"She is one of the main women that I idolized" - Rhea Ripley praises WWE Hall of Famer
As a lifelong WWE fan, Rhea Ripley watched the product from a very young age, and one star in particular who stood out to her from the rest was Beth Phoenix.
Like Phoenix, Ripley has managed to create a name for herself in the ring through her vast feats of strength, which many top female WWE stars over the years have not possessed.
During a recent interview with Sport Bible, the Eradicator explained why the Hall of Famer was her idol when she watched WWE in her youth.
"She is one of the main women that I idolized growing up in the WWE just because she looked different, she had muscle, she stood out as this really really strong force. I remember seeing her get crap for the way that she looked and I hated that and it reminded me of people picking on me for the way I looked. But seeing her go out there and not care about anything and just be herself – I idolized that. So to be able to step into the ring with her and even just go face to face and just have these two beefy girls looking at each other, ready to kill, I live for those moments right there." (H/T SportBible)
Rhea Ripley's "tribute" to Beth Phoenix 😏
#WWE #WWECrownJewel https://t.co/8lcX8IBBy4
Rhea came to her realize one of her many WWE dreams last month as she faced off against Beth Phoenix in a Mixed Tag Team match at Elimination Chamber.
Rhea Ripley is ready for WrestleMania 39
After winning the Women's Royal Rumble match last January, the Australian star is set to compete at WrestleMania 39 for a world championship.
After consideration, Rhea Ripley decided to choose current SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair as her opponent to take on at the show of shows.
Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley are no strangers to one another, with the Queen having defeated the 26-year-old for the NXT Women's Championship at WrestleMania 36 in 2020.
Who will walk out of WrestleMania 39 as Champion? Give us your predictions in the comments section below.