10 WWE Superstars Set For A Big Push Following WrestleMania 36

4. Rhea Ripley

Rhea Ripley
WWE.com

Rhea Ripley lost her NXT Women's Championship at WrestleMania 36, though defeat to Charlotte flair need not be the burial many are proclaiming it to be.

Flair is one of WWE's most protected wrestlers. There's no shame in falling to her, particularly on the biggest stage, as the promotion sees her as its female ace. In kayfabe terms, 'The Nightmare' fell to an A-tier star. That doesn't automatically make her D-tier.

Perversely, losing the strap may actually be good for Rhea and her character here. Imposing, different, and legitimately bad*ss prior to winning the belt, she devolved into the generic WWE Babyface Title-Holder archetype upon taking Shayna Baszler's throne. The character work and promos became a lot less compelling despite scoring the biggest victory of her career - dropping the belt gives WWE a chance to re-establish the traits that made her stand out in the first place.

Ripley will likely remain on NXT, where she'll play a huge role in one of the most compelling divisions on the planet. She won't drop out of the spotlight just because Flair's around. WWE will find something compelling for the 23-year-old to do, no matter what it is.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.