Rhea Ripley is known to the wrestling world as “The Eradicator.” But we nearly missed out on her amazing recent run because she nearly walked away from the company seven years ago.
The former WWE Women’s World Champion got her break in WWE as part of the Mae Young Classic. She then built her captivating persona during dominant runs in NXT UK and NXT. Which eventually earned her a spot in the main roster. After Ripley became a part of Judgment Day, she became a household name.
Despite all the success she has had since then, Ripley had major doubts during the early years of her tenure with the company. In an interview with Paste Magazine, Rhea Ripley made a shocking revelation about nearly quitting WWE after losing 16 of 20 matches in 2017.
Why did Rhea Ripley want to quit WWE?
“I literally broke down. I was at my lowest, and I wanted to quit,” she said. “I wanted to give it all up, and I was like, ‘No, you have to continue for all the people that actually did believe in you. You have to prove the doubters wrong.’”
The former Judgment Day member made a bold choice after her early struggles. Ripley decided to embrace her true self and changed her look to hammer home that shift heading into her second Mae Young Classic appearance.
“I said, ‘This is me now.’ And they were like, ‘Okay, we’ll see if it works.’ Luckily, I went out there, and I was so much more confident,” she remembers. “The second Mae Young Classic, I was me. I didn’t care. I just wanted to go out there and do what I loved. I wanted to brutalize and entertain, and that’s where Rhea Ripley grew into.”
After adopting her true personality on WWE television, she became one of the top superstars in the women’s division. She has achieved impressive accolades and defeated some of the biggest names in the industry, including Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair.
Mami’s next destination is WrestleMania 41 this weekend. She will be a part of a triple-threat match against Bianca Belair and IYO Sky with the WWE Women’s World Championship on the line.
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