WWE’s Rhea Ripley hits a major milestone before WrestleMania XL.
The Eradicator clinched victory against Charlotte Flair on the first night of WrestleMania 39, grabbing the SmackDown Women’s Champion title. This triumph also earned her the distinction of being the youngest Women’s Grand Slam Champion in WWE history.
Last year on June 12, the championship was rebranded as the ‘Women’s World Championship’, with The Judgment Day member receiving a brand-new title belt. Remarkably, Ripley hasn’t lost the title since then.
Recently, The Eradicator achieved another feat on her road to The Show of Shows, marking 355 days as the reigning champion. WWE celebrated this milestone with a special reel on Instagram.
“@rhearipley_wwe [Rhea Ripley] has been champion for 355 days, can she stay champion for 355 more? 👀😈 #WrestleMania,”
the company posted.
WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels sees potential in Ripley to become ‘the GOAT’.
Ripley entered WWE through the NXT roster in 2017, steadily climbing the ranks to become one of the company’s top talents. In an interview with Rosenberg on Cheap Heat, Shawn Michaels was asked if Ripley could become the greatest female wrestler of all time.
Michaels expressed his belief in Ripley’s potential, highlighting her remarkable growth over a short period.
“I was like, can we bring Rhea [Ripley]? Can I have her over there [NXT]? And that’s when, again, I think she really began to get comfortable and really blossomed. To answer your question, I think that there’s unlimited potential there. Let’s put it this way,”
he commented.
Michaels continued to praise Ripley’s athleticism, charisma, and rapid development.
“It is there for the taking. She is a special athlete. A look, a charisma, again the ‘it’ factor we talk about. But I’ll say this, I didn’t know that she was going to, sort of, I don’t know, mature and boost herself so quickly and look so comfortable… To answer your question again, Yes, I’m with you, and I’m in agreement with you.”
Ripley is slated to defend her Women’s World Championship against Becky Lynch at WrestleMania XL.
Both wrestlers are Women’s Grand Slam Champions and have clashed in singles competition once before, back in 2019 in an NXT match that ended in a DQ due to interference from Jessamyn Duke, Marina Shafir, and then NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler.
Who will emerge victorious in the Women’s World Championship bout at The Show of Shows?
