WWE WrestleMania 36 is another first for young talented NXT Women’s champ Rhea Ripley
She’s that good, and she’s only 23.
Proof? How about this resume.
Rhea Ripley is the NXT women’s champ, the first NXT UK women’s champ, a two-time Mae Young Classic entrant and the first Australian woman to win a WWE singles title.
Now she gears for her first WrestleMania, and it’s against one of the best in the business, a multitime WWE champion and NXT alum, Charlotte Flair. Woooo.
That’s some matchup.
And that match means so much on many levels. Flair knows the feeling and has the experience of achieving success early in her WWE career and also how to maintain that lofty status. Ripley can learn from her in the ring and out.
In another fight of two dominant talents, Ripley beat the unbeatable Shayna Baszler for NXT gold in December. An impressive victory, Ripley is doing a credible job carrying the mantle.
Her WrestleMania opponent, Flair, 33, is a former NXT women’s champ, seeking her second reign of this growing brand, which broadcasts weekly on Wednesdays on USA Network.
Flair’s rise in WWE moved rapidly, too, and rightfully so with her abilities, athleticism and competitiveness. She won the NXT women’s title in 2014, less than a year from her debut match. Since, she has won the WWE SmackDown women’s title five times, the Raw women’s title four times and is a one-time WWE Divas champ.
Most recently, Flair won the WWE Women’s Royal Rumble in January. That allowed her to choose which champ to battle at WrestleMania 36. She then chose the hot new commodity Ripley.
Bring it on.
Ripley debuted in 2013 at age 16 in her native Australia for Riot City Wrestling. That’s the same year Flair made her pro wrestling debut, competing for NXT in WWE. A natural talent, Flair’s rise to stardom occurred quicker than even the young Ripley. Both are aggressive, strong and tough.
Ripley’s opposition during her early years read like a Who’s Who internationally.
To name a few, Madison Eagles, Evie, Saraya Knight, Toni Storm and Mercedes Martinez.
After competing and showing very well in two WWE Mae Young Classics (2017 and 2018), Ripley signed with WWE and beat Storm to become the first NXT UK women’s champ. Storm later captured the title from Ripley. A rivalry established.
But first.
On the December 18 episode of “NXT, Ripley defeated Baszler to win the NXT Women’s championship. That made her the first person to win the NXT Women’s and NXT UK Women’s titles. She successfully defended the gold against much improved Bianca Belair and that rival Storm.
During a WWE WrestleMania 36 Media Tour, I interviewed Ripley via phone, and the standout WWE NXT superstar discussed her success at a young age, WrestleMania 36, WWE Performance Center, Charlotte Flair, NXT, COVID-19, Gronk, Australia, Riot City Wrestling, Scotty 2 Hotty, The Worm, Heavy Metal, Triple H, Toni Storm, her ring gear, hand gesture, Mercedes Martinez and more. To listen, click below.
Rhea Ripley bIo
https://www.wwe.com/superstars/rhea-ripley https://www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania
Twitter: @RheaRipley_WWE
About WrestleMania 36
WrestleMania, for the first time ever, will be a two-night event streaming on Saturday, April 4 and Sunday, April 5 at 7 pm ET on WWE Network and available on FITE TV and pay-per-view.
The two-night pop culture extravaganza will be hosted by three-time NFL Super Bowl champion Rob Gronkowski.
WrestleMania will not only occur at WWE’s training facility but will include other location(s) over two nights.
The two-night card
For the first time, the WWE NXT Women’s championship will be contested at WrestleMania when champion Rhea Ripley defends against 2020 Royal Rumble winner Charlotte Flair.
https://www.foxsports.com/wwe/story/nxt-women-s-champion-rhea-ripley-vs-charlotte-flair-021620
Plenty of hype and excitement for the return of WWE Hall of Famer Edge to WrestleMania. He was retired, forced from a neck/spine injury, but after several years away from the ring, doctors cleared him to compete again, and he will face The Viper Randy Orton in a much anticipated match-up, Last Man Standing caliber.
WWE Hall of Famer Goldberg is back, and he is the WWE Universal champion, defending the title against Braun Strowman, who replaces Big Dawg Roman Reigns (personal reasons).
WWE champion Brock Lesnar with Paul Heyman defends against Drew McIntyre.
The Undertaker vs. AJ Styles in a Boneyard match.
John Cena battles The Fiend Bray Wyatt in a Firefly Funhouse match.
WWE Raw Women’s champion Becky Lynch against Shayna Baszler.
WWE SmackDown Women’s champion Bayley defends in a fatal five-way with Naomi, Tamina, Lacey Evans, and Sasha Banks.
Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins.
WWE SmackDown Tag Team champions Miz and Morrison against The New Day (Big E and Kofi Kingston) against The Usos (Jimmy and Jey) in a triple threat ladder match.
WWE Raw Tag Team champions The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford) vs. Angel Garza and Austin Theory, who replaces U.S. Champ Andrade (rib injury), with Zelina Vega.
WWE Women’s Tag Team champions The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane) vs. Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross
Aleister Black vs. Bobby Lashley with Lana,
Elias vs. King Corbin.
Otis with Tucker of Heavy Machinery vs. Dolph Ziggler with Mandy Rose.
WWE Intercontinental champion Sami Zayn with Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura against Daniel Bryan with Drew Gulak.
My Pro Wrestling Talk on the Web and Social Media
http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/fighting/
Twitter: @jimmyv3
YouTube: jim varsallone (jimmyv3 channel)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProWrestlingSouthFlorida/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WWE-WrestleMania-28-Miami-241160769255279/
This story was originally published April 1, 2020 at 10:50 AM.
