WWE NXT Women’s North American Champion Zaria already knows who she wants to face on the WrestleMania stage.
During an appearance on Busted Open on WWE Radio via SiriusXM (full episode below), Zaria named Rhea Ripley as her dream WrestleMania opponent. The Australian stars share several connections, including coming from the same city and getting their start with the same wrestling promotion.
“I feel like I don’t even need to say it. I think everybody knows what I’m gonna say, and that’s Rhea Ripley,” Zaria said. “We both come from the same city, the same country and the same wrestling promotion. All the story’s just right there. WrestleMania moment, that’s it.”
Zaria and Ripley both came through Riot City Wrestling in Australia and were trained by the same coaches, though their respective runs at the promotion did not overlap.
“I came from Riot City Wrestling and so did Rhea Ripley. We both trained under the same coaches, Matt and Chris Basso.”
“She was gone before I started wrestling, but every now and then she was able to come back and visit home and visit Riot City Wrestling.”
Zaria recalled that she actually met Ripley for the first time at a Melbourne City Wrestling event that Buddy Matthews was involved with.
“Actually, the first time I met her wasn’t even in Riot City Wrestling. It was a show that I was wrestling at called Melbourne City Wrestling, and she had come to visit because Buddy (Matthews) was doing something on that show.”
Zaria also discussed the comparisons she has received to Ripley throughout her career. She admitted those comparisons created some added pressure when she finally had the opportunity to meet the former WWE Women’s World Champion.
“From the moment I started wrestling, not only as a wrestler but as a person, everyone said, ‘You remind us of Rhea Ripley.’ Even just my personality in day-to-day life, we were very similar,” Zaria said. “So I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is so much pressure.’ So when I met her, I was so, so nervous. I was just fangirling.”
Catch Zaria in action every Tuesday night via NXT on CW. Make sure to join us here at WrestlingHeadlines.com every week for live WWE NXT Results coverage.
