{"id":87571,"date":"2021-03-24T12:54:24","date_gmt":"2021-03-24T16:54:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=87571"},"modified":"2021-03-24T12:54:24","modified_gmt":"2021-03-24T16:54:24","slug":"the-ripley-effect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2021\/03\/24\/the-ripley-effect\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ripley Effect: How Will Rhea Ripley Shake Up RAW?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">addition of <strong>Rhea Ripley<\/strong> to the <\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">RAW<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> roster has been teased for months, but the Nightmare finally made her first appearance on the March 22nd broadcast. She wasted little time in making an impact, challenging RAW Women&#8217;s Champion <\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Asuka<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> to a match at <\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>WrestleMania 37<\/strong>. <\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">It was a bold move, considering that Asuka had just defeated\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Peyton Royce\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">seconds before Ripley\u2019s challenge.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">&quot;I want a <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/WWERaw?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#WWERaw<\/a> Women&#39;s Championship Match at <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/WrestleMania?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#WrestleMania<\/a>!&quot; &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RheaRipley_WWE?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@RheaRipley_WWE<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/IjNYfqJieX\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/IjNYfqJieX<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; WWE (@WWE) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WWE\/status\/1374161888695750657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 23, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Ripley is no stranger to bold moves, main event matches, or mixing it up with RAW and <em>SmackDown<\/em> superstars. The WWE\u2019s first Australian women\u2019s champion, and the first female athlete to have held both the\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">NXT<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">NXT UK<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> championships, Rhea Ripley has been poised for a larger stage for quite some time. In 2019, Ripley defeated <\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Charlotte Flair\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">in a triple threat match on\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">SmackDown\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">and captained Team NXT to victory at <\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Survivor Series <\/strong><\/span><\/em>2019<em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In 2020 Ripley, who was then NXT Women\u2019s Champion, challenged Charlotte to battle her for the women\u2019s NXT title at <\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>WrestleMania 36<\/strong>. <\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Adapting to the restrictions and concerns of the COVID-19 pandemic, WWE scrapped live crowds at their events, including <em>WrestleMania<\/em>. Ripley lost the NXT title to Charlotte and was open throughout 2020 about how the lack of a live crowd impacted her performance and the loss of confidence that dogged her after.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\ud835\udc79\ud835\udc6f\ud835\udc6c\ud835\udc68\ud835\udc74\ud835\udc68\ud835\udc75\ud835\udc70\ud835\udc68<br \/>\ud83d\udc79\ud83d\udc79\ud83d\udc79<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/WrestleMania?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#WrestleMania<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RheaRipley_WWE?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@RheaRipley_WWE<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WWEAsuka?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@WWEAsuka<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/cdgE7UxNS2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/cdgE7UxNS2<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; WWE\u2019s The Bump (@WWETheBump) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WWETheBump\/status\/1374723917248618496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 24, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">However, Ripley is now getting a second shot at the glory and dominance she seemed poised for at the outset of 2020. She will be facing Asuka: an inventive, unpredictable, and lethal opponent with a champion\u2019s advantage. However, Ripley\u2019s ascension to RAW will have an impact beyond <em>WrestleMania<\/em>, introducing her to a pool of opponents that includes some old rivals and athletes who have not yet faced her brutality. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Some of her future adversaries may include:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Shayna Baszler<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&#8211; It\u2019s sure to be a tense reunion for Baszler and Ripley. Brash upstart Ripley\u2019s unannounced appearance at Full Sail Live in 2019 kicked off her push for the NXT Women\u2019s title, after her inaugural reign as women\u2019s champion in NXT UK. This didn\u2019t sit well with Baszler, nor did Ripley snatching the mic from Baszler\u2019s hand. Baszler, current champion at the time, had brutalized her way through the division and put away every challenger. Ripley finally got her wish for a shot at Baszler and her belt in December 2019. Rhea Ripley survived Baszler\u2019s forbidding menu of submission maneuvers, including fighting her way out of the Kirifuda Clutch, delivering an Avalanche Riptide to put Baszler away by pinfall and secure the NXT Women\u2019s Championship. Currently, Baszler and her partner <\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Nia Jax<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0are the reigning WWE Women\u2019s Tag Team Champions. If old adversaries Baszler and Ripley meet again, it will be yet another clash of titans, with Jax undoubtedly participating in the mix.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/JQ8MOSX.