In just 24 short hours, Rhea Ripley went from one-half of the WWE Women’s Tag-Team Champions with IYO SKY, to a non-title singles competitor with an Elimination Chamber victory under her belt, and a scheduled WWE Women’s Championship match against Jade Cargill on “The Grandest Stage of Them All” at WrestleMania 42.
It was a busy weekend for “Mami,” to say the least.
During the WWE Elimination Chamber Recap podcast with Sam Roberts and Megan Morant, the women’s wrestling mega-star spoke about the end of the beloved RhIyo tag-team duo, and her path back to the world championship.
“There’s always been respect between IYO (SKY) and I no matter what we’re doing and moving forward, the respect will still be there,” Ripley said of the end of RhIyo’s run together. “Obviously, I wanna be there for her through whatever she’s going through and whatever comes, and I know that she’s got my back with everything that’s gonna be coming my direction as well with SmackDown and Jade (Cargill). But I also, I can’t read the future. Obviously, the tag team stuff might have to be put on hold for a little bit but, whatever she’s doing, I’m still gonna be there for her and vice versa. I don’t know.”
Ripley admitted that it’s sad to see it end.
“It’s kind of sad to think about because I feel like IYO’s kind of been in my life here in the WWE over the past, like, what? Year and a half,” she continued. “We’ve been pretty much inseparable, whether we’ve been facing each other or we’ve been tagging together. Just growing that bond. I’ve seen her family betray her. She’s seen my family betray me, and we’ve been there and we’ve helped each other through everything and she’s kind of been the one to pull me out of that dark place where I didn’t trust anyone. I didn’t think that friends are real. I didn’t think that I could form a bond with anyone and trust anyone and there’s IYO being a little ray of sunshine that you just can’t help but to love.”
Although their journeys are now separate, Ripley is positive that they’ll still have each others backs.
“Yeah, it’s gonna be weird,” she admitted. “It’s gonna be very, very weird. I can’t tell exactly what’s gonna happen but, if she ever needs me, I’m gonna be there and vice versa. I know she’s got my back through thick and thin.”
Rhea Ripley challenges Jade Cargill for the WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 42, which takes place on April 18 and April 19, 2026, live from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, NV.
