Despite her dominance in WWE, Rhea Ripley revealed a vulnerable side in a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet on Insight, admitting she was “terrified” heading into her WrestleMania 40 showdown with Becky Lynch.
The former Women’s World Champion opened up about the immense pressure she felt, particularly due to the significance of the match and Lynch battling illness in the lead-up. Ripley noted that she internalized the responsibility of making the match memorable, fearing criticism if it fell short.
“I worked myself up so drastically that whole day,” Ripley said. “I put so much extra stress on my own shoulders with things that weren’t even my responsibility. Becky was sick, so I was like, ‘Okay, I need to be at 110% to help her wherever I can.’”
Ripley also addressed concerns over potential ring rust, explaining that her sporadic in-ring appearances as champion left her self-conscious heading into the high-profile bout.
“I hadn’t had many matches and that made me a little rusty,” she continued. “I didn’t want to go out there and have a stinker and have people say, ‘She sucks,’ or ‘She’s overpushed,’ or start calling me ‘Rhea Hogan.’”
The match with Lynch ultimately earned strong praise, but Ripley’s candid comments reflect the internal battles even top stars face behind the scenes. The former Judgment Day standout’s openness offers fans a deeper appreciation of what goes into performing on the biggest stage in sports entertainment.
Stay tuned to PWMania.com for more from Ripley and other WWE Superstars as Night of Champions weekend continues.
