Rhea Ripley recently spoke with The Takedown of Sports Illustrated about the whirlwind of public relations work she undertakes leading up to WrestleMania 41.
Ripley is scheduled to defend her title in a high-stakes triple threat match against Iyo Sky and Bianca Belair on Night 1 of the event, which takes place on April 19th at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Reflecting on the intense promotional period, Ripley stated, “So much on my plate. I’m honored to do it all. I really am, as crazy as it’s going to be. I remember being in NXT and wishing for an opportunity and putting in the work, but not achieving anything. Where now I feel like I’ve grown the Rhea Ripley name enough, and now the company really does hold me to such a high regard, and they put all this stuff on my plate because they know that I can go out there and I can handle it like a professional.”
Ripley also openly discussed her past struggles with media appearances, offering a relatable insight into the pressures faced by performers. “Media was always something that I was terrified of, like sitting down talking to you right now, I would be absolutely crapping myself. I was so scared of doing media. I feel like the practice over the years has gotten me to this point where it’s second nature. I feel like Mania week, as crazy as it is, it’s also reps that I need, and it’s also helping me get better at talking to people, and getting my name out there, and putting across what needs to be put across, and that’s a massive responsibility for me.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit The Takedown on SI with an h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
