{"id":65782,"date":"2020-03-29T09:10:09","date_gmt":"2020-03-29T13:10:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/?p=65782"},"modified":"2020-03-29T09:10:09","modified_gmt":"2020-03-29T13:10:09","slug":"nightmarish-ambition-the-destined-greatness-of-rhea-ripley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2020\/03\/29\/nightmarish-ambition-the-destined-greatness-of-rhea-ripley\/","title":{"rendered":"Nightmarish Ambition: The Destined Greatness of Rhea Ripley"},"content":{"rendered":"

WrestleMania 36<\/em><\/strong> takes place this weekend, as the first two-night event in the show’s history, and among those involved will be \u201cThe Nightmare,\u201d Rhea Ripley<\/strong>. At \u201cThe Showcase of the Immortals,\u201d Ripley will defend the NXT<\/strong> Women’s Championship against Charlotte Flair<\/strong>, who held the title during her time on the black-and-gold brand. To say that this will be a challenge for Ripley is an understatement. With Flair having won a total of 11 titles since her World Wrestling Entertainment<\/strong> debut, the Adelaide native will have to be at the top of her game.<\/p>\n

Needless to say, Rhea Ripley will do whatever it takes to reclaim the NXT Women’s Championship. Win or lose, however, she is a talent that is fated for greatness. Whether it’s her unique presentation, sheer confidence, or the catalog of matches she has put together since her debut less than seven years ago, Ripley has the tools to achieve greatness. The sky is the limit for \u201cThe Nightmare,\u201d but to better understand these heights, we must start from 2013.<\/p>\n

The Early Years<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Prior to becoming Rhea Ripley in WWE, the Adelaide native wrestled under her real name, Demi Bennett<\/strong>. She began her professional wrestling career in mid-2013, debuting for Riot City Wrestling<\/strong>. Bennett spent the year working with other local wrestlers before winning the RCW Women’s Championship the following year. She also appeared for other Australian promotions, including New Horizon Pro Wrestling<\/strong> and Melbourne City Wrestling<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Though Bennett lost the RCW Women’s Championship in November of 2014, her hustle continued. From spring to early summer in 2015, she toured Japan, working for promotions including Diana<\/strong>, REINA<\/strong>, and Sendai Girls<\/strong>. Upon returning to Australia, Bennett was back in title contention. She faced then-RCW Women’s Champion Savannah Summers on numerous occasions, falling short time and time again. Ultimately, Bennett’s persistence paid off when she won the title for the second time in October of 2016. It wouldn’t be until the following year that she achieved recognition on a mainstream level.<\/p>\n

The Mae Young Classic<\/strong><\/h3>\n