Rhea Ripley and Jade Cargill’s social media war ahead of WrestleMania has sparked plenty of backstage chatter.
And not all of it was part of the plan.
The two stars, who are slated to clash at WrestleMania 42 this April in Las Vegas, NV., recently went back-and-forth on X/Twitter in what many initially believed was a playful, storyline-driven exchange. However, things reportedly escalated once Cargill referenced Ripley spending extended periods of time talking with creative.
That particular comment is said to have shifted the tone from lighthearted to more serious.
Several within WWE were reportedly puzzled by the decision to bring creative into the equation as part of the feud. One person within the creative team was quoted as saying, “we would never include a mention of creative as a part of that, it undermines the point,” pushing back on the idea that the exchange was entirely orchestrated.
Despite that, WWE officials were said to be pleased with the buzz the interaction generated. The perception, whether real or storyline-driven, that Ripley and Cargill may have legitimate animosity only fueled additional intrigue heading into WrestleMania season.
Importantly, there is reportedly no concern internally about the two working together.
Regardless of whether the interaction was a work, a shoot, or something in between, the expectation is that business will be handled professionally.
The situation also revived previous rumors surrounding Cargill.
Comments made by Piper Niven about vacations were reportedly tied to past speculation that Cargill declined to work the 2024 holiday tour due to a planned trip. When Cargill later suffered a legitimate injury, conflicting rumors even surfaced suggesting she was simply on vacation, though it was clarified multiple times that she was indeed injured.
There were also recently reports that some in the locker room had taken note that Tiffany Stratton, Michin, and B-Fab missed time due to injuries following matches with Cargill. However, it was emphasized that there was no backstage heat from management toward Cargill over those situations.
Sources close to Cargill have downplayed the current social media situation as not being a major issue. Others backstage reportedly believe the exchange may not have been entirely planned, but still expect Ripley and Cargill to work together without any problems.
As of now, there appears to be no real heat on anyone involved over the tweets, and specifically no disciplinary concern toward Jade Cargill from WWE officials regarding this matter.
Jade Cargill vs. Rhea Ripley for the WWE Women’s Championship takes place at WrestleMania 42 on either April 18 or April 19 from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, NV.
Before WrestleMania, however, Cargill and Ripley will go face-to-face on this Friday’s episode of WWE SmackDown.
Make sure to join us here at WrestlingHeadlines.com on Friday night at 8/7c for live WWE SmackDown Results coverage.
(H/T: Fightful Select)
