5 Reasons why Rhea Ripley challenged Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 39
On Saturday, Rhea Ripley outlasted 29 women to win the 2023 Women's Royal Rumble. After a hard-fought hour and three seconds, The Nightmare eliminated Liv Morgan to ensure that she gets a Title Match at WrestleMania 39.
On an episode of WWE RAW after the Royal Rumble, Ripley answered a question that many fans across the globe wondered about. She made it clear that she will face Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 39 for the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship.
2023 Women's #RoyalRumble Match winner @RheaRipley_WWE challenges #SmackDown Women's Champion @MsCharlotteWWE this April at #WrestleMania! https://t.co/Gg0gtAQF8f
Since WWE made the match official, there have been mixed reactions regarding this match. Here, we delve into why the 2023 Women's Royal Rumble winner decided to challenge Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania.
#5. Rhea Ripley seeks to redeem herself against Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania
Charlotte Flair wins the 2020 Women's #Royal Rumble match 👑 https://t.co/cql9vv9hKY
Back in 2020, Charlotte Flair won the Women's Royal Rumble and decided to challenge Rhea Ripley for the WWE NXT Championship at WrestleMania that year. Ripley took Flair to the limit but was unable to beat her at The Grandest Stage Of Them All.
The roles were reversed, with The Nightmare challenging The Queen for her coveted Championship. Ripley will be looking to avenge her loss from three years ago and is heading into this match with a chip on her shoulder, given that Flair got the better of her the last time they met at WrestleMania.
#4. Rhea Ripley has never won the WWE SmackDown Championship
In the world of WWE, Rhea Ripley has won every Women's Title there is. These Championships include the WWE NXT Women's Championship, WWE Women's Tag Team Championship, NXT UK Women's Championship and the RAW Women's Championship. The only piece of gold that has eluded her in WWE is the SmackDown Women's Title.
Not only will beating Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania right the wrong that occurred three years ago, but Ripley will also etch her name in history by winning the SmackDown Women's Championship and becoming the fifth woman Grand Slam Champion in WWE.
#3. Rhea Ripley has never pinned or forced Charlotte Flair to tap out in a one-on-one match
The Judgment Day member has faced the current WWE SmackDown Champion four times on Live TV in Singles Competitions. The Queen has walked out the victor on three such occasions, while the only match that Ripley won was via disqualification.
Given that Ripley is one of the biggest names in today's generation of Superstars, not defeating a veteran such as Charlotte Flair would constantly be on her mind. If she manages to pin or force Charlotte Flair to submit at WrestleMania 39, The Nightmare will be adding another feather to her cap.
#2. A rematch at WrestleMania in front of a live crowd
At WrestleMania 36, the stage was set for a huge clash between the two WWE Superstars. Once The Queen made her decision to challenge for the WWE NXT Women's Championship at WrestleMania, the WWE Universe looked forward to watching their match live in attendance.
Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 protocols, the match took place in an empty arena. Now, both women have become bigger draws than they were in 2020, and many fans will want to witness their match in attendance this year. In a way, WWE has granted its fans what they were wishing for.
#1. A way to break up the Judgment Day
TJD NO.1 CONTENDERS https://t.co/Rx1VpGsYlO
By involving Rhea Ripley in the WWE SmackDown Championship picture, WWE may be set to disband The Judgment Day. If Ripley becomes a prominent figure on WWE SmackDown, she may take Dominic Mysterio along to set up a feud between the father and son. This would leave Finn Balor and Damien Priest to either go their separate ways or continue as a Tag Team to win the Titles at some point.