Rhea Ripley has achieved success across every WWE brand she has been a part of, but her journey nearly ended early in her career when the former WWE Women’s World Champion seriously considered quitting the promotion.
During an interview with Paste Magazine, Ripley recalled working against top stars of the time, including Bianca Belair and Shayna Baszler. However, after failing to defeat Nikki Cross in October 2017 for an NXT Women’s Title match, she subsequently lost 16 of her next 20 matches. This losing streak severely damaged her confidence.
“I literally broke down. I was at my lowest, and I wanted to quit. I wanted to give it all up, and I was like, ‘No, you have to continue for all the people that actually did believe in you. You have to prove the doubters wrong.”
She completely overhauled her appearance and debuted her current look at the 2018 Mae Young Classic. This proved to be the reset she needed.
“I said, ‘This is me now.’ And they were like, ‘Okay, we’ll see if it works.’ Luckily, I went out there, and I was so much more confident. The second Mae Young Classic, I was me. I didn’t care. I just wanted to go out there and do what I loved. I wanted to brutalize and entertain, and that’s where Rhea Ripley grew into.”
Ripley is slated to work a triple threat match with Women’s World Champion IYO SKY and Bianca Belair at WrestleMania 41 on Sunday in Las Vegas, Nevada.
