{"id":154431,"date":"2026-03-06T07:00:32","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T12:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=154431"},"modified":"2026-03-06T01:01:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T06:01:08","slug":"brutality-on-the-grand-stage-ranking-rhea-ripleys-wrestlemania-matches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2026\/03\/06\/brutality-on-the-grand-stage-ranking-rhea-ripleys-wrestlemania-matches\/","title":{"rendered":"Brutality on the Grand Stage: Ranking Rhea Ripley\u2019s WrestleMania Matches"},"content":{"rendered":"

Few WWE superstars have commanded the WrestleMania spotlight in the last few years with as much intensity and consistency as Rhea Ripley. Following the <\/span>2026 Women’s Elimination Chamber,<\/span><\/a> we have a clear picture of who will challenge Jade Cargill for the WWE Women\u2019s Championship. By winning the Chamber, Ripley secured her first-ever victory in the prestigious match and punched her ticket to a high-stakes title opportunity at WrestleMania.<\/span><\/p>\n

While Cargill heads into her second career WrestleMania match, Ripley enters her seventh, carrying a 3-3 record on \u201cThe Grandest Stage of them All.\u201d This encounter has generated massive buzz as it represents the most significant challenge Cargill has faced since winning the title in November and marks the very first time these two have squared off.<\/span><\/p>\n

When anticipation for this matchup couldn’t get any higher, the rivalry between the two turned into a more intense, personal level on social media over the weekend. During a heated exchange, Cargill tweeted asking if Ripley spent as many hours in the ring as she did \u201ctalking to creative.\u201d\u00a0 It was a direct suggestion that Ripley used her influence with management to help secure the bout.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ripley quickly fired back, calling Cargill\u2019s claims \u201cbulls**t\u201d and telling her not to spread lies about her character. The exchange escalated further and even pulled in former two-time Women\u2019s United States Champion <\/span>Chelsea Green<\/span><\/a> and Piper Niven. Niven backed Ripley, tweeting at Cargill: \u201cGive you enough ringtime, and you\u2019ll embarrass yourself.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Following the drama on X, Ripley took to her Instagram story to double down, posting: \u201cNot having fun. Not friends. Learn to work and never lie to defame someone\u2019s real human character by ‘breaking the 4th wall.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With Ripley\u2019s next match set to be the messiest and most challenging of her career, it\u2019s the perfect time to look back at her history on the “Grandest Stage” by ranking her previous WrestleMania bouts.<\/span><\/p>\n

6.Rhea Ripley & Liv Morgan vs. Sasha Banks & Naomi vs. Zelina Vega & Carmella vs. Natalya & Shayna Baszler (WrestleMania 38)\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

WrestleMania 38 stands as the only time in Rhea Ripley\u2019s career that she competed in a tag team match on \u201cThe Showcase of the Immortals,\u201d alongside Liv Morgan. Their Batman and Catwoman-inspired gear became one of the standout visual highlights of the entire encounter.<\/span><\/p>\n

The match featured a crowded field for the Women\u2019s Tag Team Titles, with champions Zelina Vega and Carmella defending against Natalya and Shayna Baszler, Sasha Banks and Naomi, and the duo of Morgan and Ripley.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

While Morgan and Ripley fell short as Banks and Naomi claimed the titles, this match set the stage for a massive turning point in Ripley\u2019s career. Just a few weeks later, on April 18, 2022, she turned on Morgan to join Edge and Damian Priest in the newly formed faction, <\/span>The Judgement Day<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

5. Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair (WrestleMania 36)<\/b><\/h2>\n

While the matchup boasted undeniable star power between Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair, it suffered greatly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with no crowd in attendance. After winning the 2020 Royal Rumble, Flair made the unconventional choice to challenge for the NXT Women\u2019s Championship, rather than following the historical trend of pursuing a main roster title.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite the empty arena, the two delivered a stellar performance for the NXT Women\u2019s Championship, showcasing exceptional technical ability in a hard-hitting, back-and-forth battle. The only disappointing factor was that while it marked Ripley\u2019s debut on the biggest show of the year, it had to take place behind closed doors rather than before thousands of screaming fans.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ultimately, Flair forced Ripley to submit to the Figure-Eight Leglock, a finish that sparked significant controversy among fans online, as many wanted Ripley to win. Though a tough loss for Rhea, the match effectively planted the seeds for their high-stakes rematch three years later.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

