10 Things WWE Wants You To Forget About Rhea Ripley

5. Her Major Miz Fandom

Rhea Ripley The Miz
Reddit, @dpw2017

"Cool" is a near-impossible thing to manufacture in pro wrestling as it is in life, but it's been integral to Rhea Ripley escaping some of the creative cul-de-sacs she's found herself trapped in over the years. Force of will and ability to remain cool have served her well over multiple stumbling blocks planted in her path, but the inspiration behind that credibility comes from a place most unexpected.

Or, depending on your tastes, most awesome. Ripley, as it turns out, was a superfan of the Miz. 

Opening up during various interviews about her love for the former WWE Champion, Ripley well and truly opened the floodgates when she shared a shot from an old birthday celebration alongside a giant Miz stand-up while sporting a Miz shirt circa 2011. The fandom ran deep before the real-life Demi Bennett found herself taking on a decidedly different persona by the time she became colleagues with her former hero.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett