9 Backstage Stories About Rhea Ripley WWE Fans Should Know

Rhea Ripley is one of the most talked about wrestlers in the business right now, with everything she touches seemingly turning to gold. Whether it be her work in the women's division or as a key part of The Judgment Day faction, Ripley has managed to carve out a clear place for herself on the card.

Fans are well aware of her accomplishments inside the ring, whether it be the titles she has won or the storylines she's been involved in, the same cannot be said for behind the scenes. There are plenty of stories about Ripley throughout her time in wrestling which audiences aren't aware of, but would only enhance their appreciation of her.

9 Fans Led To Her Becoming NXT Women's Champion

Audience Reaction Can Mean A Lot

Won the title on the December 21 episode of NXT (2019)
Defeated Shayna Baszler for the title
Held the NXT Women's Championship for 108 days

Rhea Ripley was always destined for big things in NXT due to how well her run went in NXT UK, but winning the NXT Women's Championship when she did wasn't supposed to happen. Ripley was supposed to face Shayna Baszler in the match that happened, but she was going to tap out.

However, with NXT pre-taping things at that point, the creative team decided to switch the finish due to the fan reaction on the night when they did a promo segment. Considering how over Ripley was the decision was made to change things, giving Ripley one of her biggest moments.

8 Influence Of Scotty 2 Hotty

His Help Was Too Cool

Scotty 2 Hotty was a member of Too Cool
Currently works as a coach for AEW

Wrestling fans are aware that there is a lot of good work taking place at WWE's Performance Center due to the high number of stars coming out of it. However, learning about the impact individual coaches have is rare, but Rhea Ripley has made it clear that Scotty 2 Hotty played a huge role in her career.

The Attitude Era star played an impact in teaching Ripley and Raquel Rodriguez, with The Judgment Day star admitting that he became her wrestling dad who always believed in her.

7 Advice From Vince McMahon

The Boss Wanted Something Else From Her

Rhea Ripley is an intimidating presence due to her physique and the nature of her wrestling style, which is something that she plays into to great success. However, Vince McMahon didn't want her to focus on just that aspect of her character as she revealed his one bit of advice to her was to smile more.

It's something that Ripley has taken on board as she can now often be seen grinning, which is something that has helped to take her character to the next level. Being able to bring out more personality has worked in her favor, proving that McMahon knew what he was talking about here.

6 Matching Tattoos With Toni Storm

NXT UK Stars Connected For Life

First wrestled in 2014 for MCW
Competed against each other in the first NXT UK Women's Championship match (won by Ripley)
Competed against each other at World's Collide for the NXT Women's Championship (won by Ripley)

Toni Storm no longer works for WWE anymore, therefore her association with those on WWE's roster is often forgotten. However, she and Rhea Ripley are good friends away from the ring due to the fact they truly grew up together in the business, wrestling around the world.

They decided to commemorate their friendship by getting matching tattoos on their wrist. They put the date of the Evolution PPV in Roman numerals, showcasing how much the all-women's event meant to both of them.

5 The Judgment Day Get Inked Up

The Faction Means A Lot To Her

The Judgment Day formed at WrestleMania 38
Ripley joined at WrestleMania Backlash
They kicked Edge out in June, 2022

Toni Storm isn't the only wrestler that Rhea Ripley shares a matching tattoo with, as she also has a similar experience with other members of The Judgment Day. Ripley, Damian Priest, and Dominik Mysterio all have Judgment Day tattoos, showcasing how much the group means to them.

This is something they did after the 2023 Backlash PLE which saw Priest compete against Bad Bunny. It was a monumental night for the group and Ripley herself ended up designing the tattoos that they all got.

4 Influenced By The Miz

The A-Lister Made An Impact

When it comes to the current crop of women's wrestlers most fans presume that they were influenced by the likes of Trish Stratus, Lita, and Beth Phoenix. While those ladies no doubt had an impact on Ripley's desire to be a professional wrestler, a lot of fans might not be aware that it was The Miz who truly made the biggest impact on her

The A-Lister seemingly caught the attention of a young Ripley when she was just a fan of the business. Despite the fact he was a heel for the majority of her youth, Miz managed to entertain her with his promos and matches.

3 Edge Wanted Rhea Ripley vs. Beth Phoenix

The Rated-R Superstar Had A Masterplan

Phoenix & Ripley have never had a singles match
Edge & Phoenix won the mixed tag team bout at Elimination Chamber (2023)
Phoenix was an inspiration for Ripley growing up

Rhea Ripley and Beth Phoenix may have never competed against each other in singles action, but audiences did get to see them lock up during the mixed tag team match at Elimination Chamber in 2023. Fans have always wanted to see those two compete, and Edge also hoped for that.

Edge revealed that he created The Judgment Day group with the sole purpose of getting Ripley and Phoenix in the ring together as many times as possible.

2 Lost The Women's Tag Team Championship

The Pains Of Travel

Defeated Natalya & Tamina to win the titles
Held them for 63 days
Lost the titles to Carmella & Queen Zelina

Professional wrestlers have to go through a lot of travel throughout their careers, and the problem with that is not everything can go to plan. This is something that Rhea Ripley experienced first-hand when she was one-half of the Women's Tag Team Champions alongside Nikki ASH.

Her bag ended up getting lost at an airport which led to Ripley losing her ring gear and possessions, which included her title. Wrestlers have to carry their titles around when they win them, and unfortunately for Ripley, this led to her losing it.

1 Scrapped WrestleMania 39 Plans

She Could've Had A Major Entrance

Rhea Ripley faced Charlotte Flair
She won the SmackDown Women's Championship
The match lasted 23:35

WrestleMania is often the time for wrestlers to go over the top with their entrances and ring gear in a bid to create a true spectacle for audiences. That is something that almost happened for Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania 39, as she was going to have Motionless in White play her theme song.

Unfortunately, the band had to play some shows in Germany that had previously been postponed due to COVID-19. They were unable to scrap those plans a second time, therefore the special entrance never unfolded.