2 Reasons Why WWE Is Trying to Build the Modern-Day Version of Chyna With Rhea Ripley After 21 Years

Rhea Ripley is at the top of the wrestling food chain as far as the women’s division is concerned. She is currently the SmackDown Women’s World Champion in her first reign. Ripley is also arguably the unanimous leader of the villainous faction The Judgment Day. All this makes Mami one of the most dominant athletes in the business today. This impact is reminiscent of what Chyna achieved with D-Generation X in the late 90s.

So let’s take a look at why WWE is once again pushing a female wrestler as one of their top athletes.

1. Dominant female wrestler like Chyna with a submissive male under them – Rhea with Dom, Chyna with Eddie

This formula has worked very brilliantly in the past for the WWE. It all started in 2000 when Chyna became the on-screen girlfriend of Eddie Guerrero. This specific era came around the time when Guerrero had just debuted in the WWE as part of The Radicalz with Chris Benoit. She was even given the nickname ‘Mamacita’ by Guerrero, which was also one inspiration for Ripley’s current nickname ‘Mami’. Thus, the pairing of Chyna and Eddie Guerrero was quite instrumental in making Guerrero the legendary superstar that he eventually turned out to be.

Their on-screen chemistry became an instant hit among the WWE fans. This also gave rise to Guerrero’s legendary gimmick of ‘Latino Heat’ that fans cherish even today. This relationship obviously was not devoid of scandals, as Guerrero was once caught in the shower with two other women. This led to his breakup with Chyna in November 2000, thus bringing an end to their epic relationship. WWE is trying to cash in on that same popularity with Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio. Ripley, just like Chyna, is the dominant female in her relationship. And Mysterio, just like Guerrero, listens to everything his partner orders him to do. This sort of relationship dynamic coupled with Mysterio receiving jeers whenever he picks up the mic has become a sure-shot hit for the WWE.

ALSO READ- “Mami Is Just Giving Up…”: Dominik Mysterio Weighs In on Rhea Ripley Being Viewed as the Leader of The Judgment Day

2. Both female wrestlers have imposing physiques and have received a major push by the WWE, from winning World titles to squashing male superstars

Ripley started her career in the WWE in 2017 with NXT. She later moved to the main roster on RAW in 2021. And within just a month, she won the RAW Women’s Championship by beating Asuka at WrestleMania 37. This shows that WWE has a lot of faith in the Australian as a future superstar in the business. Similarly, Chyna was given a push in her career which no other female athlete ever received in WWE’s 40+ year history. In 2000, at No Mercy, Chyna beat the then Intercontinental Champion Jeff Jarrett. She thus became the first and only woman in WWE’s history to ever win the Intercontinental Championship.

Sadly, she lost the title to Chris Jericho at Armageddon but not before gaining a huge amount of respect from the fans for her gallantry in the men’s division. Throughout her career, Chyna was infamous for her cheeky low blows. But in addition to that, she did shy away from attacking male wrestlers head-on when presented with the chance. And just like the DX member, Mami too has shown her brute force with her male counterparts on multiple occasions. One such attack that fans vividly remember is when Ripley clotheslined Kevin Owens, which sent him spinning mid-air. Mami once even body-slammed an almost 300-pounder Luke Gallows effortlessly, which left fans totally dumbfounded.

Watch This Story: Fans Call for a Change as Rhea Ripley Is Spotted in a Rare Look on a Live Show

But what is your favorite moment from Chyna’s legendary WWE career?