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Ripley on Course for Stellar WrestleMania 40 Match
Australian wrestling sensation Rhea Ripley is firmly on course to secure the match of a lifetime at WrestleMania 40 in April.
Her opponent is yet to be determined, but her career path suggests this is the year when the Adelaide-born star reaches new heights.
Ripley ventured into wrestling on the independent circuit as a 17-year-old in 2013. She cut her teeth in promotions such as Riot City Wrestling, where she became a two-time RCW Women’s Champion.
She caught the eye of the WWE with her showings, and they signed her in 2017. Ripley’s introduction to a global audience was in the inaugural Mae Young Classic and she made a lasting impression.
Ripley subsequently transitioned to the newly formed NXT UK brand and became the first NXT UK Women’s Champion in August 2018.
She was the first female Australian champion in WWE history and has since defended her title against top-class opposition.
Ripley joined the main NXT brand in 2019 and made an immediate splash by winning the NXT Women’s Championship. She stepped up to the main WWE roster in 2021 and debuted on Raw.
The Adelaide United fan captured the Raw Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 37, defeating Asuka, and has continued her steep upward curve since then.
She won the SmackDown Women’s Championship in April 2023, becoming the seventh WWE Women’s Triple Crown Champion and fifth WWE Women’s Grand Slam Champion.
Ripley made more history January 2023 as she was the first entrant in the Women’s Royal Rumble match. She defied the odds, emerging victorious and setting a record for the longest time spent in a Women’s Royal Rumble match at 1:01:08.
Several legendary wrestling legends have taken notice of her talents including Bret Hart, who was recently complimentary about the Australian star.
“I really like her a lot,” Hart said. “I really like her poise, her staying in character and sort of living her – she seems like she’s adapted a character that’s fun to play, and she’s playing into that, full tilt.
“She’s putting that realism into it. That’s what I miss in a lot of wrestling today, just making it feel more real, and she makes it feel pretty real all the time.”
Hart’s praise is noteworthy given what he achieved in professional wrestling and will undoubtedly spark interest from the online betting community in Australia.
Ripley’s opponent for the upcoming Elimination Chamber PLE event in Perth is yet to be officially confirmed, but she will be the bookmakers’ favourite regardless of who she meets.
The top Australian betting sites will be inundated with wagers on Ripley ahead of the event, and she should deliver a healthy profit to her loyal fanbase.
Ripley has accomplished so much in her short career and WrestleMania 40 will be the perfect stage for the Aussie grappler to solidify her legacy.
There has been plenty of speculation about who she will face, and fans are excited about the possible match-ups. One possible opponent is Nia Jax, who has been tormenting Ripley since she returned to action.
The viciously powerful Jax has been dominating opponents, fearlessly ripping apart foe after foe. She claimed a massive scalp with a win over Becky Lynch, putting herself in contention for a title match.
Ripley will likely defend her gold against Jax at the Elimination Chamber event on February 24. She will have her work cut out against Jaz, who appeared on Monday Night Raw and physically ripped into the champion.
Another possible WrestleMania opponent is Lynch. She remains a top contender despite losing to Jax, and Ripley has declared her interest in facing Lynch.
WWE fans have been anticipating a clash between Ripley and Lynch for some time now, and they may just get what they want at WrestleMania 40.
