The WWE isn’t too far away from WrestleMania 40, where fans will see Becky Lynch attempt to do what no other superstar has done since WrestleMania 39: take the title from Rhea Ripley. “The Man” has a shot to shock the world, and recently voiced a specific criticism about the Women’s World champion that I surprisingly agreed with.
WWE’s women’s division is the best its been in a decade, and Rhea Ripley sits at the top of the roster. She’s the young megastar within the company, and with the exception of being cut from SummerSlam, Ripley has featured heavily in the spotlight over the past year, in part because she’s so beloved by fans. So when In The Kliq referred to Ripley as the “heel” in Becky Lynch’s upcoming title match against her, the Lass Kicker was quick to share her thoughts:
If she’s a heel, she’s the worst-booked heel in history. If she’s a babyface, she’s the best-booked babyface in history. But I think she’s a babyface, right? I think you have to approach that as if she’s a babyface because she’s a badass. She’s a badass. I’m also a badass, and we are two very different people. She’s dominant. She’s the type of person where you go, ‘There is a superstar. Let me strap a rocket to her and send her to the moon.’ I’m the one that has always had to overcome. I’m the Rocky Balboa in this. And that’s the difference.
Lynch went on to talk about the challenge of crafting a story in the match that goes beyond heel vs. babyface, since the reality is such that they’re essentially both babyfaces in terms of crowd reactions.
Rhea Ripley has been guilty of plenty of heel-leaning movies on Monday Night Raw, but I can’t even remember the last time she’s actually been booed by an audience. Therefore, their match at the upcoming WWE event may need to play out a bit differently, considering Ripley likely still won’t earn any traditional jeers if she tries cheating or anything similarly unsavory.
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It’s a great point that, surprisingly, I hadn’t considered very much until now. I’ve admittedly struggled to figure out why I’m not as all-in on seeing Rhea Ripley vs. Becky Lynch as much as other big matches set for the card. But it does stand apart as one of the few matches that doesn’t have a fully defined Heel vs. Face feud. It does mirror AJ Styles and L.A. Knight’s match, but that one isn’t for a championship title.
Rhea Ripley is a beloved superstar and someone who isn’t afraid to speak out against fans to support others like Maxxine Dupri, but is that doing her any favors in booking? People love the “Mami” gimmick and Rhea’s dominance, but in terms of being an actual heel, she doesn’t do enough to earn real anger from fans. With that said, if what was going on wasn’t working, I doubt she would’ve held onto her title as long as she has.
So, maybe she doesn’t need to piss viewers off to pop. But then, in terms of storytelling, we’re just left to wonder what other badass athlete will eventually defeat her for the title. I felt WWE officially signed Jade Cargill specifically to be the person who finally conquers Ripley, but since she’s only making her in-ring debut in the coming days, a title shot is probably still far in the future. Does the WWE just stay the course with dominant and beloved heel-but-not-really-a-heel Rhea Ripley in the meantime, or do they try to get the fans to turn on her more?
It’s a great question to ponder as we count down the days to streaming WrestleMania 40 with our Peacock Premium subscription. Make sure that account is active for Saturday, April 6th, and Sunday, April 7th, because all signs indicate this will be an iconic two days in wrestling for many reasons.
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