Rhea Ripley wants to follow in the footsteps of her childhood hero Beth Phoenix by competing in a men’s Royal Rumble match.
Ripley is a member of The Judgment Day faction, along with Finn Balor, Damian Priest and Dominick Mysterio. While the female members of wrestling factions have typically been portrayed as eye candy, Ripley is arguably the enforcer of the group. Over the past several months, the former Raw and SmackDown Women’s champion has gone face-to-face with several male Superstars, including Luke Gallows, Solo Sikoa and Akira Tozawa.
WWE introduced the annual women’s Royal Rumble match in 2018, but Ripley sees a chance to make history and emulate one of her childhood heroes by testing herself against the men. During a recent interview with WrestleBinge, Ripley says she’s ready to make history.
“I would most definitely love to enter the Men’s Royal Rumble. I would love to.”
– Rhea Ripley
Several competitors including Phoenix, Chyna and Nia Jax have competed in the men’s Rumble. However, Ripley is open to the idea of participating in the men’s and women’s Rumbles on the same night, a feat that would etch her name in the history books.
Elsewhere in the Wrestlebinge interview, Ripley spoke about her admiration for Beth Phoenix. She was a huge fan of the ‘Glamazon’ while growing up and related to her muscular body type. She would be honored to ‘fill those shoes’ and help advance the women’s evolution by showing she’s not limited to competing with other women.
We may very well see Rhea Ripley in a men’s Royal Rumble one day. As of this writing, she is entered – and the odds-on favorite to win – the women’s Rumble match.
The 2023 WWE Royal Rumble premium live event takes place this Saturday, January 28.
