Former Oregon Ducks Star Wins First WWE Main Card Championship in Major Way

This former Oregon Ducks sports star has won her first WWE main card championship since joining the main roster.

Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; The Oregon Duck mascot makes snow angels in confetti after defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions to win the Big Ten Championship in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Calyx Hampton a.k.a. Sol Ruca is a former Oregon Ducks acrobatics and tumbling team member, who had her eyes and goals set for a different path from others in the gymnastics world. Following her career in Eugene, she opted to go into professional wrestling, in which she would quickly find her footing with the World Wrestling Entertainment a.k.a. WWE.

After serving about four years in NXT (WWE's developmental program), Ruca joined the WWE RAW roster and has already reached a major accomplishment.

Sol Ruca Reaches a Major Milestone

WWE wrestler Becky Lynch poses on the 150th Kentucky Derby red carpet Saturday. May 04, 2024 | Maggie Huber/Special to Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Ruca participated in her first WWE championship match on the main roster, in which she took on future WWE Hall of Famer Becky Lynch. This was the second time these two squared off against each other in a regulated match after Ruca defeated Lynch just one week ago via a disqualification after Lynch pulled the referee into a Sol Snatcher (Ruca's finishing move). This led to the creation of the match that took place in Italy, which Ruca would go on to win during the Sunday event.

Ruca was victorious in her first championship match, and she is now a champion on the main roster. This comes just weeks after she signed with the WWE roster.

CM Punk and A.J. Lee face Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, during WWE WrestlePalooza at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. | Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The title that Ruca won was the Women's Intercontinental Championship, which is the mid-card championship for the RAW roster. The Intercontinental Championship is the B-Tier title to the Women's World Heavyweight Championship. The two titles aren't exactly on the same tier, but in terms of champions on RAW in the women's division, there is only a total of four, with two of the champions being tag team champions. This would mean that Ruca is one of the two women on the roster that is a solo champion on the RAW brand.

Ruca joins a list of great Intercontinental Champions, as she is just the seventh, and only the fifth individual, to hold the title. The only individual who held the title more than once in the history of the championship is Lynch, whom Ruca defeated. Lynch is a three-time title holder, and among all of the time put together, she has held the title the longest.

This makes the win even bigger than just a championship victory, as she defeated a legend of the sport.

What Could Be Next for Sol Ruca

Apr 6, 2024; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Women’s World Championship match between Rhea Ripley (black attire) and Becky Lynch (red/white attire) during Wrestlemania XL Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

As for what's next for the former Oregon Ducks acrobatics and tumbling team member, Ruca is likely going to have another match against Lynch, as in most situations, the former champion is usually entitled to a rematch. If Lynch wasn't to fight next for the championship, then Ruca has a plethora of different options.

At the end of the day, it goes to show how talented the Oregon sports program is, as they are constantly represented in a great way from their former athletes across a large majority of sports, including now, the WWE.

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