During time as WWE Chairman Vince McMahon was famed for not really having a grasp on popular culture. It was often said that McMahon lived in a bubble, and if something didn’t happen within that bubble, then it may as well not have happened at all.
So naturally when Zelina Vega wanted to incorporate her love of anime into her entrance, she needed to get creative.
Vince McMahon Was Unsure On Naruto x WWE Crossover
Vega has never shied away from her anime fandom and has incorporated this into her ring gear on multiple occasions. However, when she wanted to push things a little further, she needed to try and get McMahon onboard. To do this, she broke down what Naruoto was via an analogy involving Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman. During an appearance on the That’s Dope! podcast, Vega explained how this eventually led to WWE getting Neil Kaplan to perform part of her entrance.
“I had Neil Kaplan, who’s the English voice actor for [“Naruto” character] Madara [Uchiha] — I had him do my entrance music,” Vega said. “When you hear the music start, you hear his voice as Madara saying, ‘All hail the Queen, Queen Zelina,’ and then the music would start.”
“‘Naruto’ is like the WWE of anime, and he’s like ‘Okay, I like ‘Naruto,”” Vega continued. “So I was like ‘Madura is kind of like what Paul Heyman is to Roman [Reigns],’ and he was like, ‘We need it.'”
The wrestling world was left stunned on July 22nd when Vince McMahon announced that he was retiring from his role as WWE CEO. His departure came against a backdrop of allegations of sexual misconduct which had triggered an internal investigation.
Meanwhile Zelina returned to WWE in October following a seven-month absence. Her return coincided with the main roster debut of Legado Del Fantasma, and she has since become the leader and spokesperson for the group.
H/t to Wrestling Inc