“I’m Mad”, “Shocked”: WWE World Disappointed by Rhea Ripley WrestleMania Announcement

Rhea Ripley made history at the recent Royal Rumble event when she won the Women’s battle royal match. She became the first woman to win the match from the number one spot, establishing herself as one of the biggest stars of the division. After her Rumble triumph, the focus quickly turned to who Ripley would pick as her WrestleMania opponent for her title opportunity.

And on the recent episode of RAW, The Eradicator revealed her choice. Being on the RAW brand, which has Bianca Belair as its Women’s Champion, it would’ve made sense for Ripley to go after the EST. However, in a twist, Ripley decided to reignite her rivalry with Charlotte Flair and will now face ‘The Queen’ for the SmackDown Women’s title at the ‘Grandest Stage of Them All.’ Ripley’s decision though had a strong reaction from WWE fans, who believed Belair would’ve been a much better opponent for The Judgement Day member.

Rhea Ripley will look to settle the score against Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania

Rhea Ripley has emerged as one of the top stars of WWE recently. After floundering for a while on RAW, she has found a new lease of life as a member of The Judgement Day faction. Last year, saw the former NXT Champion come into her own as she put on memorable performances on the flagship show.

His recent storyline as Dominik’s ‘Mami’ has got her over with the crowd. Going into the Royal Rumble, she was the hot favorite for the match and lived up to the billing. Her win meant she had the chance to pick her preferred title opportunity at WrestleMania Hollywood.

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And instead of going with her brand’s champion, Bianca Belair, Ripley set her eyes on the crown of ‘The Queen’ Charlotte Flair. This surprised many fans who expected her to challenge Belair.

Here are the top reactions from fans to Ripley’s big announcement.

Some fans were really surprised at Ripley’s decision.

For the unversed, this is Ripley’s quest to get revenge on Charlotte Flair. In 2020, Flair won beat Ripley for the NXT Women’s title at WrestleMania 36. Flair also got the better of Mami when she won the RAW Women’s title from her at Money in the Bank in 2021.

Now Ripley will look to avenge those losses. A win over Charlotte Flair at ‘Mania will truly cement her place as the new face of the Women’s division.

Who faces Bianca Belair now at WrestleMania?

Rhea Ripley’s choice raised the question of who will face the RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair at WrestleMania. WWE was quick to address this conundrum and announced an Elimination Chamber match at the next month’s PLE. The winner of that match will determine the number one contender for Belair’s title at WrestleMania.

So far, Nikki Cross, Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, and Asuka have been added to the Chamber match owing to their Royal Rumble performances. One more spot will be decided next week when Carmella, Piper Niven, Candice LeRae, and Michin face each other in a Fatal-4-way match.

Any name from the above can have an interesting feud with Belair and will make for a WrestleMania-worthy matchup. The EST of WWE will be keeping a close eye as to who will step up next to try to take the RAW Women’s title from her.

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