RHEA RIPLEY
WHEN SURVEYING THE wrestling landscape of the last 12 months, it wasn’t hard to see that Rhea Ripley had a year to rival that of any female wrestler in this century. To limit that comparison to one gender, however, would be a disservice to the Australian bruiser. Rhea Ripley had one of the best years in wrestling imaginable, full stop.
It takes a special person to hold their own in a stable that also includes Finn Balor, Dominik Mysterio, and Damian Priest. Ripley has not only done that, but she has (arguably) established herself as the leader of the talented faction over the past year.
It also takes a special kind of person to be Dominik Mysterio’s “Mami.” And Ripley, too, has taken on that role with aplomb, producing some of the most memorable segments on WWE television in the process.
Where “The Eradicator” really impressed, however, was in the ring. A constant threat to championships in WWE from the moment she arrived in NXT: U.K. in 2018, 2023 saw “The Nightmare” push things to new levels. In an utterly dominant performance at the Royal Rumble, Ripley entered the women’s battle royal at number one and outlasted 29 other competitors on her way to victory and a guaranteed title opportunity at WrestleMania.
Ripley would go on to dethrone the reigning Smackdown Women’s champion, Charlotte at WrestleMania Saturday in a match of the night contender. And, in the process, she became the youngest grand slam champion of any gender in WWE history. Following that night in April, Ripley switched brands from Smackdown
