Former WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley has revealed that she came dangerously close to missing WrestleMania 41 due to a debilitating back injury. In a candid interview on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Ripley opened up about the physical toll her body endured in the lead-up to the biggest event of the year.
“WrestleMania 41, I didn’t think I was going to be able to compete because my back was so bad leading up to it,” Ripley confessed, highlighting just how severe the situation became in the days before her match.
The injury was so intense that Ripley required emergency massage therapy sessions just to make it to the ring. She credited her personal masseuse, Matthew, for helping her get through the weekend. “The two nights beforehand, I got Matthew to come to my room, and he worked on me the night before Hall of Fame and the night of Hall of Fame,” she explained. “I was like, ‘I need you to make sure I can walk tomorrow.’”
Thanks to the intensive treatment, Ripley was able to loosen up just in time to perform, but she acknowledged that her back issues are part of an ongoing problem—one she hasn’t always been proactive in managing.
“It gets really bad. I don’t know if it’s a sciatic thing or just my body and how I’m put together. I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s something,” she said. “It flares up. Sometimes it’s bearable, sometimes it’s not.”
Despite the lingering injury, Ripley powered through WrestleMania 41 and continues to be one of WWE’s most dominant and resilient Superstars. Her honesty about the struggle adds another layer to her reputation as a relentless competitor who fights through pain to stay on top.