4. Rhea Ripley vs. Asuka (WrestleMania 37)<\/b><\/h2>\n

This matchup against Asuka marked Ripley\u2019s first on the official main roster. Having only just debuted on Raw, Ripley immediately asserted her dominance by challenging the \u201cEmpress of Tomorrow” for the Raw Women\u2019s Championship.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/smartframe-embed><\/p><\/p>\n

The match delivered as Asuka put her technical brilliance on display, while Ripley countered with her signature power. A standout moment featured a devastating DDT, as Asuka spiked Ripley off the ring and onto the hard apron.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The finish was electric as Ripley survived an attempted leg kick, hoisting Asuka up for a Riptide, securing the victory, marking both her first main roster championship and her first WrestleMania win.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

3. Rhea Ripley vs. Becky Lynch (WrestleMania 40)\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

WrestleMania 40 featured a clash of two titans as Rhea Ripley defended the Women\u2019s World Championship against \u201cThe Man\u201d <\/span>Becky Lynch<\/span><\/a>. But despite the massive fan excitement, both competitors entered the ring facing significant hurdles.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ripley dealt with a major panic attack prior to making her entrance, something she later revealed in the Netflix documentary WWE: Unreal. Lynch faced her own physical obstacle, as she was battling a 102-degree fever and a diagnosed case of strep throat.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite the challenges, both women managed to put on an incredible performance. The match ended as Ripley countered a Manhandle Slam, driving Lynch into the top turnbuckle with a Riptide and following it up with a second one for the victory.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

2. Rhea Ripley vs. IYO SKY vs. Bianca Belair (WrestleMania 41)\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

While WrestleMania 41 is remembered with warranted criticism, one of the major highlights across both nights was the triple threat between Rhea Ripley, 2025 Women\u2019s Elimination Chamber winner Bianca Belair, and the newly crowned Women\u2019s World Champion <\/span>IYO SKY.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One consistent theme for Ripley has been her ability to overcome uphill battles. Though she didn’t experience a panic attack during this outing, she was dealing with significant lower back pain that nearly kept her off the card.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The match was incredible from start to finish as the three unleashed their natural physicality, with SKY delivering a Moonsault while the other two were down, to catapult herself to victory. The three competitors felt just as strongly about the performance as the fans did, and were all moved to tears when greeting each other in the locker room.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

1. Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair (WrestleMania 39)\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

Coming off her historic 2024 Women\u2019s Royal Rumble victory, where she won after entering as the first contestant, Rhea Ripley opted to settle a past score. She chose to challenge SmackDown Women\u2019s Champion Charlotte Flair, seeking to avenge her loss from three years prior.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The match lived up to the hype of the build-up as the two showed off their brutal athleticism. One particular moment where this was on display was when Ripley landed a dangerous German suplex, resulting in Flair landing on her face.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The ending saw Ripley accomplish what she had failed to achieve three years earlier, delivering a massive Avalanche Riptide from the second rope to secure the victory and become the new SmackDown Women\u2019s Champion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This win also marked a historic milestone for Ripley as she became just the seventh woman to become a Grand Slam Champion, having won the NXT, Raw, SmackDown, and WWE Women\u2019s Tag Team Championship.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Throughout her six WrestleMania appearances, Rhea Ripley hasn’t just climbed her own version of Mount Rushmore; she has carved it in her own image. While these contests showcase just how dominant she is, the most exciting element is the fact that she\u2019s only getting started.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Her next matchup carries incredible potential and could easily catapult its way up this list, as Ripley looks to achieve another WrestleMania career milestone by defeating Jade Cargill for the WWE Women\u2019s Championship.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Few WWE superstars have commanded the WrestleMania spotlight in the last few years with as much intensity and consistency as Rhea Ripley. Following the 2026 Women’s Elimination Chamber, we have a clear picture of who will challenge Jade Cargill for the WWE Women\u2019s Championship. By winning the Chamber, Ripley secured her first-ever victory in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5699,"featured_media":118588,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7205,4,3,320],"tags":[3041],"class_list":["post-154431","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history","category-wwe","category-wwe-universe","category-wwe-women","tag-rhea-ripley"],"modified_by":"Michael Joseph Sugue, Manager","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154431","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5699"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=154431"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154431\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":154436,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154431\/revisions\/154436"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/118588"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=154431"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=154431"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=154431"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}