Sol Ruca Reveals She Nearly Talked Herself Out of a WWE Career After Disastrous First Tryout Promo

Sol Ruca is one of the most decorated young women on the WWE roster today, holding titles including the NXT Women’s North American Championship, the Women’s Speed Championship, and most recently the Women’s Intercontinental Championship. But according to Ruca herself, she almost convinced herself she had no shot at a contract before the tryout was even over.

Appearing on The Nikki & Brie Show, Ruca looked back at the promo portion of her 2022 WWE tryout — and the moment she felt completely out of her depth. The in-ring work came naturally, she explained, thanks to her background in gymnastics and tumbling. Promos were a different story entirely.

“I was like ‘Oh my God.’ I honestly did not think I was gonna make it because we have like the promo portions of the tryout,” Ruca said. “I knew once we were doing the in-ring stuff I got the hang of it pretty quickly just with my gymnastics background… but yeah, it was the promo aspect.”

Her first exercise was a simple introduction promo — something she hadn’t prepared for. She recalled watching another tryout participant, a veteran of the independent scene, deliver a sharp, character-driven promo complete with a punchy closing line. Then it was her turn. “I go up there and I’m like ‘Hey guys, my name’s Calyx and I’m from California, and I went to school here and I did this.’ And yeah that’s it,” she said, laughing. “I just sat back down, I was like ‘Oh my God, I don’t know what I’m doing.'”

Fortunately, she got another shot. Later in the tryout, participants were asked to cut a promo on a current champion. Ruca chose Becky Lynch — the very same woman she would eventually dethrone for the Women’s Intercontinental Title years later. That second effort made a strong enough impression that WWE offered her a contract, citing both her improvement on the mic and her standout in-ring ability.

“When I got the call they were like ‘We were really impressed with your in-ring work and from the first day to the last day you improved so much with your promo that we’re gonna offer you a contract,'” Ruca recalled. “I was just like in shock to be honest.”

Ruca signed with WWE in March 2022 and has since become one of the company’s most compelling success stories, a reminder that raw athleticism and the willingness to grow can take a performer a long way.