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"337\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo \/ WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Charlotte Flair<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&#8211; When Flair returns from her current absence, she will be sharing a roster with the woman she defeated at <\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">WrestleMania 36. <\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The loss haunted Ripley even as she began a new challenge to reclaim the NXT Women&#8217;s Championship from <\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Io Shirai<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, who won it by defeating Ripley and Flair in a triple threat match. Shirai retained in a November 2020 bout with Ripley, meaning Ripley never held the NXT title again after her devastating loss to The Queen. What should have been a career highlight on The Grandest Stage of Them All was both an anticlimax and a crushing blow to Rhea Ripley. Facing Charlotte Flair again in the future will surely be a catharsis and the full circle in a difficult chapter of her road to the main roster.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\ud83d\udc40 \ud83d\udc40 \ud83d\udc40<\/p>\n<p>@PeytonRoyceWWE just went OFF on <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/RawTalk?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#RawTalk<\/a>. She wants an opportunity against <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/WWERaw?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#WWERaw<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/WomensChampion?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#WomensChampion<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WWEAsuka?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@WWEAsuka<\/a>! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/alnsKByeYA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/alnsKByeYA<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; WWE (@WWE) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WWE\/status\/1369141893624434690?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 9, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Peyton Royce<\/span><\/strong>&#8211; <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Before her March 22nd bout with Asuka, Royce made a big noise about her lack of opportunities, and demanded a shot at the Empress of Tomorrow, arguably the most intimidating female athlete in the women\u2019s division. It was a gutsy move for Royce. Unlike former tag partner <\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Billie Kaye<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, who seems comfortable as a comedy performer, Royce is showing a new aggressive edge and seems to be spoiling for a match in which she can prove her worth. Royce shared the ring with Asuka, who\u2019d just defeated her when Ripley upstaged them both with her challenge-does Royce\u2019s presence at that moment indicate that she\u2019ll mix it up with Ripley herself? A feud with the Nightmare would put her over in a big way, which seems to be what Royce is seeking.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Reckoning<\/span><\/strong>&#8211; As<span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0part of\u00a0 <\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">RETRIBUTION, <\/span><\/strong>the stable&#8217;s future is currently unknown<span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, Reckoning was formerly known as\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Mia Yim<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> while on NXT. She is no stranger to Ripley. The two have faced off in the past, but have also been allies on many occasions. Ripley selected Yim in 2019 to join her team for the inaugural women\u2019s War Games match at\u00a0<\/span><strong><em>NXT Takeover: War Games<\/em><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, but Yim was unable to compete because of a sneak attack by\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Dakota Kai.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Could Reckoning break free from\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Mustafa Ali\u2019s<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0agenda, and participate in a story of some kind with Ripley?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Ripley\u2019s addition to the roster is sure to stimulate some creative and compelling developments, fueled by her hard-hitting in-ring style and versatile capabilities as a performer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>Stay tuned to the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/\" target=\"_self\">Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/a>\u00a0for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.\u00a0WWE fan? You can check out an almost unlimited array of WWE content on the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/watch.wwe.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">WWE Network<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.peacocktv.com\/watch\/home\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Peacock<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Looking to talk wrestling, pro football, or any number of sports? Head on over to the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/boards\/index.php\" target=\"_self\">LWOS Boards<\/a>\u00a0to engage in conversation with fellow fans!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The addition of Rhea Ripley to the RAW roster has been teased for months, but the Nightmare finally made her first appearance on the March 22nd broadcast. She wasted little time in making an impact, challenging RAW Women&#8217;s Champion Asuka to a match at WrestleMania 37. It was a bold move, considering that Asuka had [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3715,"featured_media":87591,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_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":[2,317,3,320],"tags":[229,403,950,513,3041,1182],"class_list":["post-87571","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-women","category-wwe-universe","category-wwe-women","tag-asuka","tag-charlotte-flair","tag-mia-yim","tag-peyton-royce","tag-rhea-ripley","tag-shayna-baszler"],"modified_by":"Brandi Wagner","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87571","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\/3715"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87571"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87571\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/87591"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87571"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87571"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87571"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}