About
Zelina Vega is the high‑energy ring persona of Thea Megan Trinidad Büdgen, a Queens‑born performer who has turned her childhood love of WWE into a headline career on SmackDown. Just 5‑foot‑1, she relies on speed, attitude, and sharp trash‑talk rather than sheer size, and in April 2025, she captured her first singles championship—the brand‑new WWE Women’s United States Title—after toppling Chelsea Green. Though Giulia relieved her of that gold two months later, the reign cemented Vega as more than a crafty manager or tag‑team specialist. She now mixes regular in‑ring battles with streaming sessions on Twitch and cameo work in games such as Street Fighter 6, showing fans that pro wrestling can blend seamlessly with pop‑culture fandom.
Before Fame
Trinidad’s path to the squared circle began in Queens, New York, where she was born on December 27, 1990. Her father shared wrestling nights with her and her younger brother, nurturing a fascination that outlasted tragedy: he was among the victims of the September 11 attacks. That loss, and the support of her mother, pushed Trinidad to chase her dreams early. She balanced high‑school swimming and baseball with weekend training sessions before debuting at age 17 on the independent scene. A turn in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) as Rosita came next, where she won the Knockouts Tag Team Championship with Sarita. Those reps, along with foreign tours, instilled in her agile footwork, bilingual promos, and crowd rapport—abilities that later became evident when she took Andrade “Cien” Almas to an NXT title reign in 2017 and finally emerged completely into the limelight herself.
Trivia
- First Queen: Vega won the inaugural Queen’s Crown tournament in 2021, briefly rebranding as “Queen Zelina” and adding royal sass to her entrance gear.
- Gamer Girl Credentials: Away from arenas, she streams on Twitch, chatting games and anime with more than 100k followers—and even voices an in‑game commentator in Street Fighter 6.
- Silver‑Screen Nod: Hollywood noticed her charisma; she portrayed AJ Lee in the 2019 film Fighting With My Family.
- Record Book Moment: Her 62‑day United States Title run made her the second champion in the belt’s young history and the first woman of Puerto Rican descent to wear it.
- Cosplay Queen: From Sailor Moon to Marvel heroes, Vega often designs her own ring gear as detailed cosplay, earning praise from both wrestling and comic‑con crowds.
Family Life
Vega’s home life is as wrestling‑centric as her day job. She married Dutch star Tom Büdgen—better known to WWE fans as Aleister (now Malakai) Black—in 2018; the pair split their time between Tampa gym sessions and gaming marathons. Her cousin, independent standout Amazing Red, gave her early advice on ring psychology, completing a family tree rooted deeply in the sport. Vega still speaks publicly about her father’s legacy, working with 9/11 charities and reminding fans that ambition can grow from heartache.
Associated With
Throughout her journey, Vega has shared screens—or squared up—with a who’s who of modern wrestling. She managed Andrade to an NXT Championship and later joined Rey Mysterio’s Latino World Order on SmackDown. Tag‑team gold came alongside Carmella, while early success arrived next to Sarita in TNA. On today’s roster, she trades victories—and social‑media banter—with Chelsea Green and Giulia, the latter of whom ended her U.S. Title reign but remains a heated rival. Even outside WWE, she is often linked to fellow streamer and long‑time friend Dakota Kai thanks to joint charity broadcasts. Together, these ties trace the arc of a performer who thrives on collaboration as much as solo spotlight.
