experience helped reinforce what she was capable of, ultimately leading to the moment when she defeated Jayne at Stand & Deliver.
“Then, I went to AAA and I put in the work over there and they saw my work ethic and then I was able to beat Jacy Jayne finally,” Vice said. “It was one of the best moments of my career.”
Vice’s comments frame the championship win as the product of persistence rather than a sudden breakthrough. She did not hide the fact that she had considered the possibility that the NXT Women’s Championship might never be part of her résumé. Yet, she also made clear that accepting that outcome was never a satisfying option.
“At one point, I was like, do I make peace with the fact that maybe I’ll never get this title? But I’m like, no, I really want it,” Vice said. “I love NXT. I’m a homegrown talent in NXT, I want this title, I’m going to do everything I can to make that happen for myself.”
Calling herself a homegrown NXT talent speaks to why the achievement resonated so strongly. The title was not just a championship Vice hoped to add to her record; it was the championship associated with the brand on which she developed and built her standing. That distinction made the eventual win over Jayne particularly significant.
Vice also revealed that she had envisioned herself as champion in small, specific ways long before the match became a reality. One image that stayed with her was seeing Lola Vice side plates on the championship belt. She said that was not merely a line intended for a promo, but something she thought about repeatedly as she pursued the division’s top prize.
“I would literally go to sleep every single night thinking about Lola Vice side plates on the title,” Vice said. “I said that in my promo, but that’s something that I always envisioned and I would try to manifest.”
That level of focus offers a window into the mentality Vice brought to her title chase. Wrestling careers can change rapidly, and championship opportunities are influenced by timing, creative direction, performance and the competition surrounding a performer. Vice’s remarks did not portray her title win as something she assumed was guaranteed. Instead, she described a process of continuing to pursue the goal even after the doubt became difficult to ignore.
Her 85-day reign gave Vice the chance to move from challenger to champion and defend the position she had fought to attain. Matches against Jaida Parker and Izzi Dame placed her in the role of a titleholder responsible for protecting the championship against fellow competitors looking to establish themselves. While the reign was finite, Vice’s comments indicate that its importance goes far beyond the number of days she held the belt.
For Vice, the defining value of the accomplishment is tied to what it affirmed. It rewarded the belief that she could reach the top of NXT, validated the effort she put into developing herself across NXT and AAA, and gave her the first singles championship of her career. It also appears to have given her a clear reference point for the future: a reminder that moments of doubt do not necessarily signal the end of a goal.
Vice emphasized that her route will not necessarily mirror anyone else’s, an important acknowledgment in a field where careers unfold in very different ways. Some performers receive a quick rise, while others take a longer road shaped by setbacks, additional experience and changing opportunities. Vice saw her own decision to go beyond NXT and work in AAA as part of what made her path distinct.
“I just had to go above and beyond and go to AAA,” Vice said. “My journey is my journey and it may be different for other people but it was finally worth it, that was a pivotal moment in my career.”
The word “pivotal” fits the circumstances. Winning a first singles championship changes how a performer is viewed within a division, but it can also change how that performer views their own potential. Vice’s recollection of crying after receiving the news underscores that the moment was not driven solely by the prestige of holding a title. It was the release of emotion after years of wanting something, questioning whether it would happen, and continuing to work toward it anyway.
Vice now turns her attention to tag team competition on the October 5 episode of Raw. She is scheduled to team with Sol Ruca against Roxanne Perez and Raquel Rodriguez. The match brings together four prominent names, with Vice and Ruca facing a formidable pairing in Perez and Rodriguez.
Although Vice’s championship reign is already a defining chapter in her career, her outlook suggests she is not treating it as a final destination. The title victory over Jayne remains one of her best career moments, but the determination behind it is likely to remain just as important as she moves forward. Vice’s story is one of ambition meeting persistence: she pictured the title, confronted the possibility that it might not come, sought further opportunities to prove herself, and eventually reached the moment she had imagined.
For Lola Vice, the tears after learning she would become NXT Women’s Champion were not a sign of weakness or embarrassment. They were the response of a performer who understood exactly how much that opportunity meant, and exactly how far she felt she had come to earn it.
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.