Women's World Champion Stephanie Vaquer shared a graphic look at her ankle injury on Friday, posting images to her Instagram Story showing heavy bruising and swelling on the affected ankle.
The photos showed Vaquer's visibly swollen, black-and-blue ankle with the caption "Recovering." A follow-up post showed her ankle being scanned by a medical professional, giving fans a firsthand look at what she's been dealing with since her injury.
Vaquer suffered the injury during her Women's World Title defense in a Triple Threat Match against Raquel Rodriguez and Nikki Bella on the December 29 edition of WWE Raw. Despite winning that match to retain her championship, she has been dealing with the legitimate injury ever since.
On the January 5 episode of Raw, Vaquer appeared wearing a walking boot and addressed the WWE Universe about her status. Introduced by Jackie Redmond, she confirmed she was injured but made clear she would not be relinquishing the Women's World Championship. Rodriguez attacked Vaquer during the segment, targeting the injured ankle both in the ring and backstage until Adam Pearce intervened.
The injury is clearly legitimate -- but not severe enough to require a lengthy absence. Vaquer is reportedly cleared for contact, as evidenced by the attack segments on Raw.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Vaquer's title defense against Rodriguez is scheduled to take place before the Royal Rumble on January 31. It remains unclear whether the match will happen on an episode of Raw or at Saturday Night's Main Event on January 24.
Vaquer has held the Women's World Championship since defeating IYO SKY at Wrestlepalooza on September 20, 2025. The visible injury has added real stakes to her ongoing rivalry with Rodriguez heading into their next encounter.