WWE Night of Champions saw SmackDown Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley quickly squash Natalya in just over one minute. Ripley recently spoke with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated and it was noted that while Ripley owns the moment as soon as she appears on-screen, that was not always the case as it took Ripley time to develop the confidence to be herself in the ring.
“I’m a very genuine person,” Ripley said. “When I first started in WWE, I was very timid and scared that I was going to do something wrong. I wanted to please everyone. That’s why you saw the Rhea Ripley you did. I didn’t think people would gravitate toward me. I thought they wanted something else from me. But it’s amazing. I stopped caring. I know myself better than anyone else. I found the confidence within myself to be myself. That’s the Rhea Ripley you see today.”
Ripley also commented on her alliance with Dominik Mysterio, noting how Dominik inspires her.
“Seeing Dom’s growth in the past few months has been incredible,” Ripley said. “He’s paving his own path. That’s really inspiring to me. I don’t think people give him the credit he deserves.”
Ripley continued and said she’s having the time of her life.
“It’s a funny feeling when I step out there,” Ripley said. “It’s like I’m stepping into a different body and different version of myself. There are weeks when my legs are killing me because I killed leg day, but then I walk out there and I feel great. I don’t think out there; I just do. I’m naturally reacting and sometimes I’ve even surprising myself. I’m having the time of my life.”
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