With the biggest event in the professional wrestling calendar on the horizon, it’s 23 year old Rhea Ripley from Adelaide that has been in the spotlight across the industry in the lead up to the WWE’s flagship show WrestleMania.
The South Australian in the past few months has become one of the rising stars in the WWE and is currently the Women’s Champion on the NXT brand. Before her sights are focused on WrestleMania and a possible encounter with Charlotte Flair, daughter of wrestling legend Ric Flair, Ripley has to defend her championship against Bianca Belair this Monday at NXT’s TakeOver Portland.
Ripley is one of the growing number of Australian wrestlers that are making their mark on the international stage of the WWE joining the likes of Sydney duo Billie Kay and Peyton Royce who held the Women’s Tag Team Championship, and current WWE Tag Team Champion Buddy Murphy from Melbourne who also won the WWE Crusierweight Championship at the MCG in 2018.
“You know us Aussies, we like a good fight and to be honest I love having a target on my back and I really just want to face anyone that I can.” Ripley told 1629 SEN SA.
Since signing with the company in 2017, Rhea Ripley has compiled an impressive resume of achievements. In addition to defeating former UFC fighter Shayna Baszler to win the NXT Womens Championship she was a semi finalist in the all women’s Mae Young Classic tournament in 2018 as well as the inaugural NXT UK Women’s Champion.
“I’m proud to be from Adelaide” said Ripley, “I know that not much really happens over there, but I’m glad that you can watch WWE these days and hear the name ‘Adelaide, South Australia’ because that’s never been done before and I’m glad I can be the one to represent Adelaide and Australia in general within the WWE”
Hear what Rhea Ripley had to say to 1629 SEN SA about her rise in wrestling here:
NXT TakeOver Portland airs live on the WWE Network this Monday at 11am AEDT