"I not only want to punch her in the face, I want to learn from her" - Rhea Ripley ready to face WWE star who hasn't wrestled in 8 months (Exclusive)
Rhea Ripley isn't one of those stars who backs down from a fight! The 25-year-old superstar revealed during an interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling that she would be willing to square off against Beth Phoenix in WWE.
Phoenix and Ripley had an intense staredown on the August 22nd episode of RAW after the WWE Hall of Famer entered the ring to defend Edge from The Judgment Day's attack. Finn Balor and Damian Priest pulled Ripley back and prevented her from exchanging blows with The Glamazon.
Ripley expressed that she wasn't afraid of Beth Phoenix and was looking forward to the occasion when they slug it out in the squared circle. Here's what the Australian star had to say about the first-time-ever match:
"I mean, if she wants to try and go up against me, I'm ready. The boys dragged me away the last time." Rhea Ripley continued, "So, I'm hoping that next time, they choose to do a match!" [00:59 - 1:10]
In an exclusive chat, @RheaRipley_WWE shared her experience of doing a live event in the UK, her plans for the future, and much more.
#WWE #WWECastle #RheaRipley #SmackDown https://t.co/nPUGUudo2w
Rhea Ripley has developed into a very intimidating performer over the past few months, and she promised to punish the Hall of Famer in their proposed match.
However, she also respected Phoenix outside the kayfabe realm and was eager to learn a few valuable in-ring lessons from the three-time WWE Women's Champion. Phoenix last wrestled nearly eight months ago at the Royal Rumble event in a mixed tag team match.
"That's another reason why I want the match with Beth," said Ripley. "I not only want to punch her in the face, I want to learn from her at the same time." [1:44 - 1:52]
Rhea Ripley reacts to Trish Stratus and other legends returning to WWE
The recent Monday Night RAW episode in Toronto was quite memorable as Trish Stratus made a rare televised appearance and even teased coming out of retirement for another match.
WWE often gets legends back for a quick rating pop, with Kurt Angle's one-off appearance being a relevant example.
While some fans have criticized the company's tried-and-tested practice, Rhea Ripley had no problem with the returns. She noted that WWE talent has the opportunity to pick up new things about wrestling by interacting with veterans.
Ripley added:
"I think it's great. I love having legends come around. You can learn so much from them if you get a chance to sit down and actually talk to them. Even just watching them go out there, you can learn so much. I think it's great to have them back." [1:27 - 1:44]
Would you like to see Phoenix and Ripley in a singles match? Sound off in the comments section below.
If any quotes are used from this interview, please embed the Twitter video and credit Sportskeeda Wrestling.
Watch all the action from WWE's Clash at the Castle live on BT Sport 2 from 6 pm this Saturday. For more information, go to bt.com/sport/wwe.
Recommended video: 10 WWE Superstars who once lived together | Brock Lesnar, Rhea Ripley, Drew McIntyre