Roxanne Perez, a leading figure in WWE, has risen to prominence partly due to her distinctive finishing maneuver known as the Pop Rox. This move has played a significant role in her securing multiple championships within the Stamford-based wrestling organization. In a recent appearance on Chris Van Vliet‘s Insight podcast, Perez explained the unexpected story behind how the Pop Rox became her signature finisher.
The Evolution and Naming of the Pop Rox
Perez described the process of creating her finishing move, which involved input from WWE veterans Shawn Michaels and Matt Bloom. She recalled that during her very first match on Level Up against Sloane Jacobs, the team felt she needed a definitive finish. Initially, she experimented with variations including the code red and a sit-out move called the Old Education, but these had limitations.
“So it was actually a name that Shawn Michaels and Matt Bloom came up with, with me… The very first match that I had, I think I was doing a Level Up match against Sloane Jacobs, and they were like, ‘Okay, we need a finish for you.’ So at first I did the code red, and then I transitioned into doing the old education, you land like a sit out. So I was like, ‘Oh, what about this?’ And I tried it, and they were like, ‘Well, you can’t do that to everybody. So no, we don’t like that.’ I’m like, ‘Okay, yeah, that’s true. I can’t pick up like Nia Jax or Jade Cargill, so that’s out of the picture,’”
Perez said.
She continued to share how the name came about during discussions with Michaels and Bloom, emphasizing her need for a move she could perform consistently regardless of opponent size. The original code red was acceptable, but the name was lacking until Shawn Michaels proposed “Pop Rocks.”
“And then I said, ‘Oh, I used to do the code red on the Indies.’ And they were like, ‘Yep, that’s perfect. You use that. Do you have a name for it?’ I was like, ‘No, I don’t. Code Rox?’ They were like, ‘No.’ So we’re sitting there trying to come up with names, and Shawn says ‘Pop Rocks,’ and we were all laughing, we thought he was joking. And then we were like, ‘Wait, that’s actually kind of cool.’ I was a babyface at the time, so it was like, ‘Yeah, that works.’”
Addressing the Shared Use of the Finisher with Zelina Vega
Though Roxanne Perez is well known for the Pop Rox, she is not the only wrestler to use this finishing move. Zelina Vega, a former WWE Women’s United States Champion, also performs the same move but refers to it by its original title, the Code Red. Since Perez competes on Monday Night Raw and Vega represents SmackDown, this overlap currently does not cause issues.
On the same podcast, Perez discussed how both wrestlers handle sharing the move if they appear on the same show, emphasizing mutual respect and coordination.
“So, I mean, we’ve kind of talked about it, and it’s kind of okay. Let’s say if I’m on SmackDown, I won’t use it if she’s gonna use it. If she’s on Raw, she probably won’t use it if I’m gonna use it,”
Roxanne Perez said.
The Pop Rox’s Role in Roxanne Perez’s Career and Its Future
The Pop Rox finisher has become more than just a move; it symbolizes Roxanne Perez’s wrestling identity and her rise in the WWE. With support from industry veterans in its development, the finisher is carefully integrated within WWE’s programming, especially considering the shared use with competitors like Zelina Vega. As Perez continues to perform on Monday Night Raw, the Pop Rox remains a highlight of her matches and will likely continue to be a defining feature of her wrestling style moving forward.
