5 NXT Superstars who can take Rhea Ripley's place if she gets sent home
Rhea Ripley went into WrestleMania 36 as NXT Women's Champion, hoping to knock off Royal Rumble winner and resident Queen of the WWE, Charlotte Flair. It wasn't meant to be, however, as Charlotte took out Ripley's leg weeks before the event, and focused the entire match on snapping it with the Figure-8 Leg Lock.
Ripley losing via submission was quite a shock to fans of the Mosh Pit Kid, but recently we've learned why she may have lost the belt. Reportedly, her visa expired recently, and she was forced to go back to her home country of Australia until things could be settled.
Whether that's true or not is yet to be determined, as there are conflicting reports surrounding the rumor. However, if it's true, NXT will need a new top star to battle Charlotte Flair. Considering that there's a ladder match coming up to determine the new #1 contender, it looks like WWE was prepared for this situation. In fact, most of the competitors from that match have found themselves on this list, save for one Superstar.
#5 Tegan Nox
'The Girl with the Shiniest Wizard' hasn't exactly had the best run in NXT. Reportedly slated to win one of the Mae Young Classic tournaments, Nox was injured during both. However, since returning, Nox has picked up a lot of steam, and gotten the backing of the NXT Universe.
That's thanks to a pretty personal rivalry with her former best friend, Dakota Kai, who turned on her and attacked her knee at NXT TakeOver: WarGames in 2019. Since then, the two have been involved in one of the most heated feuds in recent NXT history.
Tegan Nox knocked off Deonna Purrazzo back in March to advance to the upcoming ladder match looking to find Charlotte Flair's first #1 contender. If Nox can walk out the winner, she'll shoot to the top of the division while also picking up a vital win over one of the most hated competitors on the Black and Gold brand.