10 Things We Learned From Rhea Ripley On Stephanie McMahon's WWE Show
9. Anger Has Fuelled Her Since Childhood
Things very nearly didn't work out at all for 'Mami'.
If anything, she needed a cuddle and show of support from her own mother throughout childhood and into her teen years. Growing up was an angry time for Rhea - she wasn't angry with her family though, just with select other people. Ripley told Stephanie that she's always had an athletic build. Pair that with her far-fetched desire to become a wrestler, and there was a lot of peer pressure to give up.
One story sticks out in her mind. A guy she liked said Rhea wouldn't look good in a dress because her shoulders were too broad. That has lingered in Ripley's mind like a nightmare, but she eventually managed to use moments like that as personal fuel. She thanks her family for always being by her side even when she was crippled by self doubt.
A lot of people have similarly self-conscious stories from their childhood and teen years, but not everybody hopes to become a pro wrestler and has to battle repeatedly being laughed at for it. If you need an example of how the world has been shrinking since the early-2000s into the 2010s, just look at Rhea. Folks back home in Adelaide couldn't fathom WWE showing interest in Australia or scouring the country for talent that'd be perfect for grand scale events like WrestleMania.
Today, WWE casts a wider net than ever before. They're paying attention to pretty much everywhere. The good news is that Rhea's teen angst has helped to spur her on in adulthood. That doesn't stop her from reflecting on how she felt at the time.