Backstage Update On WWE's Creative Plans For Rhea Ripley
Here's how WWE plan on using the former Raw Women's Champion going forward.
It appears that WWE finally plans on clearing up Rhea Ripley's muddled alignment.
Per PWInsider's Mike Johnson, the former NXT and Raw Women's Champion is now considered a babyface by the promotion. Apparently, WWE switched Ripley's internal alignment around a few weeks ago, having thought of her as a heel since she joined the main roster prior to WrestleMania 37.
Ripley debuted opposite Asuka on Raw, felling the long-reigning Japanese star for the brand's Women's Championship at 'Mania. Even then, her alignment frequently skirted the lines, but the situation was amplified when Ripley reignited her old rivalry with Charlotte Flair after finishing business with Asuka.
Though the feud yielded an acclaimed, hard-hitting match at Money in the Bank 2021, its weekly output was frequently criticised for its inability to present either participant as likeable. There was no clear face or heel. Rather than both women playing in shades of grey, it felt incoherent.
Here's hoping WWE's new stance on Ripley brings clarity. She needs it after dropping the red belt to Flair at MITB 2021, then winning a rematch via disqualification to facilitate Nikki A.S.H.'s cash-in on the following night's Raw.