WWEhas an ongoingRhea Ripleyproblem on their hands. That almost sounds ludicrous to say, considering that Rhea Ripley ranks among WWE’s biggest stars at the moment. She consistently goes viral from a passionate social media following, on top of having crossover appealin other mediums, even comic books.
However, thelatest episode of Monday Night Rawhighlights a glaring issue with WWE’s women’s division. During the contract signing between Elimination Chamber number one contender winner Bianca Belair and the champion Iyo Sky, former champ Rhea Ripley resurfaces to take out both women not once, but twice during the night.
Everyone loves to watch Rhea Ripley in action, and there are plenty of reasons to be a fan of hers. However,WWE’s over-reliance on booking Rhea Ripleyin the majority of women’s segments and portraying her so dominantly is doing more harm than good to its women’s division.
WWE is Becoming Over-Reliant on Rhea Ripley
Why is WWE So Hellbent on Pushing Rhea Ripley? Analyzing the Pros
Before delving into the issues with WWE’s booking of Rhea Ripley, it’s important to look at the pros and to understandwhy WWE remains adamant about pushing Ripley. For starters, as mentioned earlier, it can’t be overlooked just how popular Ripley has become in the wrestling space, as well as other avenues. Simply put, Ripley is over with the WWE Universe, and even with non-wrestling fans considering how frequently she goes viral. She’s far more than just eye candy, as it can’t be overstated how great Rhea Ripley is as a professional wrestler.
Rhea Ripley is the total package in ways that few WWE Superstars, male or female, past or present, can compare.
Rhea Ripley knows how to present herself as a towering, empowering figure while also displaying colossal amounts of charisma at every turn. Then, of course,she has great wrestling matches.Rhea Ripley is the total packagein ways that few WWE Superstars, male or female, past or present, can compare. An argument could be made that she is the most beloved wrestler the WWE has to offer. If not, she’s certainly among the hottestandthe best. Considering her star power, aura, in-ring and promo ability, and crossover appeal - it’s no wonder WWE insists on Ripley being the face of the women’s division.
Rhea Ripley’s Dominance and Exposure Is Counter-Productive to the WWE Universe’s Adoration of Her
Why are Fans Starting to Turn on Rhea Ripley? Analyzing the Cons
While Rhea Ripley is the face of WWE’s women’s division, it would appear that crowds are starting to turn on her. Iyo Sky’s fan reactions aren’t just getting louder because her popularity is increasing, but becauseRhea Ripley’s is slowly diminishing. This was evident during her latest feud with Liv Morgan, during which the two feuded over the title from the summer up until Raw’s Netflix premiere in January. Fans grew tired of the feud and especially tired of Ripley, believing her nearly being Morgan’s sole challenger was worsening Morgan’s reign.
Too much of a good thing can spoil anything, and WWE is starting to spoil Rhea Ripley with their overbooking of her.
This wasn’t the fault of Ripley herself, nor Morgan’s. It can’t be overstated that Ripley is not the problem, butWWE’s booking of her is the problem.WWE has tried too hard to capitalize on the star power and acclaim of Rhea Ripley to the point that fans are starting to feel as if she’s being shoved down everyone’s throats. Too much of a good thing can spoil anything, and WWE is starting to spoil Rhea Ripley with their overbooking of her.
WWE is Underselling the Depth of Its Women’s Roster by Overselling Rhea Ripley
The Undercard WWE Champions Suffer the Most
By comparison, the men’s division is hefty sporting the likes of Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, and Roman Reigns, all producing quality storylines in and out of the title picture. For the women, the division just feels like the Rhea Ripley show. Rhea Ripley is the sole face of the WWE women’s division whenthe division has more to offerthan just Rhea Ripley. Admittedly, there was once a time when the women’s roster seemed thin, particularly during Ripley’s firstreign as Women’s World Champion.
There was a time when Ripley’s challenger pool was thin and few could match the star power of - or in most cases, the size to pose a threat to - Rhea Ripley. Most of her title defenses amounted to squash matches as a result. Now, the women’s division is more stacked than ever before, butunless they’re in a World Title feud,most women are stuck in catering. This is especially the case for the women’s undercard, even its midcard champion. Take, for example, Lyra Valkyria. Since becoming the inaugural WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion, Lyra Valkyria’s appearances have been inconsistent.
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There are weeks when Valkyria is completely absent from WWE television, including this week when her sole segment was an internet-exclusive promo with Bayley. She’s expected to return to Monday Night Raw next week for a title defense, but the lack of consistency is hurting both the first-ever champion’s momentum and title reign. Meanwhile, Rhea Ripley, even after losing her title, has not missed a week of WWE television. WWE’s insistence on keeping Rhea Ripley in the top spotlight ispreventing other women from shining.
While Understandable, WWE Making Rhea Ripley Look Too Strong is Becoming a Problem
All the aforementioned issues with Rhea Ripley’s booking became prevalent during last Monday’s segment. Bianca Belair vs. Iyo Sky for the WWE Women’s World Championship was a chance for WWE to provide something fresh for the women’s division, to prove that it’s more than just The Rhea Ripley Show. That’s when the segment became exactly that, with Ripley laying out both the champion and challenger, then doing so again in a backstage segment. Ripley becoming such a one-woman wrecking crew feltreminiscent of Stone Cold Steve Austin’s bookingduring the height of the Attitude Era.
Fans have been vocal about it too, expressing their dislike on social media:
WWE ensured that Stone Cold was always on top and rarely - if ever - made to look vulnerable or weak. WWE was able to do so without sacrificing the integrity of Austin’s opponents, but they’restruggling to do the same with Ripley. While the prospect of a triple threat seems promising on paper, especially withher potential heel turn, Ripley singlehandedly made both of her potential Mania opponents look weak, defeating intrigue in a potential match.WWE’s booking ofRhea Ripleyis damaging the credibility of its best female Superstars, and unless they course-correct, it could do long-term damage to the women’s divisionandRipley’s popularity.
