Rhea Ripley To Face WWE Raw Women's Champion Asuka At WrestleMania 37

Scoring a Raw Women's Title shot on your Raw debut? Not bad, Rhea Ripley...

by Andy H Murray
Asuka Rhea Ripley
WWE.com

Rhea Ripley will challenge for Asuka's Raw Women's Championship at WrestleMania 37.

This was confirmed during last night's show, on which the former NXT Women's Champion made her advertised debut.

Ripley showed up after Asuka had defeated Peyton Royce in a non-title contest. Calling Asuka one of the greatest champions in WWE history, she acknowledged that Charlotte Flair had previously challenged The Empress of Tomorrow for a WrestleMania 37 title fight, but pointed out that she wasn't there due to her positive COVID-19 test. Rhea then threw down the gauntlet, with Asuka happy to accept.

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Asuka and Ripley have only ever shared a ring in the 15-woman Survivor Series match pitting Raw, SmackDown, and NXT against each other at the 2019 event. This is a first-time-ever singles match.

Weekly vignettes had hyped Ripley's imminent Raw arrival prior to last night. She made a big impact at Royal Rumble 2021 in January, fighting her way to the final two before Bianca Belair threw her out.

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Rather than featuring on Raw, Flair is now expected to return on this week's episode of SmackDown. Her WrestleMania 37 plans appear to be up in the air at the moment, as the SmackDown Women's Title will be contested by champion Sasha Banks and Belair on 10 April.

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.