Rhea Ripley Reveals Cancelled Entrance Plans For Last Year's WrestleMania

Rhea Ripley almost had a very different entrance at WrestleMania 36, the star has revealed during her appearance on Renee Paquette's Oral Sessions podcast.

Last year saw The Nightmare defend her NXT Women's Championship against Charlotte Flair inside of the Performance Center due to the global health crisis. However, her entrance for this eventual losing effort very nearly had a completely different look and feel.

As the Show of Shows challenger to Asuka's Raw Women's Championship noted during her interview with Renee, this year's 'Mania 37 will see the wrestler being sang into Raymond James Stadium by Ash Costello of New Years Day - the lead vocalist for her entrance theme "Brutality". However, Ripley also revealed that this was reportedly the plan for last year's event, but said performance was cancelled before she even knew Costello had been contacted:

“So, I think it was meant to happen last year. I didn’t hear anything about it. She messaged me saying, ‘Like, I’m sorry, this was supposed to be the moment.’ She had been contacted by WWE, but it got canceled before I heard about it. So, they just messaged her this year as well, and she said she was down… I’ve met Ash before, and she is so lovely. I’m so glad I get to share this WrestleMania moment with her!”

Judging from the aforementioned Costello performance, Wale bringing Big E's theme to life in the flesh, the monumental pirate ship set, and the apparent introduction of drones at this year's event, it's looking as though WWE are stopping at nothing to deliver a 'Mania spectacle two year's in the making.