"The crowd just like turned on me instantly" - Rhea Ripley recalls one of the toughest moments of her WWE career
Rhea Ripley won WWE's SmackDown Women's Championship only a month ago at Wrestlemania 39. But the company had, in its hands, a perfect moment to pull the rug out from under her at Backlash.
The reason why they probably should have done it is the fans of Puerto Rico, who were vociferously in support of hometown hero Zelina Vega.
Appearing on the Cheap Heat podcast, Rhea Ripley revealed that she was genuinely happy for her opponent at Backlash, and at one point, was even worried after the chants of 'Mami' made it clear that The Eradicator also had fans among the crowd:
"I was very excited for her, but then I went out there, and it all turned into mami chants, and I was like, ‘Oh.’ It’s cool to hear, don’t get me wrong, but I was thinking about later that night, and I was like, 'Oh no, hopefully, Mami chants don’t drown anything out,' because I know how special this event is to her because I know how special it would be for me to be able to perform in Australia, so I can relate to that."
Ripley continued:
"When I went out there first, and I got the mami chants, I was [worried] but wanted to see what happened when her music hit. The crowd just like turned on me instantly." [H/T: Fightful Select]
The SmackDown Women's Champion revealed that it was really hard for her to stay in character, as she wanted to smile with Zelina Vega. But obviously, she held back how she truly felt for her opponent and the almost one-sided reaction to her.
Ripley further stated that she was ecstatic about being the one who stood opposite Vega, giving the latter a moment she would remember for the rest of her life.
Zelina Vega will never forget WWE Backlash 🇵🇷 https://t.co/9QPo1j9GTF
With both stars on separate brands from hereon, it would be interesting to see what WWE has in store for them in the coming weeks.
Zelina Vega wants former five-time women's champion to return to WWE
In an interview with Ring The Belle recently, Zelina Vega detailed her close relationship with former Divas Champion Melina, revealing that they have traveled a lot together. Furthermore, the LWO member wants the legendary female wrestler back in the global juggernaut company:
"I think the biggest thing for her and I was just not tying ourselves down to anything specific. It was just like, 'We'll see where the wind takes us, and that's where we're gonna go,'" said Vega. "And still, like, I feel like if her and I got to do it again, I say we'd have to go to like Japan or something. [Or maybe bring her to WWE?] I would love to have her back. I want her here like tomorrow. I would love that."
#WWE Zelina Vega wants Melina to return to WWE https://t.co/RjGDHJ0H11
Melina Perez joined WWE back in 2004 and was immediately paired alongside former star John Morrison as the latter's ex-girlfriend and, later on, as his on-screen girlfriend. The duo teamed up with Joey Mercury, and the trio was dubbed MNM.
She was released by the company in 2011. After nearly eight years, Melina returned to WWE in 2019. However, both parties were unable to negotiate a deal, despite rumors swirling that she had already signed a contract.
The five-time women's champion was last seen as a surprise entrant in the Women's Royal Rumble last year. However, before getting in any offense, she was quickly eliminated from the match by Sasha Banks (currently Mercedes Mone).