Born in San Fernando, Chile, Stephanie Vaquer made her name in the wrestling world in Mexico before joining WWE in 2024. She became one of the company's fastest-rising stars, winning the NXT Women's Championship and NXT Women's North American Championship before joining the main WWE roster in 2025.
She became the first South American woman to win a world title in WWE later that year when she defeated Iyo Sky to bag the WWE Women's World Championship - a title she will defend next weekend at Wrestlemania against a resurgent Liv Morgan.
Wrestling has been a part of Stephanie's world for almost as long as she can remember, but there's another passion that has defined much of her life: heavy metal.
"Ever since I was young - I don’t remember exactly when - I’ve always liked metal," she tells Metal Hammer. "Part of it comes from watching WWE at an early age, since many of the wrestlers’ entrance themes in the late 90s and early 2000s were powerful metal and rock songs."
She names Iron Maiden, Slipknot, Drowning Pool, Motörhead and Megadeth as the first metal bands she fell in love with. "I had a friend in Chile, still my best friend, who used to listen to these bands with me all the time," she explains. "The best part was that as we discovered more music, each new song felt even better than the last!"
l've always identified with metal. It feels like a part of who I am
You could almost certainly draw a parallel between the things that attracted Stephanie to heavy metal and the things that brought her into the wrestling world - in her words, "power, intensity and motivation."
"That's what I love most about it," she confirms, "besides the clothing and overall style. I really connect with the metal aesthetic; l've always identified with it and felt like I belong in that world. It feels like a part of who I am."
It's a part of her that has carried into her wrestling career; from her devil-horned entrance attire to the riff-heavy music that accompanies her to the ring, Stephanie is one of WWE's most metal superstars ever. She's continuing a rich tradition: from the likes of Ozzy Osbourne, Motionless In White and Kerry King appearing at Wrestlemania to Motörhead and Limp Bizkit soundtracking some of their biggest icons, metal and WWE have been cosy bedfellows for decades.
"I think the connection between WWE and metal comes from the energy they both share," Stephanie suggests. "Metal music gives wrestlers a strong identity and really gets the adrenaline pumping when they step into the ring. Growing up, I noticed bands like Motörhead, Drowning Pool and Limp Bizkit were always part of WWE, and now that I'm here, I understand why. Metal fits with the emotion, the power and the whole atmosphere of wrestling, and it helps you connect with the audience in a real and genuine way."
Stephanie names Iron Maiden as the best metal band she's ever seen live, while Megadeth's 1990 masterpiece Rust In Piece is her favourite album ("it brings back so many memories and every song on it is great"). She'd also love to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Triple H, The Undertaker and Rhea Ripley by having a metal band play her to the ring at Wrestlemania one day
"It would be a dream to have Motörhead accompany me, even though I know it’s impossible [band leader Lemmy died in 2015] and they already did it with Triple H [at Wrestlemanias 17 and 21]. It would also be a dream to come out to Megadeth’s Head Crusher."
It would be a dream to have Motörhead accompany me, even though I know it’s impossible
When Hammer puts it to Stephanie that she's representing metal fans on one of the world's biggest stages, she's immediately modest about the idea. "Honestly, I don’t really see myself as a representative of metalheads," she insists. "I’m not an expert, I just enjoy metal and go with it. But if people see me that way, it’s truly an honour. Their support means a lot to me, and I promise I won’t let them down."
Come next weekend at Wrestlemania, Stephanie can guarantee her fans one thing: just like the bands she grew up idolising, she'll leave no room for compromise, bringing maximum intensity, taking zero prisoners.
"I’m going to bring all the strength, intensity and aggression I have into the ring," she pledges. "I'll channel the energy of metal in every moment!"
UK and Ireland WWE fans can watch Raw, SmackDown, NXT and all WWE Premium Live events, including WrestleMania live from Las Vegas next weekend, April 18 and 19, via Netflix
