Sol Ruca addresses her racial identity: ‘I know who I am’
WWE NXT star Sol Ruca is comfortable with her racial identity — even if people on social media are always questioning her about it.
A new episode of Stephanie McMahon’s “What’s Your Story?” podcast premiered today with Ruca as the guest. At the end of the interview, Ruca noted that her racial identity was a topic she wanted to address. Every year in February, there are fans who question why she’s being included among the Black talent in WWE. Ruca’s mother is white and her father is Black. But even when she posts a picture of her father, that’s not enough proof for some people.
“I feel like Black History Month — I’m mixed, I feel like a lot of people don’t really accept that, or I guess some people accept it, some people don’t,” Ruca said. “I do feel like that is — it’s always crazy every year when this month rolls around and people are like, ‘Why are you calling her Black? She’s not Black.’ Or other people defending me and stuff. I don’t know, I think people just need to, like, why would I lie about that? I don’t know, I think people just need to be a little nicer to each other…
“I get a lot of people that are asking for proof. Like, ‘Oh, prove it, show me a picture of your dad.’ And then I do, and they’re like, ‘He’s mixed, he’s not full Black.’ It always baffles my mind every time people start finding out again. I feel like it goes in waves of people, like, ‘Oh, I didn’t know she was Black.’ All this stuff. I’m like, guys, I understand how I look, but genes are crazy.”
This is an issue that Ruca has encountered more online than in real life, though she does recall an instance when she was younger where she believes she and her parents were kicked out of a shop because of their race. She’s also had to deal with people joking about her being a better athlete because she’s Black, which is a stereotype Ruca thinks undermines how hard athletes have to work for what they achieve.
Because her skin is lighter, Ruca knows she hasn’t had to experience the same level of racism Black women face. But she is proud of who she is and who her parents are.
“I’ve never claimed that I’m a Black woman, I know I’m mixed. But I still think it should be accepted,” Ruca said. “I feel like a lot of mixed people have this identity crisis because it’s like, ‘Where do I fit?’ And people are going to tell you that you’re not this, or you’re not that, or you’re not Black enough, or you’re not white enough, or you’re whatever. And I’m just like, why does it matter?…
“It’s a weird topic that I still really don’t know how to navigate, but I mean, I know who I am, I know who my dad is, I know who my mom is, and, like, there’s nothing I can do about it. So [I’m proud of who I am].”
The 26-year-old Ruca is one of the top wrestlers in the NXT women’s division. She also starred in the women’s Royal Rumble match this January and had a featured spot on John Cena’s retirement show in December 2025. Next Tuesday, she has the chance to become NXT Women’s Champion for the first time in her career.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.