5 reasons why Rhea Ripley might soon be involved in an intergender match in WWE
Rhea Ripley’s shot to fame on WWE's main roster was a quick one as she immediately challenged then-RAW Women’s Champion Asuka to successfully capture the title at WrestleMania 37. She is currently a member of the heel faction The Judgment Day alongside fellow superstars Finn Balor, Dominik Mysterio, and Damian Priest.
Prior to entering the WWE main roster, Ripley had already made history in NXT by becoming the first-ever U.K. Women’s Champion. She also reigned as the black and gold brand’s Women’s Champion.
Ripley has faced equally talented superstars in WWE like Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, and Asuka. She has also had previous encounters with some of her male counterparts in WWE. One of the most recent was when she attacked returning O.C. member Luke Gallows.
With the numerous occasions Ripley has attacked wrestlers of the opposite gender, it could only be a matter of time before fans can finally witness a proper intergender match within WWE featuring Rhea Ripley. The question is, what could make the promotion finally decide to push through with the idea?
#5. An intergender match in WWE featuring Rhea Ripley could happen if the demand is too overwhelming to ignore
Longtime WWE fans might recall that back in the 90’s, intergender wrestling was a thing within the promotion. Female wrestling legend Chyna has gone to war against the likes of Val Venis, Billy Gunn and Jeff Jarrett.
For the uninitiated, Chyna is the only female wrestler to have ever won the Intercontinental Championship, which she held on three occasions.
The promotion veered away from such matches when it opted for family-friendly content to please its advertisers. However, there has been renewed interest in women’s sports in recent years, which was on full display with 2018’s WWE Evolution pay-per-view.
That said, if there’s a substantial appetite from fans for such a match to happen in the company, it’s likely that WWE will give in and Rhea Ripley will definitely benefit.
#4. If the storyline calls for it
WWE’s Attitude Era provided the setting for several storylines where female wrestlers faced off with their male counterparts inside the ring. A couple of examples include Hall of Famers Lita and Jacqueline, as each of them fought Dean Malenko in a singles match on separate occasions.
Fans have seen flashes of intergender action in the modern era, like the aforementioned attack by Rhea Ripley on Luke Gallows. It’s as if the company could be hinting at the possibility that these two could be settling their scores inside the squared circle in the coming days.
Whatever storyline the writers have in store for this feud between The O.C. and The Judgment Day, it will be interesting to see how A.J. Styles, Karl Anderson, and Luke Gallows will handle the problem with Ripley.
#3. Rhea Ripley’s got what it takes
Clearly, Rhea Ripley has the build, strength, and skills to go toe-to-toe with male wrestlers in the company. Her physique is even comparable to Chyna’s, who was billed as The Ninth Wonder of the World in her heyday.
With that in mind, the promotion can easily match her up against male superstars, and if these fellas think that it will just be a walk in the park, they’d better think twice. Ripley is as tough as anyone in the company.
#2. Indie circuit days
Before carrying the Rhea Ripley moniker, she was known in the independent scene as Demi Bennett, which is her actual name. She began working for an Adelaide-based wrestling promotion dubbed Riot City Wrestling in 2013. During her tenure there, she was already experienced in facing off against male wrestlers. A notable match was against Zak Sabbath.
The storyline suggested that Sabbath had been bugging and stalking Bennett for months, which led to their encounter inside the RCW ring in 2016. The stipulation was that if Bennett beat him, Sabbath would leave her alone for good, which is exactly what happened.
Despite being 19 at the time and still having a lot to learn, she managed to beat her opponent without any outside help. Now imagine Ripley doing it again inside a WWE ring.
#1. She loves the idea
As mentioned, WWE has distanced itself from having intergender matches. However, sweeping changes within the company have been observed by fans with Triple H at the helm. That said, there has been speculation that some of these tweaks could include binging back mixed gender matches.
It was during this year’s Clash at the Castle when Rhea Ripley was asked about her thoughts regarding intergender matches. She responded positively to the idea and mentioned that she would love to have a match with Edge, her fellow Judgment Day member Dominik Mysterio, and his dad Rey.
She pointed out that seeing it coming to fruition within the promotion is a different story considering the sensitivity of the subject. If it does, however, she hopes to be a part of it.