Xelina has reflected on one of the most challenging and rewarding matches of her WWE career, explaining that an unexpected assist from Cody Rhodes and John Cena gave her and Giulia far more time than they initially expected for their Women’s United States Championship bout.
The former Zelina Vega discussed the August 1, 2025 edition of WWE SmackDown during an appearance on Ring the Belle. On that night, Xelina challenged Giulia for the Women’s United States Championship. While the match ultimately became one of Xelina’s personal favorites, she said the plan leading into the show was much less encouraging.
Rather than preparing for an extended championship encounter, Xelina and Giulia were originally anticipating a short television match built around a commercial break. Xelina said WWE personnel had first informed her that the match would receive roughly seven or eight minutes in total. Once the wrestlers arrived at the building, however, the projected time reportedly became even tighter.
The match was potentially facing a format in which the women would have only seconds before the commercial interruption and approximately three minutes after the show returned. For a title match between two performers looking to tell a meaningful in-ring story, that amount of time presented obvious limitations.
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A Difficult Timing Situation On SmackDown
The opening half-hour of that SmackDown episode had been earmarked for Rhodes and Cena. The segment was especially important because it culminated in Cena’s face turn heading into WWE SummerSlam. As a result, the amount of time available later in the broadcast depended heavily on how closely the opening segment stayed to its allotted duration.
Xelina said she was trying to get a clearer sense of the situation for both herself and Giulia. She approached Rhodes and asked whether he and Cena expected to go longer than planned, explaining that the answer would affect how much time the women might have in their championship match.
Rhodes initially expected that he and Cena would be able to stay on schedule. That answer led Xelina to prepare mentally for the condensed version of the bout. With only a few minutes potentially available after the break, the priority would have been to keep the match direct, deliver the essential moments, and protect the importance of the championship without trying to force in material that did not fit the clock.
That was not the situation by the time Xelina and Giulia were standing in gorilla position waiting for their entrance.
Rhodes returned backstage after his segment with Cena and told the two wrestlers that he and Cena had preserved an extra 10 minutes for them. Xelina emphasized that the additional time would not have been available without the work Rhodes and Cena did in their own segment.
However, the news produced a very different reaction than Rhodes may have expected. Xelina and Giulia had already adjusted their preparation around the possibility of having only a brief post-commercial window. Suddenly being handed 10 more minutes immediately before walking through the curtain meant they had to shift back to a longer version of the match under considerable pressure.
From Panic To A Longer Match Plan
Xelina described Giulia as panicked by the abrupt change, while she focused on keeping her friend composed. Their solution was straightforward: return to the more expansive structure they had discussed earlier and communicate throughout the match.
The situation illustrates the degree of adaptability required in live television wrestling. A match can be mapped out with a target running time in mind, but broadcast segments, commercial timing, entrances, video packages, and unexpected production changes can all alter the plan. In this case, the performers were forced to account for a significant increase in time only moments before the bell.
Instead of treating the extra time as a reason to add unplanned material recklessly, Xelina said she and Giulia relied on work they had already done before the show. The pair had trained together in Xelina’s home ring and gone over possible ideas for the championship match. That earlier preparation became vital once the bout expanded.
They had identified sequences that could be used if the match was afforded more room to breathe. During the actual contest, Xelina said they called those planned possibilities in the ring. The preparation allowed them to make the necessary transition without abandoning the match’s overall direction.
For wrestlers working within a live WWE television environment, being able to communicate clearly is as important as having a detailed match plan. A performer must be ready to remove sections when time disappears, but also know which moments can be restored if an opportunity suddenly opens up. Xelina’s account of the Giulia match offers a clear example of both realities occurring on the same night.
Rhodes And Cena’s Role In The Opportunity
Xelina made clear that she viewed Rhodes’ effort as a generous gesture. While the added time created a moment of backstage anxiety, it gave the match the chance to develop beyond what would have been possible in a three-minute post-break sprint.
Cena also deserves recognition within the circumstances Xelina described. The opening segment involved both of WWE’s top stars, and their ability to preserve time created space for the Women’s United States Championship match later in the program. In a live-show setting, time saved in one segment can be valuable to everyone who follows it.
The story also reflects the importance of the relationship between featured performers and the rest of the roster. Rhodes was not merely concerned with his own segment; after coming backstage, he informed Xelina and Giulia that they would have a better opportunity than previously expected. For Xelina, the gesture mattered because it directly affected a match she considers among the most meaningful of her career.
There is a practical side to the matter as well. Championship matches are often designed to establish momentum, showcase a division, and give fans a reason to invest in future rivalries. The Women’s United States Championship was on the line, and the extra time meant Giulia and Xelina could present their contest with more of the pacing and escalation expected from a title encounter.
A Career Highlight For Xelina
Xelina placed the Giulia match near the very top of her career accomplishments. She said that, aside from her match at Backlash 2023 in Puerto Rico, the Women’s United States Championship bout is her favorite match she has had.
That comparison is notable given the significance of Backlash 2023, an event remembered for its electric Puerto Rico crowd and its emotional importance to Xelina. To rank the Giulia match alongside that moment underscores how much she valued the opportunity, the chemistry with her opponent, and the manner in which the two adapted to the changing circumstances.
Her connection with Giulia played a major role in making the situation manageable. Xelina said the two are close friends, and their familiarity extended beyond their television appearances. Having worked together ahead of time in a home-ring setting, they entered the arena with a foundation that could be adjusted when the clock changed.
That kind of trust can be particularly valuable when a wrestler is told immediately before a match that the expected format has changed. There is little time for a lengthy conversation, and there may be no chance to rehearse revised transitions. Xelina’s confidence that she could guide communication in the ring, coupled with Giulia’s awareness of the longer ideas they had already discussed, helped turn a potential problem into a memorable match.
What began as uncertainty over whether the contest would receive only a few minutes became an opportunity for Xelina and Giulia to showcase a fuller version of their work. The added time did not erase the pressure of a live television production, but it gave them the platform to use the planning they had put in before arriving at SmackDown.
For Xelina, the match remains a reminder that major in-ring moments can hinge on fast decisions, trusted opponents, and support from colleagues elsewhere on the card. Rhodes and Cena’s ability to protect time in the opening portion of the show helped make that opportunity possible, while Xelina and Giulia were ready to make the most of it once the moment arrived.
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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.